Parade's End

I was told it was the "thinking man's Downton Abbey" which led me to believe it would be enjoyable and thought provoking, it was neither. The two lead females were dry as a stick. The character of the wife was an awkward looking actress pawned off as a great beauty and lady turned scheming harlot by a cold husband. She was more like a horse faced giraffe with zero appeal or acting skills. The mistress I first thought to be a boy, and was a predictable perfect sweet blond always in pure white. The only touching moment was between the main character of Christian and his son Michael in the first episode. The writers made a choice to never do anything with this relationship but to sometimes use it as a pawn in the tiresome tug of war between the two flat women main characters fighting over Christian the Anglican Saint. I can't believe this mini-series was compared to Downton Abbey, which is a show of quality, is rarely predictable and has humor and characters we love, or at least love to hate. Downton Abbey draws the audience in, this mini-series is anything but engaging. Plus the costumes, actors, actresses and scene shots are far less aesthetic. Benedict was the only plus.

This version of 'Parades End' was fantastic. The acting from Benedict Cumberbatch and Rebecca Hall was amazing. I didn't like Valentine... It had nothing to do with the acting, though, because that was amazing. If you enjoyed this you should read the book, too, because it gives a lot more detail.

This show will rip your heart out, tear it to pieces, sew it back together, and then promptly hand it back to you. Humor aside, wonderfully acted and just beautiful