Little Women Recap: Episode Three

Episode Three

We wrap up our coverage of the BBC/PBS adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s beloved novel with some strong opinions, some wishy-washy opinions, some questions, and some tears.

A lot of tears actually.

This episode opens a year after the last ended, Meg is (very) pregnant, Jo is suffering writer’s block, Beth is looking worse each day and Amy is sort of finally aging into the actress.

 

Oh sure, ruffles will draw they eye up, uh huh, yup

 

It’s called “labor” for a reason

 

Turtle head in, right?

 

The pillow isn’t even keeping Laurie from listening…no, means no.

 

It is the same hat. Jo moves to NYC with one hat (normal) and Beckett and Susan have differing views about it (also normal.)

Professor Bhaer and Jo bond over philosophy, shared views on child labor, and telling stories of dead kids at bedtime. Hans Christian Anderson, The Angel (when this may have been a better choice, The Brave Tin Soldier)

At the beginning of her Professor Bhaer debate date…she’s studied for it (like one does) and is so very excited.

If you would like to get as excited as Jo, dive into some G.W.F.Hegel. Have fun with that. Or you may want to be easier on your brain and read Louisa May Alcott’s own failed novel, Moods, on Project Gutenberg or –shorter yet– her poem, My Beth. (And it wasn’t until this very moment that it occurred to us that we could have launched into Kiss’ Beth which would have been epic…ahh, moment lost.)

Susan carried on about Mark Stanley’s brown eyes…which do not exist. Susan is upping her fish oil and B vitamins.

 

What is the flower on the left? Professor Bhaer slipped it in Jo’s hand when she left NYC.

Victorian flower language (floriography…yeah it’s a word!) here is a rather long list at Language of Flowers.

 

Meanwhile, in Europe Laurie and Amy hug, and Aunt Carrol freaks out. And a peacock.

Beckett was able to tie Louisa May Alcott into our History Chicks episode on Queen Lili’oukalani…here is a link to that, it’s episode number 97

And if that doesn’t impress you, just take a few minutes to read up on or look at the pretty pictures of Castle Hill, Nice.

Annes Elwy is the best Beth ever.
Ever.

 

Us, during the next half hour. Applause to you, Emily Watson. 

 

(The wallpaper is pretty, though.)

 

Yes, Illusion tulle is pretty and so is finally grown-up Amy (Kathryn Newton)…we say too little too late- what say ye?

 

The most mourning outfits we see from these two.

 

More mourning

 

The weird look Laurie gave Jo when he and his wife show up.

 

Happily ever after

Little Women, the Opera is being performed this summer in Atlanta, Georgia. If you miss that one, take a look around, there may be another production in your area. Little Women…as an OPERA!

Speaking of music-Mark Stanley sings!

Thank you for joining us as we recapped Little Women, if you haven’t listened to our coverage of the life of Louisa May Alcott on our sister-show, The History Chicks, now might be a good time. LOUISA MAY ALCOTT.

If you would like to talk about this, or any episode, with other listeners come join us in our private Facebook Group, The History Chicks Podcast Lounge

Photo credit: PBS/BBC; Stills: The History Chicks via PBS/BBC

 

Little Women Recap: Episode Two

Little Women, 2018

We continue our recaps of the PBS Masterpiece/BBC adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s novel, Little Women, with the second hour of the series. In the UK it was shown in three parts, on the PBS streaming site it’s shown in three parts…but on Masterpiece Theater, television version, in the good ol’ US of A…it was shown in two. Over here at The Recapper…we’ll join the Three-Crowd and have the last segment next weekend.

l-r Kathryn Newton (Amy), Willa Fitzgerald (Meg), Maya Hawke (Jo) and Annes Elwy (Beth)

 

The opening sequence is so charming, this is the song, Danse Caribe by Andrew Bird, in it’s entirety.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IH0fjhuMvIU

 

We follow the sisters from a semi-carefree laundry day without the structure (or supervision) that Marmee provides because she is in Washington taking care of Father. Amy thinks she has no rules, Meg let’s herself get made over and Jo and Laurie have a most disagreeable conversation about love.

 

Amy March: Master of the Power Pose (and in her underthings!)

 

Beckett’s first laundry jar, front and back (she’s started a second–her son isn’t going away to college for many years.)

 

Jo LOVES this conversation!

Meg goes to her first ball, it may not be all that she had imagined, but from where we sit (with our dress hiked to our knees) an evening with waltzing, champagne AND ice cream is a big winner…and you get to wear a gown like the ones from CivilWarGowns.com. *swoon* Get us our fans!

Class shaming or no? How about unintentional shaming?

 

Nobody is looking. Nope. Not gonna look.

