Brocket Hall

I don't know enough about British history to understand where Victoria is in her life plans and expectations. She has been queen such a short time. Is it necessary for her to marry right now. Maybe it is. This whole episode would lead us to believe that the world is desperate to get her hooked up with someone, anyone. Just so it's a man who can get her under control and direct the kingdom. It is becoming more and more obvious that Lord Melbourne is not a possibility--mostly by his own choice. There is a ball where King Leopoldo of Belgium, her uncle, tries to intimidate her into marrying his son. The Russian is there. Also, Albert is becoming a possibility, but Victoria has met him before and found him incredibly dull. As all this is going on, we find out about the Chartists, who are demonstrating, at the risk of their lives, to try to get a vote for everyone. What happens at Brocket Hall has made Victoria's life much more complicated.

So far detractors have been circling around Victoria being critical of her youth her height, her inexperience to be a monarch. Still there is the fictional relationship with Gladstone, her rock which has kept viewers satisfied.

However it is not to last, we know Albert is around the corner. Well in Germany actually. Victoria has learned fast and decided to isolate those who are an obstacle. She will dispatch Conroy to Ireland with a fancy title and an annuity which is essentially a bribe.

However there are other pompous people about like King Leopold who wants Victoria to be matched with his nephew so his influence can criss cross Europe by a grand alliance of marriage between different monarchs. Albert (Tom Hughes) is someone who met Victoria when they were children. He is not the only suitor as other aristocrats view Victoria as a catch, the certainty to rule with her a mighty empire, more then adequate compensation for her lack of height.

However how the ordinary people live is not forgotten. Albert certainly has not, he wants to see what ordinary life in England is like and whether the populist would revolt. The Chartist rising will is brutally met by Melbourne. Victoria's dresser Jenkins is from the same Welsh village as some of the Chartist who are to be executed. Victoria decides to be more lenient.

Third episode in and despite being pretty to look at, almost Mills and Boons romance, I have to regard the series as a load of old tosh far departed from the real life of Queen Victoria. This is a fictional re-imagining and future episodes will have to be assessed in that regards. Just hope the script improves.

Sparks were flying! Sparks. Were. FLYING!! The heat between Jenna Coleman and Rufus Sewell was so blazing I thought I'd have to put the TV out with a fire extinguisher. My oh my, the chemistry! You SO wanted them to cast off the ties that bound them and just fall into each others' arms and kiss... and they really looked like they were yearning, utterly yearning to do so. Oh how we feel their torment, their inner struggles... if only...

The script so far has seen a little clumsy at times, which is what's holding me back from giving the series a better rating, but this episode in particular earned itself a few extra stars from the sheer chemistry between our two lead actors. It was like watching to supermagnets only being held back by thin stretching strings that were on the verge of snapping. You could feel the force field in your own heart.

So delightful... and so sad.