Latest / Girls Gone Hallmark | Hallmark Movie Reviews / Count of Monte Cristo - Episode 1 (PBS)

Transcript

Count of Monte Cristo - Episode 1 (PBS) · Girls Gone Hallmark | Hallmark Movie Reviews

• 0:10
  Speaker 1: Welcome to Girls Gone Hallmark, where we review Hallmark movies,
• 0:14
  Speaker 1: series and more.
• 0:16
  Speaker 2: I'm Megan and I'm a longtime Hallmark fan and apparently
• 0:20
  Speaker 2: a new count of money Crysto fan. I'm Wendy. I'm
• 0:23
  Speaker 2: a former Hallmark hater, and I think we need to
• 0:26
  Speaker 2: explain some things.
• 0:27
  Speaker 1: Let's tell with people what's happening. Okay, So, if you're
• 0:30
  Speaker 1: a Girl's Gone Homework completionist, you know how we got here,
• 0:32
  Speaker 1: but we don't assume that you are. So, yes, this
• 0:34
  Speaker 1: is a Hallmark review podcast. That's the bread and butter
• 0:37
  Speaker 1: of what we do. If you like Hallmark, check those out.
• 0:40
  Speaker 1: But you've been branching out a little bit, trying to
• 0:42
  Speaker 1: dip our toe into some other streaming worlds. And we
• 0:48
  Speaker 1: are reviewing for the first time a PBS series. And
• 0:52
  Speaker 1: it came about and kind of like if you give
• 0:55
  Speaker 1: a mask cookie kind of way.
• 0:56
  Speaker 2: Yeah. In February, there was a movie called Return to
• 1:00
  Speaker 2: You The Way to You Thank You at Hallmark movie
• 1:03
  Speaker 2: called The Way to You and then it the characters
• 1:06
  Speaker 2: read the book The County Monte Cristo and raved about
• 1:08
  Speaker 2: it and we were like, do we need to read
• 1:09
  Speaker 2: that book? And a lovely listener wrote in and was like,
• 1:12
  Speaker 2: not only should you.
• 1:13
  Speaker 1: Read the book, but serendipitously, the series is dropping next
• 1:17
  Speaker 1: month right on PBS. You should review it. I was
• 1:21
  Speaker 1: a little nervous.
• 1:24
  Speaker 2: At the suggestion or actually setting out when you fired
• 1:29
  Speaker 2: up past suggestion. Love it.
• 1:31
  Speaker 1: I love when somebody thinks I like my favorite podcaster
• 1:33
  Speaker 1: to review this series.
• 1:34
  Speaker 2: Yeah. I was nervous for you because I'm a general
• 1:39
  Speaker 2: hater of all things well, a period piece not so.
• 1:43
  Speaker 1: Much your vibe, like based on a classic novel, like,
• 1:47
  Speaker 1: it doesn't feel like your typical vibe.
• 1:50
  Speaker 2: Mm hmm.
• 1:51
  Speaker 1: But I think you'll find out that we've been pleasantly surprised.
• 1:53
  Speaker 1: So let me tell you a little bit about it.
• 1:54
  Speaker 1: If you aren't aware how to watch this show. Yeah,
• 1:58
  Speaker 1: this is a pbis Masterpiece series. It has aired in
• 2:01
  Speaker 1: Europe as well as the UK already. It is airing
• 2:05
  Speaker 1: on Sundays beginning this past Sunday, March twenty second, on
• 2:09
  Speaker 1: PBS Masterpiece, your local PBS affiliate.
• 2:12
  Speaker 2: You can also watch.
• 2:13
  Speaker 1: It on PBS dot Org or the PBS app for
• 2:16
  Speaker 1: free for fourteen days.
• 2:18
  Speaker 2: Following each episode.
• 2:20
  Speaker 1: You can also get the PBS Passport app and Binge
• 2:23
  Speaker 1: All Light episodes right now. They are all currently available right.
• 2:27
  Speaker 2: So there's a lot of different ways.
• 2:29
  Speaker 1: Many of them are completely free to watch this series,
• 2:32
  Speaker 1: so you do not need to subscribe to an additional streamer.
• 2:35
  Speaker 1: But if you do subscribe to the PBS Passport app,
• 2:38
  Speaker 1: you are supporting PBS, which is badly in need of
• 2:42
  Speaker 1: funding always, so something to consider right. As for us,
• 2:46
  Speaker 1: you can find us more about us at our website
• 2:49
  Speaker 1: Girls Gone Hallmark dot com. That's where you'll find complete episode.
• 2:53
  Speaker 2: Show notes for all of our episodes, as well.
