Our Girl and Captain James XLVII

[Ilovelblue]

Not much longer to wait out for the Nigeria episodes! Some of us are still mourning the death of Elvis.

Yes I think I rather enjoyed that episode at times. Certainly Bones is coming over as someone who doesn't mince his words. Now we know the scene between him and CJ in the past it does have an almost comical angle. CJ was like a lost sheep in this one and certainly not asserting his authority with Georgie is not the CJ of the past. Interesting things to come I think.

Well, well, that was quite an episode. Somewhat reminiscent in parts of Georgie's kidnapping in Kenya and of course Bashira's suicide vest in S1. There again, the suicide vests are used a lot I guess. I enjoyed it - had to look away in parts. Good old Spanner and Peanut to the rescue.

What did we think of Bones? Not sure he's the eye candy TG hinted he would be. Well, he doesn't really float my boat, not like CJ or Elvis! He made me laugh though when he reminded Georgie that he had saved her life and diffused a bomb if she wanted to show some gratitude! Insensitive so and so though knowing she is still learning to live without Elvis. Definitely a rough diamond Rhu. Doesn't have CJ's polish at all.

Meant to say that when the hostages all came back, CJ's comment to Georgie about learning from the situation seemed to me to be very weak. I am sure in real life, the likes of Georgie would have been severely reprimanded but of course this is drama and not real life, I keep forgetting.

Well, I did reckon the Bones / CJ history would be a major part of the story ...
What gets me is the downright HYPOCRISY of TG, who is reported in the Radio Times www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2017-11-01/our-girl-creator-on-major-character-death/ as saying "We could have sent [Elvis] to prison or on holiday or just not seen him for five years but that seemed a bit daft ..." No more daft than it's been so far, with various characters talking about him with Georgie!
See Fingers is visibly walking taller after Bones said that about selection.
And it's nice to see Spanner again, and Peanut. I don't fancy Spanner, but I do like him. He has a nice smile.

Actually ilove when Bones asked what else he needed to do to earn Georgie's gratitude I thought, judging by Elvis's standard, you'll have to save her life an awful lot more than that before she'll fall for your charms....er....not exactly a word that perhaps belongs in the same sentence as Bones. I'm guessing, the next time he crops up, he'll start to win us over, maybe he likes fluffy kittens or something. We all hated Maisie at the beginning but we like her now so perhaps he'll redeem himself.

CJ's authority seems to be slipping more and more. I really think he needs to be heading into civvy street. WHEN is he going to tell us something about Molly for goodness sake. Perhaps if it is him who gets injured next week he'll have flashbacks about his last brush with death and think or speak of Molly.

Agreed eejit. Spanner does nothing for me, but he does have a lovely smile.

Haha Rhu, I thought pretty much the same thing about Bones and gratitude!

Can I ask a question here? I'm just watching the suicide vest scene again. Not that I know much about this sort of thing, other than what you read in the news, but Fingers threw the vest in the air and they all ran as fast as they could. We see the vest exploding - I thought these things could cause untold wreckage - do they only have a relatively short area of damage? Can't think of the right way to explain it.

It seemed quite a large explosion but it was out in the open and I'm guessing that if it was used in a more crowded or confined space (like in a market place as they referenced in the first episode) it would cause significantly more damage and injury, from flying debris etc and dreadful as it is, some of these are packed with other stuff to cause more injury.

I wondered exactly what Georgie was doing in that scene. Is she trying to keep the girl still? CJ must have been suffering from Deja Vu right then. He really is leaving a catalogue of, what I will politely term, errors behind him.

I'm getting to the point where I wouldn't mind seeing CJ and Two Section back at barracks or at home etc - minus any terrorism and Dr Dull.

What did we think of Bones? Not sure he's the eye candy TG hinted he would be. Well, he doesn't really float my boat, not like CJ or Elvis!

He floats mine alright... phwooaaaaarr!

Ah Angelo we obviously have different tastes. I would say I'll stick to CJ but he's being a bit wimpy so I'll pretend Elvis is still alive instead.

Yes rhu I was musing on CJ's polished sword . He certainly wouldn't be awarded the sword of honour these days. He just seems to stand around looking an being ineffectual and letting Georgie or Bones call the shots, whilst leaving a trail of errors behind him! Even the dad dancing whilst sitting down was embarrassing . Now it looks like he gets himself injured and in a whole heap of even more trouble next week when they're meant to just be training and getting some R&R. Seriously, I think someone's trying to tell him something like, LEAVE THE ARMY NOW but I don't think he can hear them!!! Maybe it's all a symptom of PTSD but at the moment, he's crap (and I never thought I'd ever think that!).
Bones was right to bawl out 2 Section when they were congratulating themselves over the rescue. CJ needs to be tough aswell esp with Lane going off piste every 2 minutes.
Maybe there will be a bit more CJ in the Belize block, if he and Georgie get stranded. Just hope Bones and Co don't have to swing by yet again to rescue them. Firstly, it's now become a regular and embarrassing habit and secondly, are they really the only SF unit in the entire British Army....?!

Ladies, forgot to ask last night but are we doing the watchalong on Thursday evening - 9pm?

ilove - okay with me. I've a few questions to ask, as well.

Hi all, back after a long long time away... hope you are all well.

So disappointed with what Our Girl has become.

What happened to the brilliance of the pilot and series one? Why such a repetitive and pointless script? In Tony Ground's world women do pretty much nothing else in the army except inexplicably disobey orders and shag the men around them. Why are the new men so aggressive? Frankly it's embarrassing, wooden and old fashioned when what we need is something nuanced, contemporary and relevant.

And why have they sidelined CJ with an ever increasing series of aggressive SF blokes to ridicule and marginalise him? TG must dislike Ben Aldridge, I suppose, to have done that to his character... I hope BA says no to any further Our Girl nonsense.

