Elisabeth Moss, Jane Campion's "Top of the Lake 2", BBC2.

[ThaliaLuxurySpa]

No exact UK release date yet, but is airing in July.

I'm a bit disappointed the new series is Sydney-based: the remote NZ setting added so much atmosphere in the original...but Elisabeth Moss can do no wrong in my view!

Featuring Gwendoline Christie and Nicole Kidman, too.

I've seen eps 1 and 2. I intend to keep watching, but I'm not finding EM's accent convincing, which is distracting me.

AnyFucker,

Yes, eps 1-4 of TOTL1 are free and available on iPlayer now

The remaining 2 eps are on BBC2 next Friday (back-to-back, from 11.05pm), so will be put up on iPlayer after that.

I am watching someting on Netflix

I don't know if it is series 1 or 2

Series 1: series 2 hasn't premiered yet!

(Yours is set in NZ, storyline about the young girl named Tui, and features a clan of rough blokes and hippy women by the lake?).

If it's set in Sydney, and is subtitled "China Girl", you've managed to catch the new series...I'm bloody jealous [grin'

Ah. I am watching series 1.

Phew.

Any,

(Only 11 days until TOTL2 begins on BBC2...with all the concentrated viewing [and especially if you're currently watching Elisabeth Moss in The Handmaid's Tale, too?], you'll probably start to feel like you know Elisabeth Moss personally!).

Yep, zuzu

I am having a little panic about fitting it all in

Am also working through Nurse Jackie. Not enough hours in the day ! Thank God Wimbledon finishes tomorrow....

I feel your pain.

I attempted similar marathon catch-up with The Sopranos, and fried my brain.

You know you've overindulged when tv characters begin appearing in your actual dreams...

Loved Holly Hunter in Serieds 1, have heard that Nicole Kidman is very good in the upcoming S2.

Well, not sure how the Hell I missed this detail, but the entire second series will be available to binge-watch on iPlayer straight after the very 1st new episode airs (on the 27th)!!

For the purposes of this thread (and the discussion/ analysis/ MN fun crazy plot prediction, which always adds to the experience), I'll gently ask those who then watch ahead of the Top Of The Lake 2 week-by-week schedule NOT to post spoilers.
Or else the rest of us will look for you, find you and kill you...We have a very particular set of skills.

(I'm going to try and restrain myself from giving into the massive temptation of a single marathon session, but I may crack, who knows?).

Another small treat for you all, meantime:
(You get the feeling that these two strong, intelligent, talented women would be brilliant fun to spend time with, don't you?
And seems like their friendship is genuinely warm, not just faked for the promo interviews).

Glad the first time-watchers of Series 1 are liking it.

agoddess,

TBH, it's been so long since watching the original I've forgotten EM's accent, so what you say is interesting.
And surprising, too, as she's apparently a stickler for authenticity with all her characters. I'm assuming you're a Kiwi, so you'd obviously be the best judge of how near (or rather, not near) outsider actors manage to get.
Hope TOTL1's plus points compensate enough for you to stick with it!

Bagel,
That's good to hear.
(NK certainly looks very different in this role!).

I read on Twitter earlier than all eps of S2 will be on IPlayer on the night of first episode 27 July. I think that's the date - not showing on Virgin tv guide on the tv yet, just "To be announced".

Sorry, just saw Thalia already said all that

Bagel,

No worries!
It's no wonder we're all confused about which series/ which repeat episodes/ the premiere of new series, are on when: the BBC publicity department have only themselves to blame... (due to them only confirming release dates of TOTL2 so belatedly).

"Top Of The Lake 2: China Girl"
Series opener: Thursday 27th July, BBC2, 9pm

- 6 episodes, shown weekly. Or available all at once on iPlayer, from 10pm on that launch night, the 27th...On this thread, we'll keep to week-to-week pacing (NO SPOILERS, please, from the binge-watchers amongst us!).

Placemarking

Not long to go now, people...
(26.5 hrs, to be precise).

Meanwhile, this article to tide everybody over:
www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/jul/26/top-of-the-lake-on-location-with-the-stars-elisabeth-moss-gwendoline-christie-nicole-kidman-jane-campion

On your marks at 9pm, everybody...