• 2:55
  Speaker 1: As detailed rundowns about this show and shows coming to
• 2:59
  Speaker 1: Hallmark full lineups.
• 3:01
  Speaker 2: There's a ton of great information over there. Yeah. We
• 3:04
  Speaker 2: would also encourage you to write into us via email.
• 3:09
  Speaker 2: Hello at Girlsgone Hallmark dot com. If you're watching this
• 3:13
  Speaker 2: and want to talk to somebody about it, talk to us.
• 3:17
  Speaker 2: We would love to read your emails. You can also
• 3:20
  Speaker 2: call our voicemail.
• 3:22
  Speaker 1: Nine four nine three two nine eight zero nine zero. Again,
• 3:27
  Speaker 1: if you email or call us, you may hear your
• 3:29
  Speaker 1: voicemail or your email read in the future Listener Mailbag
• 3:33
  Speaker 1: episode where we talk about listener feedback we've received.
• 3:37
  Speaker 2: Can I talk to you just real quick before we
• 3:39
  Speaker 2: jump in about listener feedback. Oh yeah, I did see
• 3:42
  Speaker 2: a DM or an email from somebody who had already
• 3:45
  Speaker 2: started watching the show, and they said like they might
• 3:48
  Speaker 2: have fallen asleep while watching it, or we're having a
• 3:50
  Speaker 2: hard time getting through it. And this is before I
• 3:52
  Speaker 2: fired up on my own and you got real nervous.
• 3:54
  Speaker 2: Oh I got real nervous. Yes, real nervous. I want
• 3:59
  Speaker 2: to say, if you have any hesitation, don't you. If
• 4:04
  Speaker 2: you're watching episode one, you're like, this is kind of slow,
• 4:09
  Speaker 2: stick with it. By episode two we are often runing.
• 4:12
  Speaker 2: I have watched the first four episodes already by episode two.
• 4:15
  Speaker 2: The end of episode two, we are off and running.
• 4:19
  Speaker 2: Episode two, I'm coming downstairs with my family. I'm like,
• 4:21
  Speaker 2: this show is so good.
• 4:23
  Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, so, yes, I is nervous. When I saw that,
• 4:29
  Speaker 1: I thought, oh, what have we gotten ourselves into? And
• 4:33
  Speaker 1: then I loved it even episode one I really enjoyed
• 4:35
  Speaker 1: me too, and then episode.
• 4:36
  Speaker 2: Two is fantastic. Yes.
• 4:39
  Speaker 1: So today we are here discussing episode one of the
• 4:43
  Speaker 1: Count of Monte Cristo mini series titled The Letter. Do
• 4:47
  Speaker 1: you have a synopsis of this episode?
• 4:49
  Speaker 2: Wendy yes. After returning from c A nineteen year old
• 4:53
  Speaker 2: sailor is falsely imprisoned for treason in the island fortress
• 4:57
  Speaker 2: Chateau Marseille without trial.
• 5:02
  Speaker 1: We are going to run down some news and notes
• 5:04
  Speaker 1: about this episode, the cast and Cruz, starting with our
• 5:06
  Speaker 1: director Billy August. He did direct all eight episodes of
• 5:10
  Speaker 1: this mini series. Billy's a Danish screenwriter, cinematographer and director.
• 5:14
  Speaker 1: He has thirty four previous directing credits. He directed the
• 5:18
  Speaker 1: nineteen ninety eight movie version of Lamez and is currently
• 5:21
  Speaker 1: in pre production on the movie Julius Caesar.
• 5:24
  Speaker 2: The man like superiod piece. Evidently, the series is based
• 5:28
  Speaker 2: on the novel by Alexandre Dumas. Greg Latter and Sandra
• 5:33
  Speaker 2: Petrellio wrote all eight episodes of the mini series. Greg
• 5:36
  Speaker 2: has written on a number of projects that were directed
• 5:38
  Speaker 2: by Billy August, including Goodbye Befana and the upcoming Julius Caesar,
• 5:42
  Speaker 2: as well as Me kamma U. Sandro is an Italian
• 5:46
  Speaker 2: writer with a long resume of Italian screenplay credits. Sam
• 5:50
  Speaker 2: Claflin plays Edmund Dantes. Sam is currently filming Ebenezer A
• 5:55
  Speaker 2: Christmas Carol, What You Know I Love A CHRISMS Carol.
