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