Another gentle reminder for no spoilers on this thread, please...we'll be trying to go at the weekly episode pace.

Thanks in advance

I'm on ep3 of series 1.

I'm glad it will be available to watch as a whole because I think stuff like this works better that way.

I'm hugely impressed so far - I didn't watch it initially because the first thing I heard about it upset me a fair bit - trying not to do any spoilers - but I am now very glad to be watching it. Just hope it doesn't let me down after starting so well!

The NZ landscape is amazing. Alas it was raining a lot when I went!

Yes, I agree with you, Slim: the subject matter's is hard.
New series also dealing with difficult issues, judging by the publicity.

I also really enjoyed the atmospheric NZ setting, though I understand why China Girl /series 2 storyline now makes the switch to city setting necessary.

And having complete series released in one go does make sense, just that it tends to get confusing on a thread (and potentially make it a bit of a short one!), if different posters are commenting on different episodes at once, and forgetting if a major plot twist happened later or earlier along.

But it'll take a lot of self-restraint for me not to race ahead, for sure!

^ BTW, Slim,

You needn't worry about plot-spoiling for Series 1!

The info's been out there for years anyway, it's not 'live', and it's really interesting to hear new watchers' opinions!
So feel free here

okay thanks

so here's what happened

I avoided watching series 1 because although I heard a lot about quality writing and acting, the concept of a pregnant 12 year old was too upsetting - suffice to say I knew one who wasn't allowed an abortion. (parents ought to be fucking locked up for that but anyway....)

Then with the new series coming out I heard lots of positive things and I thought, okay, I will give it a try.

I've now just decided, about 1/2 way through ep 3, after hearing what happened to Elisabeth Moss's character, that I don't want to watch any more. I realise she was a child too but I am so sick of "women as victim" TV. And she's saying she couldn't have an abortion because her mum was Catholic? I took a strong dislike to her mother as soon as she appeared on screen.

anyway, I will look up what happens in the rest of it but I've also now found out what Season 2 is about. Groan. So the search for strong female characters who aren't accompanied by a ton of trauma continues.

at this rate I'll have to start watching Dr Who. Why are so many stories about women/girls being raped or murdered? Ugh.

China Girl, ep 1

General feeling:
Oh God, hope it calms down and shows more subtlety as the series progresses. Knew the racism/ sexual exploitation/ chauvinism themes are very purposely meant to anger us, but everything else seems a bit cartoonish and obvious, too (so far)...

Annoyed by:

• Precocious Mary (17 going on 35) and Pretentious Mother double act. Jeez.

• Negative portrayal of virtually every male so far (except Mary's Dad?).

• Dodgy German boyfriend being called "Puss" (bleurgh)..why? Because he had a few cats hanging around his brothel apartment?

• Horrendous laptop guys in café. Hope waitress slips laxatives in their coffees.

Liked:

• (Barmy robot helmet weirdness aside) Miranda's awkward, Golden Retriever-like, personality (proper laughed when she thought it helpful to lift Robin off wall!).

And hope she turns the tables on the piss-taking colleagues soon. Pleased she's allowed to keep her own accent.

• Robin's grit.

• Film-standard quality, especially the ocean scenes.

Totally baffled by why Robin's dreamt babies/ children were fluorescent???

Enough plot potential and hooks to keep me watching, though.

Slim,

100% with you re how you feel about a RL pregnant 12 yr old girl being deprived of any options. How traumatic and wrong. .

I really, really liked it and am torn between waiting for next week or watching the whole lot. Decisions decisions

mizu,

Have to admit I'm torn about waiting vs watching too!
Esp. as a friend just told me it definitely improves next episode...aaargh.

Not sure if this is the official TOTL thread but it. And up when I searched.

I watched series one and really loved it. I'm finding it really hard to believe that the episode 1 of season 2 that I just watched was written by the same people!! It was awful. Cringingly bad. What the hell happened between series one and two? I don't even know what that interaction between nicole Kidman and co was supposed to be. It was like a spoof! I expected to hear a canned laughter track. Has anyone watched ahead to tell me whether to bother with episode 2 or not?