• 6:02
  Speaker 2: His thirty seven acting credits include his role as Billy
• 6:05
  Speaker 2: Dunne in the television adaptation of Daisy Jones and The
• 6:08
  Speaker 2: Sixth Michael Botholdsgard plays Gerard Villeforte. Michael is a Danish
• 6:13
  Speaker 2: actor with quite frankly a long list of Danish acting credits,
• 6:16
  Speaker 2: including the original Department Q, the adaptation of the novel
• 6:20
  Speaker 2: The Keeper of Lost Causes. Anna Garrido plays Mercedes. Anna
• 6:24
  Speaker 2: is a French actress with fifty four acting credits. She
• 6:28
  Speaker 2: is currently filming Raleigh eighty two, where she plays car
• 6:31
  Speaker 2: racing legend Michelle Muten.
• 6:34
  Speaker 1: Blake Ritzen plays Danglars. Among Blake's eighty six acting credits
• 6:38
  Speaker 1: are his roles in The Gilded Age and The Crown.
• 6:40
  Speaker 2: He also does a ton of voice work. Harry Terassi
• 6:43
  Speaker 2: plays Fernand. Harry's additional acting credits include the movie Napoleon
• 6:48
  Speaker 2: and the series Midsummer Murders. Jason Barnett plays Cadarousse. Jason
• 6:52
  Speaker 2: has fifty acting credits, including seven episodes of season one
• 6:55
  Speaker 2: of Bridgerton. Roger Slowman plays Edmund's father Louis. Louis Roger
• 7:03
  Speaker 2: has one hundred and fifty acting credits and will turn
• 7:05
  Speaker 2: ninety this year. He's best known for his roles in
• 7:07
  Speaker 2: Mister Bean and the film Nuts in May. Hey, let's
• 7:10
  Speaker 2: take a quick break and we will.
• 7:11
  Speaker 1: Come right back with our first impressions of episode one. Hey, Wendy,
• 7:23
  Speaker 1: what's your first impression of the inaugural episode of the
• 7:27
  Speaker 1: Count of Monte Cristo.
• 7:29
  Speaker 2: I'm sorry, did Fernand just pull the we're cousins so
• 7:32
  Speaker 2: we belong together card?
• 7:36
  Speaker 1: What?
• 7:36
  Speaker 2: Now? My first impression is whoops? Apparently I need to
• 7:39
  Speaker 2: bone up on my French revolutionary history. Oh man, the googling.
• 7:44
  Speaker 1: I did watch, including was Napoleon's reign during the French Revolution. Hey,
• 7:53
  Speaker 1: let's talk what we liked about this episode.
• 7:56
  Speaker 2: I just want if it's not clear, I like it
• 8:00
  Speaker 2: a lot. This episode was okay, Yeah, it's a lot
• 8:06
  Speaker 2: of setup. It's a ton of setup, but it's purposeful.
• 8:12
  Speaker 2: I think that it's putting all the pieces on the board.
• 8:16
  Speaker 2: We have Edmund's relationships and the tension with Napoleon and the
• 8:20
  Speaker 2: jealousy from Fernand and Doglet. Also, I need to apologize
• 8:26
  Speaker 2: in advance for the butchering of the names.
• 8:29
  Speaker 1: We were just talking in another episode about our French pronunciation.
• 8:33
  Speaker 2: Not great. I just I feel terrible about it now,
• 8:37
  Speaker 2: so you can keep those emails to yourself, and I'm
• 8:41
  Speaker 2: aware of it. But anyway, I think by the end
• 8:45
  Speaker 2: of this episode, I was like, Okay, I'm into it.
• 8:49
  Speaker 2: I fully understand this man's life is unfair. And of course,
• 8:53
  Speaker 2: like I didn't know, I've never read the novel, I
• 8:57
  Speaker 2: don't know, I did not know the story, so I
• 8:59
  Speaker 2: had to google, like, give me a summary of this,
• 9:03
  Speaker 2: and I learn we learn that he isn't falsely imprisoned yep.
• 9:10
  Speaker 2: And then when he eventually gets out, he sets forth
• 9:13
  Speaker 2: on this revenge tour basically, and so I have to
• 9:19
  Speaker 2: wonder will I still feel warm towards him at the
• 9:25
  Speaker 2: end of this series, after all this revenge. That's a
• 9:29
  Speaker 2: great question, you know. I do think what happens to
• 9:34
  Speaker 2: Edmund it is unfair, and I do feel there is
• 9:39
  Speaker 2: some justifiable reasons that he would want to go out
• 9:43
  Speaker 2: and like hurt these people that ruined his life. Yes,
• 9:47
  Speaker 2: so I'm excited is not quite the right word, but
• 9:51
  Speaker 2: I'm interested to see how it unfolds. Yeah.
