It's a bit like Charles II: The Power and the Passion but with duller mistresses.
shareNo I've seen the whole series it's not dull at all.
Louis mistresses are important to the story but they aren't the story. I would argue the relationship between Louis & his brother has way more focus in the grand scheme of things.
I don't know about dull, but I'm having a hard time caring about the characters, which makes me less interested in continuing with the series. The characters range from not-terribly-likable to absolutely despicable, with the two main characters--Louis and his brother--the worst of them all. The king's valet is not unlikeable, but his blind devotion to that little rat Louis and his preference to be with him than with his own family (especially following the death of his little boy) don't exactly endear him to me. The doctor's daughter is not an unlikeable character but she is only a peripheral character (at least to the point I've seen so far) and I don't find her character very subtly written.
I've only watched two episodes so far. Do the characters become any more sympathetic? At this point, I honestly couldn't care less what happens to any of them, which makes me less inclined to want to continue watching. I realise the real people on which these characters are based probably weren't very nice people either, but this is a drama meant to entertain, not a doco meant to educate. It's visually appealing and decently acted but if I can't care about a single character (actually find myself wishing in vain that the king and his brother would both come to some sort of horrible end!) I'm not sure I want to keep watching. This is a personal preference on my part and not necessarily a criticism of the programme. I can understand if the writers want to stay as true to the historical figures as possible. I just have a difficult time sticking with something when I don't give a damn about any of the characters. :-( Perhaps this isn't the docudrama for me. Maybe I should just throw in the towel now?
~In der Ruhe liegt die Kraft~
I just have a difficult time sticking with something when I don't give a damn about any of the characters.To be honest that's pretty much where I am at the moment. I'll give it two more episodes and then make a decision. share
I was thinking to give it one more ep. However, I'm feeling skeptical I'm going to be able to start caring about these people at this point. They're pretty awful.
~In der Ruhe liegt die Kraft~
I certainly grew to like and sympathise with Louis, having initially been disappointed that he was appearing to follow the standard unconcerned, megalomaniac king trope. I'm not saying everyone would, necessarily, because I am a monarchist at heart and so naturally inclined to sympathise with a king, but he does open up and tries to do some good. Even Philippe d'Orleans, although he becomes probably the main antagonist, has nice moments and one can at least understand his perspective.
There are some other decent peripheral characters and, as well as the valet and the doctor's daughter, I liked Marchal. All three are incredibly loyal and want only to serve the king - some may view such qualities with disdain, but to me they are very worthy.
The awful modernity of the scripts is what makes this dull. When the kings brother told him in the very first episode that "he had his back", i knew this would be terrible.
shareExactly, sei-lala! Versailles hasn't started in my area yet, but when I heard that ridiculously anachronistic dialogue in the trailer, I told my friend it did not bode well for this series. The trailer also revealed lackluster acting and poor writing. I never forced myself to sit through the equally anachronistic The Tudors, but I have a feeling this series is just as silly.
Put puppy mills out of business: never buy dogs from pet shops!
I'm on episode 7, which is the first episode that hasn't been wall to wall tedium (it usually takes me at least 3 or 4 hours to watch a full hour-long episode, because I keep finding more important things to do in the middle of it - like the washing up), but I totally agree that I couldn't give a flying fig about a single character in the series, so.... the dullness or not dullness is sort of irrelevant at this point. I don't care what happens to any of them.
The sets and costumes are impressive, but the acting is ATROCIOUS, and the script... It veers from absurd to leaden with it's own self importance to... just more oh-who-cares-bore-off-already-you-tedious-tw@ts dullness. I'm not even sure why I'm still watching it, except that I love historical dramas and I really want to give them a chance to impress me. But this one is so far just boring the pants off me.
I'd honestly rather watch Reign than this. At least Reign is entertaining as well as ridiculous.
"It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it."
Each person certainly has a different "take" on this series! I see Louis XIV as a rather sympathetic character with good motives. However, he is surrounded by people he cannot trust. First there is the Queen, who is from Spain, one of his arch-enemies. As proof of her infidelity, the Queen gives birth to a half-black child. Then there is younger brother Philippe, who is envious of Louis XIV because it is older brother Louis XIV who has become King of France while younger brother Philippe is the second-string Duke of Orleans. A comparison would be the British Prince of Wales (next in line to the throne) and his next younger brother as the Duke of York. When the Prince of Wales becomes King, the younger brother still remains as Duke of York.
Both Louis and Philippe believe they are the poorer for having never known their father and his contribution to the royal family, France, and history. Without a role model to guide them, they resort to a cat-and-mouse game with Philippe trying to gain advantage by blackmailing his older brother in one way or another. The involvement of both men with Henriette is another part of this rivalry.
So far I have seen the first two episodes, and I look forward to the third episode tonight. I especially want to see the famous "Hall of Mirrors" at Versailles while remembering that Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin met with Queen Marie Antoinette in the famous hall and that First Lady Nancy Reagan met with the Prime Minister of France there as well.
Why does the characters always have to be so likable? It seems that this is a criteria people have learned from the internet that series and movies should have... Generally french king and nobility from this era was not a likable bunch at all, so having likable characters could make the whole thing seem artificial and "american". From what I have read, it rather seems that the main characters are to likable compared to history a the series is already :)
shareKeeps getting stronger.
Only those with no valid argument pick holes in people's spelling and grammar.
Well, I've watched on BBC up through episode 8 and was then able to watch the last two episodes elsewhere and I will concede that, while my opinion of the characters hasn't changed much and I find them nearly as unlikable at the end of the series as I did at the beginning, the last few eps were anything but dull! Also, one character in particular (not a lead but a supporting character) has piqued my interest after going through a change of circumstances. If for no other reason, I would be curious to come back for the second series next year just to see where this character goes...
i wouldn't say it's dull, but there is something off about the storytelling. at times it's very good, but overall it^s more annoying than compelling. i will keep watching this thought because visually it's a pleasure and there is great potential.
i would prefer if they didn't insist with the siblings betrayal angle because i adore the brothers together, even when they fight. i do not like at all when there are hints that the fighting could turn to betrayal. it would be a fantastic series if they found the right angle for the siblings relationship
So, you don't want to let little details such as historical accuracy get in the way of your preferences?
Put puppy mills out of business: never buy dogs from pet shops!
It was really hard for me to stay interested. Watching this weekly helped a bit. I don't think I'd stuck with it if I binged it. I only care about Fabien Marchal, and he's the only reason I will come back for S02.
#TheXFiles #BreakingBad #Lost #Hannibal #Fringe #River #Utopia #TwinPeaks #POI
That show was great and didn't have gratuitous nudity and sex scenes like this one, which was not needed.
shareI could see how one would say that, but I find it really fascinating - so much that I was up almost all last night watching it to catch up. I want to see how Louis gains control of the out of control situation, and how the relationship with his brother is developed. Also somewhat interested in the female physician, but felt like the exposition of the fact that she'd be burned as a witch, and the explanation of the medicine of the time, was done a little clumsily.
I am a bit annoyed with all the sex...not because I'm a prude, and not because I think it's inaccurate. In a time with no internet, no video games, no sushi, no roller coasters, limited travel opportunities, no Pokemon Go, no Hubble pics...sex would be as fascinating as it is today, x100. Just seems to take up too much screen time, and is lazy writing and production. But I'm probably in the minority there, I'm sure many find nothing but the sex worthwhile.