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The Replacement - BBC1

999 replies

southeastdweller · 28/02/2017 18:20

Anyone else planning on watching this three-parter that starts tonight at 9?

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08h625c

OP posts:
SinisterBumFacedCat · 15/03/2017 09:20

That library also had terrible parking facilities

TizzyDongue · 15/03/2017 09:21

The whole thing about Car is made no sense at all. The fact that it appears to be ok to knock a child down and drive off - just as long as it was accidental - and then the mother of the killed child works with the person who killed her child and drove off plus keeps the car (which the number plate of then another person keeps in their phone in a previously unnoticed note)

MrsHughesCarson · 15/03/2017 09:25

I want to know how she managed to swallow all those pills without water or even why she didn't just refuse and punch Paula in the face.
Also, why did Paula risk taking her niece into to work when Ellen might have said ´Hi Caris' and niece would say ´I'm not Caris'.

The80sweregreat · 15/03/2017 09:26

fake Caris was also in the car with husband in the first episode. Maybe thats why she was annoyed / showing off, didnt want to pretend to be her daughter? The library was very odd - seemed soul less and a lot of money for a building that is going out of fashion these days - most now have to deviate to becoming mini coffee shops or linked with other shops to get people to go in them. It was very disjointed all round.

Notso · 15/03/2017 09:28

Yes marmite she was 'pushed' backwards but managed to slide down facing the stairs Confused Grin

The80sweregreat · 15/03/2017 09:31

She very quickly recovered from those sleeping pills, there were about 8 or 9 of them in her hand - then she was okay to start knocking the car around and work out how to get out of it!

yummycake123 · 15/03/2017 09:31

So disappointed! It was so ridiculous!! Shame because I really liked the first 2 episodes. But there were so many WTF moments...
I mean, who can make an airbag "explode" with a battery and some cables...after not overdosing on Valium...?
Why would you leave the baby in a moses basket on a window still...
And the Georgia story didn't make any sense!
And then the ending, so bizarre..
I have so many questions left unanswered.
I loved the style of the show though. The clothes, their houses...

Merrylegs · 15/03/2017 09:31

I think the writer bottled it.

A better ending would have Paula winning at the end.

The narrative was already set up for Ellen to be in some kind of Kafa-esque nightmare (the more she tried to protest she was the sane one the more others didn't believe her) plus she was an unreliable narrator (eg telling Paula she was going to dedicate every waking moment to pursuing her, and not saying 'god I'm so sorry' when learning truth about Caris, like any regular person would have done).

Then when Paula goes totes overboard and confesses we know the truth but everyone else doesn't and lo, Paula leads the police to Ellen and the missing baby at the end. We already know the police haven't listened to Ellen in the past so they cuff her and cart her off, handing baby to Paula as they go....

The80sweregreat · 15/03/2017 09:32

Ellen's house looked small on the outside, but was huge on the inside.
i wondered how the cars got past each other too in that road - it did look odd. All the locations looked strange, but i bet its all very pricy in real life.

spiney · 15/03/2017 09:34

Watched all 3 and quite enjoyed the ride. Loved the 2 main actresses.

But the storyline......?😂😂😂😂😂😂

So many questions.....

Georgia/Paula/Charis's death 🤔

Social workers after leaving baby in car for 5 mins 🤔

nonewnamesagain · 15/03/2017 09:39

The first thing I thought when she walked into the library was "shit it's a set up" and that Ellen would be accused of kidnapping her own child outside of the custody agreement

Agree with PP would have been a more daring and ultimately satisfying ending in lieu of a properly explained one where Ellen came out on top

spiney · 15/03/2017 09:41

Paula/Kay falling thru roof/ ringing Ellen / all at night🤔

Husband (?) completely going for Paula's story over his wife's 🤔

Loved car hot wiring ( must learn) but really 🤔

Big Library ( but only about 20 books ) 🤔

Loved the 👗👡

ChardonnayKnickertonSmythe · 15/03/2017 09:43

I agree with the posters saying the writer changed the ending at the last minute.

The80sweregreat · 15/03/2017 09:50

It did look as if they changed a lot of it - Ellen going down for something she didnt do, then getting her revenge might have worked - they could have spun out another series then.

Merrylegs · 15/03/2017 09:51

Plus Vicky McClure is such a fab actor - so watchable, she could totally have pulled off Paula 'winning'. It would have been chilling, but thrilling too.

The80sweregreat · 15/03/2017 09:55

I did think that paula would win - it was only Ellen's mil that seemed to believe her and she wasnt that much help really.
The tracker for the baby was also odd - do they have them for small children? ( not had a little one in 20 years so a bit out of the loop with new techie things for babies!)

TheBadgersMadeMeDoIt · 15/03/2017 09:57

I've heard lots of comments about this series painting working mothers in a bad light. I must say I didn't get that from it at all. Quite the opposite, in fact. The militantly stay-at-home mum was the one portrayed as a deranged and dangerous obsessive while the working mum was the only person in the whole damn show who could see what was really going on and came out on top.

I'm not saying that's better. It's insulting to mothers however you look at it.

DispatchReady · 15/03/2017 10:00

What a pile of shite! Nothing was explained at all!

Also MIL was in it saying she was going to help Ellen then never seen again! It was like the writer was going to go on that direction then forgot about it!

Car stuff was ridiculous!

Would have been so much better if Paula had successfully replaced Ellen - a shocking and chilling ending.

Elendon · 15/03/2017 10:01

This thread isn't coming up on the threads I'm on.

Anyway, it was obviously going to be a fudge ending, I always think these story lines never end well. For a while I thought that Caris was Georgia's child and that Paula was the OW in the relationship but wasn't able to get pregnant.

But the falling down the stairs was ridiculous. The garage scene was stretching suspension of disbelief so much that the elastic snapped.

Just so bizarre. And it was so obvious that the baby was going to be snatched being left on the window sill. That poor baby!

However, I still think the BBC is great value for money.

Imstickingwiththisone · 15/03/2017 10:02

I thought the actress who played Ellen did a good job too. Just shit writing.

cowgirlsareforever · 15/03/2017 10:03

Why should SAHM be portrayed as militant and dangerous?

SharonBottsPoundOfGrapes · 15/03/2017 10:06

I thought it would end with Paula holding Lia with Ian's arm around her while either at Ellen's funeral or being sent down for murder. Complete with a dead behind the eyes semi smile.

Elendon · 15/03/2017 10:06

I loved the style of the show though. The clothes, their houses...

Me too, couldn't help myself. In the end though the whole thing was style over substance.

Missushb · 15/03/2017 10:09

Very strangely edited; watching again now and the scene straight after the scene with Ian Ellen and lawyers, when Ellen is sobbing, is the scene from episode 2 when she was crying about kay.

Also, was Ian actually seeing Paula? I saw it as him just round at hers visiting with the baby, but his mums reaction and Ellen's too seemed to say they were in a relationship now? So rushed!

Elendon · 15/03/2017 10:12

Also, NoelHeadbands I laughed so much at your post. Still chuckling actually.