• 9:54
  Speaker 1: Look, I have not read the book either. I do
• 9:57
  Speaker 1: plan to after we finish. I think that I think
• 9:59
  Speaker 1: the challenge with a book to movie or a book
• 10:02
  Speaker 1: to series adaptation is if you read the book first,
• 10:04
  Speaker 1: so you're like me, you spend the entire time going, well, wait,
• 10:07
  Speaker 1: that was different, and I don't want to do that,
• 10:09
  Speaker 1: and so also time wise, it didn't when we decided
• 10:12
  Speaker 1: to watch this didn't lend itself to me reading the
• 10:14
  Speaker 1: book first. That being said, this first episode, like you said,
• 10:19
  Speaker 1: is kind of dense in terms of the setup and
• 10:22
  Speaker 1: the subject matter. There's a lot of history behind it. However,
• 10:27
  Speaker 1: I found it very easy to follow and enjoy. Do
• 10:29
  Speaker 1: you need a deep understanding of the French geopolitical landscape?
• 10:33
  Speaker 2: You don't? Now? Would that help?
• 10:35
  Speaker 1: Maybe, but it doesn't take away from you understanding. These
• 10:38
  Speaker 1: people don't like each other. This guy's working against him.
• 10:42
  Speaker 1: Here's the love story, here's the good guys. Here the
• 10:44
  Speaker 1: it's very clear by the end of the episode, and
• 10:49
  Speaker 1: it's kind of shocking what a sense of these characters
• 10:52
  Speaker 1: you have by the end of the episode.
• 10:54
  Speaker 2: Yeah, definitely, like.
• 10:55
  Speaker 1: You know that Doanglaiirs and fernand are bad, like these
• 10:59
  Speaker 1: guys are. Clearly that Danglars does such a good job
• 11:03
  Speaker 1: of portraying a bad guy, just with the looks and
• 11:05
  Speaker 1: the way he talks and for nand honestly is kind
• 11:08
  Speaker 1: of this like whiny, petulant, I'm not getting my way.
• 11:12
  Speaker 1: We're supposed to be together. That's the way it's always been.
• 11:15
  Speaker 1: What do you mean you're in love with him? Like, oh,
• 11:16
  Speaker 1: you're so unlikable.
• 11:18
  Speaker 2: Yeah. And then to your point where he's like we're cousins.
• 11:20
  Speaker 2: I was like eh, and she was like just because
• 11:23
  Speaker 2: this is the way it's always been.
• 11:25
  Speaker 1: I just they do such a nice job with those characters.
• 11:29
  Speaker 1: The overall setup in terms of what these characters' motivations are,
• 11:35
  Speaker 1: is incredibly well done in an under fifty minute episode.
• 11:38
  Speaker 2: Yeah. I agree. I have that in my notes too,
• 11:41
  Speaker 2: about we know who the villains are from the jump,
• 11:45
  Speaker 2: and it makes this story very easy to latch onto emotionally.
• 11:50
  Speaker 2: We know who's been wronged and now we're going to
• 11:53
  Speaker 2: watch the long game unfold. Yeah, kind of exciting. I
• 11:58
  Speaker 2: want to talk about Sam Claflin. Okay, I'm not familiar
• 12:04
  Speaker 2: with his work, Like I know he's been in like
• 12:07
  Speaker 2: the Hunger Games movies, and he was also in The
• 12:10
  Speaker 2: Daisy and the Sixth which I watched him in me
• 12:12
  Speaker 2: before you If you're familiar with that movie, I am not,
• 12:16
  Speaker 2: do I need to watch it. It's very sad. Oh okay, anyway,
• 12:20
  Speaker 2: I texted Megan yesterday I was like, damn, he is
• 12:24
  Speaker 2: hot and what she responded, even with this scraggly beard.
• 12:27
  Speaker 1: Guys, it wasn't a question, it was a statement. Yes,
• 12:31
  Speaker 1: I realized have the fact. I'm like, even with that
• 12:33
  Speaker 1: scraggly ass beard man, you'll see episode two, guys, come
• 12:35
  Speaker 1: episode two.
• 12:38
  Speaker 2: I like him as his character, Edmund. Edmund has this
• 12:42
  Speaker 2: almost like boyish optimism about him, and he's clearly like
• 12:50
  Speaker 2: the good guy. He gets the promotion because the promotion
• 12:54
  Speaker 2: he gets, you know, the captain role, because he's someone
• 13:00
  Speaker 2: who is trustworthy and responsible, like we know, like you said,
• 13:04
  Speaker 2: like it is set up from the beginning. He's the
• 13:07
  Speaker 2: good guy. These are the bad guys. It's very clear. Yeah,
• 13:10
  Speaker 2: he is easy to root for and I just enjoy
• 13:13
  Speaker 2: Sam Klaughlin as Edmund. He gives really good face. He
• 13:18
  Speaker 2: does some stunning facial acting in this episode, portraying his
• 13:23
  Speaker 2: shock and his fear throughout his arrest and imprisonment, and
• 13:26
  Speaker 2: the facial expressions are subtle and minor, but they convey
• 13:32
  Speaker 2: so much. It was great. Let's talk about Mercedes and
• 13:36
  Speaker 2: Edmund I'm sorry, there are my wishes.
