Antenora
Detriment Deleter
Fiendish Philologist
Put down that harpoon gun, in the name of these wonderful birds!
Posts: 15,891
Likes: 113
|
Post by Antenora on Mar 31, 2018 14:23:15 GMT -5
Judging by their vocalizations, the VFD crows are American Crows. However, the bird in the saloon utters a call like that of the Common Raven, and we hear similar raven-like noises at the end. So perhaps it's a mixed species flock (i.e. part murder and part conspiracy).
|
|
|
Post by Linda Rhaldeen on Mar 31, 2018 14:36:30 GMT -5
^ I love that you know obscure bits of corvid information like this, Antenora.
|
|
|
Post by Violent BUN Fortuna on Mar 31, 2018 20:20:10 GMT -5
Yes, I see what you mean -- although actually in a way I'm glad that Larry and Jacqueline don't influence the plot that much. Because I think it keeps the books' story more intact -- they've found a way to visually show V.F.D. working in the background, without actually changing the Baudelaires' story to any great degree. However, I can see that this could just make L&J feel kind of redundant.
|
|
|
Post by Linda Rhaldeen on Mar 31, 2018 20:27:10 GMT -5
One of the major themes of the series was that adults are incompetent and the Baudelaires have to save themselves, time and time again. And yes, that incompetence extends even to the noble VFD agents. Larry and Jacqueline failing over and over is simply making explicit what had been hinted at in the later books - all those times the Baudelaires thought they were alone, there were actually people in the background helping them; people who ultimately turned out to be useless.
|
|
|
Post by Dante on Apr 1, 2018 15:52:37 GMT -5
I quite enjoyed that Jacquelyn and Larry rode in like deus ex machina and were almost immediately undercut, but I have to agree that they could probably have been used slightly less this season. I did enjoy the expansion on Jacques's storyline, however, and I felt that the interweaving of familiar and original material in Part 1 felt elegant and justified. I have always called for more to be done with Jacques, that we would feel retrospectively sorrier about his death; and my wish was granted. I also regard it as very much to the episode's credit that the Baudelaires' attempts to break into the jail were employed as the evidence against them this time, with Olaf having no need to fabricate anything; it is similarly elegant that the Baudelaires' breakout assistance in Part 1 almost certainly helped their own breakout in Part 2. Lastly, so far as shipping goes, I don't particularly recall noticing any romance suggested between Violet and Duncan in TAA (certainly not in relation to the obvious foregrounding of the equivalent with Isadora and Klaus), and felt in fact that she politely rebuffed him by pretending not to have seen his graffiti. PS I know the chance of this being true are probably slim, but did anyone interpret the Dante reference as a shoutout to our Dante ? If only. The Netflix series has brought in quite a few literary references that aren't in the books so I think it's a coincidence. But what the hell, let's apply death of the author and interpret it as a reference to Dante. You are too kind. It is conceivable that I may have indirectly provided research assistance to the Netflix version, but I have no direct evidence for this.
|
|
|
Post by mizbizsav on Apr 1, 2018 16:19:15 GMT -5
Just finished with The Vile Village episodes! I actually enjoyed these more than I thought I would. I like the book, but it doesn't stand-out in comparison to the others, especially when it's sandwiched between two of my favorites, The Ersatz Elevator and The Hostile Hospital. I thought the same would happen with the episodes, but I was intrigued the whole time. Because I wasn't as much of a purist with this particular story, I was more curious about their changes than bothered. I loved all of the scenes with Jacques, especially with Olaf. (That line Olaf said about Jacques never approving of his romantic interests... hehe. Also: the etched heart in the saloon said "Olaf + Georgina, Josephine (what), and Kit"). Loved Olaf and Esmé's disguises because, like the book, they were such a funny contrast to the villagers. Olivia manipulating Esmé into letting them go was a surprising moment that I liked. I did not expect the sugar bowl to be such a big factor in the story at this point - I thought they'd just tease it a couple of times for the book-fans but wait until season 3 for it to become a big plot point. I like this change - with Esmé comes the sugar bowl, as it should. I thought the shocking and painful twist of Olaf being captured hurt even more here - having Jacques actually capture Olaf was just cruel. I'm repeating what others have said, but I don't like how inept the VFD agents are. In the books they ultimately ended up not being as helpful, but for selfish reasons, not because they were not capable. I didn't like when we were shown more of the agents in season 1 and it is even more frustrating here. Larry and Jacquelyn are pointless characters and I'd rather we spend time with, say, Lemony (I need more Lemony content!!!) or even the Baudelaires, who sometimes feel secondary in their own story when there are so many scenes with the adults. I'm being rather harsh with this, but the portrayal of VFD is the one thing I have continually disliked in the show and it hurts because in the books VFD was such a mysterious, looming, depressing, morally-complicated entity.
