"The book is a film that takes place in the mind of the reader." ~ Paulo Coelho

Saturday, August 27, 2022

First Impression Ramblings on Sanditon {Season 2}

Hello, gentlemen, ladies, and humans!

Back in June I gave you guys my first impression ramblings for Cinderella and the Four Knights (which, tl;dr: I loved). I typed that all up and decided to make it a series. Well, a few weeks ago I was going through some texts with my older sister Em, and found something. In April I had spent time between studying by watching the second season of Sanditon and sending her updates. 


If you guys don't know, Sanditon is one of Jane Austen's unfinished works. Starting in 2019, Masterpiece decided to make a series out of it and finish the story. Then make a second season utterly unconnected to anything Jane Austen did. For context, you should know that my sister and I HATED the first season. We were so disgusted about everything. Especially how they made the main love interest a combination of all Jane Austen's heroes, but demolished them.

It was annoying.

So I really just wanted to put myself through pain when I decided to watch the second season.

This is different from my other First Impression Ramblings post because I'm just sending you the conversations my sister and I had. Which is mostly my initial reactions. All original comments will be in standard type like this, but any of my comments while I was writing this post will be in bold.

There aren't any spoilers, per se, because I didn't want to tell Em anything. Mostly, it's a bunch of stuff out of context. And I don't remember what it means in half of these instances. I hope you guys get as much a kick out of this as I did when I reread them!

I should give a little disclaimer: I sound very different when texting my sister because we are constantly making jokes. Sorry if this is a little weird! Like, when I break into talking like Jar Jar Binks...
I'm keeping all my poor grammar and spelling because a. it is funny, and b. it shows you what a hurry I was in to tell my sister stuff and not wait to check everything.


{The lead up}:

MC: 
I think I'm going to watch Sanditon if I can.


Em: 
Ooh ๐Ÿ˜ถ you'll just have to tell me if Young Stringer and Esther are back, there's no point w/o those narratives for me.... unless there's someone new who you like. ๐Ÿ˜„


{Episode 1:}

MC: 
10 minutes in it is very shocking and very quiet. I haven't seen Young Stringer or Esther yet, but I think I saw Esther's name in the credits...


Em:
 ๐Ÿง๐Ÿ˜ฎ


MC:
WHAT
NO
I think they just wrote Young Stringer out of the story completely in a lame 2 seconds!!!!
{If you guys can't guess, "Young" Stringer was my favorite character from the first season. He is precious in a million ways. I don't know why I kept watching after this. But, I did find someone else who was quite lovable, as you will see later}


WHOA. Did they just throw a straight up Emma reference???


THAT LINE WAS STRAIGHT UP P&P PLAGIARISM. THE OLD LADY (Esther lives with) JUST SAID A MRS. BENNET LINE. I mean, I was already thinking it implicitly, but she said it 
E. X. A. C. T. L. Y.


It is so painful. ๐Ÿ˜ 


Gosh, we are not sticking with the time period AT ALL based on how many conversations or inappropriate meetings there have been. At this point I'm just laughing from the ridiculousness whilr banging my head. I'm also really uncertain of the time jump? I thought it the beginning it was saying 3 years, but now 8 months?


Well, this is an annoying subplot we just introduced.


Sad!!! ๐Ÿ˜ญ


(Yeah, in case you haven't noticed, you're getting all the updates. Don't panic, this is just fiction, not real life)
{She freaks out when I spam her because she thinks something is wrong. So I had to give her fair warning}


I think that line is a little more disguised so I can't recognize it immediately, but I think it was originally said by Marianne!!!!


They should just make it a straight up parody, none of this wishy washy in between proper stuff.


Reminding me kind of Poldark.



Em: 
Whoa, you better be able to {join a group call} later just based on how much Sanditon you have time for... ๐Ÿคฃ Also, we're going to have to talk about these specific quotes.... I'm kinda sad we're not roasting it together ๐Ÿ˜ฅ๐Ÿ˜ˆ



MC:
It was like 15ish minutes while eating food. I wasn't just goofing off. XD Mesa isa verya sadsa notsa tosa besa watchingsa withsa yousa!! {rambles on about unrelated stuff, like tutoring}


Em: 
Sounds good ๐Ÿ˜ wait,all that was 15 minutes??? ๐Ÿ˜ฌ๐Ÿ˜ถ


MC:
Exactamente! It's INSANE how BAD it is in such a short time!!!


