Here’s another local reptile, walking on a mirror, which must seem like sorcery to him / her:
We’re catching up on “Wolf Hall.” There must only be 30 or so actors in all of the UK; you see the same ones over and over in every production.
They’re all pretty wonderful, though, so it’s okay. This series features Mycroft Holmes and the Minister of Magic in supporting roles.
I’m going to try to get to bed early tonight since I’ve only had about four hours of sleep in the last 48 and have lots to do this weekend. What are you up to this evening?
Aleta
Great and mysterious photo. Falling asleep soon.
schrodinger's cat
Yesterday’s episode was so good. I understood it all, unlike the last one which seemed very disjointed.
Major Major Major Major
Oh my god you guys Krav Maga class is awesome. I learned roundhouse kicks.
Baud
@Major Major Major Major:
I would have pulled something if I had tried that.
Mike in NC
‘Wolf Hall’ got rave reviews but the wife could barely get through the first episode. We’ll see.
JPL
Going to bed soon. I have become a puppy hotel. Nona, the son’s maltese is visiting until Sunday and the big dog is visiting next week. There could be an overlap. Finch takes it in stride so far.
Thanks for mentioning that lizards can grow a new tail, since Finch severed a tail earlier this week. The poor guy, the lizard not Finch, looked at me as if to say what the heck. I moved the lizard, not Finch to a safe area and hopefully he is recovering.
Germy Shoemangler
What was that John Lennon song? “She’s well acquainted with the touch of the velvet hand. Like a lizard on a window pane”
Major Major Major Major
@Baud: I definitely bruised my shins. Turns out those kicks are pretty tricky. But that punching bag isn’t laughing, no siree.
First class, too. Great workout and I learned a lot about self defense to boot.
JPL
@Mike in NC: It really is good. Sometimes it helps to read a recap in order to keep all the characters straight.
Baud
@Major Major Major Major:
Do you imagine that the punching bag is one of the GOP candidates? That seems like it might work.
Major Major Major Major
@Baud: one of the little shits that assaulted me a few years ago, but close enough.
lamh36
Damn!!!
Prayers for B.B. KING!!!!
Baud
@Major Major Major Major: Kick his ass (metaphorically)!
raven
We talk about the UK actor thing all the time! We watched Happy Valley and that led us to Paradise and then Last Tango in Halifax all for Sarah Lancahsire!
Major Major Major Major
@Baud: “Krav Maga is Hebrew for ‘beat the shit out of it, literally until it shits.'”
–Sterling Archer
Baud
@Major Major Major Major: I would have guessed it was Klingon.
Iowa Old Lady
@schrodinger’s cat: It’s a lot easier to enjoy the story if you know how the story goes to start with. Mr IOL keeps asking me stuff as we watch because he has a vague sense of history but is often a little off. He wanted to know if the Mary they were talking about was Mary Queen of Scots, or if the English bible was the King James, for instance. So he’s within a century but it’s all mixed up.
raven
@Iowa Old Lady: We were totally lost after 1 and haven’t gone back.
gogol's wife
I lovelovelove Wolf Hall. I’m surprised by how much I love it.
Yes, it has Dr. Clarkson and Jimmy the footman from Downton, the boss from Endeavour (he is fantastic in this!), the bratty younger sister from Upstairs Downstairs, the little boy from Love Actually, the forensics guy from Sherlock as well as, as you say, Mycroft, and I’m sure I’m missing some. I don’t care that all the UK actors appear in everything, because they’re all damn good. The scenes between Lesser and Rylance in the “Devil’s Spit” episode were incredibly moving.
gogol's wife
@raven:
If I hadn’t read the books I’d be lost, unless I were an expert on Tudor history, which I’m not.
gogol's wife
But Bill Nighy isn’t in it. Isn’t he the Minister of Magic?
I wish he were in it! That’s all that’s missing!
schrodinger's cat
@Iowa Old Lady: Yesterday they focused on one story for the most part, Thomas More’s. So it was easier to follow than the earlier episodes.
Tissue Thin Pseudonym
Please, let me sell you a story.
Duke of Clay
Every time my wife and I watch a British production we tally up the Doctor Who and Harry Potter connections.
raven
@efgoldman: They’re good bait.
Mike E
Wolf Hall is the sad story of tyranny that gets worse seemingly without relief anywhere in sight, sorta like a certain recent dynastic coughWcough moment.
Major Major Major Major
@Duke of Clay: I always like to say that there’s only like ten actors in Britain.
Mike E
@gogol’s wife: He’s the stepdad in Shaun of the Dead, and in those ‘Best Marigold’ films.
raven
BREAKING NEWS!!! TWO FUCKING MINUTES TILTHE CURFEW!!!!!!!!!
ThresherK (GPad)
Okay, this Wolf Hall seems worth a try. And we love the game of “which British thing was that actor in?” game.
the Conster
Love Wolf Hall. Every scene looks like a Vermeer painting. I’m obsessed with Mark Rylance – I don’t think I’ve ever seen him in anything, and boy, what a revelation. His expressions are so fraught, you just want to know what he’s thinking, and in fact everyone in the show does too. You know it all basically ends badly, but still, it’s an amazing few years of history that still resonate, with such strong characters.
Cromwell’s decision to spend five days with the king at Wolf Hall in the next episode is the pivot. Jane Seymour is being teed up.
Betty Cracker
@gogol’s wife: Isn’t he? I could have sworn he was. Must be confusing him with another actor. He’d fit right in!
Mike E
Simpsons line: Chris Christie thinks GOP stands for ‘gravy on pancakes’.
LookingForACanadian
For those having trouble following the storyline in some of these shows, I use the closed captioning on almost all tv … it’s amazing how helpful it is.
Beatrice
@the Conster: I’m pretty familiar with the history but I haven’t read the Hilary Mantel books so was struck by the fresh perspective she brings to territory I thought had been pretty well trod in books, movies and tv. Honestly, I’m enjoying this more than anything I’ve watched in ages. And as you say, so beautifully filmed.
Librarian
@Germy Shoemangler: Happiness Is a Warm Gun
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-whxgSUWvSA
Barney
@the Conster: Mark Rylance has mainly done stage acting – he’s often reckoned the best of his generation – and was artist director of the recreated Globe Theatre (ie the open air one most of Shakespeare’s play were first performed at) for its first 10 years, so he hasn’t done that much film or TV. The one other significant film/TV he has done was ‘The Government Inspector’ – the recreation of the last days of Dr. David Kelly, the British weapons inspector who talked to the media about Iraq and killed himself after he was revealed (with the same director as Wolf Hall) – that’s very good, if you can find it.
Bystander
The little boy from Love, Actually? He’s great as Ferb on Phineas and Ferb.
Inspector Lynley is playing Henry VIII on Broadway right now, as he did in the original London production. Wonder if he was pissed about not getting the TV part.
Denali
Read the book- it really help. Mark Hyland is mesmerizing. And the staging – wow!
Denali
Mark Rylance is mesmerizinng! The staging and lighting make this production outstanding. It
gogol's wife
@Bystander:
Thomas Brodie-Sangster is Ferb? I had no idea! You didn’t tell me that.
Bystander
@gogol’s wife: I only realized it last week when I watched LA in bits and pieces.