EPISODE 21
The audio seems to be struggling a little here at the beginning, but much better with the jump cut before Isabella enters. Less "here's what's coming".
Isabella seems to have an idea as to what might persuade Cate into joining them for lunch, but her true colors of "life is all about me" are poking out a bit more. Only watching the videos that you are in? It totally fits the character, but that doesn't make it any less annoying.
The crepe temptation was a bit more believable because of the statement "you know food is my weakness" as well as the facial expressions of the actress.
Did Isabella laugh as soon as she stepped out of the office? Either there is something up with the character or the actress couldn't hold it in any longer and there wasn't another take that could possibly work.
EPISODE 22
Dinner with the General. Alrighty. Special interest in Cate. Eniterly natural based on the source material. But given the circumstances... What did John say that would have intrigued the General in such a way that he would do this in this adaptation?
Random camera movement. Looks like maybe the best take happened to be the take where someone bumped the camera? Doesn't fit the vlog style unless there is someone hiding behind the camera. Which wouldn't make sense because I'm pretty sure we're supposed to believe the camera is on Cate's desk.
Poor Eleanor. Who would sentence you to hours of geeks geeking out about geek things (I don't mean any of that in a demeaning way, for the record. It was just the simplest way to lump all of the topics mentioned in the episode.)?
Quoting this Henry Tilney - "Anyone who does not like superheroes is intolerably stupid". I spy another Austen quote reworking here. "The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid."
I really like the relationship that is blossoming between Eleanor and Cate. It is a great reflection of the source material and it looks like an all around healthy friendship. Which is beautiful!
EPISODE 23
This is a good conversation to start things off with. I think it fits in with what Catherine is experiencing.
NO! Why the blatantly obvious someone is about to join us cut? It also changed how the audio sounded. Did the camera get pulled back massively?
I still don't understand why Cate stares at the camera when a legit person is asking the question. It just looks weird.
I don't know why, but I'm not quite buying into the James and Isabella stuff here. Yes, it's a believable situation, but I just don't buy it. I don't think it has anything to do with what I know is coming. I guess because of how it was set up, I was half expecting them to be engaged like they are in the source material. I don't know. It just doesn't seem real in that realm.
And here comes the cloud of confusion. Why does he think that he has to get used to Cate filming? I know the answer, but really? It has been so obvious that Cate does not care for John like that at all. The whole John thing just hasn't made a whole lot of sense in this series. Just no. That's how that whole interaction needs to be left. How is John that oblivious? I guess there are situations that we don't see off camera that could create this, but I just don't get that sense that there was a difference between on and off camera for these characters.
EPISODE 24
I don't even know if this episode is worth talking about. It's disgustingly cute and that's all you really need to know about it. It doesn't necessarily move the plot along, but it is important the the subplot that is James and Isabella.
BONUS: Emily x Luke from "The Football Star"
Interesting choice to create a bonus video about the TV show that Cate is obsessed with. Can't say that I've seen a bonus video done like this for any series. So that's cool. Because I don't know the full context of the show, I cannot say anything about how it connects to its sorce material - yep, I've read The Mysteries of Udolpho.
On the technical side of things, I did see a bunch of minor camera adjustments that didn't really fit a TV show. Not to mention the bigger adjustment at 1:32.
EPISODE 25
Lately the foodie side of Cate has been showing up more. I think I would have found the whole "cancel plans for tacos" incident a bit more believable if this side had show up prior to it.
A very locigal and practical way of covering the whole it's gonna take longer for James and Isabella to actually get to be together. And it is understandable why she would be frustrated. Long distance is not something that everyone is cut out for.
Dinner with the Tilneys...fine? What is Cate not sharing?
Why does Isabella care so much as to whether or not Henry was warm towards Cate? I take that back. It looks like her interest is already in Frederick Tilney. Speeding that plot point right along.
As far as technical goes, there was one mid-conversation jump cut, but other than that it looked good.
EPISODE 26
And now we're getting near the end. BUT this is the exciting part - I think - for relationship building! I'm interested and excited to see how Cate's time at Northanger will be. I like that they decided to incorporate the whole "great houses have great names" thing of the nineteenth century.
I like how you can see how the relationship between Henry and Cate has progressed without having so many vlogs to tell you about it. You can see that Cate is settling into the idea of Henry being a part of her life. It's good and healthy. And there is a clear difference in how she interacts with Henry verses how she intereacts with John.
I feel like, at this point, the series has done a great job with the Henry-Cate part of the storyline but all of the other parts...I'm not sure. Now that we're getting into the Henry-Cate exclusive part of the source material, I think things will be okay. We'll see. I at least have more hope for how all of this will turn out.
EPISODE TWENTY-FIVE