{Episode 2}:

You know what, I just realized that in general I don't like the "governess falls in love with employer" trope. Or the "person falls in love with employer" at all. This explains a lot.


Em: 
I mean, it's just an imbalanced power relationship, so no bueno.... how does this explain a lot?


MC:
Exactly! It's why I HATE The Sound of Music! XD {This is kind of explicitly stated here, but I HATE The Sound of Music. The story, the songs, everything. We watched it a lot when I was little because my sisters loved it and I got burned out, okay? I've had people tell me I just need to watch it again and let me tell you, no, no I do not.}


Em: 
Ahhh. Yes. You know, it's probably good that I haven't rewatched that in a long time. Although, in that case, she was already going to marry her employer.... she just changed employers.


MC:
{original gif sent}

BRO. THAT TOOK ME WAY TO LONG TO GET.
I was like, what is this part of the story that I'm forgetting. ๐Ÿคฆ


Em: 
Cryptic, to the last. ๐Ÿ˜


MC:
Oh. My. Goodness. ๐Ÿ˜ถ I am going to go be disturbed in mind now.


Em: 
What? ๐Ÿคฃ Don't be disturbed in mind....
Just find....
Your dream! ๐ŸŽต๐ŸŽต๐ŸŽต
๐Ÿ˜œ


MC:
Any attempt for any malice right now is not working because I don't get it. ๐Ÿ˜
{Malice is common because we all try to annoy each other with the things the others don't like. For Em, I sing "Level of Concern" and anything Shawn Mendes. She likes to torment me with Les Mis. All fun sister stuff}


Em: 
Climb every mountain, ford every stream, follow every rainbow til you find your dream - just the big aria. Nothing too crazy. ๐Ÿ˜‰


MC:
Ah, the famous one. Gotcha. ๐Ÿ˜† I probably wouldn't have even figured out what it was called besides running up a mountain. ๐Ÿคช
{This was before the other running up a hill song became so popular, haha!}



{Episode 3:}

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRERRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHJJHHJHJ. HOW CAN IT STEAL FROM EVERY SINGLE BOOK AND BE ALL OF THEM AT ONCE WHILE BEING HORRIBLIY HORRIBLE. IT TAKES AWAY THE MEANING AND PURPOSE OF IT ALL. IT WILL BE THE DEATH OF ME.


Our newest female character I like to call Marianne Dashwood. CUZ IT'S THE SAME. Though Charlotte's having a bit of it too with the people near her.


Em: 
Heywood already has enough Marianne, why can't they pick on someone else?! ๐Ÿ˜–๐Ÿ˜


MC:
Oh, it is a Heywood. It's Charlotte's sister, Addison (the MOST Regency name I've ever heard) {*cough* It's actually Alison *cough*}. Like, bro, you can see it coming from a mile away. ๐Ÿ˜– indeed. Cool! You've really found your niche! (what does this mean?? Was it something else I was talking to my sister about?)

{new gif for your viewing pleasure}



{Episode 4}:


{The archery in this episode was straight up pain, but it was archery so I loved it}


I don't even know what to complain about. The bloody {channelling my inner Ron Weasley, this is about as intense as my "swearing" gets} script is atrocious. We literally went through this whole ordeal where a dude was like, "I have no heart!" and a girl was like, "I'm sure you do!" {I believe the exact lines were, "I'm sure there is a beating heart in there somewhere" "You will search in vain". Or something like that} only to have her say 10 minutes later, "I knew you were brutish, -------, but I didn't know you were heartless." LIKE, WE JUST. WENT. OVER. THAT. YOU. NITWIT. (The girl, not guy. The guy is my squishy and I will call him squishy). 

{new gif to show you the reference I was making}

I'm not one to yell bad stuff, but I have called someone else a turd this episode. 
{You guys are seeing the dark side of MC in this post...}


{For the record, my Squishy does indeed have a heart.}


{original image sent}

I make fun of it, but I love it. THESE PEOPLE NEED TO "SOCIAL DISTANCE". They are standing WAY too close to each other. It's a freakinga mea outa.


“I cannot forget the follies and vices of others so soon as I ought, nor their offences against myself... My good opinion once lost is lost forever. - Fitzwilliam Darcy”
THEY JUST BLOOMING TWISTED AND REPURPOSED THAT QUOTE AND I THINK I'M GOING TO BE SICK.


