BBC's The Replacement, continuation thread.

[ThaliaLuxurySpa]

Hope OP of Thread 1, southeastdweller, doesn't mind me starting this, but MNers are enjoying it too much to abandon the analysis just yet

On you go, people...

[BabyHamster]

I wonder how the cast feel about it? They were all good actors, it was just such a ridiculous episode. I'd feel a bit cheated if i were them i think!

[outnumbered38]

Such a shame the third episode was such a let down. Same happened with Marcella.
I too would like to know where the duvet cover was from. I also liked Paula's shirt dress!

[Foldedtshirt]

I the last thread it was noted that it was as if 4 episodes had been squished into 3- has that been confirmed? There were so many inconsistencies!

[Rioja123]

It had real promise but I felt so let down! The last 20 mins made no sense at all.

[ShatnersBassoon]

I'm so disappointed after enjoying the first two episodes a lot. The third was ludicrous, and so many ridiculous events were shoehorned into the final 20 minutes or so that I wondered if there was going to be a 'but it was all just a dream' ending.

It was unfathomable in parts (Georgia ). I wonder if big chunks of the climax had to be cut.

[NoelHeadbands]

To me it was like one of those (mammoth) American series that they write as they go along.

Not really viable with a three parter though!

[IfNotNowThenWhenever]

Georgia was the reason Paula's daughter was dead, and this gave Paula something to hold over her, hence why (presumably) Paula got work in Georgia's office when she was trying to get back into the workplace.
Georgia couldn't say no to Paula out of guilt.
Agree though, pile of utter tripe. Particularly hated the smug ending. Only character I didn't loathe was the sister.
"Fuck off Ian". Well, quite.

[IfNotNowThenWhenever]

And why did everyone automatically assume Ellen was mental, rather than Paula who they had known 5 minutes??
I hated the whole premise really:
Bereaved mother=psycho
Career mother=cold bitch
Childfree career woman=DIE!!!!

[HookandSwan]

I have that duvet cover set it's from next.

[AgentCooper]

We could all have written a better ending than that, some of the theories posters came up with on here were great! I really wanted there to be some insane twist about Ian orchestrating the whole thing with psychiatric mind games. Bloody Ian.

[Ciutadella]

Also: Ellen said she met Ian when she was being treated for depression. Are psychiatrists allowed to marry their patients? Or maybe she wasn't actually 'his' patient but met him in the hospital cafeteria or something?

Did Ellen actually pipe up at the party and say 'No I didn't' when Paula said she pushed her? (I know she said so later)

[Februaryrat]

Oh no! You killed my child with your car! So... anyway... can I make you an offer on it?

[Arborea]

Thanks Hook and Swan: the set dressers must really like Next!!

[southeastdweller]

No I don't mind at all! Agree with everyone who was saying it was a let down. And it was very telling that there was a pre-arranged interview with the writer that was published on Radio Times just after the episode was on that apparently explained the gaps in the story .

Three-part drama's rarely, if ever, work - Capital and The Casual Vacancy also suffered from being too rushed.

[ThaliaLuxurySpa]

I think the whole Georgia strand was (possibly?) to cement in our minds that Paula has rigidly extreme, black and white views on Motherhood:

i.e. she even judges Georgia accidentally killing Caris less harshly than how she perceives Ellen (distant/ unwilling to make Lia the centre of her world)....as Georgia was behaving in (Paula's standard of) "Perfect Mother" mode at the time of the hit-and-run, rushing to her own vulnerable, leukaemia-battling daughter in hospital.

Although Caris's death devastated Paula's life, maybe she identified with Georgia's tunnel vision about her own child mattering more than anyone/ anything else.

Whereas Ellen is is deemed undeserving of having a healthy baby girl, with her whole childhood ahead, as is not devoting her entire being to Lia's welfare and happiness?



No idea, though, how or why Georgia's car came to be in Paula's possession?

[MrsJayy]

Yes it was anextreme sahm Vs WOHM thing

[AhNowTed]

First two gripping. Ending bloody rubbish.

[LilaoftheGreenwood]

I am JUST watching final episode on player so forgive me if I'm just repeating everything everyone else has said.

WTF, this was so good for the first two episodes??

Why didn't Ellen yell at Ian "I don't have her!" and call the police?
Or if she really couldn't persuade him why didn't she call the police on the way to go and meet Paula?

A baby has been abducted, that's all they'd need to know! They wouldn't care immediately about the whys and wherefores, they'd just go after people and find her.

Why did Paula lock her in the car (as someone else pointed out) making it perfectly clear it was murder?
Why did Ellen TAKE the sodding pills rather than saying omg you're a nutter and fleeing and calling the police on her phone then?
Why/how does she immediately know to go to the library?

I def need to learn how to hotwire a car while drugged up to the eyeballs mind.

[LilaoftheGreenwood]

I've just got to "I don't expect another chance" from Ian. Damn right mate!

[LilaoftheGreenwood]

And now the inevitably "Three years later..." ending

In which, what, so Leah WAS David's?

[firsttimemum15]

Who was Dougray

[soupmaker]

The good news is the writer has said there will not be a second series. I live in Glasgow so loved seeing it but even by the end of episode two I was feeling a bit meh about it. Watched the third episode because I felt I should after watching the first two. It really was rubbish. Ah well, Line of Duty on soon.

[LilaoftheGreenwood]

I can JUST about believe that this would have worked better over say three episodes - a five parter. Can't help wondering if this was how it was originally conceived.

Everyone moved on at the speed of light in that - Ellen's possible affair/nearly affair with David, Ian suddenly turning into a twat, police catching up with Paula's movements, Ellen totally losing it to the point where she is persuaded to kill herself.

It's not a bad storyline, it's just none of it felt inevitable and clever and gradual in the way the first two episodes did. Sometimes crazy stuff DOES happen in life where damaged people are involved, but not at that pace.

[LilaoftheGreenwood]

soupmaker by the way I spent a lot of episodes 1 and 2 ogling at Glasgow. I've never been, I can't believe how beautiful it is! Does it basically not get as much press as Edinburgh because Edinburgh is just unbelievably beautiful? Unfair! I want to go at once.

[TheFifthKey]

The only character I liked was the sister! "Fuck off, Ian" indeed - and so say all of us!