The Doll Factory

I totally get it, why people drop this show, and why they do it within first 2 episodes, but I am glad I did stick to with it.

Initially I stuck with it, because I did like the overall atmosphere of the show. It felt heavy and sticky, foreboding even. I thought that it be similar to "The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart", which (for me) ended up more about atmosphere rather than character development and actual exploration of complex feelings. Boy, was I wrong.

Aside from atmosphere the show seem to provide little of substance in the beginning. Not in a sense, that it's empty, no, it's just that characters' goals feel shallow. That is not bad by itself: their goals are totally normal in real life, and they can serve as a good initial premise for a story, but they way this particular story is told makes you think that they are the goal of the story. Which does make you wonder: what's the point of it all? Especially since for for a period drama it's pretty inaccurate even to my eyes.

Episode 4 changes things, though. It pulls a "Fight Club" on us in a very unexpected way, because you would never really guess that that's the linchpin of the story. The plot twist also works as a revelation of what the goal (and the conflict) of the story really is (and sorry, can't say what that is, because it's a major spoiler). It also makes those little interactions earlier in the series make a bit more sense, because what you might have thought as "quirks" turn out to be the precursors of this twist.

It does not stop there, though. Even early in the show you see some random(-ish) daydream sequences, which in some cases may feel a bit out of place. Last episode goes off the rails with those, and the show becomes very reminiscent of movie "Martyrs" (much milder than even US version, though). Surprisingly, they make complete sense in the circumstances of the episode, and it makes the ending feel somewhat cathartic, but still wonder if it was real, because of how rushed it is (which may or may not be the idea).

I think this show should have had a start with a "flashforward". Showing like half a minute of something from the last episode could have been enough of a hook to keep people by the screen till the main reveal. As I've mentioned, there are some "quirks" in interactions here and there before the twist, which would have made viewers wonder how exactly will the story reach the point, that was shown in the beginning.

So my recommendation here is: if you want to drop the show because you think it's going nowhere, and only because of that - give it a chance, if you do have free time. It may surprise. If you are expecting a highly accurate period drama - do not bother, at all.

Oh, and I do think the title should have been changed. Don't know whether dolls matter that much in original book, but in the show they play practically no role.

Visually interesting at points, very inaccurate casting and set dressing. Agree with other reviews that the accents are all over the place, confusing also because it's taken two episodes to figure out exactly who is who, and considering the pacing it's rather odd that it's not become apparent earlier, as it's clearly taking it's time.

And again,

Visually interesting at points, very inaccurate casting and set dressing. Agree with other reviews that the accents are all over the place, confusing also because it's taken two episodes to figure out exactly who is who, and considering the pacing it's rather odd that it's not become apparent earlier, as it's clearly taking it's time.

I watched the show on one of my local streaming channels. What I get from the show is how Iris chooses her life compares Rose does hers. You should know women in that time in Europe had a very low social status. They didn't get to decide their lives, the society did. Iris didn't want to be a doll maker forever and refused to marry someone she didn't like. She wanted to be who she wanted to be: free and liberal. Rose, on the other hand, was defined by the society. She detested disobedience and her sister's actions. The show somehow reflects how women fought for their lives hundreds of years ago. But, 6 episodes for a very simple and dull plot, it was a waste of time. If it were a movie which was only 90 mins long, it would be interesting. A lack of depth was also a problem. It was just a love story between a doll maker and an artist. And how the crew members recruiting for extras/background actors, was a problem too. It didn't fit that era presented in the show. This is a problem for a lot of movies/tv shows that have a background of the general society of 100 years or earlier, a lack of authenticity.

I didn't think I was going to like this, but i found it captivating. It looks great visually. Bravo to the props department. The characters where interesting, with a complexed air of mystery to each of them. I liked the creepy feel that ran throughout the entire series, it was well acted.

Set in London during the Great Exhibition of 1851, it had a bleak Dickens doom and gloom vibe. Even Dickens himself appears, visiting the exhibition.

I'm surprised it's got a low IMDB score, but I guess this is not for everybody. It's slow, but in a refreshing way, which will put many viewers off, but not me.

Pros: Great costumes, acting, set design

Cons: Plot & characters. It's year 2023 and mental illness is still the major plot device. Blame everything on a bipolar woman and a schizophrenic man. Perfect! This is based on a book from 2019 that copies Jane Eyre and adds more mental-illness shaming. What an achievement!

I was hoping that by now we should be more open-minded. But it seems despite achievements in technology and costume/set design, the entertainment & publishing industries just keep recycling the same BS. Why bother making something good and fresh when you can just keep making the same stories over and over?!