strange and random happenstance: Lynley

Showing posts with label Lynley. Show all posts

Friday, November 6, 2026

Maigret

I can't be the only one who really didn't expect much from this new adaptation of Maigret. I mean, just looking to the English luminaries who've played the role previously, Rowan Atkinson, Michael Gambon, Richard Harris, and Charles Laughton, actors who had made a name for themselves long before Benjamin Wainwright was even born, and you realize Benjamin Wainwright didn't stand a chance. But even with this chasm of acting cred I didn't expect the show to be this bad. It even failed to meet my lowered expectations. To call it mediocre is an insult to anything that actually is mediocre. This Maigret through a modern lens isn't all bad, but it's not good. At all. The music is bland and unoriginal, unless it's trying to given me tinnitus with it's weird staccato jabs. Oh look, they're throwing in some strobe lighting to finish me off. The characters are all flat and uninteresting. Maigret is supposed to be mysterious and inscrutable but comes across as confused and possibly constipated. But what really annoyed me was the Britishness of it all. As this show finishes airing it's hopefully only season, a hope Wikipedia has dashed, I can't help think that in 2025 why are British actors playing French characters? I mean, they seem to be trying to do a more authentic take without stripping the Frenchness out of how criminal investigations go, even all signage and paperwork is in French. Yet with the cast they've got, even down to the meathead who so deserved that punch, I can't help thinking it's too disconnected. The casting and the conceit are clashing. The only time this show worked even a little was when Maigret was the butt of people's jokes. When Danny Kirrane, who was exceptional on The Serpent Queen as Louis de Bourbon, showed up as a childhood "frenemy" of Maigret's, Ferdinand Fumal, the filthy rich son of the butcher, then the show had something. The audience had, over the course of the first two episodes covering one investigation, learned to strongly dislike this taciturn detective, and to have an actor who reveals in his roles show up and just lay waste to Maigret was a kick in the balls the show needed. In fact it broke a damn and suddenly everyone was insulting Maigret and for each and every insult lobbed at him I felt a cathartic release. All these people were saying what I felt about this milquetoast man. If I am the target demographic for this show, then can I say, just maybe a Maigret dunking booth while he clutches his father's pipe which he will never smoke? I mean, it would save money. Or, you know, cancel the show. Because he won't work as an antihero and, when "Maigret's Failure" is Maigret himself, I don't think there's any hope for the show. It's not like the new Lynley where it's so anodyne it could become something better, here they've made it specific and generic at the same time and have just alienated their viewers.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments

Labels: And the Emmy Goes To, Benjamin Wainwright, Charles Laughton, Danny Kirrane, Ferdinand Fumal, Lynley, Maigret, Maigret's Failure, Masterpiece, Michael Gambon, Mystery, Richard Harris, Rowan Atkinson, The Serpent Queen

Monday, April 19, 2010

Tuesday Tomorrow

Radiant Shadows by Melissa Marr
Published by: HarperCollins
Publication Date: April 20th, 2010
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Hunger for nourishment. Hunger for touch. Hunger to belong.

Half-human and half-faery, Ani is driven by her hungers. Those same appetites also attract powerful enemies and uncertain allies, including Devlin. He was created as an assassin and is brother to the faeries’ coolly logical High Queen and to her chaotic twin, the embodiment of War. Devlin wants to keep Ani safe from his sisters, knowing that if he fails, he will be the instrument of Ani’s death.

Ani isn’t one to be guarded while others fight battles for her, though. She has the courage to protect herself and the ability to alter Devlin’s plans—and his life. The two are drawn together, each with reason to fear the other and to fear for one another. But as they grow closer, a larger threat imperils the whole of Faerie. Will saving the faery realm mean losing each other?

Alluring romance, heart-stopping danger, and sinister intrigue combine in Melissa Marr’s next volume of Melissa Marr’s New York Times bestselling Wicked Lovely series."

