Another month has passed. Despite bad news on many fronts, I hope it was a good one for you. Or at least, had more good days than not. Here’s a few bits from my April, a quiet month because it began with…
Flippin’ Covid
It finally got me. I honestly thought I was immune at this point.
I’d kept Covid out of my home for two years. Apparently I’m not immune, just a late adopter. So I spent most of the Easter holidays feeling rotten and- the worst bit- unable to taste or enjoy my Easter eggs. Boo to that.
I’m well enough to complain about it all now, so I suppose I’m fully recovered. Nasty business though. Let’s get onto a brighter note. Even Covid couldn’t stop me…
Netflix-ing
Mr THL picked this months viewing and he picked a winners. He’s good at that- he picked me, didn’t he?
We kicked off April by binge watching two seasons of The Missing. Both seasons are stand alone stories, each featuring retired detective Julien Baptiste. Caring, determined and a deep thinker, Baptiste is willing to go to great lengths to settle the cases that haunt him. Every good show needs a character you want to get behind no matter what. In The Missing, Baptiste is your man.
Season one follows Tony, played by James Nesbitt as he seeks answers to the disappearance of his young son. Five-year-old Oliver goes missing whilst on holiday in France, and nobody seems to have the answers. The plot twists had me suspecting everyone, but I didn’t work out the actual ending. It’s very clever.
Season 2 was an interesting one, as it’s set in a fictional British Army Garrison in Germany. The show flips the idea of a missing person by starting out with an abducted girl returning home, but all is not as it seems.
The time slipping storyline and multiple locations make this a tricky one to follow, but it’s worth sticking with. As an army wife, I picked a few things apart, but there’s also plenty of aspects of the storyline that have a touch of the truth about them.
I had reservations about watching S2 in case it borrowed anything from the real life case of Katrice Lee. It didn’t. Anyone who’s been out in Germany with the military will know the case and right up to 2019, there was still ongoing investigations. I don’t know if the case will ever be solved, but it shouldn’t be forgotten.
For a complete change of time and tone, we moved onto Taboo.
Set in Regency era London, Taboo is the story of adventurer James Keziah Delaney who returns to London from Africa following the death of his father. Delaney, played by Tom Hardy, is a rough diamond with an even rougher past and a touch of the super natural about him. There’s much to dislike- he’s rude, scruffy and violent- but you’ll find yourself warming to him.
Taboo also throws up some strong female characters, including an actress who claims to have been wed to the late Delaney Sr and a prostitute who shares a history with the family and who will go to any lengths to look after her own.
The 8 episodes follow Delaney as he returns to London, encounters his half sister after years apart and takes on the might of the East India Company as they pursue him for his inheritance. It’s unpredictable, witty and although entirely fictional has it’s roots in real historical events.
Fiction aside, the settings of the series have me a fascinated with all things Regency. The too-much-is-never-enough grandeur of it all. It’s ridiculous and I love it. Highlights from the set designs include the bathroom of my dreams complete with curtains round the bath and a gold vanity unit, taxidermy swans mounted upon the biggest floral arrangements I’ve ever seen and a table dressed with fruit and flowers and finished off with free roaming wild rabbits.
I’m not sure how any of that would work in new-ish build married quarter, or what the housing officer would say about it all. A girl can dream, hey? Out of la-la land and back into the realms of historical accuracy, the Regency love continued with another a lovely evening in the company of…
The History Wardrobe
Regency scandal, women’s history and some beautiful, beautiful costumes.
‘Bad Girls & Bonnets – Crime in Jane Austen’s Time’ is a romp through history and an intriguing insight into clothes and crime. As always, some of the stories are hilarious and some are very touching. Some of the history around textiles brings up more than you’d think- it’s never about ‘just clothes’.
I won’t give away too much about the content of the presentation on here, I don’t think it’s fair to. I’ll just say this; if you’ve an interest in fashion history and female history, the History Wardrobe is a winner. Books, online presentations and live shows across the UK. Something for everyone, where ever you are.
Wishing everyone a happy, healthy month ahead.
Helen x
Oh no, sorry about the covid! Still keeping clear here, miraculously.
Long may that last! I now roll my eyes when I hear people say it’s ‘no worse than a cold’. I’d beg to differ!
