"Changing Times!"

Interesting. Wonder why there's an exclamation point in the title of this one. Why not "Missing You Already!" or "Drink!" or, for goodness' sake, "The Reckoning!" I suppose the reference is lost on me, poor culturally impoverished American. Perhaps "Changing Times!" is some sort of rallying cry. There aren't really any obvious or overt changes that take place in this episode. In the end, the woods are not bulldozed, Peter does not leave the priesthood, Eamonn and Kathleen do not get together, and Ambrose is not brain damaged (not according to the doctors, at any rate; Brian might weigh in with a different verdict). The eponymous changes are, however, in the offing, just around the next corner, coming soon to a television screen near you.

Oh yeah, baby, plenty of powerful P&A scenes, which is to say the Hall of Fame "Kilnashee Woods" scene, followed in a close second by the "That Is It" scene. A huge depth of emotional material for Stephen Tompkinson to work with, and he did work it.

Other pluses in this episode: A big role for Birdy Sweeney, also played to the hilt, with lots of great looks. Big roles for all the regulars, with no guest stars. The one thing I was puzzled about was the bit with the theft, why Ambrose got hurt and all. That smacked of a plot outline that never got fully developed. And what in the world was up with that coffee machine? Nevertheless and notwithstanding, one of the greatest Ballykissangel episodes.

Another episode written by Rio Fanning, Episode 2.8 "Chinese Whispers", also had a couple of crucial and electrically charged P&A scenes ("I care about you" and "Is that what you're looking for?"), but in my opinion this one was much better. Maybe it had something to do with the director.

Plots in this episode:

Badgers, Orchids, and Owls, Oh My!

I found it interesting that the line was drawn along economic lines, rather than truly ideological ones. What I mean is, Assumpta and Padraig (and Brian) were in favour of cutting down the wood because they stood to profit directly from the project. The more business and residents that come to the area, the more customers both Assumpta and Padraig will have. And we've seen over and over how Assumpta complains that she doesn't have enough customers. On the other side were Michael, Siobhan, and Brendan. Michael, the GP, already has a full patient load, or at least we've never heard him complain that he had to advertise for patients. Siobhan, the country vet, won't profit at all from an office park. Unless maybe they were doing animal testing. As for Brendan, as Padraig pointed out, "So I have to face poverty, and you have a monthly wage and a pension?" Whether or not more residents come to the area, Brendan's salary won't be increased.

In other words, Michael, Siobhan, and Brendan had the luxury of protesting against Brian's development. They had nothing to lose. I have the sneaking feeling that they really only did it to "get up Brian's nose", as Ambrose so pithily put it. Which is not to say that they didn't really believe in what they were doing. Brendan is in it to preserve the heritage, much like he propounds the importance of the Mass Rock in Episode 6.7 "Getting Better All The Time/One Reborn Every Minute". Michael is in it as the nature-loving reactionary, just as he is in Episode 6.8 "Smoke Signals" (who planted all that marijuana?). And Siobhan is obviously the animal lover.

If the line had been drawn purely based on ideology, I think that Assumpta would have come down on the other side. That is, with Michael, Siobhan, and Brendan. I believe that Assumpta is interested in preserving her Irish heritage, which includes the environment.

What about Peter, though? He was repeatedly asked what his opinion was, and he repeatedly refused to give one. The closest he came to taking a side was when he asked Brian why he couldn't build the road around the woods, but that was still sitting on the fence, a trick that he has just about perfected. He just couldn't come out and say, 'Look, Brian, move the road a few meters to the left, be a good chap.' By posing his purported opinion as a question, he removed from himself any responsibility for it. The same thing happens at the construction site, when Peter suggests that they plant archeological artifacts. He doesn't come right out and say what they should do. He tells a story about an event that he heard about (and wasn't even involved in himself) back in his university days. Once again, removing himself from responsibility. 'Oh no, Brian, I never told them to do that!'

Oh yeah, and that scene where Brian summons Ambrose to deal with the protesters was an absolute riot! "We'll have no violence, sir." "Why do you keep calling me sir?" "I'm on duty." I wonder how many takes they had to do to get that down with straight faces.

Peter's Identity Crisis

It was a nice stroke to have Niamh dub our resident English curate "Uncle Peter", so that Kieran won't get confused by having two "Fathers" around. By doing so, she separates Peter the man from Peter the priest, both for herself and for the viewer. Peter is pleased by this and happily accepts the role of "Uncle". His line, "Uncle Peter's in control now. Well. Almost." could mean two things. First, that Peter is not sure of how much control he has over his life. And second, that perhaps the Uncle Peter side of him (that is, the man as opposed to the priest) is getting the upper hand. However, Peter is unsure how he feels about that. Should he let his humanity take precedence over his priesthood?

This question becomes urgent when confronted with Assumpta in close quarters. When it does come to that point, he picks up the priest's hat again, so to speak. Hey, speaking of which, how come only bishops and cardinals get to wear those cool hats? Doesn't the lowly curate rate some snazzy head gear?

The scene with Peter and Assumpta in her van at the building site is one of the top ten classic Ballykissangel scenes, mainly for the moment when Peter takes her hand and presses it to his forehead. But I'd like to back up and take a look at the rest of the scene. The entire scene was filled with tension, but it didn't seem so much to be unfulfilled sexual tension. Rather, Assumpta seemed very nervous and ill-at-ease. She tried at first, awkwardly, to make small talk, before remarking, "We don't really have a lot to say to each other, do we." And I thought at once how very true, and yet untrue, that is. They really don't have many common interests or topics of conversation. And at the same time there is so much which is left unspoken between them.