• 13:39
  Speaker 1: Oh interesting, but go ahead tell me. I will talk
• 13:43
  Speaker 1: about them, because I actually thought they were adorable together.
• 13:47
  Speaker 2: M h. And they're selling me on their love.
• 13:52
  Speaker 1: And as I have said, I have not read the book.
• 13:55
  Speaker 2: I do not know the arc of the story. I
• 13:59
  Speaker 2: don't think things are looking good for them, but they're dancing.
• 14:05
  Speaker 1: I thought they just they give me like, oh, we're
• 14:08
  Speaker 1: so in love and want when he returns home and
• 14:11
  Speaker 1: their reunion and their engagement lunch. I just thought, oh
• 14:15
  Speaker 1: my goodness, I love them, and now things are not
• 14:18
  Speaker 1: going to end well.
• 14:18
  Speaker 2: But I liked her in episode one. Do you think
• 14:25
  Speaker 2: is this at the heart? Is this a love story
• 14:28
  Speaker 2: or is this about a story of man who's been wronged.
• 14:32
  Speaker 1: I think it's centers more on Edmund's overall story than
• 14:38
  Speaker 1: about his romance.
• 14:40
  Speaker 2: Got it, But we'll see. I'm actually I hope that
• 14:43
  Speaker 2: it's that way, because you know, we watch a lot
• 14:47
  Speaker 2: of homework.
• 14:48
  Speaker 1: I'm in, Yeah, we don't, don't, we don't. I don't
• 14:51
  Speaker 1: really want the romance to be at the heart of it.
• 14:53
  Speaker 2: I'm okay.
• 14:53
  Speaker 1: If the romance is a piece, yes, so tell me
• 14:56
  Speaker 1: your wish it No.
• 14:57
  Speaker 2: I have one more like, Okay, the cinematography is stunning
• 15:01
  Speaker 2: and yes, thank you. I had to look it up
• 15:04
  Speaker 2: to see where it was filmed, mostly Italy and Malta.
• 15:10
  Speaker 2: Just so pretty. Like the end scene when they pull
• 15:15
  Speaker 2: back and Mercedes is looking from the coastline and she's
• 15:18
  Speaker 2: looking at the prison and he's like looking at you
• 15:23
  Speaker 2: think like he's looking out the window and he can
• 15:25
  Speaker 2: see her standing there at which I don't think he can,
• 15:27
  Speaker 2: but whatever, right, it just is visually giving something and
• 15:35
  Speaker 2: it to me feels like a real period drama, Like
• 15:42
  Speaker 2: it feels very cinematic.
• 15:44
  Speaker 1: Yeah, for sure, it's to me. You and I watch
• 15:48
  Speaker 1: a lot of Hallmark. Those are budget productions. I was like, oh,
• 15:50
  Speaker 1: no budget was spared in this. Those sweeping shots are stunning.
• 15:53
  Speaker 1: There are some shots in episode two that I was like,
• 15:56
  Speaker 1: oh my gosh, like I just wanted to look at
• 15:58
  Speaker 1: the beauty of it because I just think, oh, they
• 16:01
  Speaker 1: really went there with their shot that You're right, That
• 16:04
  Speaker 1: closing shot of the two of them looking from alternate
• 16:07
  Speaker 1: angles is incredible.
• 16:09
  Speaker 2: The sweeping landscape shots, the.
• 16:11
  Speaker 1: Storm shot did not give me like we're on a
• 16:14
  Speaker 1: green screen on a boat.
• 16:15
  Speaker 2: Oh my gosh. That opening scene where They're in the
• 16:18
  Speaker 2: ocean and it's a storm, and I was like, this
• 16:22
  Speaker 2: is how you do water, right, if you know, you
• 16:24
  Speaker 2: know friends, if you know you know? I agree.
• 16:27
  Speaker 1: It is a stunningly beautiful production.
• 16:29
  Speaker 2: Yeah, now we can talk wishes, okay. And my biggest
• 16:33
  Speaker 2: hesitation so far is Edmund and Mercedes. Tell me more.
