Ye Gods. I've watched this series in full two - maybe three - times before. But the pace is still surprising me. I've just finished watching Episode 27, which has several weeks' worth of developments and twists crammed into one episode. It's in danger of being anti-climactic. Many of the storylines of those early episodes are hurtling towards their conclusion. But I love how fearlessly confident the writing is. Even considering the original airing schedule of four episodes a week (or three in my ITV region for most of its run), there's no danger of the audience getting bored.
But it doesn't
feel fast paced. It's not like
Melrose Place or something where binge watching half a dozen back-to-back episodes will leave the viewer feeling fatigued and burnt out. The scenes are satisfyingly lengthy (though some of the YouTube ones are clearly edited for time, which is irritating), and there's a great deal of character exploration in there. Perhaps the sepia credits and mawkish theme song also lull the audience into a false sense of security.
Most of the developments have the right balance of being plot and character driven. All the relationships are getting quite incestuously intertwined. Some work for me more than others. Taking away my memories of how things pan out, the romance between
feels a bit forced and very plot driven in these early stages. But it's causing enough strife for me to forgive the writers.
I also love how the backstory is being built upon. Recent episodes' references to Gordon and Patricia meeting have added new layers to the flashbacks to 1962. It's easy to visualise and makes the series feel very rich in history.
Now that many of the secrets have come home to roost, I'm going to miss that aspect of the show. It's still going to continue, of course. And the repercussions will ripple out. But I loved all the Scott Edwards business, and Fiona's hidden agenda in pretty much every interaction she had onscreen. Step aside Patricia: in these early episodes Fiona is the most devious character onscreen. The lies come so easily to her.
This is the first time I see the similarity between John and Wayne's background. They both continue to disappoint their respective fathers, albeit for different reasons.
Good observation. And I suppose Angela and Susan's journeys have parallels too. Both Daddy's girls who have unwittingly got involved with the wrong man with disastrous consequences.
Wayne is Patricia's stepson, right? Because I don't think it has been mentioned yet (or maybe I missed it) and I think it's something that the viewers would like to know.
He is, yes. I think the closest confirmation we've had so far is when Wayne referred to Angela as his "little sister", which if literal means he must have been born before Gordon and Patricia met.
I like that it hasn't been explicitly said. Like many of the relationships (John to Beryl* and his siblings; Angela to Gordon), there's an interesting message that blood and family are sometimes two very different things. And it's family that really counts.
*Even with the Patricia/John thing being pushed so heavily, I haven't yet seen a scene between Beryl and John where I've thought of her as his stepmother. It just hasn't even occurred to me. And I suppose that's how it should be.