Le miserables

[Doobydoobydooyeh]

Anyone watching? Not quite the same without the songs!

This Javert character is more menacing

Enjoyed that. Able to watch that one and not hide behind my hands like last week with the Fantine's brutal reality. As I don't really know the story don't know where we're headed but know I loathe Javert!

I'm surprised Javert wasn't assassinated by his team or anyone, truly awful

I'm really impressed with it.

Enjoying it. Hand never read book or seen the musical. Miserable indeed - Fantine does not come across as best bright. Go nuns!

Great episode. Impressive make up for fantines death scene.
Lost count of how many times I shouted at javert to just fuck off.

Poverty really was a crime back then. Jail for stealing four apples?

Jean Valjean is so honourable and decent, all Jalvert can see is a criminal. The nuns were heroic!

what with this and Call The Midwife my opinion of nuns is changing

The nuns scene reminded me of the Sound of Music where they hide in the convent

I'm watching it now on catch-up. The Thénardiers are so much more unpleasant than the loveable rogues of the musical version, but with such unrelenting misery in the book, I understand why a bit of comic relief was called for!

They really are absolutely heinous in this adaptation, but I think it's closer to Hugo's characterisation.

He was on the chain gang, then stole the candle sticks.

No, he didn't steal the candlesticks - he stole all the other silver, but was then given the candlesticks, to prevent him from being arrested for it, and it's this act of kindness that turns him into the man he is as mayor and factory owner.

He sold all the rest of the silver and used the money to set himself up in business, but he kept the candlesticks throughout - buried them in the forest when he knew he would probably be arrested again by going to court to confess to being JVJ to save the other man in the dock. When the premier tenant dobbed him in this evening, the only thing he took (other than Cosette) was the candlesticks, which he put on a mantelpiece in the abbey.

Poor Gavroche.

Oh the frustration when Valjean didn't make his promise to Fantine before she died!

The child actor playing Cosette is very good.

Yes that's right bearhug sorry!

Javert wants to get JVJ back behind bars it's like an obsession for him to get justice and The justice he keeps evading just makes Javert want him even more.

Javert did at least see through thenardiers bullshit.

It's important to remember that Javert isn't an evil man. Rather, he's one who's obsessed with the idea of justice, hence his dogged pursuit of Valjean.

Javert's very black and white in his thinking. He doesn't see different nuances, and can't see that there's any chance that JVJ could have reformed.

He's obsessed though, isn't he, because JVJ had served his time on his first release, but he was still determined to pursue him. And it's not as if it was a sentence for a dreadful crime, either.

Javert is also the son of a whore and that's always at the back of his mind. He has to see justice done, regardless of the crime, otherwise he's no better than his mother. Casting a black actor in the role has given his zeal an additional twist - that old saying "you must work twice as hard for them to admit you're half as good" comes to mind,

He's a very good actor - loved the changing expressions on his face when Jean stood up in court and revealed himself.

I’m sure I read somewhere that JVJ and Javert were based on one man. They both seek goodness and are unmoving in their quest for righteousness, through different ways. Javert could be construed as dogmatism and obedience and JVJ forgiveness.

Anyway... the look on Javerts face when he realised he was right all along about JVJ! Perfect! Loving David Oyelowo!

When I first saw Les Miserables back in the late 90s it was a straight battle of good versus evil for me - Valjean good, Javert bad. The more I have seen it, the more grey it all becomes. Javert was doing his job in upholding the law, although obsessively at times. Valjean did actually steal in the first place. Yes, the sentence was unduly hard. His sentence was increased because of numerous attempts to escape. After being released, Valjean went on to steal again and broke his parole. Again, I understand how hard it was to work as a convict but the facts remain the same.

Javert was trying to capture a criminal. He has a very black and white way of thinking. In his eyes, Valjean needed putting away at any cost. Does this make him a bad person?

Valjean did reform and become, imo, a better person but he did break parole so I can see Javerts point of view. Every time I see it now I feel conflicted - I don't think it is as simple as good/evil!

I don’t think either of them are good or bad. They are both good, and they are both bad. It’s a representation of the eternal struggle for to be worthy for God. Both men do bad things for what they perceive to be good reasons, they are just coming at it differently. Javert just cannot comprehend why a perceivably bad man does good things when the law and Gods law says that cannot be. He cannot understand the forgiveness part, only adherence to the law.

One think Oyewolo has that so many actors don't have these days is diction!! RSC training for you.

That said, the sound all round has been good in this series, unusually. Olivia C is as clear as a bell, too.

I've just listened to the 10th anniversary recording on the way home from work. Genius writing from Boublil & Schonberg.