• 16:37
  Speaker 2: Mercedes is supposed to be the love of his life, right,
• 16:42
  Speaker 2: and I just didn't quite feel that spark between them. Interesting,
• 16:49
  Speaker 2: they kiss, they dance, they talk about their future. It
• 16:53
  Speaker 2: feels more scripted than organic. Oh oh got it, that
• 16:58
  Speaker 2: is to me. And then when he is taken away,
• 17:01
  Speaker 2: with exception of that last final shot where she's staring
• 17:06
  Speaker 2: out at the prison, I just I wanted her to
• 17:09
  Speaker 2: be more devastated, like this was life altering and she's
• 17:14
  Speaker 2: just so stoic, which could just be of the time.
• 17:18
  Speaker 2: You know, I'm expecting my hysterics and there weren't any.
• 17:23
  Speaker 2: And like I said, maybe it's just culture or time
• 17:27
  Speaker 2: or whatever. That's why I land. Okay. My only other
• 17:32
  Speaker 2: little wish is kind of a complaint and it goes
• 17:36
  Speaker 2: back to that stormy ocean scene at the beginning.
• 17:39
  Speaker 1: It's very dark as the viewer.
• 17:42
  Speaker 2: Watching it I was like, it is so dark. But
• 17:45
  Speaker 2: also they're in the middle of the ocean at night,
• 17:48
  Speaker 2: like there's not like a spotlight, you know. So that's
• 17:51
  Speaker 2: just my petty complaint. You know.
• 17:54
  Speaker 1: I have some complaints like that too, So I thought
• 17:56
  Speaker 1: it was dark.
• 17:57
  Speaker 2: I watched this.
• 17:58
  Speaker 1: On my computer because I watched the screener version of this,
• 18:01
  Speaker 1: and that's important because there are no captions on a screener.
• 18:05
  Speaker 2: Oh.
• 18:06
  Speaker 1: I watch most shows with captions, and this show needs captions.
• 18:11
  Speaker 1: I had to pause and look up names so I
• 18:14
  Speaker 1: could figure out who they were talking to and what
• 18:16
  Speaker 1: they were saying. It's very hard and in some scenes,
• 18:19
  Speaker 1: like in that boat scene, I was like, I can't
• 18:21
  Speaker 1: hear them, but I don't think. I don't think it
• 18:22
  Speaker 1: matters what they're saying, just like things are not going well.
• 18:25
  Speaker 1: When they're on the bow of that boat and they're
• 18:27
  Speaker 1: being thrashed about it was very dark. This is a
• 18:31
  Speaker 1: discussion all the time on social media. People are like,
• 18:34
  Speaker 1: why is TV so dark and so hard to hear,
• 18:35
  Speaker 1: And everyone's like, it's your TV settings. That may be so,
• 18:39
  Speaker 1: but let's let's figure out how to do this. Yeah,
• 18:42
  Speaker 1: because I can't hear and I can't see and let
• 18:45
  Speaker 1: me tell you when they were sweeping up on that
• 18:46
  Speaker 1: prison that night, I was turning up the brightness on
• 18:49
  Speaker 1: my computer.
• 18:51
  Speaker 2: I can tell you, like I watched it on my TV,
• 18:53
  Speaker 2: and at some point there is an instinct in me
• 18:56
  Speaker 2: too like tap tap tap, though, and I was like, there,
• 19:00
  Speaker 2: I don't think that exists on the TV. It might,
• 19:02
  Speaker 2: but it would take me an hour to find it
• 19:04
  Speaker 2: on the remote control.
• 19:05
  Speaker 1: So the only other thing I'll say, and this isn't
• 19:07
  Speaker 1: really a wish, but there are a lot of characters
• 19:10
  Speaker 1: in this series, and we'll meet a lot of them
• 19:13
  Speaker 1: right up top in episode one. And because I was
• 19:16
  Speaker 1: reviewing this, I was taking notes. I almost feel like
• 19:20
  Speaker 1: that might not be a terrible idea for someone watching
• 19:22
  Speaker 1: this to at least remember who's who?
• 19:25
  Speaker 2: A little list, A little list, A little list.
• 19:28
  Speaker 1: I don't need it, but I just was like, whoa,
• 19:30
  Speaker 1: who's this Villafort dude? And all of a sudden re
• 19:32
  Speaker 1: meeting him with his fance and her family, what's he
• 19:36
  Speaker 1: doing here?
• 19:37
  Speaker 2: And uh huh? Who are they related to? So there
• 19:40
  Speaker 2: are a lot of people. I do have one more
• 19:42
  Speaker 2: little wish, please. The original novel was written in French.
