I'm hopeful that this series marks a start to some quality original PBS programming rather than more transatlantic imports from the BBC or ITV. So far so good. I'm curious about some of the message board complaints about the gory nature of the surgery scenes. I would rather see the good, the bad, and the ugly instead of a watered down, whitewashed, and sanitized presentation. I like my stories with some real grit. The characters have some real depth. I don't like put-on southern accents. Like fake snow it diminishes the realism of the scene. And this series has lots of that. But (at least so far) the people of color have more to do in this story than serve angry white people. The Civil War is a dramatic season in our nation's history. It's not always a pretty story. But as a backdrop for this drama it is told with some dignity and respect for all the players, regardless of their uniform. I think we could use more of that attitude today.
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tjeffsmith18 January 2016
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FollyFX6 February 2016(I hope what I have written is not considered spoilers - I would not do that intentionally!)
I understand a lot of the criticisms written in these reviews. My reaction to watching Episode 1 was "What is this? Desperate Housewives of Civil War Medicine??" - because it seemed so "overheated" and unbelievable. For example, when Nurse Phinney has to sleep on the floor of the ward among the soldiers' beds, I exclaimed, "That didn't happen! That would never have happened! But then I started to read the true story of Nurse Phinney, "Adventures of an Army Nurse in Two Wars" and guess what - it DID happen plus a whole lot more!
What I saw as "overheated" in terms of the drama between hospital personnel was actually DOWNPLAYED from the true reality!!! The surgeons and doctors did NOT want female nurses around and wanted to drive them OUT. The hospital WAS as chaotic, as shown. And as far as soldiers not being fed - YUP, it was only TOO TRUE!!! There was a shocking amount of graft and profiteering going on in the food supply chain! I highly recommend the true story of Nurse Phinney - it is quite a read!! -
drjgardner25 January 2016"Mercy Street" takes place at the start of the Civil War, in a Union Hospital in Alexandria, Virginia, where a newly appointed "head nurse" must contend with multiple issues in her attempt to organize services. There are all sorts of problem she must confront – how to care for Confederate troops in a Union hospital, how to deal with slaves and freed Blacks, the rivalries between different types of nurses, the hierarchical relationship with Physicians, the influence of European medicine, etc.
The settings are marvelous as are the costumes. The acting is very good, especially from head nurse and ardent abolitionist Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Confederate volunteer Hannah James. TV Stalwarts Gary Cole, Peter Gerety, and Cherry Jones are on hand as well. At times modernism creep into the dialogue, as well as the mannerisms, but generally speaking it has an authentic mid 19th Century feel. There is also some failings in the accents which seem to range all over the place, even among family members.
The first two episodes manage to keep the soap opera elements at a minimum while showing us what it must have been like to be a part of the process. This show is entertaining while it is simultaneously educational. It won't appeal to everyone, but anyone interested in Medicine, or the Civil War, will find it compelling. -
itazuke22 February 2016I love this series....after reading some of the reviews I realized how 'nit-picky' some people are...they should be grateful that there are programs like this on television.......today we have such garbage for a selection of programs....who cares if the dialog is lame or if nurses talk back to doctors and it wasn't customary of the day, but mind you, there have been feisty and independent women throughout history .....enjoy the non-commercial program and take in a little bit of how harsh our ancestors really did have it......or go watch some lame 'reality' show on TLC. We need more period movies and series on television
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bon220414 February 2016I am greatly enjoying this series. The production has the feel of the period from the mud in the streets, to the period decor of the rooms and costumes, all the way to the amputated limbs being taken away in a wheelbarrow. War is hell, and none was more so than the Civil War, when weaponry had become so efficient as to mow down regiments marching forward in outdated styles of battle. Some viewers might object to bloody surgery scenes. However, one of the most affecting scenes to me was of a Confederate soldier with shell shock who told of the horror of battle, "the smoke and blood and the screaming, you never know where it's coming from."
Soldiers who make it to this hospital are cared for to the best of their abilities by Mary Phinney and Dr. Jedediah Foster, played admirably by Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Josh Radnor. Their own personal dramas are interwoven into the story lines quite well. Applause to the producers and directors! -
eileen-meyer16 January 2016Let's start with the good. The production values are excellent. Sets, costumes, lighting, all look realistic. As a former (amateur production) costume designer myself, I did appreciate the bit in the beginning where they show some of incredible work it took to get a "lady" dressed in those days.
