Oh, I so did not like Fionnuala. For so many reasons. I did like
Bob. What a great name! And it's a verb, too! Bob! So happy and energetic.
This was a family-centered episode which I felt quite aptly embodied the
"Different kinds of family, different kinds of love" line (made famous
in Episode 2.8
Chinese Whispers). All of the stories revolved around family relationships,
what a family is, what being a family means. And even though Stephen Tompkinson
did not appear in the episode, his character, and his character's family,
were on everyone's mind. Especially Assumpta's, and everyone knew it.
The dialogues were snappy and sassy, the editing neat and well-paced, and the guest characters (and the actors who played them) would have all made excellent additions to the cast. And speaking of the cast, hail, hail, the gang's all here! Apart from Peter, every one of the regulars (right down to the dog!) appeared, each one with their own special role to play. The gathering in the pub at the end was especially nice, with the final shot down the bar. That'd make a nice still shot.
Finally: Well done, John Cleere (Kevin)! A large part of this episode revolved around Kevin and his feelings, and he more than carried his weight. So all round a very fine episode.
The three main stories in this episode were:
The Earth Mother
Camp Quigley
Three's a Crowd (Fionnuala, Padraig, and Kevin)
And the minor yet still interesting ones:
Who's Minding the Baby?
Peter is...Gone? (And so is Leo)
Siobhan is very much a loner. I would guess she was an only child. She is having, and will continue to have, a hard time sharing any aspect of her life with another person. I don't think we saw enough of that struggle in regards to Aisling, but as far as Brendan goes, it was a grand progression, starting with her having to tell him that he was going to be a father, right on through to her cancer scare, in Episode 6.6 In A Jam, which she went to great lengths to keep hidden from him. In this episode, she takes the step from "No! I'm going to have a son!" to the tender moment in the shed when she shares her joy over the sonogram with Brendan. Not to mention the schadenfreude over locking Bob and his minions up. (Like I always say, there's nothing like a little joint underhandedness to forge a bond that will last a lifetime.)
Along with Brendan, I felt very, very uncomfortable that Siobhan was drinking alcohol during her pregnancy. Although it would depend on exactly what stage of development the fetus was in, I guess a small drink now and again probably wouldn't do any harm, but it still reeeeally bothered me. Especially since she was so hyper-sensitive about treating sheep, but the alcohol didn't phase her at all.
Eamonn was an interesting character to watch in this story. He was absolutely
naive, to the point of childishness. Seriously, what age would you guess
the speaker of the following lines was:
re: the lamb: I just want you to fix her for
me.
re: the impossibility of Brendan and Siobhan
having a baby: But they're not marri--.
About 5, right?
And now I'm going to voice an opinion which I'm sure not many people will share: I think Assumpta and Bob would have been good together. OK, OK, I admit that Bob is actually a wuss deep down, but then so is Peter. All of Bob's bravado and macho come-ons were a result of his deep-seated inferiority complex, likely due to a lifetime of put-downs from "Dad". Tear all that away (slowly and painfully, like a large band-aid from a very hairy and sensitive part of the body) and you would have a sensitive, funny, personable, hard-working guy. Like Peter. Look, the man took charge and he did it well. He did it respectfully, he was entertaining, the clients liked him, and he had a fair sense of justice. After Eamonn shot at him, did he plan to wreak revenge? Did he skulk about and poison the water supply? No! Rather, he jumped right back up on that horse and rode it as hard as he could for the owner. He was sorely maltreated at the hands of the locals...aside from the shooting, which was, in all fairness, an unfortunate accident, some farmers nearly gouged his eye out just because a cow trampled some corn, and he received nothing but derision and scorn from the authorities. I, for one, was ashamed of Brendan and his gang. B.L.O. indeed.
Look, these are the facts: Fionnuala married and had a baby, then decided she didn't actually want to be a wife and mother, that she wasn't "fulfilled" at home, or in Ballykissangel at all for that matter, and so she went to London and became an attorney. She didn't contact her son for 6 years and 9 months. The boy didn't even remember what she looked like. Then she waltzed back into town, one day, out of the blue, dissembled and misled, and tried to alienate Kevin from his father, nay, more than that, she tried to snatch him right away. This was not a battered wife who had to hide because she was afraid for her life. This was not an ill person who had to get better before attempting the responsibility of parenthood again. This was an ambitious, self-centered, pompous, spoiled, self-righteous woman who was probably about to turn 40 and decided she wanted a husband and a son again, and, dammit, that was what she was going to have.
It took guts and a great deal of love for Padraig to allow that Kevin was old enough to make his own decisions, and a huge generosity of heart to say that he only wanted what Kevin wanted. Compare that to Fionnuala's whining, "He's only a child." She wanted Kevin on her terms, not to offer him a stable family, not to give him greater opportunity, and certainly not because she thought that's what he wanted. He was just part of the picture-perfect image she had of her life and which she had set out to fulfill.
The poignant and tragic part is, Padraig is still in love with Fionnuala. Despite her rejection of him and his values so long ago (that line of hers about having wanted Padraig to come with her was crap: she only wanted him to leave Ballykissangel with her so she could save face with the villagers), he was still tender with her, still wanting to hold her hand, wipe away her tears. Yeah, he got in his digs, too (" What'd you expect? A welcome home party? Think we'd hang the flags out?"), but he was fighting to maintain his ground, not trying to undermine her position. She was the one who was constantly harping on her rights and repeating ad nauseum "It hurt me, too." It's like she was trying to convince herself as well as him.