Where have you seen John Brook before? How about sucking face with Zooey Deschanel? He was her love interest on New Girl, Ryan Geauxinue!

imdb

Beth takes over Hummel care…and it’s bad.

Sad…

 

…bad, Beth is delirious with scarlet fever…

 

…and she makes us mad! 

 

Okay, having to stay at Aunt March’s was a little satisfying for us.

 

This is Jo and Laurie…KISSING!

 

John heads off to the war, but stops to ask Meg an important question (then he gets shot and comes home fairly quickly.)

 

It’s so disappointing that Aunt March’s cane handle isn’t a turtle.

 

If you want to follow along, get clarification on a word, re-write for your own garret theatricals…here is a transcript.

(This will make no sense unless you’ve listened to this episode, but…) Here is an article about how Mary Ingalls lost her sight- Blindness in Walnut Grove.

More kissing (except this is Mr. and Mrs. John Brook)

 

This episode ends with Meg and John Brook’s wedding!

 

The definitive list of all Little Woman adaptations via the PBS.org Little Women pages (there are a lot of special features including the Which March Girl Are You Quiz.

 

Land o’ the Leal lyrics…which may help you to understand the song that the sisters sing during the Long Time Has Passed scenes.

 

Photo Credit: Masterpiece/BBC; Stills The History Chicks via Masterpiece/BBC

Little Women Recap: Episode One

l-r Kathryn Newton (Amy), Willa Fitzgerald (Meg), Maya Hawke (Jo) and Annes Elwy (Beth) imdb

The BBC aired this latest adaptation of Little Women at Christmastime, 2017, and PBS showed the newest version of Louisa May Alcott’s beloved novel beginning on May 13, 2018. There are three parts for three hours total, although PBS will be airing them on two nights. Here are some more ways to watch Little Women from PBS.

For our part we’ll be comparing and contrasting this version with the book, the life of Louisa May Alcott and the 1994 version with Winona Ryder…and we’ll toss in some opinions and random bits because, well, that’s what we do.

The first we see of the sisters made us both wonder what the heck was going on. Underdressing and Jo looking like Jack from The Shining and eager to get chicken goop in Meg’s hair?

In this first episode we meet the family, talk about the women behind the movie: Creator Heidi Thomas, Director Vanessa Caswell and Producer Susie Ligat, and watch all the classic scenes from the book play out.

Amy’s is shorter, but a 1/2″?

 

Christmas morning and our family of Transcendentalists give their breakfast away to a dreadfully poor family across town. Do not drop that, Jo.

We meet Laurie Laurence on the way to the Hummel’s, too.

Jonah Hauer-King and his amazing dimples!

In real life he’s equally adorable.

 

Jo and Meg get ready for a party…and fry some hair.

 

This is a Retiring Room, it’s where women freshened up during a dance or party…and peed.

 

“I carried a March.” Mr Brook has to carry Meg home from the party…also Meg learns that punch has alcohol in it.

 

Angela Lansbury is perfectly cast as cantankerous, brutally honest Aunt March

 

This Amy is so…evil. We had a lot to say about this. (Also, 12? Does she look 12?)

 

Premeditated evil

 

When Jo goes after Amy…no one is sure what to do…we had some suggestions.

We’re bringin’ it back! Crosspatch!

 

And we’re trying to put this in as many conversations as possible.

In addition to the actors, Orchard House is a character in itself. You have to check you local listings to find this documentary created by the fine folks at Orchard House.

 

Winter is, thankfully, over and the crazy kids have a beautiful day on Walden Pond…including very shy, good-listener Beth who befriends a guy who only wants to talk about cricket.

 

Aunt March comes over when Mrs March sends her a note asking for train money…and does a turtle impression in the kitchen.

Pickled Limes…so many recipes! Here are several on The Food Timeline

So…after the pharmacy on Main Street, Jo hatches a plan…

 

… to get the funds at the wig maker for Marmee to take the train to Washington and be by her husband.

 

25 bucks and her one beauty. Priceless.

 

A female with a short ‘do was a Don’t…but it’s too late.

 

Marmee has to leave her little women to go visit her not-so-little ill husband to end the episode.

So…the big question…Which March Sister Are You? PBS Quiz

We’ll be back in a couple weeks with Part Two of this three part series (we don’t post Recapperys the same week as The History Chicks bios.) Until then, you can always go give a listen to our coverage of Louisa May Alcott, over on that other podcast.

If you don’t want a couple big spoilers (you haven’t read Little Women yet?) do not click play on this–Rachel spoils Little Women for Joey (who spoiled The Shining.)

Photo credit BBC; Stills The History Chicks via BBC