Our Girl

[R4roger]

Anyone watching this drivel?
although slightly enjoyed the family dynamics going on last night, unfortunately DD's favourite programme and in fact Guardian seems to recommend it

NappyValley you wanted my input as a regular contributor! I only started writing just over a week ago so I think that's flattering and funny both at the same time.

We seem to have some newcomers today which is interesting - especially when you think the series finished eight days ago!

The funeral: I thought it was most peculiar how stilted CJ and Molly seemed. Yes, it was a very sad occasion and I certainly agreed that they would need to be seen to keep their distance (I presumed their relationship was still secret) but given that only a few minutes ago, we saw them in Charles' bedroom in Bath, it just didn't ring true. I did wonder if the BBC was running out of time at this point as we went straight from Molly crying with her mother to the restaurant scenes in Bath and shortly afterwards to a military funeral. It just didn't hang together as I would have hoped.

Icemist - I've created a Twitter account based purely on my interest in the series and haven't found my way round it properly yet. If you and Tony Grounds are tweeting, I'd be interested to know at which point he intended CJ falling for Molly? We're debated this at length over the past few days. I'm also curious as to whether the BBC interpreted his script as he wished (see above for my view on the last episode). I'd actually also like to know how many of the social media sites he is monitoring!

Since I was rumbled at work over CJ/Ben by my male colleagues and one of them is a big fan of Twitter, I might ask for a few lessons on it this week.

I have been out at a client site most of the day and was looked after by one of their members of staff at lunchtime. In response to a comment I made, she said "Ditto", so I swung round immediately and said "Oh, have you watched it too? Hasn't it been a great series?". She looked quite puzzled so I had to explain the connection. Sadly, she hasn't watched it yet but did say she had recorded it. I urged her to watch all five episodes back to back!!

I think that photo was when they got together for viewing of the first episode.

Now for the homework question - I think Capt James and Molly were just numb, fumbling their way through their grief. Much as they had struggled to control their feelings for one another up until that point, I think they were both fighting battles that day. Capt James felt personally responsible - he had lost control, done everything he should not have, gone against every rule in the book and allowed personal feelings into the operational environment. He felt like he'd let himself down, the section, the platoon and ultimately Smurf. Just before he talks to Molly, he faces Smurf's mother outside where she says she's given her boys to the Army - effectively to him. Whilst objectively you'd say he wasn't responsible for Smurf's death, on that day, at that church, he feels it is. Its such an overwhelming feeling of guilt and grief that there is little room for everything else.

For Molly she's overwhelmed with her grief and guilt too - that she couldn't return his feelings, that she'd hurt him by letting him see that kiss with Captain James, that her actions on tour had ultimately led to Smurf and Capt James being shot, that she'd known he wasn't right but had put it down to being "fragged" - that she hadn't saved him. That's her job, her calling - she's a medic and she couldn''t stop him from dying. She's also grieving the loss of her best friend, pure and simple.

And I think both of them are trying desperately hard to right the wrongs of allowing personal feelings of interfere with what they should have done - so they're striving to maintain the distance because they're punishing themselves because of the guilt - thinking its not the time or the place to "indulge" in their own feelings for one another.

I love that photo too, the way BA has a protective arm around Lacey. She looks so tiny as well.

Iloveblue , I too thought they seemed to cram a lot in ep5, Bath, crying with mum and funeral etc. It really needed another episode. I would be really interested in the timeframe between all these scenes. Tony Grounds posts pictures randomly from behind the scenes, which is great but I want more!!!!

With regards to Twitter, I havent a clue. I ask my DS but he goes so quick I still don't get it! I am just following anyone who uses the #ourgirl thinking they are into it as much as us.

Hi, I'm new here, but I've been lurking for a few days reading the posts. I've got young kids and like many of you have found that I'm spending far too much time re-watching Our Girl! I thought I if don't speak up now I never will!

I agree with so much of what's been said about the sexual tension but I also think it's a huge amount to do with the chemistry between the lead actors - it's electric. You do end up wondering if it spilled over into real life, if not it's brilliantly played. The looks, gestures, non-verbal stuff is so right, is so how we'd all like to be admired, I think for me that's part of the fun. You end up wishing yourself into a scene (I know I'm sad, but I'm just going to say it!).