I thought Hector's presence in the episodes was odd (he felt like he was barely there), but ultimately had no major qualms - he was fine and serviceable to the story. While reading I pictured Hector as an old man who'd spent his entire life intimidated by his society and, by the ending, decided to spend his remaining years free of their fear-mongering... so already my original impression was different. These episodes had some great emotional moments, too. Jacques's death - and Lemony's narration, Klaus's birthday in jail (still hurts), the Baudelaires and the Quagmires reuniting, and the ending scenes. I thought it was the tensest ending so far. Overall, I surprisingly really enjoyed these episodes! The expansions felt true to the story, which is all I want. I can't wait to move on to the final four episodes - I've heard that THH and TCC are the best ones!
|
|
|
Post by Violent BUN Fortuna on Apr 1, 2018 19:04:35 GMT -5
They sort of hinted at a Violet/Duncan thing in the first episode of TAA when Sunny told them to 'Get a room' -- but all they did was smile at each other. I agree that Violet did seem to politely rebuff Duncan by pretending not to see his graffiti, which kind of saved the situation in my eyes: I wasn't keen on what they had been hinting towards, so the fact that Violet didn't reciprocate Duncan's feelings was something I was very glad of.
Klaus's birthday in the jail cell was, I think, really well done. I've been very impressed with the children's acting in this season, and this scene was very powerful. Although I do like Larry and Jacquelyn, I would also like more focus on the Baudelaires and on Lemony, who seemed very absent compared to season 1.
|
|
gamegenie
Reptile Researcher
Reading the Daily Punctilio
Posts: 19
Likes: 12
|
Post by gamegenie on Apr 1, 2018 19:15:43 GMT -5
Detective Dupin is hilarious in this episode, reminds me of Kirk Lazarus in Tropic Thunder.
|
|
gamegenie
Reptile Researcher
Reading the Daily Punctilio
Posts: 19
Likes: 12
|
Post by gamegenie on Apr 1, 2018 19:27:32 GMT -5
Also Poe portrayal in this episode was terrible. He really shouldn't even be in this episode according to the books. He came off cruel to the orphans when they were in jail. I really hoped there was going to be two reporters from the Daily Punctilio but alas Season 2 has disappointed that with Poe's wife Eleanor doubling as the Geraldine Julienne.
|
|
|
Post by Dante on Apr 2, 2018 3:28:12 GMT -5
I recall reading an article some time ago indicating that the writers particularly enjoyed K. Todd Freeman's interpretation of Mr. Poe and were looking for ways to work him into more of Season 2 - and I believe the result is what we have seen on-screen. The use of Mrs. Poe as chief agent of The Daily Punctilio I think is a move in the name of unity and economy; it develops the character a bit more as well as tying her into a background detail of the books, it avoids introducing redundant extra characters, and it keeps the action within the circle of familiar figures. It is a little bit of a shame that Geraldine Julienne isn't a factor, as it would have been tidy to confirm that the proto-Geraldine from THH and TCC is indeed the same character, and would rationalise the Baudelaires' recognition of her in TPP despite the name having never been associated with the character in the main text until then; but I think the Netflix solution is quite a neat one.
|
|
gamegenie
Reptile Researcher
Reading the Daily Punctilio
Posts: 19
Likes: 12
|
Post by gamegenie on Apr 2, 2018 4:17:07 GMT -5
It would have made sense to have introduced Geraldine right at TEE without having to explain much of anything as it's not uncommon for news press to have more than one journalist on-board, and this journalist Geraldine would be more bias (favoring Olaf & gang) than Eleanor was.
|
|
|
Post by lemonmeringue on Apr 2, 2018 11:23:23 GMT -5
I am absolutely unhappy with Mr. Poe 1. believing the Baudelaires are murderers and 2. approving of them being burned.
Otherwise, I loved these episodes - especially the music.
|
|
|
Post by A comet crashing into Earth on Apr 2, 2018 15:32:07 GMT -5
Nathan Fillion's affronted take on the line "Dante never said that" is probably my favourite line delivery in this season, maybe even the show. He's capturing someone who has murdered several of his associates, and still he seems surprised at the fact that Olaf would dare to sully the name of a 13th-century poet. It sums up the show version of Jacques pretty well for me.
|
|
|
Post by Liam R. Findlay on Apr 2, 2018 16:14:43 GMT -5
I don't think anyone's completely comfortable with the Duncan and Violet 'romance', but I have some faith in the writers not to include something like that for no reason. After all, they would have discussed, justified and agreed on such specific details among each other, considering they didn't happen in the books. This may be wrong, but I wonder if it's to set up some kind of dynamic between Quigley and Violet later on. Perhaps she mistakes him for Duncan and is surprised that he suddenly has no interest in her (initially). Or perhaps she thinks he's Duncan and doesn't understand why she suddenly has feelings for him when she never liked him before, helping to emphasise the surprise when his true identity is revealed. Something like that.
|
|
|
Post by Grace on Apr 2, 2018 17:08:26 GMT -5
Detective Dupin >>>>
My least favorite part of TVV in general was the fact that Esmé managed to shoot two commonplace books with one harpoon (and right through the middle so they could never be read apparently). Doesn't she only shoot one in the episode? Can someone confirm?
|
|