Oh can't wait! While I liked Wicked Lovely, it was the darkness in Ink Exchange that really brought me into this series. This looks like a dark one!

This Body of Death by Elizabeth George
Published by: Harper
Publication Date: April 20th, 2010
Format: Hardcover, 704 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"While DI Thomas Lynley is still on compassionate leave after the murder of his wife, Isabelle Ardery is brought into the Met as his temporary replacement. The discovery of a body in a Stoke Newington cemetery offers Isabelle the chance to make her mark with a high profile murder investigation. Persuading Lynley back to work seems the best way to guarantee a result: Lynley's team is fiercely loyal to him and Isabelle needs them - and especially Barbara Havers - on side. The Met is twitchy: a series of PR disasters has undermined its confidence. Isabelle knows that she'll be operating under the unforgiving scrutiny of the media, so is quick -- perhaps too quick - to pin the murder on a convenient suspect. The murder trail leads Lynley and Havers to the New Forest, and the eventual resolution of the case. Its roots are in a long-ago act of violence that has poisoned subsequent generations and its outcome is both tragic and shocking"

Sure they cancelled one of my most favorite shows when they cancelled Lynley. But that didn't stop Elizabeth George from writing! Yeah! More Lynley and Havers!

The Double Comfort Safari Club by Alexander McCall Smith
Published by: Pantheon
Publication Date: April 20th, 2010
Format: Hardcover, 256 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The delightful new installment in Alexander McCall Smith’s beloved and best-selling series finds Mma Ramotswe and Mma Makutsi traveling to the north of Botswana, to the stunning Okavango Delta, to visit a safari lodge where there have been several unexplained and troubling events–including the demise of one of the guests.

When the two ladies of the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency arrive at the Okavango Delta, their eyes are opened, as if for the first time, to the natural beauty of their homeland. With teeming wildlife, endless grasslands, and sparkling rivulets of water running in every direction, it is breathtaking.

But they can’t help being drawn into a world filled with other wildlife: rival safari operators, discontented guides, grumpy hippopotamuses. On top of that, the date has still not been set for Mma Makutsi and Phuti Radiphuti’s wedding, and it’s safe to say that Mma Makutsi is beginning to grow a bit impatient. And to top it all off, the impossible has happened: one of Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni’s apprentices has gotten married. . . . Of course none of this defeats the indomitable Precious Ramotswe. Good sense, kindness, and copious quantities of red bush tea carry the day. As they always do."

You could always do with a little more of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency!

The Bedwetter: Storise of Courage, Redemption, and Pee by Sarah Silverman
Published by: Harper
Publication Date: April 20th, 2010
Format: Hardcover, 256 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Dear Reader:

My name is Sarah Silverman. I was once primarily known for saying the word "poop" and getting paid above market rates for it. But those days are over, because I am now going to be known for having written a book. Why did I write a book, you might wonder? Because it just seemed like the right time to be getting into the publishing industry.

I'm kidding. Publishing is rotting like an abandoned possum carcass on the shoulder of I-95. I know that for a fact, because shortly after my book deal was announced, I kept hearing people lament the imminent demise of literature. These days there is only one reason to write a book: to be taken seriously. And that is exactly what is about to happen to me. I'm an author now! Like Ernest Hemingway and Fyodor Dostoevsky!

When I was asked to provide text for an author page, I decided to approach it in a scholarly manner, because that's what authors do. I looked to other author pages for inspiration, and I learned so much. For example, while Hemingway and Dostoevsky do not have their own author pages on Amazon.com, Paris Hilton does. And so does former teenage porn star and multi-tasking fellatrix, Traci Lords. Hemingway and Dostoevsky might be wondering, quite literally, "Whom do I have to blow to get my own author page?" If someone had a cruel sense of humor, they might respond to Hemingway, "How about your head off? Oh wait – you already DID that!" But such a remark would be in bad taste, and as a serious author, I'm above all that.