I've just been re-watching the scene in the medic's tent where she's drying her hair as it's the tipping point for him where he makes his feelings known to her. Watch it back, this is how I see it so far...she's aware she fancies him, but as her superior she know's he's off limits, but she's joined in on the coco-pop flirting, gained respect for him as an individual through his actions as her boss and demonstrated to a degree, her interest in him by turing back and catching his eye where possible. But for her he's never going to be within reach - in army terms but intellectually and socially - (plus think of her childish ex-boyfriends and back of take-away encounters, contemplating a grown up relationship is a completely different ball bag!).

I think the Rosbaya scene is where things change, he let's his guard down and is himself, not her boss. For me, he uses the coffee as an excuse to spend time alone with her and he ends up admitting his feelings through his use of language - ' adore you for always' & 'come back to me' - and by caressing her hand. I think she's taken aback, watch the performance from LT, she plays it initially as if he's joking he and she's flirting back at him - 'for always' - but her expression changes as the realisation kicks in that he means more and his touch and hesitation only goes further to confirm this. I remember watching it the first time and how fast my heart was beating. I think the repressed emotions spilling into something that's more 'real' are palpable!

Sorry, that was a bit of a splurge of thoughts and ideas...

Another new girl to this thread too, I'm afraid -although I have been 'stalking' it for the last few days and finally decided to come clean!. I have to admit I've just skimmed over many of the comments, but to sum up, I am just SO relieved that I'm not going through some sort of midlife crisis with what I can only describe as some highly unhealthy (bordering on obsession) crush on a fictional character.

It's fab, I'm loving all the comments from like-minded devotees to CJ. I've tried encouraging friends to come on board and share my obsession, but they were having none of it (one looked at me with pity in her eyes and asked if everything was okay with DH and I!). I haven't felt this way since Mr Darcy in a wet shirt.

Welcome new ladies! Loving the insight . I now have laptop open for Our Girl Mumsnetting, iplayer on tablet and twitter & soundtrack on phone.

Actually just watching news with last soldier leaving Afghanistan. 3 million girls now in education compared to none under the Taliban.

elsie i was wondering the same thing today. I would love to hear they are an item, they have electric chemistry. Welcome btw.

Hi and welcome stressy, elsie and anyone else I may have missed. Apologies to all for miserably failing to complete todays homework, real life got in the way (although I too was flattered to hell as am a newbie too).

Icemist you are a legend .

As others have dealt with the funeral scene so well, my thoughts have strayed to other things. It started at lunchtime watching the news about the withdrawl from Bastion, as others have mentioned it felt really different. Bastion had never seemed real to me before watching OG, it would have been an at a glance news article before, but suddenly it seemed real and more important.

This was reinforced by this weeks Russell Howard, he had an airforce amputee as his guest. The guy was awesome, his attitude, erudition and positivity just blew me away. But once again I felt I saw him in a different light to the me before OG.

Sorry if I have brought it back to serious again, as I know some prefer to keep it lighthearted.

Just downloaded Spotify and tomorrow will listen to the playlists mentioned from previous posts. That's another new thing I have to try and get my head around

How do you think CJ would get on with Mollys parents. Could you picture him on the couch under a West Ham duvet?

i can't see Smurf's mum without picturing her only in her knickers
she was in Skins which my teens have subjected me to fairly recently

R4Roger I'm being really dumb here, knew I recognised Mrs Smurf, but can't work out where from. Have to confess to being a huge fan of skins despite no kids, please enlighten me.

snumpy now there's a question! My first instinct would be to say they wouldn't get on at all, but having worked in the past with a group of ex-RAF officers, they do generally have very good manners (assuming Sandhurst and Cranwell have a number of similarities) and I think he would try to fit in, but not sure about the West Ham duvet! Reckon he would be more of a rugby chap personally. My ex-RAF officers were also quite easy to talk to, once you fought your way through the acronyms peppering their conversations. They seemed relatively at ease with the rank and file at the bottom of the organisation as well as being able to schmooze with the higher ups in the company. I think her parents would be in awe of him, not only given his rank and being Molly's (ex?) boss, but his totally different background to their own.

To take it further, I am not sure however, how Mr and Mrs James would take to Molly. As somebody further up this thread said, she imagined Mrs James to be well coiffed and in pearls. Sadly, I also imagine her to be rather snobby.

Anybody got the number of a good therapist? I am going completely mad. I thought tonight I was weaning myself off CJ, but no, just sat down to have a sneaky peak! Thinking of getting a mousemat printed with my favourite photo of him on the front.