You would not like either of the guys I slightly like. You would call them scruffy. And I don't like the one really bc he's a rip off, but he's the better of the options.


Have we got some glares going.
{Not S&S 2008 level, but still impressive}


Pirates of the Caribbean. {I love how random this is, because when I type this it means one of two things. Lets all be happy it is what it is and not the other!}


CREEP. I HATE YOU EVEN MORE NOW. I had an inkling already, but that was overstepped some boundaries.


*accidentally called my favorite character a creep, too* Sorry, bro! You all look the same from the back!


"You knew and you said nothing." Sweetheart, he's said so much but you just don't know how to listen. {Here, I said some names for the first time because I couldn't stand my sister not knowing. So we had a long call where I told her the events of the story and the names of the new characters. I'm cutting it for spoiler reasons, though}


{Episode 5}:


What they're doing to Esther is OUTRAGEOUS. (Outfits are great, though)
{Guys, everything about Esther broke my heart! It wasn't fair!}


{I took out this line because I know my sister knew what I meant, but with everything on the internet I think it could be misunderstood easily. I didn't mean to be rude at all, I was being sarcastic about behavior, not anything else. But you guys don't need to worry about it because I'm not showing you.}


"What in heaven's name is wrong with you!? Find a remedy!": best line of the show.


I am loving the girl squad even if two of them are blind and useless.


And then there's DANCING! ๐Ÿ˜ Such a plot device, but don't really care. Plus there was a bodhran. {For those of you who don't know, that's an Irish drum. One that I'm trying to learn how to play} 


I hate you {character, not my sister. Usually when I say "you" I'm talking to characters}, but that was smooth.


NO NO NO NO NO. Don't you DARE attempt that. ๐Ÿ˜ค No consent was given!


Not the time, bro, not the time. Give her some SPACE.


Annnnnnnnnnd you. I find it hilarious that my first thought when seeing you is "precious:. XD


"Simple is not plain" Awwww!
{Also, bros, this lady finds this gent rude, but she was rude to him first! He never did anything!}


Poor acting, but okay.


Not aGAIN. Poor ducky is stuck in the middle. {I have do memory of who I was calling "ducky" but now I'm really curious}


#awkward.


Someone's jelly...


That was a pure moment, so I applaud it.
{I almost want to watch this show again just to watch my favorite parts with my favorite character because he is a sweetheart. I don't understand WHY he likes/"loves" the character he does, because she is ANNOYING, but I love him. I shouldn't be surprised, because it takes two of my favorite tropes, so of course I love it.}


PLOT TWIST. Did not see that coming.


Uh oh...


Poor thing.


Has a name, you know...


๐Ÿ˜ณ๐Ÿ˜ฑ๐Ÿ˜ณ๐Ÿ˜ฑ๐Ÿฅบ๐Ÿ˜ต๐Ÿ˜ต‍๐Ÿ’ซ๐Ÿ˜ญ๐Ÿ˜ญ๐Ÿ˜ญ

{Whatever this was got quite the reaction out of me}


Charlotte. Do. You. Realize. What. You. Are. Saying.


Better...


Ugh, they needed to hire extras as chaperones. {*raises hand* I would be willing to do that}


What a place to end it. ๐Ÿ™„ (I just found this emoji and I am a fan)


{Episode 6}: 


Baby, learn from P&P05 Mr. Bingley, swearing is not romantic.

{new gif for your viewing pleasure}


'"I was thinking and realized that last night I said too much. I pray that you never speak of it." 
"I won't breathe a word!"'. That really is silent as the grave level studd because she already told two people who gossip everywhere. 

{new gif to show you the reference I was making}


Whoa! That was forward and mouthy!!
{For the time period. Not for life.}


Huh, that's some interesting conflict to develop. Cool.


NO. YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO USE THE WORD ARDENTLY, CREEP.
{Really, y'all, how dare someone use that word who is not Mr. Darcy}


"We may be preposterous, but we are honest and sincere.": might become my new motto.
{I'm roasting this show brutally, but there were a few things I enjoyed. Like the previously said trope.}


That's a nice glare.


Nice shots with a horse. 


This is weird.


Clapping for hugging. I do it, too.


That ripped easily. {What did? XD}


Brothers, giving each other hilarious looks.


Breaking promises! Tsk, tsk!