The storyline is OK for what is clearly a pilot episode. Not much happens, mainly people are introduced. However I was left wondering quite early on why we should care about the main character. The far more interesting character is Mr. Diggs, and he only has a few scenes. I hope he becomes a major part of the story and doesn't just serve some neat purpose and then go away.
Now to the bad. Some of the dialog is excruciatingly bad. I am no historian or arbiter of social rules of the 1860s, but I have to think nurses talking rudely back to doctors, or novice nurses talking back to head nurses would never be tolerated. And then there are the jarringly modern mannerisms (of Dr Foster mainly). I hate it when a series dumbs down by making people seem like they would fit right in in 2015. It's OK for there to be some distance. That's why we're watching an historical drama! It makes it seem like some other place than 1860 Alexandria. At other times people seemed to do or say things that just don't seem historical to me -- though I admit to not being a historian of this period.
Finally, the characters. I'll reserve final judgement because sometimes in pilots people are a bit more 'cardboard' and then get fleshed out as the series goes on. But many of the characters were predictably and boringly black-and-white. The unapologetic southern belle, the staunch abolitionist, etc. I don't think people were launching into defenses of their personal ideology very often in the middle of military hospitals, but it happens like 5 times in this episode.
I'll watch the next one and just hope it gets better.
(I'm also not sure why this is being sung as the "next Downton Abbey" since they are separated by about 50 years in time, but I digress...) -
katherineko17 February 2016It is amazing how many bad reviews this show has been given by people who have only watched one episode. As now, in the fifth week of its airing, the majority of these reviews seem to centralize on three topics: the presence of blood and gore; the accents; and the characterization. On the first score, people need to be realistic. This is 1) A Civil War setting! and 2) It takes place around a hospital. Given the setting and the time period, there are few programs more JUSTIFIED in the presence of blood and gore! And at least they do it right (as opposed to the stomach ulcer scene in Downton Abbey Season Six). In fact, they brought in experts (and yes, they do cite them on the website) to make sure it was up to scratch. So, for those of strong constitution, this can be a very educational program. No show can appeal to everyone. Do not let naysayers turn you off, but to quote the disclaimer, "Viewer discretion is advised." Next, the accents. Yes,many people are proud of their regional accents. But one must be fair--an accent does not define the actor. Although general accents might have played some role, can we really complain? Not all of them are bad, some of the accents are very good, or at least justifiable. (Where DOES Mrs. Green come from, anyway?) So, let's think on this folks! On the one hand, would people rather have subpar acting than dubious accents? (PRIORITIZE, PEOPLE!) On the other hand, there are alternatives, such as the mute + subtitles option, common for Downton fans who trouble translating the many accents presented. And yes, it is not British. Are we so dependent on the BBC we cannot appreciate something done on American soil? Thirdly, the characterizations: Guess what folks! They are not cardboard people! For instance, and I cannot go into detail due to spoiler constraints, but we have a Southerner who simply wants his family to come out of this alive... and preferably in Alexandria. He isn't all that keen on Slavery as a whole, actually!Another individual is a mother who simply wants to be reunited with her child--but is being exploited in obscene ways for that very reason. When push comes to shove, she is willing to go to gut-churning extremes to see this dream come true. Just two minor examples. Ultimately this is a setting where it is hard for characters to trust, and as a whole they are a stoic bunch. This means you actually have to LOOK at what they say, what they do, how they react for the first episode, at least. Over the series, though, you learn more and more as they open up to each other, or are forced to by circumstance. So as you watch, the characters themselves unfold. This is key to what the series tries to tell us. No one is really good. No one is really evil. No one is grey. Even the most petty of characters can be seen as sympathetic from some standpoint. Everyone has talents, likes, and dislikes. Everyone has a history, a past, and hopes and dreams for the future—or a reason for not hoping at all. Every action has consequences on some level. And in the end, is all the hatred and grief worth the pain caused unto others? "Blood is neither blue or grey. It is all one color." That, above all, is what is most intriguing about the series. We see each character treated with dignity, but not sugarcoating. We learn to respect the characters, regardless of who they are, because we learn throughout the series their stories, their circumstances, their trials, their fears, and we connect with them, especially the protagonists, but almost the whole cast, on