Versailles - it was shit wasn't it?

[ArgyMargy]

Genuine question actually. I only lasted about 15 minutes until the endless sex, ugly men and confusing "plot" got too much. This programme has been made by a French channel in English for goodness knows what kind of audience, and the BBC was dumb enough to buy it.

I'm just watching tonight's episode.... There is something about the King that i like watching him... Although I don't find him attractive?? Love the title song though.

Ok I watched tonight's episode.

I have fantastic facial recognition and yet I can't tell any of the women apart! I think it's the hair. Also I think someone said last week that Louis' mistress is supposed to be English? And yet she has a slight French accent in this, which I find odd.

There is something about the King that i like watching him

I like him, but I also find him quite attractive No one else does yet though but I like a bloke with long hair. He does seem to do a lot of walking about the place with an entourage.

But he's so small! That combined with the weak delivery...nope.

I haven't watched tonight's yet but you've reminded me to. Shall catch up on iplayer later.

Oh come on, it's fun.

To help ^^ Louis fair haired mistress/sister in law/first cousin, Henrietta, was indeed English, the daughter of the then English King but she was taken to France at a young age to escape then civil war and lived in the court with the king as his cousin and childhood playmate. So no doubt she'd have an accent.

There was a Lucy Worsley BBC4 doc on just after episode 1, it's well worth a view as it all falls in to place when you've watched that.its still on Iplayer.

As for Louis? I would, in character, 100% . I've no clue why. I've never found a French fop in heels and a frilly shirt vaguely sexy before....but phwoar....must be a power thing.....

But he's so small! That combined with the weak delivery...nope

Tsk! Size isn't everything. How can you resist a man in pantaloons?

But he's tiny!! No wonder he's wearing heels.

I once thought Laurence Llewelyn Bowen was hit in his frilly shirts so can't talk really

hot

Because I'd have to bend down Hip or get him a stool.

I did think that about Henrietta's accent, that she was probably brought up in France. I just found it funny that all the French characters have English accents and the character that's supposed to be English has a French accent.

Oh hang on he's 5'9 apparently. So not as short as I thought. How strange.

He's 5ft 9 sans heels.... not that I've googled, oh no

It's just a fascinating time. DH revels in this stuff, and yes, it was basically a shag fest power trip era. Your marriage was diddly squat, it was all about reproduction in lines. Who you fancied on the other hand, well that held a lot of power too, in a different way. And with little else to occupy you, who you looked like, sided with and shagged was basically your whole world I guess.

As far as the images go, yeah, they're pretty ugly bugglies compared to the actors. But it makes me wonder, they all as oil paintings have such striking similarities and features, was a degree of fashion added to the paintings too? They can't all have looked so samey. Very puffy faces, protruding eyes, thin lips, they all look the bloody same in portraits! And not like anyone I see these days? Surely in real life they looked slightly more 'unique' ?

Yes! I've often thought that about the paintings. Particularly the women. Like oil painting photo shop.

Agree about the paintings. Without wishing to harp on about the Tudors all the time, it's no wonder there's so much confusion about who's who in which painting. All the portraits, women especially, look bloody identical!

Maybe I do find him attractive if I enjoy watching him?! I'm confused. Loving the programme though. I'm telling the women apart by their hairstyles!

Am I the only one who sort of fancies Fabien? I mean, technically he didn't actually drown the baby...

I also have the advantage of having watched it shortly after it first aired (they were selling DVDs at Versailles when I visited earlier this year) so now I'm rewatching with MIL

No you're not the only one willoughby There is something about him...I like how forthrightness is.

Forthrightness?Where did that come from?

I meant forthright, obviously.

Yes, there's definitely something about Fabien!

Regarding the paintings, they'll have had an idealised standard of beauty/style which will be reflected accordingly. A bit like a latter day filter, I imagine.

This series is growing on me and I've always had a soft spot for the flowing hair and frilly shirt look, though usually with tight riding britches and boots rather than the pantaloons on offer here

Have concluded it's his silly little moustache that's off putting.

It was the women I was losing track of this week. Who was the pregnant woman? Is this the first we've seen of her or was she the same one from episode 1 who was whipping herself?

Who's the dark haired snooty woman who fell into the guard and had her boobs stared at hand kissed by the King?

Why did Fabien keep the little girl at his home instead of getting medical help?

So many questions.

I kept getting the women mixed up as well. They're all very beautiful but I think they could have done with some actors who were more facially unique, if that makes sense.

I looked up the women who fell into the guard and I think she might be Madame de Montespan who eventually becomes Louis' mistress.

I'm enjoying it though. When it's done, I might binge watch it, so the characters are fresh in my mind and I can work out what the hell is going on

You're righ Hiphop - snooty dark haired falling woman is Madame de Montespan (she was the King's Official Mistress IRL).

The pregnant woman who kep whipping herself is Louise de la Valliere. She was the King's first official mistress and she had 3 children by him - she was also very religious and begged to be allowed to go to a covent to atone for her sins. Again, this all happened IRL.

With the young girl, I think Fabien held her as she died when he found her in the forest (I think this bit is intended to show he isn't irredeemably awful or something). Why he kept her hidden, I'm not sure.

It was a bizarre period and no mistake.

Enid I agree the moustaches are irritating, but then moustaches irritate me generally.

Mild Spoilers re. Fabien

If I recall (and I thought it was hinted at in the episode last aired, which I haven't watched yet) he kept the girl's body in his quarters as the murderer still didn't realise that she had been found, so he was hoping they would come back and search for the body... I think that was it.

And yes, I got the sense that with that scene they were attempting to flesh out the character a bit more, and show that while he is utterly ruthless in the King's service (cf. baby drowning) he is not entirely heartless.

Also, he is soooooooo fine without that silly wig and mustache