Troubled Blood - *Spoiler-laden discussion*

[EllacottObsessive]

Setting this up for Strike and Ellacott fans to talk about spoilery things.

Oh goodness, I hadn't twigged the name Zahara.
Alyssa has truly terrible taste in men, honestly.

I’m zipping through the tv series - he’s not big and gruff (and ugly) enough and she is too sweetly-sweet. Seems to have a bad hair dye job in lethal white. And Matthew isn’t a big enough of a git either!

Shanker's a rough diamond...he may have some dodgy dealings but you know if he was on your side, he'd really be on your side.

I think Robin is perfectly cast, actually. The hair in LW is hairpieces iirc, and yeah, the colour is odd for Strike.

Tom offered to have his hair permed when he got the role which always make be giggle.

She’s got lovely hair. I know she’s strawberry in the book but in my minds eye for some reason she is a brunette.

Matt is softened in the series, but I think that was an interesting choice given that they had to show why Robin would stay with him without all the internal wrestling there is for Robin in the books. There is still enough of the coercive control for you to dislike him, I think, but enough plausible smoothness to explain why Robin put up with it for as long as she did. He's still a manipulative, lying shit.

I think he just comes across as wet and immature. In the books he is just a plain old arsehole...

Matt in the series is totally believable to me. I've known lots of blokes just like that. Urgh!

I'm going to keep my powder dry on this one because I've got a section on Book Matt vs TV Matt in the next podcast 😆

@BertieBotts

Matt in the series is totally believable to me. I've known lots of blokes just like that. Urgh!

I swear he's based on my ex husband

I think the TV gave a more balanced blame for the breakup between Robin and Matt whereas in the book I found it much more to be Matt’s fault. Maybe it’s easier to identify with Robin in the book and I read it that way in particular.

I do think they toned him down a lot though, also, the difference between blocking a number and deliberately deleting a voicemail is marked, for me.

@BebeStevens

I think the TV gave a more balanced blame for the breakup between Robin and Matt whereas in the book I found it much more to be Matt’s fault. Maybe it’s easier to identify with Robin in the book and I read it that way in particular.

I do think they toned him down a lot though, also, the difference between blocking a number and deliberately deleting a voicemail is marked, for me.

It's not even the difference between blocking a number and deleting a voicemail for me. He tricked her into telling him her passcode so he could go in and curate her contacts, and he admired himself afterwards. That's so far many red flags you could decorate an entire cruise ship with them.

I definitely prefer the books to the tv programme. Bits are skipped and not explained fully so some connections seem a bit odd.

Matthew is absolutely a controlling abuser imo.

The genius of JKR is in how he's so subtly written that a lot of people don't see him that way.

Well, I love the books (as is patently obvious) but I view the adaptations, given that they are JKR approved, as capturing and distilling the essence of the richness that you get from the books. On balance, I think I would advocate watching then reading, to get a sense of expanded universe. Obviously the downside is you'd be likely to have a stronger Tom as Strike disconnect, and I'd hate for anyone to miss out on the wonders of a proper crush on Book Strike.

But yeah, I'm ambivalent about whether you would or wouldn't lose out if you didn't bother with adaptations. Holliday Grainger is so Robin in my head, so it felt very much like watching a slightly AU version of what I had read, which I loved.

Loved the latest podcast!

@EllacottObsessive I obviously need to re read that part. I was like a rabid creature burning my way through the books at that point in the story

Will troubled blood be a series/marathon? That book was bloody heavy!

Funnily enough, this came up on my Facebook earlier today & I saved it until I could find this thread again...

I finally listened to the latest podcast the other day. Excellent work, EO! Are you an English Lit teacher? I feel like I might actually have paid attention if any of my teachers made analysing books half as interesting as you do!

Ha! Nope. Struggling writer, part time key worker and raconteur. Currently still working on the next one.

Although I completely agree with the bookworm problem you posted. TB adaptation like a season of a US show, please, double figures in episodes!! (Though surely it would be 'perfectly cast', not 'casted perfectly'?)

Oh yes, like old school x files or Star Trek TNG that run to 20+ eps

Can someone please tell me - in career of evil - spoiler alert 🚨 🚨 🚨 how did his partner not realise it was a falsie beard? I’m not observant but come on!

Well, it wasn't like the ones the women wore in Life of Brian!😆

Haha! Still... I think that ever I’d notice if DH donned false face fuzz... maybe I should try it and see if he spots it!

Old but interesting article on adapting the novels for television:

www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/writersroom/entries/7b10a037-0843-4179-8b4c-0d9cce729a2d?fbclid=IwAR2CRu9Hzzc0p8-pBbpfqF6RWPt8E1im8QDTHElOIgImCstZQJ4iLQXSp7Q