some level. It is not love or hate, here, for the most part. Even the most likable of them has some flaw. (But we still end up liking them.) There is no perfection here. Perhaps that is why people have doubts about this series. Because this is not a story of order and perfection, two things we tend to lack in the modern world. Nonetheless, even as Julian Fellows reminds people that the Pre-WWI world was an illusion, people want to believe it, and so empathize with the quests for order and endeavors for change that Downton Abbey so blatantly displays. So, be not mistaken. This is not Downton Abbey.This is not mere happy-happy escapism. The closest Downton ever got to this was Season II, and even then it falls short. (Not that this isn't a beautiful show, either—just that there is more to this than sets, costumes, and drama.) What is Mercy Street, then? It is a show that wants us to THINK. Think about what makes us human, what matters most to us. It shows that victories do not have to be big in wartime —it can be the little things that make the difference—and that the end goal does not have to be big. It can simply be surviving another day. It challenges the preconceptions of history and forces people to think outside the box. It is a show that wants people to look beyond prejudice, or even conflicts of personality, and actually think about both respect, empathy, and compassion. Or if nothing else, to just think. When is the last time you saw a drama like that on TV? So, give it a shot. Because beyond all that, it is actually interesting. The characters are engaging but surprising, there are some good jokes, the plot is always shifting, and you get to learn something as well! There is never a dull moment on this show; viewers will never be bored.
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Q-Panda28 February 2016I had high hopes for Mercy Street. Fictionalized history has become increasingly popular in recent years, and this show had potential to be one of the more memorable ones, with a previously untapped setting and a cast full of talented actors. Sadly, the show has turned out to be mostly unremarkable.
The basic premise is simple: a widowed woman is sent to become head nurse at a military hospital converted from a hotel in Union-occupied Alexandria, Virginia. On top of this premise, the show's writers have piled enough dramatic crises and neurotic characters to populate a full soap opera. Everyone is constantly shouting at each other and plotting behind each other's backs.
Given the setting, conflict and friction is understandable, and of course a drama needs, well, drama. But with only six episodes, they've created enough plot lines to easily fill a US-standard 22-episode season, if not more. Everything is just so busy that the only way we learn anything about the characters is through their conflicts. Calm moments are few and far between. Most performances border on scenery- chewing, except of course when they jump well past that border.
That said, there are a number of things to enjoy. Mary Elizabeth Winstead, always a treat, seems so comfortable with the trappings of the period you'd think she was born into it. Donna Murphy is exquisite as the quintessential Southern matriarch, turning borderline overacting into a virtue. Tara Summers has channeled all the snarky disdain of Alan Rickman while Jack Falahee is the spitting image in looks and charm of a young Johnny Depp. Gary Cole, one of the few cast members not constantly gnaw at the walls, adds just enough temper to his usual near-deadpan dryness to be a realistic Southern businessman trying to hold onto what little he has left after the Union takes everything.
The real surprise, though, is Josh Radnor. If you've only seen him in How I Met Your Mother, you'd have no idea that he's capable of the quietly powerful performance he turns in here. Yes, he does spend a lot of time chomping on the set, but he balances that with more subtle moments that reveal significant talent he hasn't had much opportunity to utilize. In many ways, he reminds me of Mandy Patinkin in his younger days.
Ultimately, the show is entertaining enough to be worth watching if you like fictionalized history. Just don't expect more from it than it is. -
ThurzdayNext31 January 2016I'm not sure why any viewer would compare a series set during American revolutionary times (the Civil War) to Downton Abbey. Downton Abbey was simply a remake of the popular (and recently remade) series, Upstairs, Downstairs. It was mostly an entertaining soap about a rich family and their household, but I digress...
First off, all of the actors are well-cast and do suitably good work. It's only been two episodes, so we'll have to wait and see as far as whether any heavy lifting will be required, acting wise. It's safe to say that we should expect to see the transformation of some of the characters, insofar as their beliefs are portrayed. There is a doctor, for example, who has no problem with slavery, but believes that it is his duty to equally treat Union and Confederate soldiers because, "Blood does not run grey or blue, it runs red." The nurse to whom he makes this argument (Nurse Mary/Baroness), is a staunch supporter of the Union and believes that as a Union hospital, Union soldiers can claim priority.
