The narrow road to the deep north

[LeaAndDer]

Anyone watching? Bbc iPlayer. It’s very hard viewing and at times very sad. What those poor men had to endure at the hands of the Japanese.

Fucking hell, that was a difficult watch.

Horrific

Just caught up on episode 4. I added subtitles tonight and it’s much easier to follow. It’s a brilliantly well made series other than the dialogue. Tonight’s episode is absolutely harrowing.

I've finished watching the series last night. After series 4 I BAWLED my eyes out! I thought it was brilliant. Horrible the way the men were treated. I loved the love story. Although there were a few sex scenes, no inappropriate boob showing i think? Which makes a nice change. I have not read the book so uncertain on a something maybe someone can explain to me? SPOILER ALERT Did Amy die in the fire in the pub? The newspaper clip went past quick but I assumed that's what happened. Was then confused when Ella said she had come looking for Dorrigo but found her and their child instead. Surly she died before he went home and got married? Then the scene when Dorrigo thinks he saw her later? His imagination? Help me make sense please!

The letter with the newspaper clipping about the explosion came from dorrigo’s wife so I assumed she wanted to encourage him to think Amy was dead, though she’d actually survived.

Ahh, so she didn't die! OK thanks for clearing that up.

There was a really good programme on BBC2 last night VJ Day 80: We Were There. Talking to veterans some who were prisoners in Burma building the railway, definitely worth a watch but upsetting.

Yes, I saw that - it is worth watching.

Sunday's episode was so upsetting, I can't get it out of my mind.

My main complaint is with the casting of Odessa Young as Amy. For some reason that just doesn't work for me. I also feel like we needed a bit more information about Keith and Amy's marriage, given that she seems to have been considered unsuitable due to the age gap. It feels like a missing piece.

I’m confused too. Did he think he imagined her? Why didn’t he go after her to talk to her? Did she have a child with her? His??

Yes, i wondered if she had a child with her too and if it was Dorrigos?

I know! And that would be huge. So the wife knew about the affair as Amy went to see her. Then pretended she had died!

What I don’t understand is why he didn’t go after her (and the child) at the railway station? Unless I’m getting this all wrong but it seems quite crucial.

So the wife tolerated the affairs but kept him from his true love? And if he hadn’t thought she was dead he would have been with her??

I guess he thought he was imagining seeing her? And it couldn’t be her. Aww how sad.

I think in the book, there's no newspaper clipping - just a letter from the wife saying Amy had died (which was a lie). The television script writer has confused us all with the newspaper clipping.

He didn't go after her at the railway station because he thought he was imagining her (because his wife had told him she'd died).

Thanks @RattyMcBatty that makes more sense. They should have stuck to the version in the book! How do you fake a newspaper clipping? Very confusing.

And what do we think was her reason for not approaching him/finding him? The wife warned her off? So sad she had his child too…

I am going to have to read the book but I did find this so harrowing and sad. Those poor men. My Great Uncle was a Japanese prisoner of war - he refuses to speak a word about what happened.

I didn’t assume she’d faked the newspaper clipping, I assumed there had been an explosion and Ella sent it so that Dorrigo would assume Amy was dead

Ah I thought it said ‘couple dead in explosion’. My eye sight is bad and it was only on screen for a split second. Maybe it said missing? You’d think he’d make sure she was dead! I may be over invested in this. A letter makes more sense.

And she was warned off by the wife? That’s why she never came back to see him?

I think the cutting said explosion at the hotel. There was a photo but that could have been showing them as owners; I don’t think it mentioned anything about number of fatalities

This makes it all even sadder knowing they could have been together! He was never fully happy with Ella. If she had let him go, Ella could have found someone who genuinely loved her and not had affairs, and Dorrigo could have been with Amy!
I know this isn't the point of the story, at all, but I was caught up with the whole romance of them!

I feel the same! I feel if the clipping didn’t say they had died surely he would get confirmation of this..

Arrghh it’s so sad. I may read the book for clarity.

The tv series doesn’t follow the book exactly though, some things are altered and not intended to just follow the book

Ah ok.

Oh, no! So sad. I scrolled past posts once I saw the spoiler alert. He should have been with Amy 😭

I love Ciaran Hinds though - so watchable; such screen presence.

I think this suffered from being short episodes. I think three hour long episodes would have worked better.