Age Range: PG-13-ish
Seasons: 1
Genre: Historical fiction/classic
Episodes: 6
Special Notes: Watched it on PBS Masterpiece's website as it aired.
Summary:
Jean steals bread and goes to prison for twenty years. This cop thinks Jean escaped justice and hunts him for the rest of his life. Also French civil unrest and some romance.
When I first saw the trailer I thought “Again? Really? How many times does a classic need to be remade?” But it turned out okay. Well, mostly okay.
Well. . .
First off, I’d like to address the copious amount of black people. No matter what time period is being depicted I always like some form of accuracy. I’m sure France was not as black as this show made it out to be. They did it to be inclusive but it didn’t add anything to the story. Why couldn’t they at least try to be faithful to the times?
What was up with the accents? Yeah, it’s BBC and everyone’s British but some of the accents were really distracting, especially Javert’s. Are there no French actors?
Okay, let’s move onto the story. I’ve never read the book and probably never will, so I have no comment on the adaptation side of things. I’ve seen the version with Liam Neeson and tried to watch the 2012 musical. Point being, I know the story.
There is so much more included in this version. Backstories are explored, other characters are brought in and the wretchedness of France is shown to its full extent. I liked seeing the ridiculously convenient connections and just how much was left out of other versions. I wouldn’t watch it again, but I don’t regret the six-hours it took from me.
Jean started out unlikeable. By the end of the first episode I’m thinking “Am I supposed to like him, ‘cause I don’t.” Yet in the end he was the only person I did like. He transformed into someone I could root for.
For at least half his life, Javert had no life. Did he do anything besides obsess over catching Jean? He must have in order to become top cheese. It would’ve been more believable if we’d seen him doing police work that had nothing to do with anyone we knew. He did showcase how absurd the law was back then.
Fantine made a buttload of bad decisions and ended miserably. Bad luck?
Thénardier takes the award for “Can he please die already?” And I couldn’t help noticing how big a coincidence it was that he always managed to be right in the thick of things. What are the odds he ends up being Marius’ neighbor? His wife was also despicable.
Eponine’s love for Marius was dumb, and I didn’t like her. Why would she think Marius loved her when she saw him constantly going after Cosette?
I think we can all agree Cosette had a terrible childhood. Yet all she can say about Thénardier is "He’s evil." What about “He physically and verbally abused me as a child and made me fear for my life.” And it's irritating that she thinks she knows more about the world than Jean does, and that she keeps accusing him of not wanting her to have a life. How could she not get it through her thick head that maybe, just maybe, she doesn’t know what she’s talking about. He’s trying to protect you, you stupid girl!
Speaking of stupid people…Marius. Alright, it’s not him I thought was stupid, but his romance with Cosette. They see each other in the park, smile, and then he’s head-over-heels crazy. He stalks her to her home, commits B&E, writes silly “poetry” and we’re supposed to think “Yep, it’s true love.” They never had a simple conversation or shared any form of bonding. What’s more, we’re never shown enough of either of them to like them ourselves. How can we get on board with this romance when the two people are as shallow and lifeless as an empty plate? And the only crumbs left are stale and annoying? Such a big part of the story and it’s pathetic.
The theme song, a slow piano piece similar to Moonlight Sonata, suited the bleak surroundings. Could anyone legally make a Les Mis movie and use the Broadway score, just without the singing? That’d be interesting to see.
Overall it was well made, finely acted and full of incredibly vexing people. Parts of it were good and other parts not so much. If you like the story this expanded it nicely. But it can certainly be skipped.
One quick thing before I get to the spoilers: the font used for the locations and title was not only lackluster, but the worst red imaginable. It hurt my eyes.
SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS
What happened to Germaine? I wanted Jean to find him again and return the 40 sous and I never got the resolution.
Seeing the candlesticks follow Jean was so sweet.
How did Jean get all that money? Does being a mayor pay that well?
When Jean and Marius are going through the sewers I kept thinking he’s gonna die of an infection. HOW DID HE NOT DIE? Shot and stabbed and dragged through the filth of Paris but he’s okay.
What happened to Eponine’s sister? Did she remain a prostitute or something?
Gavroche dying made me happier than it should have.
Letting all the people with families leave the barricade surprised me. That argument rarely comes up in battle scenes and I liked it.
Javert’s suicide seemed more realistic than any other version I’ve seen. The moment of hesitation followed by the quick jump made me almost feel sorry for him.
How come after every terrible thing Thénardier did he still became a rich man? Talk about injustice.
I did not need to see Jean die.
What was up with those two kids at the end? Just a reminder of how bad things still were after the revolution?
I know there are other things I didn’t mention, so what was your favorite moment, person or line?
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