THE NORTH WATER - FRIDAY 930pm bbc - weekly pace no spoilers

[Blondeshavemorefun]

Starts tomorrow at Farrell plays Henry Drax in the drama, a harpooner and brutish killer whose amorality has been shaped to fit the harshness of his world, who will set sail on a whaling expedition to the Arctic with Patrick Sumner, a disgraced ex-army surgeon who signs up as the ship’s doctor.

Hoping to escape the horrors of his past, Sumner finds himself on an ill-fated journey with a murderous psychopath. In search of redemption, his story becomes a harsh struggle for survival in the Arctic wasteland."[1]

In Hull, 1859, Patrick Sumner, a cashiered Irish army surgeon boards the whaling ship Volunteer as its ships surgeon under Captain Brownlee.

He becomes acquainted with the rest of the crew, including the vulgar first mate Cavendish, whalers Jones, Otto and the especially thuggish and murderous harpooner Henry Drax.

Working with the ship's financier and whaling company head Baxter in an insurance scam

@KillingMeDeftly

I watched the second episode last night and l won't give anything away but I will say that it's not for the squeamish! I almost feel like there needs to be some sort of warning at the start, like there is on Netflix.

Also I don't know if it's my tv (although it's only a couple of years old) but it was so dark I had to turn the brightness right up.

Well, it is a series about Whalers! Obviously I don't know what you saw, but it was hardly going to be a sunny day whale-watching was it?!

I'm in two minds. I think it's a fantastic cast, and the premise of a great story - but it was very slow.

Also, it's not just the sound but also everything was really dark - apart from the outside scenes on the ship/snow. I started to wonder if the brightness on the telly was turning itself down like my laptop does, to conserve energy!

In style it reminds me of Taboo which I hated for much the same reasons

Yes @Davros! That's exactly what it is like. Taboo did get better as it went on though, so fingers crossed this will also develop at a faster pace. Lucy Mangan gave it a great review, so I have faith!

Well, it is a series about Whalers! Obviously I don't know what you saw, but it was hardly going to be a sunny day whale-watching was it?!

I wasn't expressing surprise at the contents. I just meant a warning might've been an idea in order to ward off complaints from more sensitive viewers!

I wasn't a fan of Taboo. And I must be one of the few women on Mumsnet who doesn't think Tom Hardy is sex on legs!

I watched something called taboo. Or thought it was called that. About two men on an island. One had a weird tattoo on arm

Does that ring any bells

Sure wasn’t Tom hardy

@KillingMeDeftly

I wasn't a fan of Taboo. And I must be one of the few women on Mumsnet who doesn't think Tom Hardy is sex on legs!

I don’t either

From Thin Lizzy’s lips to Tom Hardy’s ears. Taboo, the eight-episode miniseries in which Hardy serves as both star and co-creator (alongside his frequent collaborator Steven Knight and his father Chips Hardy), tells the story of James Delaney, a boy who’s … well, back in town. That town is London, circa 1814, a muddy, cloudy pre-industrial hellscape in which only the opulent office of the sinister East India Company emerges from the muck

Delaney, a veteran of the EIC’s imperialistic misdeeds, came to rue his involvement during a decade-long disappearance in Africa and had returned to claim the land left to him by his late insane father. It’s a small, desolate strip on the Vancouver coast — but it has suddenly become invaluable in a geopolitical tug-of-war between England and the United States. Clad in black from head to toe, surrounded by rumors of Heart of Darkness–like depravity during his time among the dreaded “savages,” and possessed of seemingly genuine powers of clairvoyance, Delaney rebuffs all attempts to buy him out. By the end of the episode, he appears ready to take on all comers physically as well as financially, even as he wades hip-deep through dark family secrets that include sexual slavery, adulterous incest, hereditary madness, and murder most foul. As Phil Lynott put it, the drink will flow and blood will spill

Brief recap of Taboo, from this site

(The rest of that review is interesting for the comments on how dark TV series are becoming)

Just watched the first two episodes of this, really enjoying it and I wasn’t sure I would. Colin Farrell is amazing in it imho, the big hairy bastard.

I absolutely loved Taboo and definitely got similar vibes from The North Water. I do find scenes of animal cruelty very hard, but they're not too explicit, and I look away like a wuss.

Colin Farrell was very believable in this role. Similar to Taboo (which Stephen Graham was also in as great character, Atticus) the characters are pretty much all morally dubious which is more realistic than many period dramas, which are more about flouncing about in silly clothes and being very "cosy" for viewers. Give me grimy, blood-soaked mumbling any day.

I prob won’t make whole episode tonight. Perils of working Thursday nights lol

But hoping he as a good as last weeks

I've watched ahead! Won't spoil it but will just say it was excellent.

A few people have mentioned the Terror. It's absolutely not a patch on North Water.

It's very gritty and not an easy watch at times, but quite absorbing, in a grim sort of way. The men working on those ships certainly had to be tough to endure the harsh conditions, it wasn't an easy way to earn a living.

I was surprised to see CF playing such a mean character - Drax seems like an utter brute, with no redeeming qualities. SG is excellent, and the other actors are all playing their parts well, so far. I keep hoping for a bit of light relief, but each week it gets darker... no chance of a happy ending here I think!

Oh wow. What an episode. Deep and dark

Poor joseph 😢😢

I think cavendish did it. He was all for pointing the finger

Maybe they should do a dick check on all the men …..

The whale scene was Brutal. Esp the heart and blood exploding and all the men covered in the blood

recap e2

Jury is out for me, just finished Episode two. Found episode one very visually dark could barely see what I’m going on a large chunks of it, which I find frustrating.

Must be getting queasy in my old age, but found the killing of the seals and whale brutish, but accept that is me, rather than a problem with the programme. And indeed what else should I have expected on a series about a whaler?!

I enjoyed the Terror, so will persevere.

Started this today and am in episode 3 already. Just what I need after a busy few weeks back at work.

I thought it was too dark at first, especially when I was eating my Charlie Bingham fish pie while the seals were being killed but it's getting so good now.

Loved Godless on Netflix, as a pp says, it was very much overlooked.

I was just watching it episode 3, but what with whale slaughter (I know, I know), male rape, and murder, the rattling door handle finished me off. Switched off and won't be going back to it. I do think it seems realistic and is well made, but I can't stomach it.

Just finished watching this now and just wow it's gritty, bloody, totally gripping, beautifully filmed, and I wouldn't want to meet Henry Drax on a dark night!

Just started watching this and it so far it seems strikingly apparent that none of the actors have ever heard a Hull accent!

Whenever things are set in yorkshire they just seem to wheel out 'generic yorkshire accent'... why not do a bit of research? Lazy...

If I understand correctly, Hull wasn't even part of Yorkshire when this programme was set!

Will reserve judgement on the rest until I've finished it! Just had to have a gripe about that!

Just finished and loved it.

A bit gory at moments but it was very well done. Lead guy was brilliant.

Just watched episode 2.
I think all the sailors should get their dicks out for examination

That’s what I said @Mydogisagentleman

Ooh missed this and it sounds right up my street. I'll have to catch up.
Just wanted to say that I agree with pp's about Godless, it was brilliant.

Watch 1&2 @carrythecan then join us weekly

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