We have familiar faces in this cast - L. Scott Caldwell, Donna Murphy, Gary Cole, Tara Summers, and new ones in Shalita Grant, McKinley Belcher III, and Mary Elizabeth Winstead. While Mercy Street bears some similarity to The Knick due to its setting (a hospital) and a promise of change to come, it is less graphic in its portrayal of the everyday occurrences of the medical world.
With the popularity of Hamilton on today's Broadway stage, Mercy Street is a welcome addition to the TV lineup, as anything that encourages today's American to learn about the past is a boon, indeed. -
leah-932998 February 2016I love all historical and period pieces so watch this one after my Downton Abbey fix. However, I am continually distracted during these episodes by the non authentic accents of characters who are supposed to be Virginians but sound more like they have dropped in from Georgia or Alabama. All southern accents are not created equal. Actors use coaches to learn proper English, Irish, German, Italian, etc. accents. Someone needed to teach these actors to speak Virginian. It is jarring to hear accents that are out of place with the setting.
I could also do without all the graphic blood and gore but that seems to be part and parcel of all films these days.
The series does hold one's attention. I must have not been paying strict attention because I do not remember the action ever dealing with the Union officer smuggled by Frank. When do they discover him? -
tobin-geo17 February 2016This series is unique for presenting the ambivalence and contradictions of the Civil War Era. The protagonist nurse is a staunch abolitionist who is made to accept the need to also help Confederate wounded by a doctor who is loyal to the Union and thus a traitor to his slave- owning pro-Confederate Maryland family. Nevertheless he is unmoved by abolitionist sentiments--until he meets a free black Philadelphia man he admires.
The head of the Southern family that owns the hotel-turned hospital works to save his holdings and business interests while not betraying his Southern loyalties. He opposes efforts by Union soldiers to enforce claims to return runaway slaves (seems unhistorical here set in 1862- -I thought the Union stopped returning "contraband" in 1861.)
The African-American characters debate the merits of freedom versus the security of slavery or of employment not much removed from slavery.
In short, the moral certainties of hindsight are removed and the characters must struggle in their contemporary context. I do enjoy that.
Some casting choices were surprising but they all work. -
ohlabtechguy31 January 2016The head nurse, southern belle and preacher have charisma, but they do not play likable characters and so it's hard to become interested in them. But the most troubling and completely obvious problem with this series is that there is so much interpersonal conflict, between mothers and sons, daughters and mothers, nurses and doctors, slaves and non-slaves, etc., etc., that you can only wonder how on earth did ANYONE survive that war, much less any other war. Nothing is heartwarming. No relationships or personalities seem real. The fact that the new head nurse even remotely decided to stay in that God forsaken hospital is a total mystery and beyond comprehension. The writers used every conceivable human conflict they could imagine and have loaded every episode with it....only to leave the viewer exhausted and wondering how on earth we made it this far.
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princessandthepeabody21 January 2016I love PBS and the quality period pieces they air. I have loved so many of the wonderful performances they have shown. I had high hopes for this series with the departure of 'Downton Abbey.' This had good elements to start..the sets, the costumes-very good. Unfortunately, the overacting melodramatic style of the 'Twilight' series sabotaged this show. There is no buy in, there is no aligning with or likability of the main characters. The main characters are whiny and sulky. The valiant doctors and nurses of the Civil War era must be turning in their graves at being depicted by such poor and shallow over-acting. I was hoping that our country could produce the kind of quality and intellectual performances of our British peers. Unfortunately, that has not happened here. It shouldn't have been, but is dull and lackluster. The sets, costumes and props are impressive, unfortunately the actors keep standing in front of them, blocking the view.
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yuengling21514 March 2018Fantastic show that needs to be picked up by Netflix or Amazon. Three. Canceled way too soon with its popularity!! This was by far one of the best shows on television. Period. Superb writing and acting and storylines! I can't understand why the show was canceled with the amount of popularity and fantastic readings that I got. This seriously needs to be picked up by Netflix or Amazon. Highly recommend watching this if you get the chance you will fall in love with the characters in the story lines!
