The Casual Vacancy, Episode 3
Mar. 2nd, 2015 12:19 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
In which adapter Sarah Phelps tries for more optimism than the book and instead results in removing any punch and bite and point in favour of vague sentiment.
I'm not just talking about the change to let Robbie survive and "only" Krystal die in a failed attempt to save Robbie in the river. Which in itself is the type of thing the last section of the book points out, where many inhabitants of Pagford, faced with both Weedon kids dead, transform the "foul-mouthed, dirty little boy few had known" into a perfect cherub and mourn him while demonizing Krystal as the cause of his death who had her own death coming, because small children are as easy to sentimentalize as sexually active girls are to vilify. There's the method of Robbie's saving; I had been wandering why we've seen Vikram jogging at the start of all three episodes, and it turns out it is so he can believably come across Robbie in time to save him. Whereas, of course, in the book three characters pass by Robbie in the hour before his death without doing anything about it for various reasons, which isn't just an indictenment of the monumental indifference of the wealthy but in once case the trigger for change. Of the three who would have the chance to save Robbie, Samantha Mollison is the only one who acknowledges her guilt in this and changes because of it. Samantha reconciling with Miles and pointing out to him that after Howard's stroke, there's again a position on the council to be filled, another election at this point would be redundant and they can appoint Colin Wall to it and then back the suggestion for an alternate drug clinic within the town is the one positive, hopeful development among the adults that the book has.
However, the tv show, since it doesn't have Samatha (or anyone else in Pagford) pass by and ignore Robbie wandering about, and thus no hitting rock bottom/subsequent being galvanized into action (she also doesn't get drunk and have sex with Andrew at Howard's birthday party before that), has to provide her with a different pay off. So what does it do? It has a) Miles step up for her to his mother during the birthday party, taking Sam home, and then b) let Shirley be dissoved in tears after her last scene with Howard in the hospital, when they'be both seen each other for what they are, so Samathan can be kind to her despite all, thus proving her moral growth and new strength. Sorry, but this is not the same thing at all. It takes away something I really appreciated in the novel, which made the character, and replaces it with sentimentality. And it's such a shame, because Keeley Hawes has been terrific as Samantha.
The last episode confirms that the opening "last time" narration is by Sukhvinder who also gets to say one single line in the episode proper, "whose fault is it then?" to her parents, which is a very pale attempt on the part of the script to echo the book's very "An Inspector Calls" reminiscent theme of showing how all the Pagfordians, in various forms and degrees, are responsible for the tragedy of the Weedons. (Which is why the very last sentence of the novel, "...and the congregation averted its eyes" (from Terri Weedon at the funeral service for her children) is so harsh yet fitting, because while some, like Samantha, have stopped looking away and are doing something about it, chances are many others won't.) But due to the loss of Sukhvinder's entire subplot, the way she's bullied by Fats, her cutting herself, her acting out by joining the "Ghost of Barry Fairbrother" postings by attacking her mother anonymously, her being the one to risk her life getting Robbie's dead body out of the river, her reconciliation with her mother and finding her own strength, due to all this the way the episode ends with a shot of Sukhvinder carries no emotional resonance at all.
Speaking of parent/child reconciliations: Since he's no longer a bully but a garden variety obnoxious hormonal teen,, and his malicious postings about his stepfather have been reduced to a general "pervert" accusation (oh, and the revelation about his biological parents is also cut, but that's not as important as the Sukhvinder subplot gone) Fats/Stuart's one possible gesture of atonment/growing up, taking the responsibility for ALL the "Ghost of Barry Fairbrother" posts (which clears Andrew and Sukhvinder) is gone as well, and there isn't much resonance in Colin hugging him, as Colin doesn't have much to forgive. In the tv series, all Stuart is guilty off besides obnoxious attitude striking is panicking when Krystal lies to him and tell shim she's pregnant. (Btw, that itself is a change I wouldn't mind - putting it in dialogue, I mean, in the book, Krystal in her desperation has sex with Fats one more time because she's desperately trying to get pregnant, as she sees that as the only way to get financial support and/or an alternate home for Robbie and herself. Letting instead Krystal declare she's already pregnant in a clear improv and have Fats/Stuart react accordingly works as well.) And to this, being hugged by Colin while he's feeling sorry for himself is no pay off.
There's a lot of satire and social comedy in The Casual Vacancy, the novel, absolutely. But at its core, it's a mighty J'Accuse. Which you can find too blunt or sledgehammery, sure. But it has drive. Alas, the tv series, despite a great cast and some well done scenes and transitions, got the social comedy right but pulled back from the tragedy and the accusation so much that what remained was only watered down sentimentality of the "damm, but couldn't Vikram have pulled Krystal back in time, too, while he was at it?" type. Krystal's death being an accident (helped along by the cables of the stolen tv Simon and Andrew dumped into the river, which isn't the case in the novel and ties her death to these two, yet Andrew oddly shows hardly a reaction to it after the initial discovery) rather than sucide as the end result of events started with the council vote on the Sweetlove Estate is the most open manifestation of that change, but in a "tip of the iceberg" fashion.
