Bleak House

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Debut on the ABC last night.

Episode 1:
Surprised to see Pauline Collins as I saw her the night before in the trailer at the end of Doctor Who: The Christmas Invasion. Funnily enough as Pauline plays a woman living in Victorian times in Bleak House, in Doctor Who she actually plays Queen Victoria herself.
The preview for this shown beforehand played the X-Files theme due to it starring Gillian Anderson.
Ian Richardson is always good in whatever roles he plays.
Very nice to see Anna Maxwell-Martin.
This is the first time that I have seen Burn Gorman as he would soon be seen in Torchwood.
To my surprise saw Tom Georgeson (Clamb), a Doctor Who guest star. I would not have known he was going to be here since the DVD notes for Doctor Who: Genesis of the Daleks which he guest starred in makes no mention of his other acting credits.
The intriguing part comes at the end when Tulkinghorn finds Nemo. Other than that nothing much happens.

 

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This is the first time that I have seen Burn Gorman as he would soon be seen in Torchwood.

As it turns out this is not the first time that I have seen Burn Gorman. Last night I had a look at the end credits for the final episode of Funland which was on SBS not too long ago and noticed his name. I therefore immediately knew who he was in that.

 

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Episodes 2 and 3:
Like Funland, Bleak House started off as an hour episode followed by half-hour installments. However like SBS showing of Funland, the ABC is showing two half-hour installments together in a one hour format. This means that I am not sure when the former ended and the latter began.
As with last week, saw Pauline Collins the night after seeing her in the trailer at the end of Doctor Who: New Earth.
The music is very haunting.
Gillian Anderson is good with the English accent.
I wonder if this is the last we see of Guppy.
Certainly becomes intriguing as Lady Dedlock visits Nemo's grave.

 

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Episodes 4 & 5:
Guppy is still around.
We know more of Esther's history.
What is that weird look between Lady Dedlock and Esther.
See Pauline Collins in this installment, a night after seeing her as Queen Victoria in Doctor Who: Tooth and Claw.
Richard Carstone constantly changing his mind of what to do with his life really does not impress me.
Very plot convenient that Gridley dies just as he is being shown a warrant for his arrest.

 

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Episodes 6 & 7:
Woodcourt's mother sure looks unenthusiastic upon meeting Esther.
Jo sure noticed similarity of Esther with Lady Dedlock.
So funny that Guppy practiced his greeting of Lady Dedlock only for her to be already in the room.
Impressive how that music came in just Lasy Dedlock hears Guppy mentioning Miss Barbury.
Surprised that Jo ran away as he has been given good hospitality.
Very shocked that Esther became gravely ill from small pox.
Couldn't stand Skimpole for not showing any sympathy for Jo and Esther with him saying Esther will be disfigured.
Quite a disturbing sight of Krook's dead body and he died just as he was reading the letters.
Was taken aback when first seeing Esther's smallpox face but it didn't look too bad afterwards.
I have to say those were very nice couple of scenes between Torchwood star Burn Gorman and X-Files star Gillian Anderson.

 

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Those who have not seen it yet last night just before The First Tuesday Book Club, the usual promo that promotes the ABC before each program starts, featured scenes from Bleak House with Bleak House being added to the usual "There's More to..." heading hence it reading "There's More to Bleak House".

 

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Episodes 8 & 9:
The story of Morgan Dedlock was scary.
Really did expect Lady Dedlock to revealed to Esther at this point in time that she is her mother. With Lady Dedlock telling Esther that they could not see each other again it was very moving and I was close to tears.
Jarndyce wants to marry Esther. Him and her together is not something I would have expected.
Guppy sure looked started upon seeing Tulkinghorn.
Very intense scene between Lady Dedlock and Tulkinghorn which ends this installment.

The preview for next week is about Esther's answer to a question. A question we the viewers do not know yet. Be interesting to find out what it is.

 

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Episodes 10 & 11:
Just a few days before this installment found out that Anne Reid (Mrs Rouncewell) will in next year's season of Doctor Who. She had previously appeared in Doctor Who in Curse of Fenric in 1989.
What a start to this installment with that music crashing in.
Surprised that Esther went to see Guppy but only to stop his investigations of her birth and ancestry.
"Yes" turned out to be Esther accepting Jarmdyce's proposal. I actually thought it could have been something else.
Sad to see Jo die.
Oh my what an ending: Who Shot Tulkinghorn?

 

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Episodes 12 & 13:
Quite funny when George was using his sword when Bucket came in.
Did not expect the manner that Bucket arrested George.
What a surprise that George's mother turning out to be Mrs Rouncewell.
For a moment I thought Bucket was going to have Lady Dedlock arrested only for it to be the other woman instead.

Coindentally I was doing a reading for one of my courses when Bleak House all of a sudden got a mention. The article was about objectivity and Bleak House was mentioned as an example of how objectively was not straightforward.

The finale of Bleak House on August 27 comes third place in TV WEEK's Pick of the Day.

 

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Episodes 14 & 15:
Amazing Bucket's explanation of how he knew the French woman killed Tulkinghorn.
I was disappointed with Lady Dedlock's death.
Funny bit with Mrs Guppy.
Given the kind of man Jarndyce is was not surprised that he decided to break off his engagement with Esther.
Skimpole at the wedding. The nerve of that guy.