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April 8th, 2016 | #1 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 2,278
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Turn
Yes, I know TV sucks except for the Vikings, right, VNNers?
here's a new series you might like. Turn is based on the book Washington's Spies, and deals with the espionage system America used against the British. The story centers on Setauket, Long Island, where Abraham Woodhull gets drawn into the revolution. He's split: his father is a magistrate on the side of law and order (in this case, Britain), and his older brother died in a riot in New York, accidentally killed by the Sons of Liberty. Abraham dropped out of law school, married his brother's intended while still keeping a flame for Anna Strong, whose husband runs a tavern and is a patriot. Anna returns Abe's affections, and both have no use for the British, but are passive...maybe like a lot of us keyboard commandos. But Abe gets drawn in, and the series explores his involvement in the war, the methods used to spy on the British, and their side. There is the moderate commander, Major Hewlett, his savage second in command, Captain Simcoe, who wants Anna and also to kill Abe, mostly out of general principles (he's an American, and Simcoe believes the only good American is a dead one), and Robert Rogers, the Indian fighter now leading guerilla forces against Americans. that's the background, and although the adultery is not historically accurate, this is TV. However, most of these characters were real and pretty much did what they do on Turn. I enjoy the drama, and it's a period series, but also very strong in suspense and character. Americans in Turn are divided. Most want to be left alone, some are for the British, some for freedom, and too many are for sale. Sound familiar? Abe learns, as does his friend Ben Tallmadge, a dragoon who winds up as head of intelligence, the methods of spying: using code books, messages in hard boiled eggs, false names, and evading capture, especially by Rogers but also Major Andre, the head of British intelligence in New York. I enjoy the period recreation. They really capture what 18th century America must have been like, and although most of the cast speaks with Irish accents, the series is filmed in Virginia. Washington also comes across as a determined gamesman. Benedict Arnold is a good warrior but a loose cannon, and General Lee is a British agent whom Washington has to tolerate because he needs French aid to win the war, and Versailles might not fork over the beans and bullets if Washington is rousing traitors from his staff. Everyone has to play the game. I think Angus Macfadyen as Rogers is a tough character, although at times I can barely understand his Scottish accent, and Rogers was an American (although of Scottish parents). Andre is romancing Peggy Shippen, a wealthy woman of a tory family whom he wants to get close to Benedict Arnold. Peggy speaks in a decidedly English accent, but the actress is Latvian/German, so... It's a fun, addictive series, and has good suspense and shows you the underbelly of American history. When you're between pirates (Vikings), give patriots (Turn) a look. |
April 8th, 2016 | #2 |
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 15,248
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I've watched a couple episodes of this series--it seems fairly good.
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"Military men are dumb, stupid animals to be used as pawns for foreign policy." --Henry A. Kissinger, jewish politician and advisor |
April 9th, 2016 | #3 |
Banned
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 1,695
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Thanks for the heads up. Free To Air tv and pay tv in Australia is crap which is why we are infamous pirates
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April 9th, 2016 | #4 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 2,278
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I think you'll enjoy the series. It actually is very good at recreating period, and a lot of the historical depictions are consistent with fact...if you accept TV making things melodramatic. Their view of Washington is good, especially showing his temper and influence of his older brother on his life, and one episode had the new Yorkers celebrate Guy Fawke's day...reminding us how America was once a colony.
If you're from Australia, I like a lot of series coming from there. there was one, called The Lost World, which was a lot of fun, and I enjoyed the cast. Sexy, tough Aussies. Also, I liked one TV movie The Incredible Journey of Mary Bryant, with Romolo Gerai and jack Davenport, who is now on Hawaii Five-O. It's ironic that Australia became what it was because our revolution ended America as a dumping ground for convicts, and new land was needed. I also like the novels of C.J. Koch. His The Year of Living Dangerously is his most well-known, but he's written good stories, especially based in Tasmania. I've reread The Doubleman a dozen times. |
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