• 19:47
  Speaker 2: It's obviously been adapted for all the other languages that
• 19:51
  Speaker 2: it has been reprinted in. I really had to think
• 19:55
  Speaker 2: this through. I was like, why aren't they Why aren't
• 19:57
  Speaker 2: they giving me any French at all? I expected, like, yes,
• 20:02
  Speaker 2: Emily in Paris. The Netflix show Emily in Paris takes
• 20:05
  Speaker 2: place in Paris, and there's a lot of like French
• 20:08
  Speaker 2: and English, and I enjoy it. But then I was like,
• 20:12
  Speaker 2: why am I not getting any of that? And so
• 20:15
  Speaker 2: I googled like a dummy that I am, and it
• 20:17
  Speaker 2: was like, because this is an English version of what
• 20:22
  Speaker 2: they would be speaking in French to each other, So
• 20:25
  Speaker 2: they're not gonna speak like a mixture of English and
• 20:28
  Speaker 2: French to each other. I hear, I mean, I hear that.
• 20:31
  Speaker 2: I get that.
• 20:32
  Speaker 1: I think that's the base explanation. But also, like Emily
• 20:36
  Speaker 1: in Paris, I guess they do speak English to her.
• 20:39
  Speaker 1: I don't know, like would they speak as much English
• 20:41
  Speaker 1: in that French ad agency as they do?
• 20:46
  Speaker 2: Probably not.
• 20:46
  Speaker 1: I just I think your point is a good one,
• 20:48
  Speaker 1: like it might center it in its place a little
• 20:52
  Speaker 1: more if we heard just even a few casual comments
• 20:55
  Speaker 1: in French.
• 20:57
  Speaker 2: Yes, this is where we're gonna depart a little bit
• 21:00
  Speaker 2: from our typical Hallmark format. Yeah. Usually when we review
• 21:04
  Speaker 2: Hallmark movies, if you are a regular listener, we do
• 21:08
  Speaker 2: a segment called did you see that, where we like
• 21:09
  Speaker 2: pick up you know, like continuity issues or just like
• 21:14
  Speaker 2: simple things. Whatper heck was that? Yeah, this is a
• 21:17
  Speaker 2: higher budget production. Higher budget productions usually lack those things.
• 21:22
  Speaker 2: So just for today, I just have some questions for you. Yeah,
• 21:28
  Speaker 2: are you immediately on Edmond's side or do you feel
• 21:31
  Speaker 2: like we don't know enough about him yet? Well, I'm
• 21:34
  Speaker 2: very easily influenced, and so I am immediately on his side.
• 21:38
  Speaker 2: I am willing to accept I may learn some things
• 21:41
  Speaker 2: about him, but what I see from him in this
• 21:45
  Speaker 2: first episode speaks to.
• 21:48
  Speaker 1: Goodness and truth. And when he's arrested, he answers all
• 21:52
  Speaker 1: of the questions very honestly about what he was doing
• 21:55
  Speaker 1: with the letter and hands it over, and he just
• 21:58
  Speaker 1: seems to be coming from a genuinely good place.
• 22:02
  Speaker 2: I agree. My worry is similar to the character Dexter,
• 22:07
  Speaker 2: who's like a good guy, but he does like this murdering.
• 22:11
  Speaker 2: I mean, I don't know if Edmund's going to murder
• 22:12
  Speaker 2: anybody in the future. I would love it if people
• 22:15
  Speaker 2: are like screaming.
• 22:16
  Speaker 1: Through I can pound sand as far as I'm concerned. Yeah, No,
• 22:20
  Speaker 1: I don't really wanted to murder anybody, but I'm okay
• 22:22
  Speaker 1: with him making some he they ruined his life. Yeah,
• 22:24
  Speaker 1: So I am okay with the epic revenge that is
• 22:28
  Speaker 1: to come on a certain level.
• 22:31
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I don't think I've lived my life with revenge,
• 22:35
  Speaker 2: but there is part of me that, like, I like
• 22:37
  Speaker 2: the idea of karma coming for you. Yeah.
• 22:41
  Speaker 1: And also I don't live with my life with revenge either,
• 22:44
  Speaker 1: But I also think this is a literary version of
• 22:49
  Speaker 1: real life, Like people aren't necessarily out to send me
• 22:54
  Speaker 1: off to a jail to die and live in a
• 22:57
  Speaker 1: dungeon for the rest of my life, you know what
• 22:58
  Speaker 1: I mean. So, like we're living at extremes in this book.
• 23:02
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I agree, if you had the rank. The villain's
• 23:06
  Speaker 2: purely un pettiness right now, who wins? Oh?
• 23:10
  Speaker 1: I think Fernandez the most petty. He's giving like I
• 23:13
  Speaker 1: didn't get the girl, but he's real tied with Don
• 23:15
  Speaker 1: Glaris for his like, h I didn't get the job, right. Yeah,
• 23:18
  Speaker 1: And then we have Villefort, and I feel like his motivation.
