Upstairs, Downstairs - annoying episode
Mar. 6th, 2020 05:07 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dimity_blueI've just watched one of the most annoying episodes of Upstairs, Downstairs, a British TV series from the 1970s.
I wrote about the first season here. It has pictures too!
Basically, the series was the Downton Abbey of its day, and was about the Bellamy family, their servants, and their lives from 1903-1930.
This episode, The Key of the Door, centred around Elizabeth Bellamy, the only daughter of the family. Basically, Elizabeth is an absolute pain in the arse.
She rejects society and the privileges of the rich - not by any personal deprivation but by joining a Fabian society, and talking a lot about how awful the rich/the justice system/society is. She tops it all by taking a number of young poor children into a shoe shop, getting them outfitted in boots and socks, and refusing to pay the bill. She adds to it by lecturing the poor shop owner on how grateful he ought to be for the opportunity to help the poor.
Elizabeth is arrested and her father sorts the whole mess out and pays the bill. Once back home, Elizabeth stands her ground, refuses to admit any wrong doing, and storms out to seek refuge with her Fabian friend Miss Larkin. Only to be rejected at the door as Miss Larkin had egged her on at the shoe shop out of jealousy and spite.
The next episode sees Elizabeth staying with a genuine friend of her, Hetty, whose ideas involve soup kitchens and campaigning for political change as opposed to theft.
I really like the series but sometimes the characters drive me batty.
I wrote about the first season here. It has pictures too!
Basically, the series was the Downton Abbey of its day, and was about the Bellamy family, their servants, and their lives from 1903-1930.
This episode, The Key of the Door, centred around Elizabeth Bellamy, the only daughter of the family. Basically, Elizabeth is an absolute pain in the arse.
She rejects society and the privileges of the rich - not by any personal deprivation but by joining a Fabian society, and talking a lot about how awful the rich/the justice system/society is. She tops it all by taking a number of young poor children into a shoe shop, getting them outfitted in boots and socks, and refusing to pay the bill. She adds to it by lecturing the poor shop owner on how grateful he ought to be for the opportunity to help the poor.
Elizabeth is arrested and her father sorts the whole mess out and pays the bill. Once back home, Elizabeth stands her ground, refuses to admit any wrong doing, and storms out to seek refuge with her Fabian friend Miss Larkin. Only to be rejected at the door as Miss Larkin had egged her on at the shoe shop out of jealousy and spite.
The next episode sees Elizabeth staying with a genuine friend of her, Hetty, whose ideas involve soup kitchens and campaigning for political change as opposed to theft.
I really like the series but sometimes the characters drive me batty.
(no subject)
Date: 2020-03-08 07:52 pm (UTC)Elizabeth sounds infuriating, although I think I can see how somebody like that might exist in reality. Imagine growing up in such rarified circumstances! They had luxury and privilege such as doesn't really exist any longer in this country, even amongst the fabulously wealthy, because of the stratification of society, and the certainty of their position above, with others destined to serve them. Even if she hated all that, and rebelled against it, she could never really understand how the world worked for others.
But yeah. Irritating!
(no subject)
Date: 2020-03-09 06:26 pm (UTC)It's a great series for Gordon Jackson fans. His character, Hudson, is in almost every episode and Hudson's the backbone of the household. I really recommend it!
If you're okay with streaming, the episodes are all on Amazon and you can buy an episode or a season to watch.
(no subject)
Date: 2020-03-10 07:48 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2020-03-12 07:45 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2020-03-13 12:48 am (UTC)