1. Halfway through Season 1 of the Great British Bake-Off, I ran across a rather painful bit in the third or fourth episode. Possibly the only time I almost had to quite watching. I can't watch people being humiliated on television or anywhere. It's why I can't watch most reality shows and most situation comedies.
What happened, was on a very hot day, with 80-90 degree heat, the contestants are requested to create a baked Alaska. (I have no idea how 25 degrees C translates to F. I'm guessing it's at least 85 degrees.) The night before, two of the five freezers had broken down. So there was limited freezer space. Two of the freezers were full. So Ian put his ice cream in the freezer containing Diana, Chetna and Kate's ice cream. It had enough space for his. Diana, with about twenty minutes remaining, took his ice cream out and put something hers in, assuming he was taking up space in her freezer and everyone had their own. Leaving it to melt. When Ian completed his meringue and went to get his ice cream...he discovered it melting on the counter top, so it turn out to be blotchy mess. He felt there was no way to salvage it and threw it in the bin and left the tent furious. Diana said, well didn't you have your own freezer?
Ian was booted out. And I was not happy with Diana. The next episode, it is announced that Diana has fallen ill. And that's the only on-air explanation provided.
Now, a lot of people had gloppy and melting ice cream, so yes, he could have provided something. But I think he probably would have reacted differently if he hadn't discovered it sitting on the counter when he'd put in the freezer. I'd have gotten upset too. I think the judges were put in a difficult position...because a lot of the bakers had gloppy ice cream that week.
I went online to see what really happened...
Ian Watters baking controversy.
Apparently there isn't much agreement on what happened. But Watters doesn't blame Beard, so much as the producers and editors. He's actually fairly laid-back over it.
It does explain why the show has gone out of its way to avoid a re-occurrence of friction among contestants. And when there's ice cream involved, each person has their own freezer. Also, Sue, Mel and sometimes another contestant will go out of their way to help someone. Unlike most reality television, Bake-Off goes out of its way to avoid friction and humiliation. Which is why I love it, except of course for that episode.
2.
Big Little Lies - HBO Limited Series, written by David E Kelley, directed by Jean De Vallee, starring Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Shaliene Woodley, Laura Dern, and Alexander Skarsgard. Adapted from Australian writer, Lian Moriarity's best selling novel Big Little Lies, which is a satirical mystery set in an upper-class suburb of Australia. Here, it is an upper class suburb of Monteraye, California.
Quite good. It was filmed in an interesting manner. The series starts with a murder at the elementary school's big fund-raising benefit. We aren't told who was killed, why, or by whom, just that a murder happened. Then interspersed with various parental interviews, people who not part of the cast and just happen to know the leads by reputation or as acquaintances, we watch how it all came about.
Half-way through, I figured out the why, and finally the who, the only surprise was the murderer. Although it wasn't really a murder, so much as voluntary manslaughter.
The murder is the least interesting part, and it's less about that...then it is about women struggling in suburban lifestyle in a ...male dominated narcissistic competition driven society.
It's not a nice picture of suburban life. Or rather it has a Lynchian take on it, ie, the dark waters beneath the surface.
I can see why it got a lot of nominations. But, it the mystery is rather obvious and almost too neat.
Also there's three-four subplots, including the mystery, that get connected in an almost too easy fashion.
The performances are spot-on for the most part. Particularly Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, Alex Skarsgard, and Shaileen Woodley.
And overall, I loved the direction. But the writing and plot...got preachy at times, and a bit obvious or heavy handed.
The series is biting criticism of a specific contemporary romance sub-genre, a la the 50 Shades of Grey subgenre. With the powerful beautiful troubled man, and smart pretty woman, and the wild sex -- not quite being what you think.
It's also a biting critique of our ego-driven society. And it contains somewhat graphic depictions of rape and domestic violence.
So, if any of that are triggers for you? You might want to avoid.
3. I decided to get the 30 day trial on HBO Now...so am streaming HBO series. I don't know if I'll continue after the 30 days or not. Plan on streaming S7 GOT this week.
Right now, hearing it blaring in the apartment over my head. Seriously.