Are you doing a watchalong of series one or the pilot this evening? I Love? I would be interested in that!

Dance X

Hi,
Unfortunately, I do agree with all your comments about CJ role, however, I am a hopeless case and will welcome him on to my tele any time.
I have enjoyed the recent interviews with Ben and on the one with MK they were very cagey about another series.
They will have to find some different stories if they do, which I doubt there will be another.

In the meantime I will be watching and as it is early days yet, hope things change for his character.
Flower x

I'm with you in all you say Flowerfan. I can't see another series happening, and I'm not sure I'd want it anyway. I just enjoy thinking back to CJ as he was in series one and am still hoping for a bit more for him in the next few episodes. Like you though I will be quite happy if BA gets some good parts in other dramas.

I think Dance you have summed up the recent series spot on. TG does seem to be stuck in a rut with what he thinks female medics can or should be doing. I am sure they don't all literally 'take over' as has been happening with Georgie.

I will carry on watching this to the bitter end but am not finding myself so obsessed with it. That might be a good thing I suppose🤔

So disappointed with Our Girl has become. This is how I feel. The initial special and the first series were about a girl on a journey. The army showed her she had potential. She made mistakes and she grew as a person. Georgie is smarmy and a know it all. She's a boring character. I prefer Maisie. I liked the scenes with her and Rab.

Afternoon ladies. Not my usual time for looking on here but we are in the middle of a storm and winds are around 50 mph so it's not ideal being outside just now, even though it's sunny! Very odd weather.

Hi Dance, long time no speak. Lovely to see you on here again.

Yes, I pretty much agree with what has been said up thread but I do have to point out that I was rather a fan of Elvis and quite enjoyed the relationship between him and CJ. Bones has not done much to make me like him so far but when I think back, I wasn't struck on CJ at first. He had too many characteristics of various military officers I'd come across in my working life and seemed chauvinistic. That changed after episode 2 of series 1!

I personally think CJ will head out of the army after this series, maybe his PTSD will get the better of him or maybe he's just had enough. I cannot see him in another series, should one be made. If there is another series, then I think Rab and Maisie will have bigger parts to play. I also wondered if Fingers going for SF selection means that if there were to be another series, then it's a way of writing him out.

Dance, we have done watchalongs over the past three months or so of everything OG. We did S1-3 and then did the pilot most recently, just before the new series started. I am presuming we're going to do a watchalong of Tuesday's episode tonight - just need to make sure Rhu is up for it.

kazza had to laugh when you asked if there is only one SF unit in the British Army. It reminds me a bit of Coronation Street from a few years ago when Martin Platt, who was a nurse, was the only one who was ever seen in a major Manchester hospital!

Welcome back Dance . Yes, I agree, TG seems to be having a laugh at BA's /CJ's expense. He's made to look like the class idiot at times, with little or no authority (no one even bothers to call him Sir anymore, just Boss). Talking of which, whether it was a funny, not! play on words or TG was just trying to make CJ seem old fashioned, but I never liked that scene in the last series when CJ met up with Azizi again and was going on about bonding over the Boss, Bruce Springsteen. Even in Series 2, he was telling Elvis not to choose a karaoke song by Oasis! For heavens sake, he's only meant to be in his early 30's! And I've already mentioned this week's dad dancing. If he had been like this in Series 1, there's no way Molly would have fallen for him despite the fact that he is quite possibly the most gorgeous bloke that has ever worn combats and is the only reason I'm still watching OG . No wonder you stopped writing That's an Order, you must be seriously disillusioned with the whole thing!

Now I've had my little moan, I might calm down with a re-read of That's an Order, great story, sadly missed.

Just to say Rhu is up for our watchalong so if anyone else wants to join in as well as myself and eejit, feel free to check in.

MissEliza - To be fair (and I admit you don't have to), it would have been repetitive to have the second series about "a girl on a journey. The army showed her she had potential. She made mistakes and she grew as a person." Even if LT had done a second series, she might well have been doing much the same as Georgie (but without the Elvis factor). Different characterisation, but similar storylines.
I have ishoos with the timescales. I welcome any corrections but, as far as I can see, the mission to Kenya was scheduled for 6 weeks? Georgie was kidnapped within 36 hours, rescued about 24 hours after that. How long after before they were on R&R in Mombasa and the mission aborted.
Nepal - much the same thing. How long before they ended up in Katmandu at the end of episode 2? Two or three days? At the end of Episode 4, Georgie is back in Nepal building pre-fabs. Yet at the beginning of this series, she's just spent 6 months back home on 'regimental duties'. So, how long have 2 Section been out in Nigeria, before she ends up aborting yet ANOTHER mission?
Oh, and if you look carefully at the trailer at the end of this week's episode, you'll see that Fingers is missing from the line-up when they are heading into the jungle.
Two questions.
1 - what's the odds he's joined Bones' team, as he should have three but we only saw Spanner and Peanut?
2 - reminds me of Sharpe's Chosen Men who, by Waterloo, had been whittled down to Dan Hagman and Harris, with Patrick Harper hovering in the background. Who's going to be left with CJ?

PS - Kazza - Spanner and the rest called Elvis 'Boss', Georgie called Elvis 'Boss' in Afghan in the prequel to Series 2, so maybe it's 'Sir' on the parade ground etc, and 'Boss' in action.

eejit I know, I was being a bit flippant re the Boss /Sir thing, although I think 2 Section did call him Sir a few times in Series 1. Maybe it's just cos they've been together a long time now, certainly Brains and Fingers have anyway. As you say, the timelines are a bit fuzzy.

What rank is Bones, is he a captain? He doesn’t fit the usual Sandhurst stereotype. Before DP, I dated a handsome major and Bones reminds me a bit of him!