Class – Series 1, Episode 2

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This topic contains 24 replies, has 10 voices, and was last updated by  Cath Annabel 7 years, 4 months ago.

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  • #54322
    Craig @craig
    Emperor

    The Coach with the Dragon Tattoo

    The Coach with the Dragon Tattoo

    Ram struggles to cope following events at the Prom, isolating himself from the others. But when the school is faced with a dreadful new threat, the gang unites to fight it.

    Again, I wasn’t overly enthused but it was kinda fun and seemed more interested in setting up arcs for the rest of the series. It was an interesting metaphor for steroid abuse but it was made a bit less than subtly. I’ll stick with it and see where it goes though (well, I have to for you lovely people).

    I did notice, from a poster in the background, that they’re studying in the Barbara Wright Building, which is a nice touch. Oh, and a teen smoking, in 2016, on the BBC? Blimey! Wonder how many committees that had to get through.

    #54348

    The Barbara Wright Wing….

    Am liking this.

    #54350
    Craig @craig
    Emperor

    For those who may have missed it – it was fleeting.

    Barbara Wright Building

    #54362
    mystery-is-my-middle-name @mystery-is-my-middle-name

    What do you think about the ending? The Governess? I personally think it’s Clara. And she’s got a code name now! It would make sense for her to look after the school where she used to teach and it would be a great plot line!

    #54364

    @mystery-is-my-middle-name

    The *Governors*

    Alluded to by the head earlier in the episode, with a hint of darkness about ’em.

    Pretty sure it’s not Clara.

    #54366
    mystery-is-my-middle-name @mystery-is-my-middle-name

    I missed the actual written word. Just heard the words and must have heard them wrong. Too bad. Would have been great to have Jenna back for an episode to see what she has been up to with Me.

    #54367
    Anonymous @

    @craig

    Lord. What am I looking at? I’m peering at the screen! is it Spring 2016 and Bare-Wright??

    Oh damn! The Barbara Wright Wing…

    OK. Got it. Boy.

    Need a coffee!

    Thank you. How the hell did you pick that up?

    #54368
    Anonymous @

    Oh Lord, this is episode 2 you’re on about!

    I’m still on ‘one’. I cannot believe my own thickety thickness.

     

    #54370

    @puroandson

    Blame the meds.

    #54373
    Anonymous @

    @craig @pedant

    I enjoyed this as much as the first episode.

    Particularly Ram’s reluctance to discuss his situation with his ‘new’ mates. The consultation with his father was lovely.

    Yes, I suppose it was unsubtle: the ‘roid abuse symbolism, but perhaps unsubtle is sometimes required for the YA market?

    Not sure as I haven’t delved into YA literature/telly very often.

    I’m enjoying Tanya’s involvement and brain -and her brawn. Allusions to “do you know what the discipline of a Nigerian mother is like?” were rampant and added a bit of humour to the darker elements. Tanya’s so-called hacking downloaded from Reddit was rather funny.

    Having watched the trailer yesterday for this episode, I was relieved that we saw rather less gross-ness than I originally presumed….it was there but editing removed a lot of the more obvious gore.

    Pacing was steady though the use of slo-mo a bit too obvious (very small gripe, imo).

    I rather like Miss Quill and the robot: another clever arc with  “the governors” – surprised that the principal was …eaten (actually eaten this week which was alluded to in Ep 1)

    Yep, Son may or may not continue to watch it: I think the soccer angle and Ram’s personal issues will be his particular ‘in’. 🙂

    Pretty much all of his general comments in the last year have been extremely kind and positive -whether to others or regarding Who. So, he had one ‘bust out’ which was written by me after chatting with him. He’s feeling his way and he’s doing it very well in my opinion.

    I presume there’ll be some ‘young adults’ who’ll come to this Forum to make unstudied comments or less insightful ones? Perhaps it will be the opposite.  Either way, it’s good should they join this Forum for varied discussions.

    Kindest,

    PuroSolo

    #54374

    @puroandson

    Yes, I think this week was “denial”. So a bit of bargaining, followed by some anger, then depression and finally acceptance.

    That was the show, not Spawn…

    I think Quill has the potential to be one the great characters of the Whoniverse.

    #54375
    Anonymous @

    @pedant

    I think Quill has the potential to be one the great characters of the Whoniverse.

    Agreed

    That was the show, not Spawn

    🙁

     

    #54376
    Anonymous @

    I liked the headmaster. 🙁

    #54377
    Anonymous @

    @conchobarre

    Me too! 🙁 I believe he was the same gent seen during the final series of Danny Pink?

    I hoped they would have continued his role -still, another bite from the monsters.

    I did enjoy Capaldi’s speech: diplomacy; there’s no such thing as “dying well”.

    A very Twelvesque thing to state? Or perhaps bearing in mind the last two episodes of last year’s season that isn’t the case? Certainly Danny Pink died “well”.

    Perhaps the situation is a little different. A conversation could certainly be had about the perils of what I call death-awareness and very real feelings of misery many young students experience in today’s frantic environment? Dante’s:

    “I wandered into the forest as the correct path had been lost”

    Kindest,

    PuroSolo

    #54378
    janetteB @janetteb

    @puroandson and @conchobarre It does indeed look like the same actor in the image above. (I still haven’t watch yet). I suspect he didn’t want to be locked into an ongoing series.