I also learned that Paris' dog, Tinkerbell Hilton, has her own book too. I read a few pages and found the prose to be overwrought, but you can imagine that, being a dog, she'd be coming from a place of needing to prove something. By the way, here's a quote from a review of Paris' book that I found on her Amazon.com author page:

"Heiress, socialite, model, actress, singer and media darling Hilton loves her life, knows how to get what she wants and matter-of-factly explains how anyone can be a glamorous, fun-loving, tiara-wearing heiress just like her… [Paris’] advice to 'channel your own inner heiress, create your own image, and project an extreme sense of confidence' is an empowering message for young women."

This was profoundly inspiring to me. It made me realize: if young women can read Hilton's book and become heiresses, they can likewise read my book and become anxiety-ridden bedwetters. And amidst this generation of disposability that favors the digital over the physical, shopping online rather than in stores (oops, this is awkward!), and reading from LCD screens rather than from print on paper, it's nice to know that I will have left a permanent stain by which future generations shall know of my existence. So read The Bedwetter, if not for me, then for the children."

Sarah Silverman is either really really on, or really really off. She can be the funniest or the cringe worthiest. We'll have to see what this one is, though I will always love her for "I'm Fucking Matt Damon." (Warning, profanity to follow, which, it being Sarah Silverman, you should have guessed.)

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments

Labels: Alexander McCall Smith, Elizabeth George, Lynley, Melissa Marr, Radiant Shadows, Sarah Silverman, The Bedwetter, The Double Comfort Safari Club, The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, Wicked Lovely

Sunday, January 31, 2010

Emma Spotlight: Blake Ritson

Name: Blake Ritson

First Impression: As the sweet Edmund who wins Billie Piper's heart in Mansfield Park.

Lasting Impression: Emma. Complete turn around, the sweet lovestruck Edmund was replaced with the smarmy, sleek, creepy... giving Mr. Collins a run for his money in his kiss assedness.

What else you've seen them in: Small roles here and there, but more notably a fixture among British mysteries, the likes of Lynley and Frost.

Can't believe it's them: Titus... icky icky, I feel unclean, I feel soiled. Memories I tried to bury are resurfacing... noooooo.

Wish they hadn't: The Bill... it's such a joke.

Bio: Making a name for himself as the Emo looking Edmund I was surprised that he actually had such depths to play the subtlety and smarm of Elton. I think we might just see a little bit more of him now that his depths are becoming apparent. It's not all about the looks! I didn't think he was attractive till he was slightly full of himself...

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 4 comments

Labels: Billie Piper, Blake Ritson, Edmund, Emma Spotlight, Emo, Frost, Lynley, Mansfield Park, Mr. Collins, Mr. Elton, The Bill

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Spotlight: Richard Armitage

Name: Richard Armitage

First Impression: North and South. Richard's John Thornton is sexier the Mr. Darcy BY FAR! I'm sorry Colin Firth, but your hold over my heart has waned... how can your wet shirt compete with the scene at the train station? See, you can't...

Lasting Impression: Vicar of Dibley. If you're going to marry my Vicar, you better leave a lasting impression! A wonderfully bookish bloke, plus he'd marry Geraldine even if she was just in her pajamas! (Which, incidentally, she was).

What else you've seen them in: Well, despite being in the horrid Star Wars prequel, he's gone on to achieve lasting fame. Aside from that whole John Thornton obsession that's griped all I know, he's gone on to many mysteries, from Lynley to George Gently, Marple to Malice Aforethought. But his two most memorable roles are probably Guy of Gisborne in the now defunct Robin Hood and Lucas North on Spooks (MI-5 stateside).

Can't believe it's them: Star Wars! Sure it's a Naboo fighter pilot, but still, Star Wars!

Wish they hadn't: Again, Star Wars... he was in a movie with Jar Jar! Enough said, because the less said, the better.

Bio: Well, all you really need to know is that he's developed such a strong fan base the are literally an army! The Armitage Army is one of the most prolific and powerful of fan sites in the world. Go check it out!