Mr. Bucket turns out to be quite the good lawman. Even though we see him originally as a bit harsh and insensitive, he treats this case carefully. Yes, he's boorish, taking over the dead man's offices for his investigation. But many times he could have stopped and said "That's it." The last five minutes of this episode are quite good.
2 Reviews
Dealing with the truth
TheLittleSongbird19 May 2020
Episode 13, of a total of fifteen episodes of one of (for me) the best adaptations of any of Charles Dickens' work (film and television), continues and builds upon the events from the previous episode. Getting further to the truth of Tulkinghorn's murder, who was responsible and why. We see more of Bucket, giving us more of an opportunity to see more of Alun Armstrong's great acting, and also the lengths certain characters would go through to stop the truth coming out.
It is a wonderful instalment that continues the consistent exceptionally high quality seen previously, with even more of the intrigue and suspense that the previous episode had when the murder investigation started. No signs of fatigue or running out of steam here, the more turns the plot takes and the meatier the characters have gotten the more compelling this adaptation of 'Bleak House' became and that is evident in Episode 13. A strength that the book has too.
All the acting is top-notch. Gillian Anderson's haunted and aristocratic Lady Dedlock is a standout and Alun Armstrong is perfectly cast as Bucket. While all the character interaction is spot on too, it's the whole maneuvering tension between Lady Dedlock and Hortense that is very memorable and one of the episode's driving forces, and just as much the climactic moments. Those who have not read the book are likely to find the perpetrator surprising, with so many suspects and motives it was a case of anybody could have committed the murder.
Like the previous episode, there is a good amount of intrigue, with some very compelling investigating and Bucket's methods in getting to the truth, and suspense, especially in the climactic moments. The characters are still interesting, Lady Dedlock and Bucket particularly.
'Bleak House' continues to look very polished, and really quite wonderful, with this episode. It continues to be beautifully shot and the handsome period detail is also evocative. The Victorian era look and atmosphere are nailed, as unforgiving as much as they are handsome being much more than just sumptuous costumes and interiors, one can truly tell that the living conditions back then were dangerous. The music fits nicely.
Writing is literate and thoughtfully and coherently adapted, without being too wordy considering that it is a talk-heavy book. It manages to make what goes on, which is a lot, engaging and accessible without rushing.
Summing up, brilliant once again. 10/10
It is a wonderful instalment that continues the consistent exceptionally high quality seen previously, with even more of the intrigue and suspense that the previous episode had when the murder investigation started. No signs of fatigue or running out of steam here, the more turns the plot takes and the meatier the characters have gotten the more compelling this adaptation of 'Bleak House' became and that is evident in Episode 13. A strength that the book has too.
All the acting is top-notch. Gillian Anderson's haunted and aristocratic Lady Dedlock is a standout and Alun Armstrong is perfectly cast as Bucket. While all the character interaction is spot on too, it's the whole maneuvering tension between Lady Dedlock and Hortense that is very memorable and one of the episode's driving forces, and just as much the climactic moments. Those who have not read the book are likely to find the perpetrator surprising, with so many suspects and motives it was a case of anybody could have committed the murder.
Like the previous episode, there is a good amount of intrigue, with some very compelling investigating and Bucket's methods in getting to the truth, and suspense, especially in the climactic moments. The characters are still interesting, Lady Dedlock and Bucket particularly.
'Bleak House' continues to look very polished, and really quite wonderful, with this episode. It continues to be beautifully shot and the handsome period detail is also evocative. The Victorian era look and atmosphere are nailed, as unforgiving as much as they are handsome being much more than just sumptuous costumes and interiors, one can truly tell that the living conditions back then were dangerous. The music fits nicely.
Writing is literate and thoughtfully and coherently adapted, without being too wordy considering that it is a talk-heavy book. It manages to make what goes on, which is a lot, engaging and accessible without rushing.
Summing up, brilliant once again. 10/10
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