Now, aside from the human tragedy, there was the whole "Don't go all Catholic on me" angle. The scene in Father Mac's office was supposed to show us how backward the Irish Catholic church is, how their no-divorce policy only serves to drive people away from the church and destroy family relationships, and I have to say the point is well taken. However, at the same time, Fionnuala's entire attitude is screaming annulment, since she obviously had a false impression of the purpose of a Catholic marriage and had misled Padraig when she entered into the agreement in the first place. What I'm talking about is, if Fionnuala was not prepared to be a stay-at-home mother, she should have told Padraig so in the first place, and he could have gone on his merry way and found someone who was. So the guidelines of the church do allow for an amicable resolution of a case such as this, in that Padraig could actually file for an annulment, allowing both him and Fionnuala to (re-)marry and remain in the grace of the church.
Finally, I think that Padraig was right when he said that Kevin wouldn't have been happy in London. Fionnuala would never have had time for him, he would have been left to his own devices and fallen in with the wrong crowd; never mind that the other kids would have made fun of his accent.
Not only is Peter gone, but Leo is, too (although he will make a reprise in the final act!). The contrast between Niamh's and Siobhan's reactions to Assumpta's return was striking. Niamh's first concern was for Leo, where he was, why he hadn't returned with Assumpta, and how he must feel. Niamh then made a very odd remark: "I thought you were going to be happy." Although it is phrased as an statement centered on Assumpta's feelings, it was really meant as a reproach, and the accusation is all too apparent that Niamh believes Assumpta has thrown away her last chance at happiness. Really, we are getting at Niamh's belief that marriage equals happiness, and vice versa, meaning that if you are married you must be happy, and if you are not married then you must be unhappy. And of course that since everyone wants to be happy, therefore everyone must want to get (or remain) married. Clearly, Niamh wants very much for it to be true for herself, that since she is married, ergo she must be happy. A snake, or at least a worm, has already snuck into paradise.
Siobhan's first response, on the other hand, was sympathy for Assumpta and a reference to the healing power of being amongst friends ("having your wounds licked for you"). Siobhan clearly does not believe that a woman needs a man to make her happy, and she sets out to prove it herself over the course of the next three series.
In addition to these two (Niamh's and Siobhan's) views on the place of men and marriage in a woman's life, we have Fionnuala, who provides an interesting melding of the two stances. She was actually unhappy in her marriage, and admitted as much by leaving to start over on her own. Now, however, even though she is successful on her own, she still wants a man to be a part of it (the fleetingly mentioned "Paul"). Marriage and a child also seem to be a part of her personal idyll, but she certainly doesn't want to have to work at either one. They should be more for decoration, for show, the icing on the cake, as it were, with the cake being her own achievements. For Niamh, the marriage is the cake, and (true, unhypocritical) happiness is the icing. As for Siobhan, she just wants to eat the cake without philosophizing about it much.
Siobhan and Brendan will reprise this story line in Episode 6.2 Drink. Only there, it's actually an issue, since Siobhan has to work for a living.
Now what image instantly springs to mind?
2. Niamh: Oh Siobhan, who is the f-- [ather]
Siobhan looks at Assumpta.
Assumpta: Well don't look at me.
Next shot is of Brendan fishing.
I just thought that was so smooth.
3. Bob: Oh right. Hi. May I have a room please. Mrs...?
Assumpta: Ms.
Bob: Really.
Assumpta: Single or uh--
Bob: Double. Best to keep my options open.
Assumpta: With or without a view.
Bob, admiring Assumpta's rear: I like the view
as it is.
Assumpta: You couldn't possibly afford it.
Doesn't that bickering remind you of anything? Say, the welcome a certain priest was given by a certain pub owner?
4. Siobhan: So Brian, when are the Russians coming?
Brendan: The eagle has landed has he Brian?
Brian: You may mock.
Padraig: Mm, thanks very much, I wouldn't know
where to begin.
Hey, that's what I was going to say!
5. Brendan: So Brian, have a gun in your pocket, do you?
...Or are you just happy to see me?
6. Assumpta: What about Action Man?
Brian: Think of him, as my little gift to you.
Why Brian, you shouldn't have!
7. Assumpta: I asked him [Bob] if he wanted an alarm call, he said oh just roll over, push me out.
Remind you of something? How about...
Peter: Listen, I can be called out any time of
the day or night.
Assumpta: I know. You'd wake me up to tell me.
[Episode 1.3 Live In My Heart And Pay No Rent]
8. Blob Clark (sic)
9. Brian: Synchronize watches.
Donal: Oh it's all right. Mine's digital.
Takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin'.
10. Brian: Has anyone seen my soldiers?
Padraig: Hold on hold on hold on hold on. Were
they wearing camouflage?
Brian: Yes, why?
Padraig: Then how in the name of Jaysus are we
supposed to see them.
The drunker he gets, the funnier he gets. Give the man another shot!
11. Niamh: Lookit, a cute little lamb. (she pets the lamb, then looks at her hand) Ew.
Lanolin's great for sore nipples...
12. Assumpta: Sorry to hear about the other night there, Bob. Must
be a real bummer.
Brendan,: Oh yeah, how's the uh--
Bob: On the mend, thank you, it was only a flesh
wound.
Assumpta: And only inches away from the brain.
She's just full of zingers, that one is.
13. Bob: Me and Brian, this is only the tip of the iceberg, the thin
end of the wedge.
Brendan: The beginning of the end.
And now she's got him doing it, too!
14. Siobhan: How the hell are we supposed to sabotage them if we don't know where they're going.
Well maybe if you asked him really nicely, and explained why you wanted
to know...