The Luminaries - BBC1 - started 21 June 2020 - a NZ Poldark?

[stumbledin]

I thought this was going to be a sort of southern hemisphere Poldark.

First 10 minutes I couldn't even see what was going on!

But what with switches back and forward in time got a bit confused.

Did anyone else watch?

(I understand it isn't a faithfull adaptation of the book, so maybe those who have read the book might want a different thread, so that those of us trying to get to grips with the tv storyline?!)

[dotoallasyouwouldbedoneby]

@stumbledin

Well I did stick it out to the end, and have to say I was just frustrated.

The plot line was quite complicated, so in fact most of the last episode was them having to explain it.

It would have been so much better to have let it unfold, with all the misunderstandings and duplicity, making for the tension.

The way they did it, it was all just bitty and uninvolving.

And it is not as though the filming was that exciting that you were taken up with that. And the half the time it look like some out takes from some old Kate Bush music video.

I just want a gripping story well told!

I agree with you 100%. Can I get those hours back, I wasted watching it?
The plot wasn't strong enough to carry through 6 slow-burn episodes, when it was so disjointed you could neither empathise with characters nor their situations.
I liked Anna but why did she behave as she did? Why take the laudanum so willingly? Why did Lydia get off scot-free, when she was easily the most scheming criminal character of all save for Carver? Again no back story for why Lydia was like that.
Very disappointing and hard to follow. I had to rewind frequently..I remember when rewinding wasn't an option.

[stumbledin]

Well I did stick it out to the end, and have to say I was just frustrated.

The plot line was quite complicated, so in fact most of the last episode was them having to explain it.

It would have been so much better to have let it unfold, with all the misunderstandings and duplicity, making for the tension.

The way they did it, it was all just bitty and uninvolving.

And it is not as though the filming was that exciting that you were taken up with that. And the half the time it look like some out takes from some old Kate Bush music video.

I just want a gripping story well told!

[stumbledin]

Agree, having though last week they are going to settle down and actually tell the story yesterday it was even more disjointed and meaningless.

And it doesn't work as you never get a chance to get engaged with the characters. They are just meaningless puppets being pulled around for one or other cliched set piece.

Could have been really engrossing.

(But at least my intro to this thread thinking there was going to be ship wrecks and looters wasn't that far off!)

[Honeyroar]

@googledontknow I thought that about the racism!

I was more baffled than ever last night watching it. I’ve concluded that you need drugs yourself to keep up with it!

[slalomsuki]

I couldn't make head nor tails of the timelines in last nights episode. Was Anna in jail for the second time of was this the time we saw in the first episode?

I will stick with it to the end but I can't say it's easy to watch.

[stumbledin]

I think I just dont "empathise" with any of them.

Kept thinking all these time jumps mean you dont have a chance to go with how events are impacting on characters. Tonight (episode 4?) there was more time spent on particular incidents and ... I was bored.

But loving the scenery!

[Doingtheboxerbeat]

I have no idea what is happening but Drazac caught my eye and I'm swooning like fuck over him as I was in love with him in Heartbreak High - and he has an English accent . He has aged beautifully 😍

[googledontknow]

Think it can all be summed up, 'They are all a bunch of Bastards' apart from Emery & Anna, who just get screwed over constantly.

I read tried to follow the plot the book when I came out, but there are so many twists and turns trying to follow the gold.
I'm actually following the TV adaption much easier, but it's an endurance- I'm gritting my teeth to get through it because I can't remember how it ends. Maybe if it all ends well the misery fest will have been worth it!

One thing I can't understand, why is there no racism towards Emery - but lots towards the Chinese?

[user5656]

Actually, I've seen 4 episodes. Just starting the 5th.

[user5656]

Right, this is what I have understood after watching 3 episodes.
Crosbie Wells first found the gold, brought it back to Lydia's place. She drugged him, stole it and sewed it into the dress seams.
The dresses were put in a trunk stamped Lauderback and sent on the ship Godspeed which had been sold to Carver by Lauderback.
Carver was supposed to travel separately to Hokitika and intercept the trunk.
Trunk went overboard in a storm, washed up on the beach, ended up with Mannering who gave the dresses to Anna.
The chinaman, Quee (?) found the gold when Anna was stoned on opium and pretended he found it on the Aurora claim which belonged to Emery Staines. He (ES) didn't want to declare the gold as didn't want to share it with Carver. Quee melted the gold into bars stamped with Aurora and gave some to Staines who gave them to Crosbie Wells in his shack who hid them in the flour bin. ES then disappeared.
Have I got that right? It's so long since I read the book.

[ChampooPapi]

@RockingMyFiftiesNot I found once I concentrated on what Anne was wearing I totally got the time line shifts, her dressed are the key to whether it's past or present, and the in-between time shifts do unravel and make sense the more it goes on. It becomes fairly obvious whether it's pre murder or post murder, and the other bits in-between roll out in an fairly easy to understand way

[RockingMyFiftiesNot]

We're enjoying this but struggling to keep up with the timeline. Sounds like we're not the only ones!

[Newgirls]

Oh that’s who he was? Very dashing

[ChampooPapi]

@stumbledin stick with it gets so good!

[ChampooPapi]

Absolutely loved it!

[Lurleene]

I watched the first two eps with DH and he wasn't intrigued enough to continue. I went ahead on i-player and episode 3 completely drew me in. I've watched it all now and really enjoyed it, it was so different to anything else I've watched lately.
Who would have thought that Tanwar from Eastenders would grow up into a romantic hero.

[Newgirls]

We made it to the end and the last episode ties it all together. Glad I stayed with it.

[Ginfordinner]

I switched the light off and could see the dark scenes more clearly. However, I dislike watching TV in the dark.

[Honeyroar]

We’re quite enjoying it and not finding it dark at all on our old tv. (Game of Thrones we found ridiculously dark!). I’m a bit confused by the jumping back and forward though.

[crispysausagerolls]

We also use subtitles!

[Furball]

It wouldn't be so bad if they tagged the timeline, but you have to somehow fathom it out by what she's wearing etc

[Ginfordinner]

We often watch stuff with the subtitles on nowadays stumbledin

[TimeIhadaNameChange]

Thanks @crispysausagerolls.

[stumbledin]

Having calmed down a bit I really came on to the thread to say I think the jumping back and forward through time actually make it less of a drama.

Even in the storyline of young vulnerable woman being taken advantage of is a bit cliched they deserve to be properly explored. Now it is just little snippets. Starts taking laudenum (spelling?!), ends up being sexually exploited by a pimp, and more.

To go through that journey with her would be far more meaningful that this little snippets.

Just cant understand why anyone would think this makes a series more interesting. Particularly as it seems many of us spend a lot of time going oh that must tie in with that, rather than focusing on the actual events.

And yes to CrispySausageRolls.

Far too many films and some tv shows you have to sit with your finger on the remote as after people whispering confidentially to each other suddently there's an explosion or a car chase and they ramp up the volume.

Again its just senseless. I've given up on many shows and films because I just couldn't be bothered.

[crispysausagerolls]

@TimeIhadaNameChange

She became a whore when she moved to Hokitika and started to work for Dick Mannering.