I do not think that word means what you think it means.

{new gif to show you the reference I was making} {Though I think most people know this reference}


Well, that was sad.


No you didn't!!! Watching that again. Of course you are, precious! Why didn't I realize it until now?? {I'm not sure if I'm happy or sad about whatever is happening?}


"Terrible breach of trust." That's what I said!


They're all listening. XD XD XD XD


This show is still terrible. It doesn't take away from that. But it does make it worth it. {I have no memory what this was now. I just remember the terrible and not the worth. XD Unless it was my Squishy. It probably was my Squishy.}


Did not see that coming even though I should have.


You can't use that! That's a Fiddler on the Roof line!!


Yes, man! Snaps for you.


That was rude.


How are they going to wrap this up??


That was the most emotionless acting I've ever seen.


NO NO NO NO COME ON YOU CAN'T GET ME HOOKED THEN DO THAT. {I have no memory of being hooked}


4 minutes left to this season. Which means there's going to be another one. *bangs head*


She's not wrong...


Does this man have a JACKET?? The informal look is killing me. {This was an ongoing complaint. It just took me until the last episode to mention it}


See the following gif for my feelings summed up. And Charlotte's. 


๐Ÿ˜๐Ÿฅฐ


WHO ARE YOU?


NOOOOOOOOOOOOO. ๐Ÿ˜ฑ๐Ÿ˜ฑ๐Ÿ˜ฑ I feel like Agnes!!!! Fly! ๐Ÿ˜Ž ¿Que??? How is this a bad plan??? Come on, just tell me why this is a nightmare??? {There is so much happening here, I don't even know where to begin. I think I remember what I was upset about, but who is Agnes? And who was looking fly? Was it Squishy?}


Okay then...what, pray tell, IS THE BLAZING POINT??

{original gif sent}



This is back to MC in current time. Well, I felt rather strongly about it all, didn't I? So, yeah, I think there is going to be a third season. I don't know if I'll watch it. I probably will, just for the hope of Young Stringer. If I do, I'll probably send my sister updates and therefore you guys.

Have you guys seen Sanditon? Do you know who my Squishy is? Do you ever release your unfiltered thoughts on an unsuspecting friend through text? What do you think of the format of this First Impression Ramblings Post?

What shows have you guys been watching lately? Tell me all the news!

Thanks for reading!

Chloe the MovieCritic

Sunday, August 21, 2022

5 Favorite Female Characters Tag // A Sneak Peek of What's to Come


Hello, friends of the internet!

Yeah, Carmelita is NOT one of my favorites...I just wanted to use this gif. Not that ANY of you are "cake sniffer"s.

In June of 2021, I wrote a post about some of my favorite fictional male characters, and ever since then I've wanted to do one for women. I have written pages of the names of wonderful female characters, but never have found the time to write down why I love them so much. There's just so much to say! When I saw McKayla fill out this tag, I wanted to do the same. I'm not cutting the list down, I'm giving myself 5 more options! You'll see another list full of 10 sometime in the future, but this is just a taste of what's to come. The appetizer to the entrรฉe, if you will.

For awhile I debated if I wanted to talk about more famous characters here, or more obscure. Finally, I've gone with the top five that I really wanted to write about, who actually lean more on the obscure side. They're all my favorite though, all my number one. I couldn't possibly rank these wonderful ladies!

That's how I feel about all of these characters. If they left, their respective worlds would fall!



Ella (from Cinderella (2015))


She is the heart and compassion and bravery, which makes sense because her motto is "have courage and be kind". She is so full of grace. I've talked about before how I want to be her. She gives smiles freely. She makes the best of her situations. Some may say she just takes what is given to her and doesn't try to improve her life. I argue with that, because she does exactly what us writers do: she dreams. We can go through life bitter about what we don't have, but Ella doesn't. She remembers better times, and if she could go back to when her mother and father were alive she would, but she does not let that get in the way of living. 


Hope is essential for me, and Ella lives in hope. It's not as valued in this society, but it's what gets me through my days. She revels in the moment whether it's admiring a paper butterfly, reading a story, or going to a ball, she lives it to it's fullest. Her beaming smile is what changes the whole room, not what she's wearing. It's her energy that brings the people around her to life. Can you blame Kit for falling in love with her? (Yes, I had Kit in my list of favorite men. They are also in my favorite couples. They are just amazing, okay?)