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robfollower4 January 2021Follows the lives of two volunteer nurses on opposing sides of the Civil War - New England abolitionist Mary Phinney and Confederate supporter Emma Green.
Starring McKinley Belcher III, Suzanne Bertish, Norbert Leo Butz, Gary Cole, Peter Gerety, Shalita Grant, Hannah James, Brad Koed, Luke Macfarlane, Donna Murphy, Josh Radnor, AnnaSophia Robb, Tara Summers, Wade Williams, Mary Elizabeth Winstead.
PBS has done it again. This is a great period piece with great acting. The characters grow with each episode in strength and depth of character. There is an authenticity to this film that makes it captivating.At the center of the sprawling cast is Mary Phinney (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), a Boston widow and abolitionist sent to be the hospital's head nurse, and Emma Green (Hannah James), a southern belle in the town's leading family who volunteers as a nurse in the hospital to help the Confederate soldiers neglected by the Union staff. Josh Radnor (How I Met Your Mother) is the forward-looking civilian doctor who clashes with the veteran military surgeon who prizes authority over modern medicine and Gary Cole is loyal Southern patriarch attempting to balance his Confederate loyalties with keeping the peace under military occupation.
This intense series, which is based on the real Mary Phinney's memoirs, shows how gritty life was in a Civil War hospital. Although the show is fictional, the stories based on Phinney's writings and other published memoirs of the era offer some insight into the way medicine was practiced at the time, as well as the way the turbulent political, economic, and social climate of the time affected the lives of those living in the Southern border town.
The first original scripted drama produced by PBS in over a decade, Mercy Street is a medical show by way of a historical drama, an American story that takes its cues from British period pieces and fills its cast with strong American actors. The first few episodes set up the conflicts, both political and personal, and establish the contradictions among the characters, but the series really comes alive when the personal stories begin to drive the drama and the conflicted characters find themselves torn as their loyalties are tested. I found this melodramatic drama to be very entertaining with its engaging characters, excellent costumes and set pieces coupled with the historical elements taking place during the Civil War . Highly recommended . -
Some observations: Noticed nice costuming for the wealthy women, and also for Mary in her traveling outfit. Mary is widow of European aristocrat. Saw scene of woman of color curling hair of wealthy woman. One day, the woman of color would not work for free.
More fashion, segueing into medical abilities: Mr. Diggs has a nice gold color of vest. He is a nice man, who learned medical techniques of a physician where he lived. If Mr. Diggs had been white, his abilities would have been respected and he would have been known as having "read medicine" as in Abraham Lincoln having read law and becoming a lawyer.
I have an American History Degree from university. I have also studied acting and theatrical arts. These are my thoughts.
I have studied other wars. They all have in common such things as blood, tears, surgeries and longing to go back home. Regarding the gore and ugliness of wounds in this show, remember that the stage blood is fake, and the moaning and groaning is well done if the actors employ my favorite, The Method.
War over in few weeks? No. Did emancipation happen? Yes, it did. The war ended in 1865. It began in 1861, after the 1860 U.S. presidential election of Abraham Lincoln. The Emancipation Proclamation became official in 1863, having been written in 1862.
Blood is red, not gray or blue. -
bjboulden3 February 2019This was one of the best tv shows in years. However money became more important than top quality acting and writing. Bigger shame is Netflix, Hulu or Amazon didn't jump on it. Watch it. You won't be disappointed
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rupert-ian4 February 2018Binge watched both seasons over a few days and just like another show I just binged on (The Returned), this one was a good show that ended too early.
I love MEW and she did a great job in this, as did everyone IMO.
I liked seeing some of the characters as they worked through their ingrained prejudice and finally saw people as PEOPLE and not a color. Then there were others, even when slapped in the face with examples of intelligence and humanity from those they thought of as less, still refused to change their bigoted way of thinking. We have made great progress since then, don't listen to those who try to divide us by saying otherwise.
Sad to see this go, but with viewership at less than half for the 2nd season, there's no way they could justify the cost and manage the scheduling of the actors/actresses. I think the second season was just as strong as the first, so I don't see why over half the viewers abandoned the show after season 1. I was hooked from the start.