Peter on the other hand was about to explode, being full of frustration, bitterness, and despair. He was looking for some understanding, some contact, not necessarily physical, but emotional. The foundations of his faith were dealt a heavy blow in the previous episode, and he has no one he can talk to about it. He cannot show weakness to any members of the congregation, and neither Father Mac nor Assumpta would provide an impartial ear.

Peter brings all of these issues to the fore in his conversation with Father Mac, what being a priest means, how being a priest is special or different from serving God as a layman, and whether the community really needs him, either as a priest or as a layman. Father Mac cuts to the chase and drops Assumpta's name, which I thought was interesting. Was that really what was at the heart of Peter's problem? I'm not sure.

I think it was much more complicated, but both Father Mac and Peter jumped on Assumpta (figuratively speaking, of course) as the simple cause of Peter's late troubles. I think they were both relieved to be able to seize on such a simple and relatively easily solved problem. Perhaps Father Mac had his eye out for Peter to get involved with a woman from the get-go, having been informed by the bishop of Peter's previous history with Jenny; or perhaps Father Mac was thinking of his own background with Nainsi's mother, assuming that the same thing was going on between Peter and Assumpta. Peter seemed to acquiesce all too readily to Assumpta's being the cause of his current dissatisfaction. That was a comfortable answer for him, being a demon he'd already fought and won (in the case of Jenny).

The deep and troubling questions which began to formulate themselves in Peter's heart with the Sweating Statue incident in the previous episode have not been resolved, and in fact have entrenched and expanded themselves, leading Peter to truly ask, "What am I doing as a priest? What does it mean to be a priest?" Those are not roundabout ways of asking whether celibacy is the life for him. Those are very basic, very scary, existential questions. But Father Mac turned the focus away from those issues by bringing up Assumpta, who, at that point, was perhaps rather a symptom of Peter's disquiet than the actual cause.

Nevertheless and notwithstanding, Peter agrees to go on retreat, thus provoking the final scene. Although there was a great deal which was not explicitly spoken, Peter clearly got his point across to Assumpta. They both knew what Peter was talking about when he said that he deserved the talking-to which Father Mac gave him, and that he'd gotten off the fence. It wouldn't have made any difference at all if Assumpta had come right out at that point and told him that she was going to London to marry Leo. In fact, that would have confirmed for Peter that he, too, was doing the right thing by going on retreat. What if Assumpta had told Peter that she loved him? What if Peter had told Assumpta that he loved her, too? It still wouldn't have changed anything. Peter was bound and determined to "be a good priest". He had to go to the utmost limit and try everything in his power to stick to his vocation. If he had given it up at this point, he would have felt like a failure and he and Assumpta could never have been truly happy together anyway. They both have to go through their trial by fire before they will be ready to commit to each other.
 

Ambrose: Supermom

AMBROSE: From now on, if the baby cries in the night, I get up.
NIAMH: You work all day.
AMBROSE: So do you.
NIAMH: You're a policeman.
AMBROSE: You're a housewife. And I'm not arguing.
NIAMH: I love you.

That was a weird editing decision (and in poor taste) to have the next scene following Ambrose's accident start off with Assumpta saying, "I'll miss him." It sounded like she was talking about Ambrose and that Ambrose had been killed.

I was also uncomfortable with Brian flippantly saying "It's all right, you won't notice the difference," following Ambrose's head injury, especially since Ambrose was still unconscious and none of them had spoken to him yet. It could really have been that he was permanently impaired.

Matchmaker, Matchmaker, Make Me A Match

That was also kind of a quirky little scene when Kathleen went to talk to Father Mac about herself and Eamonn. She obviously was not truly seeking the priest's advice about whether or not to marry Eamonn, nor even about what her "duties" would be in the eventuality of such a marriage. Rather, I think she was trying to ascertain what Father Mac's feelings were toward her. Confronted with the possibility that Kathleen might marry (and ergo have sexual relations with) another man, would the priest be prompted to confess his undying devotion to her? He didn't, but he did allow that he valued her in some way, through his comment that he was in favor of the marriage, provided she would still be available to help around the church. That seems to have been satisfactory to Kathleen, since she left with a smile.

This was kind of an interesting parallel to Assumpta and Peter. How would Peter have reacted, had Assumpta sought him out for advice on whether or not to marry Leo? Might he have been pushed into making some sort of confession to her? Would he have tried to talk her out of it? As I discussed above, I don't think it would have made any difference. Peter would have had a similar reaction to Father Mac: he would have told her, "It would be the best thing for both of you." Of course, unlike Father Mac, it would have just about killed him to have to say it.

Extremely Random and Unconnected Thoughts

That was a pretty cheery mourner in the second row.

That panda *would* have given my daughter nightmares.

Why did Eamonn say the house was trying to kill him? I was all primed for an Amityville Horror type of plot, and then it was just dropped.

In response to Father Mac's question, "Can you stand before that altar, and tell God that nothing is likely to happen?" Peter licked his lips. You who've read my other reviews know what that means.

Best Kiss: Sue Ellen and Donal in the truck.
(Also ran: Niamh and Ambrose when they get all gooey-eyed in the kitchen.)

Top 10 Looks:

10. Siobhan, when Michael asks whether Brian knows about the badgers.
9. Eamonn, noticing the chocolates on the shelf in Hendley's after he has given Kathleen a box.
8. Sue Ellen, Eamonn, and Donal when Brian walks in on them in the office.
7. Kathleen, discussing with Father Mac the possibility of her having...ahem...relations with Eamonn.
6. Kathleen, when Eamonn says he rarely bathes.
5. Peter, contemplating Assumpta's offer to stand lookout with him at the woods.
4. Eamonn, when he realizes he's being set up with Kathleen.
3. Eamonn and Kathleen, when Peter walks in on them in the church.
2. Peter: "That is it."
1. Assumpta, when Peter takes her hand.

Review by Margaret Pattison.