Ugh, now I want to watch this movie again.



Ella (from Cinderella (2021))


Uh, MC, you JUST talked about Cinderella. I did. But I also want to talk about Ella from the newest movie version of Cinderella, the 2021 Amazon jukebox musical. I'm planning to do a review on this, so I won't say too much, but I'll just keep it to the main character.
Ella here is SO DIFFERENT from the 2015 version, and I also want to be like her. I want to have the heart of 2015 Ella, and I want the energy of 2021 Ella. They are basically opposites, but that does not make either of them bad or wrong. They are both so wonderful, especially because they are both so kind to all around them. 2021 Ella has goals in life and is willing to work hard for them. She chooses herself and her capabilities instead of falling into the role the world has assigned to her. She is not someone to be rescued, but someone who has purpose. 


She is the dictionary definition of spunky and just so fun to listen to (which is what makes Robert attracted to her initially, and can I just say I LOVE THIS. Because why wouldn't he be??). She is clever, has great banter, but is never cruel or demeaning in her humor. She is on a mission to bring her art to the world, and as a writer I admire her determination. She does not give up on her dreams. She is looking to change the view of women in the world (which, as a business person, this movie speaks to me deeply). Also, she gets so excited about everything. There are some people who think one shouldn't get thrilled at small things, like clothes, but are you living a boring life? Are you not seeing wonder in the smallest things like caterpillars and mice?

Prudy (from Support Your Local Sheriff (1969))


All the western talk last month got me thinking about how much I love Prudy. She is no nonsense. She has a clear head even when no one else does, especially about what is mature. Something I love about her--and something I think a lot of people love about Anne Shirley, myself included--is how many messes she gets into. She sits in a tree dripping wet. She sets her skirt on fire. I get into those kinds of scrapes all the time and she is so relatable. She's also admirable because she tries to explain herself in those situations, where I would just run and hide for the rest of my life. 


Prudy says what she's thinking. She's plucky. She will get a job done when no one else will. She takes action, and by that is the richest girl in the territory. A lot of people discount her as the mayor's silly daughter who says and does silly things, but I think she is absolutely charming. Charming in a rustic way, and I love the combination.




Penelope (from Penelope (2006))


I like to watch this movie yearly every fall, so I'm purposely hyping myself up. I love Penelope so much. All her life she's been told something is wrong with her: her nose. Her family was cursed and she bears the brunt of it. But, she doesn't see what the big fuss is about. And frankly, I don't either. Penelope is so stinking cute! Do you guys see these pictures? The real curse is the way she is treated, locked up away from the world, always on the search for the person to break the curse. But that doesn't stop her from trying to interact with the world. She learns French. She loves horticulture. She is naturally curious and wants to see what the world has to offer. 


This movie is so much about self discovery as Penelope breaks out of the box the world has put her in. She learns to cast off the descriptions people have written for her, and write her own story, forming herself to be what she wants. And what she wants to be is who she has always been: a girl with a beautiful heart and face. Whereas most of the world only looks skin deep, she finds the deeper part of people and finds their worth, even when they don't see hers. She's funny, talented (beats people at chess, you know), and gives people chances. She is a sweetheart in every way. 






I admit it: I don't know why I love Madam Simza so much. She's gorgeous, caring, and prepared for anything. Her life as a gypsy has made her resourceful. Some would think she's a small side character in this movie, but she, Sherlock, and Watson are a golden trio. They are in the action together and she is vital to the plot. 


She'll allow people a certain degree of unbelievably (someone's going to read her fortune instead of the other way around? Good luck with that), but she also trusts these strange detectives when no one else does. She cares deeply about her brother and will do anything to find him. The heart of a revolutionary, she has mellowed to find what she can change, and life has taught her the difference between recklessness and honor for a cause. I'm out of words, guys, but just understand I love her a lot.




There you have it! I quick peek at some of my favorite female characters. Any guesses for who's on my other list?

My sister made me a new header, and I'm putting it up this month because August just screams Studio Ghibli to me. Do any franchisees do that to you guys?




Do you know and love any of these as much as I do? Do you ever love characters without having any reasons? Do you like more than one version of the same character? Who plays your favorite version of Cinderella? That story has been a lot on my mind recently.

Thanks for reading!

Chloe the MovieCritic
"If you want a happy ending, that depends, of course, where you stop your story." -Orson Welles