An interesting month Helen and pleased you are now recovered from COVID. We don’t subscribe to Netflix but great to see what you’ve been watching. If only we lived nearer, I could just do with you on my pub quiz team which just consists of younger son and me if we’re both home on Wednesday evenings. It’s such good fun but our mini team will never win as we score badly or sometimes not at all on TV, Movie and Music rounds. If only it was all anagrams, flags, general knowledge, news of the week and geography we’d be fine! Enjoy the rest of the long weekend xx
Thanks Marion. The quiz sounds fun, I do enjoy a good quiz! I like a crack at University Challenge although flags up every gap in my knowledge 😆 multi generation and breadth of interests definitely creates a winning team I think!
Sorry about the Covid. Us too. But it looks as if you may have escaped the post-Covid malaise which left us exhausted for six further weeks. Mind you, you’re young! I hear Netflix is going through hard times. It rather looks as though you could keep them going single-handed 😉
I had Covid over New Year. The worst part in hindsight was worrying I wouldn’t get my sense of smell back. I have. I enjoyed The Missing. The follow on series Baptiste was good too. I am currently watching my way through Inside No. 9 .Just onto series two. They are very Good stand alone dramas.
Sorry to hear that Covid finally got you. My husband and I were just speculating about why neither of us has had it (yet), to our knowledge. We’ve hardly locked ourselves away!
We really enjoyed The Missing when it was originally broadcast here on the BBC I think. It’s worth looking out for the spin-off Baptiste too.
Thanks Sarah 😊 Covid seems a lottery, I’ve been pretty exposed and not picked up in all that time and then 🤷♀️ Hoping between having it and being vaccinated, I’ll have some immunity now!
Yes, I’ve spotted the spin off and need to find it. Baptiste is a brilliant character- very watchable!
Hi Helen glad you have recovered. I didn’t get the dreaded covid until early this year and honestly thought I was immune. Luckily I got off very lightly, just had a sniffle and lost my sense of smell. I have watched both Missing series when they were on telly and also the Tom Hardy one, would like to see that one again as it’s been a few years, I remember enjoying it at the time. X
Thanks, funnily enough I felt rotten and it has taken me a good few weeks to get back to full throttle but my sense if smell and taste came back quickly. Covid us still a bit of a mystery , I think!
My viewing last month was a bit behind the curve, we haven’t had standard TV for a while so didn’t catch on to these until they popped up on Netflix. Really enjoyed them both 😊
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Bad luck about Covid. Not many of us escaped. I might look up The Missing. We struggle to find things we both want to watch.
I got COVID earlier this year…I *think*. My cousin, who’s my roommate, works at a pharmacy and caught it at work, so we assumed I had it even though I tested negative. We both got the shots, but it did seem to affect her worse than me for some reason. She got tested while still at work. However, I didn’t get a test right away, and when I did the test I doubt I got the cotton swab far enough down my throat and up my nose, because I tried both (throat first, then nose!), and that was a couple of days after the day I felt really sick, so maybe by the time I took the test I was already better? But it was just the one day I felt bad, thankfully.
I’m going to have to add these shows to my cousin’s and my watch list. We have so many on there already, but are always looking for more! I could watch Tom Hardy in anything, and The Missing sounds intriguing!
Haha, it’s worth a watch for Tom Hardy alone. I’ve not really been a fan of his, but have to say he ends up undressed in this one and he is a fine figure of a man!
The Covid testing thing is really hit and miss, I think. So I had strong symptoms for a couple of days but negative tests, but then on day three I got such a strong positive. I’m glad it’s over though- it’s a nasty virus and I am rubbish at being ill.
Thanks so much for stopping by and taking the time to read and comment, I really appreciate it.
are you okay now? I got it in March, I also thought I had somehow escaped it but it got me good in the end. Nothing serious but it was very annoying
Yes- I think it’s more annoying when you’ve avoided it for so long and then it catches you! I’m absolutely fine now, but it took me a good few weeks to get back up to full speed. Hopefully the worst of this Covid thing is over now.
I hope so too
Great to hear that you’ve recovered from COVID. I got it a couple months back and the initial fever floored the hell outta me. Then it took me a month before my resting heart rate was back to normal.
Anyway, I’ve heard Taboo is good, but haven’t had the time to check it out, with so many good shows now. Plus I try not to watch too many episodes of something per day. Right now I’m starting on Vikings (yeah, late adopter) and it’s pretty good!
Similar COVID experience here- I was quite ill for a short time but then it took weeks to get back to full health. Worst part is, I’m terrible at slowing down. Too used to being on the go all the time and running the show!
I’m yet to watch Vikings, but I did binge watch Vikings: Valhalla and it’s a great watch. Highly recommend.
Valhalla was the one that prompted me to watch Vikings, because they say the original is much better, and so far, I have to concur!