• 23:24
  Speaker 2: Is a little deeper.
• 23:27
  Speaker 1: He's worried about his own personal ruin. He's worried about
• 23:30
  Speaker 1: the implication of the ties to his father and what
• 23:33
  Speaker 1: that will say about him and his competence in his job.
• 23:36
  Speaker 1: And so, while again I think all of them are
• 23:39
  Speaker 1: behaving in their own personal best interests, alone, I think
• 23:45
  Speaker 1: perhaps he has the most actual motivation to be behaving
• 23:48
  Speaker 1: this way.
• 23:49
  Speaker 2: Now, you and I had to talk off Mike about
• 23:52
  Speaker 2: season one, episode one. I had some questions about Villefort.
• 23:57
  Speaker 2: Do you think that context is missing? Tod, I miss
• 24:00
  Speaker 2: it in episode one of what Villefort's motivations were.
• 24:06
  Speaker 1: I think it's mostly to be assumed.
• 24:08
  Speaker 2: Right.
• 24:08
  Speaker 1: We meet Villefort's father, that's who the letter was going to,
• 24:13
  Speaker 1: and in that discussion it's kind of like exposition, like
• 24:16
  Speaker 1: you were conspiring with Napoleon, and his.
• 24:17
  Speaker 2: Father's like you're a fool. Right.
• 24:20
  Speaker 1: I think there's some inference to be made that the
• 24:23
  Speaker 1: reason that Villafort sent him away was this letter would
• 24:26
  Speaker 1: implicate his father and therefore it would blow.
• 24:30
  Speaker 2: Back on him.
• 24:32
  Speaker 1: I don't think it's explicitly said, but I think there's
• 24:36
  Speaker 1: enough there to make the leap as to his motivation.
• 24:39
  Speaker 2: Yeah, see, not for me. That's why I like you
• 24:43
  Speaker 2: and I had to discuss. It's how I could get
• 24:45
  Speaker 2: some clarity in terms of Villafort's motivation. Here's my last question,
• 24:51
  Speaker 2: how the heck does this book relate to that? Back
• 24:55
  Speaker 2: to that Hallmark movie The Way to You. I cannot remember.
• 24:59
  Speaker 1: I think only in that he was reading it and
• 25:02
  Speaker 1: then he was like, it's great, you should read it,
• 25:03
  Speaker 1: and she's like.
• 25:04
  Speaker 2: I read it. I loved it.
• 25:05
  Speaker 1: Which, by the way, the book's like twelve hundred pages long,
• 25:08
  Speaker 1: so whatever her turnaround time was for reading it, that
• 25:10
  Speaker 1: should be a digit see that moment, because I think
• 25:13
  Speaker 1: in the movie it's like over the course of a
• 25:15
  Speaker 1: week and girlfriend was busy.
• 25:16
  Speaker 2: So yeah, I just was wondering if there was this
• 25:20
  Speaker 2: like overarching moment of like, oh, this is why we
• 25:25
  Speaker 2: liked the book because there was Edmund has patience right
• 25:30
  Speaker 2: because he's playing the long game here. Now did those.
• 25:32
  Speaker 1: Two and that's a real deep cut. I think it's
• 25:34
  Speaker 1: just like a oh, you're reading something on the subway.
• 25:37
  Speaker 2: What are you reading?
• 25:38
  Speaker 1: Right, Like it's how you start the conversation. Yeah, that's
• 25:40
  Speaker 1: a great question.
• 25:42
  Speaker 2: And that was my last one. That's all I got.
• 25:43
  Speaker 1: Hey, well that's a wrap on our first episode review
• 25:47
  Speaker 1: of The Count of Monte Cristo. We will be reviewing
• 25:49
  Speaker 1: every episode weekly on Thursdays, so we hope you'll come
• 25:53
  Speaker 1: back and listen. Subscribe to Girls Gone Hamewark wherever you
• 25:56
  Speaker 1: get podcasts so you don't miss an episode, and we'll
• 26:00
  Speaker 1: be back next time with more Hallmark and PBS reviews.
• 26:04
  Speaker 2: Goodbye, bye all right friends, before we go, just a
• 26:18
  Speaker 2: quick heads up, you're about to hear some ads. These
• 26:20
  Speaker 2: little gems help us keep the show running and the
• 26:22
  Speaker 2: Hallmark love flowing. So do with that info what you will,
• 26:27
  Speaker 2: Grab a snack, hit the skip button, or maybe just
• 26:30
  Speaker 2: maybe listen in and discover your new favorite product. Bye