I'm not saying The Casual Vacancy, the novel, is a masterpiece which should not have been changed. Absolutely not. But it deserved a more courageous adaption than this.
I'm not just talking about the change to let Robbie survive and "only" Krystal die in a failed attempt to save Robbie in the river. Which in itself is the type of thing the last section of the book points out, where many inhabitants of Pagford, faced with both Weedon kids dead, transform the "foul-mouthed, dirty little boy few had known" into a perfect cherub and mourn him while demonizing Krystal as the cause of his death who had her own death coming, because small children are as easy to sentimentalize as sexually active girls are to vilify. There's the method of Robbie's saving; I had been wandering why we've seen Vikram jogging at the start of all three episodes, and it turns out it is so he can believably come across Robbie in time to save him. Whereas, of course, in the book three characters pass by Robbie in the hour before his death without doing anything about it for various reasons, which isn't just an indictenment of the monumental indifference of the wealthy but in once case the trigger for change. Of the three who would have the chance to save Robbie, Samantha Mollison is the only one who acknowledges her guilt in this and changes because of it. Samantha reconciling with Miles and pointing out to him that after Howard's stroke, there's again a position on the council to be filled, another election at this point would be redundant and they can appoint Colin Wall to it and then back the suggestion for an alternate drug clinic within the town is the one positive, hopeful development among the adults that the book has.
However, the tv show, since it doesn't have Samatha (or anyone else in Pagford) pass by and ignore Robbie wandering about, and thus no hitting rock bottom/subsequent being galvanized into action (she also doesn't get drunk and have sex with Andrew at Howard's birthday party before that), has to provide her with a different pay off. So what does it do? It has a) Miles step up for her to his mother during the birthday party, taking Sam home, and then b) let Shirley be dissoved in tears after her last scene with Howard in the hospital, when they'be both seen each other for what they are, so Samathan can be kind to her despite all, thus proving her moral growth and new strength. Sorry, but this is not the same thing at all. It takes away something I really appreciated in the novel, which made the character, and replaces it with sentimentality. And it's such a shame, because Keeley Hawes has been terrific as Samantha.
The last episode confirms that the opening "last time" narration is by Sukhvinder who also gets to say one single line in the episode proper, "whose fault is it then?" to her parents, which is a very pale attempt on the part of the script to echo the book's very "An Inspector Calls" reminiscent theme of showing how all the Pagfordians, in various forms and degrees, are responsible for the tragedy of the Weedons. (Which is why the very last sentence of the novel, "...and the congregation averted its eyes" (from Terri Weedon at the funeral service for her children) is so harsh yet fitting, because while some, like Samantha, have stopped looking away and are doing something about it, chances are many others won't.) But due to the loss of Sukhvinder's entire subplot, the way she's bullied by Fats, her cutting herself, her acting out by joining the "Ghost of Barry Fairbrother" postings by attacking her mother anonymously, her being the one to risk her life getting Robbie's dead body out of the river, her reconciliation with her mother and finding her own strength, due to all this the way the episode ends with a shot of Sukhvinder carries no emotional resonance at all.
Speaking of parent/child reconciliations: Since he's no longer a bully but a garden variety obnoxious hormonal teen,, and his malicious postings about his stepfather have been reduced to a general "pervert" accusation (oh, and the revelation about his biological parents is also cut, but that's not as important as the Sukhvinder subplot gone) Fats/Stuart's one possible gesture of atonment/growing up, taking the responsibility for ALL the "Ghost of Barry Fairbrother" posts (which clears Andrew and Sukhvinder) is gone as well, and there isn't much resonance in Colin hugging him, as Colin doesn't have much to forgive. In the tv series, all Stuart is guilty off besides obnoxious attitude striking is panicking when Krystal lies to him and tell shim she's pregnant. (Btw, that itself is a change I wouldn't mind - putting it in dialogue, I mean, in the book, Krystal in her desperation has sex with Fats one more time because she's desperately trying to get pregnant, as she sees that as the only way to get financial support and/or an alternate home for Robbie and herself. Letting instead Krystal declare she's already pregnant in a clear improv and have Fats/Stuart react accordingly works as well.) And to this, being hugged by Colin while he's feeling sorry for himself is no pay off.
There's a lot of satire and social comedy in The Casual Vacancy, the novel, absolutely. But at its core, it's a mighty J'Accuse. Which you can find too blunt or sledgehammery, sure. But it has drive. Alas, the tv series, despite a great cast and some well done scenes and transitions, got the social comedy right but pulled back from the tragedy and the accusation so much that what remained was only watered down sentimentality of the "damm, but couldn't Vikram have pulled Krystal back in time, too, while he was at it?" type. Krystal's death being an accident (helped along by the cables of the stolen tv Simon and Andrew dumped into the river, which isn't the case in the novel and ties her death to these two, yet Andrew oddly shows hardly a reaction to it after the initial discovery) rather than sucide as the end result of events started with the council vote on the Sweetlove Estate is the most open manifestation of that change, but in a "tip of the iceberg" fashion.
I'm not saying The Casual Vacancy, the novel, is a masterpiece which should not have been changed. Absolutely not. But it deserved a more courageous adaption than this.