It was a busy day, with my doing a radio show in the morning, Karen going to a friend's funeral in the morning and to her office to work in the afternoon, and both of us going to an evening Shiva at the friends' house, all the while also thinking about the mess of mud and water in the basement, where, overnight, our dependable-until-now drainage system backed up. The guys who installed it a few years ago are coming over to take a look.
But, to digress, last night, when we finally got home, Karen resumed working at the kitchen table, watching TV with me out of the corner of her eyes.
We watched a 'Nature' show about animals in the arctic dealing with life and death issues. I was struck by how much of Nature involves the need for being on a sharp lookout, either for someone smaller to kill and eat, or for something bigger and stronger (or smarter) to suddenly grab and eat you.
Fortunately, humans are largely exempt from the 'at any moment I may be eaten' concern. This is progress, but maybe the lingering memories of those instincts are still lurking in all of us, which explains shows like 'The Bachelor'.
Following 'Nature' was the next episode of the current Masterpiece Theater drama, an 'Upstairs/Downstairs' story of upper-class English actors, and their subservient staff, also composed of articulate English actors.
Several actors reminded me of various animals in the prior show. Fortunately, humans have progressed to the point where (at least in the world of BBC drama), the paid-to-be-meek do have ways of getting leverage to counter the power of the too-much-time-on-their-hands crowd.
Not sure what all this means, but I have to say that Maggie Smith has marvelously expressive eyes. Nobody does haughty disdain better. Love it, and can't wait for next week's installment, when the news gets out about what happened to the Turkish dude.
I'm hooked on that new Masterpiece Theatre series too; my theory about the Turkish dude, as you call him, is that the new Irish chauffeur killed him. He did say, when asked what he liked to read, that his interests were history and politics.
ReplyDeletetune in sunday...
Okay, new theory about the death of Pamouk: perhaps Thomas, the closeted gay footman, killed him out of spite. He's enough of a bastard to do it and not get a hair out of place, either physically or morally.
ReplyDeleteWhatcha think?
Let's not kid ourselves - Thomas is capable of almost anything. All we know is that case isn't closed, with the younger sister writing that letter to the Turkish ambassador. I just feel that Bates will save the day, BUT HOW??
ReplyDelete