The medical side of the show was very interesting, seeing what they had to work with back then in a sea of horrible injuries. I loved the crazy drama and conflict that went on within the hospital. The romance was entertaining, but it is a major let-down that it ended where it did. Even if the show were to continue into a 3rd season, I don't think S2 gave proper attention at the end for one of our main love stories.
The subject matter in this show is one that is ever-important and I hope more people discover it as time goes on. It may have been a short run, but it was well worth the watch. -
lhagge-8690718 January 2016Ridley Scott this may be, but a British costume drama it is not. By which I mean, though they appear to have tried for four years, they could not come up with a script that was not lame, or actors who were not amateurish. The very MINIMUM that should be expected is that actors will have a reasonable and consistent accent for their characters, but apparently even this was too much to ask--for example, each of the actors playing the family who own the hotel-turned hospital has a different accent, even though they are supposed to be playing a single Virginia family. The older girl, one of our heroines, cannot even maintain a consistent accent throughout,sometimes sounding vaguely southernish, and other times like a Yankee. Her younger sister by contrast sounds like a Georgia cracker. The results are like a low-budget film from the 1950s. Really really disappointing and cheesy. No finesse in the writing either--just clump clump clump like a big pair of boots. Ugh.
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giselev-1952422 January 2021Very good American history show Quite enjoyable for historical buffs
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kingscollegeca19 February 2017Just about to pull the plug on this show. They just keep churning more characters and plots into an already muddled mess. So many of the characters are cartoonish: the lusty English nurse, the noble black medical phenom, the parson struggling with doubt, the evil cook, the bizarre new peach slice counting hospital chief who is so over the top that I feel bad for the actor, and tonight, the British lord pining to see casualties and amputations. Last week we were introduced to a Union soldier who was obviously female (posing as male). It was obvious to me as soon as she spoke that it was a girl, but everyone in the hospital was convinced she was a he. But it was a nice opportunity to lecture us on intolerance. The writing is dreadful, the acting poor. There is a fixation with close ups of wounds and gore, not very convincing though they may be. The hospital staff seems more occupied with hi jinks and flirting than patient care. Then when the script tries to get serious, it falls flat because it's hard to see any of these characters as real people. The pace of the place seems quite leisurely. On the other hand, you often see one patient with a horde of staff hovering over him, not very realistic. I could go on, but why bother. This is far far below usual PBS fare.
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rstrauch-6063024 December 2019This series began with real promise - an American period drama along the lines and quality of what Masterpiece has imported from across the pond. And for the most part, the first season delivered.
But the second season devolved into a Grey's Anatomy-style soap (complete with the annoying underscore) that treated the horrors and suffering of the Civil War as a backdrop for quirky characters and their high jinks. The psychological drama never reached deeper than a wading pool.
The real mercy in Mercy Street was putting it out of its misery at the end of the second season. -
gbarr-635743 February 2016Frank Stringfellow was my great great grandfather. My grandfather spoke of him from first hand knowledge. There are books available that reference his behavior during the war. HE NEVER, EVER, MURDERED A MAN, MUCH LESS IN BED. He was good at capturing enemy soldiers, outwitting them and slipping through very close encounters. He was no murderer. Shame on the writers. Mary Phinney's character is interesting and very well played, as is Dr. Foster's. I enjoy the way that North meets South in the hospital. While I am descended from Frank Stringfellow, the Scout, I am also descended from Samuel Lincoln, Abraham's uncle. I have always felt how divisive the war was within families. I did not anticipate a documentary. I also did not anticipate character assassination.
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lamolitercs25 January 2016I watched the first episode as I'm always interested in a new costume drama, but I found this show to be really crippled by stock, predictable characters, so many of them just plain mean with no sense of reality about it. I decided to hold out through another episode, and while, again, the production values are good and there are some actors and actresses that I generally like, the script and the character development (or lack thereof) has made this unwatchable for me.
The worst thing is that I keep reading such good reviews. What are people watching? If I wanted some Lifetime movie from two decades ago, this might be fine, but to tout this as the next Downton Abbey (where characters have nuances), is absurd!