As a lighter moment, a friend and her husband rang tonight to ask if they could come for a meal tomorrow on their way back from Scotland. Had to dash into the kitchen to rustle up a meal in readiness and decided to make a pudding I've wanted to try out for a while (the kind that uses up every spare bowl and pan in the house). I started fantasising about the kind of pudding CJ/Ben would like - a creamy dessert or a good old-fashioned stodgy one! Had to laugh to myself as if he came for tea, I would hope we wouldn't get quite so far as eating pud! Oh God, get me that therapist!

smurf
she was a teacher, who had an affair with a pupil, in series 1. Chris I think his name was Chris who had a brother who died and then died himself and fed fish drugs, i think

R4Roger She's Angie! Thanks for that, couldn't work it out. Guess I have totally outed myself as a Skins fan now, in defence I was only about 30 when that was aired. making it worse, shut up Smurfing

I think my CJ induced mid life crisis reached new heights today. I visited my old university, in Devon (BA country) and it has made me rather introspective. I have now spent a happy evening catching up on the day's posts!

I am glad that the soundtrack has got some attention in this thread. Whoever chose the music is a genius. It is all about context - my daughter had London Grammar on the iPod a lot this summer, and I found the music quite depressing. Suddenly, against the backdrop of this series, it is beautiful and haunting, and the music is one of the things that first grabbed me when watching, apart from CJ of course!

Although...I felt that the way the singing piece at end of episode 3 was badly interrupted by saddish song...and having watched it too many times to admit, I still feel the transition doesn't feel right ;-)
Let me tell you I have been up since 4am, currently waiting for a plane, and still reading here. Getting worried about my sanity. Also eating porridge, though, which strikes me as a good all-rounder breakfast for both CJ and M? :-))

I think Molly would fascinate mrsJ. For a start, she saved her sons life (and stopped him from being in combat all the time), thats quite a bonus....then...Just imagine them sitting at the table and Molly mentioning she gave all of her deployment money to Bashira! That would surely (shock and) impress even the poshest, pearled up of army mums? :-)

(I think CJ would also grin beautifully at the notion!!)
(As in "that's my girl"...)

Love this snap. brightens my dull morning :)

Watching ep 3. After smurf and Molly come back from the UK. Love theses scenes. When CJ is up on the watch tower you can see everything running through his mind. The song is very apt to and the words match beautifully "show me a sign .. Something that's shining' matches exactly when he picks up the coffee.
you really feel for him as he cant say anything! And when he ignores her as he walks by....
I must admit skipping past the UK scenes but smurf must have gotten some inkling that she fancied CJ as she brought his name up enough

Missed all the new posts last night, I was knackered and was asleep before the springs hit the floor... ( my mission today is try to get as many OG quotes in normal conversation, in the hope someone will know what I'm talking about!)

Many new topics to ponder over today. It was be very amusing to have both sets of parents together. I think CJs parents would be great with Molly. She has served in Afgansistan and saved her son ( stopped him from bleeding out). At the resturant scene, she looked beautiful, very classy (it was a Reiss dress and shoes, now in the sale!) she held her own in the restaurant which was certainly no Frankie and Bennys!

I too have been wondering about "real life" chemistry. I'm a sucker for anything romantic and a massive dreamer (no surprise there!) if there isn't any real life chemistry between them then hats off for superb acting. Especially in the restaurant scene when he leans over the table to say the house is empty.... Ahhhhh sexual tension.

The last scene after the credits when he was wearing the rigger gloves, I wonder what he could have been doing? It is his parents house and didn't look like any jobs need doing?

Thanks for the photo Icemist. Out all day today and that will keep me going!

Richtea been wondering about that dress but couldn't find any details via Google!

I think he was maybe doing gardening? If it's autumn- cos Molly wearing a hat- clearing the garden out?
I hope BBC make a decision soon on whether it will make another series. although I'm not sure how they could have CJ in army gear?? Unless he became a trainer?

My obsession is not going away. I feel like a teenager all over again!

I'm sure it must have been suggested on this thread already, but just imagine if someone were to put a CJ 2015 calendar together...it would be gracing the kitchens and offices in the Uk everywhere. In fact, I would buy two, one for home and one for work (plus one for 'best', and as a keepsake so that I can hopefully one day look back and smile at my mid life crush).

Must be someone out there with calendar making skills...they would sell like hot cakes