    I think the Coal Hill gang need to turn their attention to the aliens currently destroying the English education system removing subjects such as Art from the A.Levels. (Can’t have human students learning those fanciful, “arty farty” subjects that make them think and ask questions.) Otherwise there will be nothing left to teach in the Barbara Wright Wing.

    Cheers

    Janette

    #54379
    Anonymous @

    @janetteb

    absolutely true -but our teachers in those areas aren’t very good. Where I’m from (I see my name has been used in vain above so I shall ignore that) Science and Maths teachers seem to be better at their job. I’m talking of my school.

    In Class I could see (in the bit before I stopped watching) a theory to solve -a scientific one.

    Oor-ray!

    Today I’ve been writing an assignment on The Big Bang Theory which includes comparison of The Steady State Theory (where the universe has been the same and always will be) and an explanation of the “Doppler” effect of Light -called Red Shifting. Combine this with Cosmic Radiation Background Energy, where we know that the remnants of hot matter, energy or free plasma have to go somewhere (we see them mainly as anomalies in heat left-overs) and we have sufficient evidence for the BBT. It’s the Cosmic Radiation Remnant I love -it’s so odd and not fully explained but it does hint at how 75% of the universe is Dark Energy -not Dark Matter, that’s less (I think).

    I expect someone will come here and write “no you have this totally wrong” but it’s the first day and I think I’m doing OK. Better than Puro who goes cross-eyed. Science shouldn’t be frightening.

    Other things are worse.

    YouTube and my recent outbursts (have to stop that -mum monitors our account; whole other story).

    Suffice to say, I then watched the rest of Class including this episode and really liked it. I like the fact students are clever and that they’re handsome or pretty and well dressed and just normal. It’s OK to be smart and not particularly loud. The main female lead has a mum who is ill, a Dad she doesn’t speak to and plays folk violin (which she didn’t tell anyone about). I may come across as an arrogant know-it-all on the Forum but at school I’m pretty shy and silent.

    Actions are ones words (mum says I say this because my words aren’t that terrific!). Still, I like these characters. They don’t feel pressured to talk in a funny, fast or ‘cool’ way. They just ‘are’.

    I also like Miss Quill. She actually is like my science teacher: “abysmal”, a word I’ve heard many times in the past 3 months. 🙂

    I think Miss F is Miss Q!

    Thank you,

    Son of Puro checkin’ out.

    #54380
    janetteB @janetteb

    @puroandson I had the opposite experience re’ teacher to you, rubbish science teacher, non existent maths teacher for most of one year but excellent English, history and art teachers so guess which direction I headed in, maybe helped by a father who believed that education should consist purely of the “three rs”. (Like the female lead I didn’t really talk to my Dad though we lived in the same house.)

    Glad you came back and watched it and interesting to hear your perspective on it. Our teenager ran when he heard it was Y/A and hasn’t returned yet. I’ll let him know your opinion before we watch tomorrow night and maybe he will give it a chance.

    Cheers

    Janette

    #54381
    Anonymous @

    well @janetteb  (this is Mum speaking) Son DID have some fair comments about why he initially didn’t like it.

    I thought they were fair observations actually.

    However, he may not feel good about adding negative comments? He had a few but didn’t want to annoy anyone by mentioning (more of) them. They were a little trivial, I expect. Shouting off at the month might be a bit premature -both of us, as the Hybrid, tend to do that on occasion. 🙂

    Maybe your son will feel better after watching the 2nd episode? We do learn thru decent critiques and that’s what I hope to have instilled in Son.

    Certainly  when he watched the 2nd episode he was ‘taken’ by it a little more. There were greater depths and some relevant symbolism allowing for a complex canvas.

    Puro g’night to you all.

    #54382

    @puroandson

    (I see my name has been used in vain above so I shall ignore that)

    *Innocent face*

    I have a policy with new shows, unless they are obviously bad, to give them at least 4 episodes to see if they find their feet. Not everything grabs you at the first scene, a la Buffy,  but even that had a few wobbles before it got its full groove on.  Often shows have to fight with network tinkering before they get room to breath.

    But Ness is a fine writer (and thoroughly decent man who did this amazing thing). I found this, about his book The Rest of Us Just Live Here very telling (from this interview):

     It’s the story of the kids whose story wouldn’t normally be told, and as he reveals in this interview, part of his inspiration for this book is to celebrate the extraordinary things that happen within people’s everyday lives

    Sometimes trusting the writer gets rewarded and I reckon Ness has earned the right to that trust.

    #54383
    Anonymous @

    @pedant

    Yes, I see it’s a good policy. I often have had such a visceral reaction to shows that I just say “nope, can’t do it”. Certainly not here. Not yet.

    I did find izombie pretty bad after the first two and didn’t return (I  will in time)

    #54384
    Anonymous @

    niice.

    Oh, his mention of ….have a “prom” and not be the “chosen one” 🙂

    #54396
    tardigrade @tardigrade

    This second episode was in many ways based on a typical horror trope, but with a rather “Who-ish” conclusion. I’d prefer the gore to be dialled back a bit- it hasn’t been dwelt on, but it’s always something I think horror/suspense should use sparingly, and not as a major way to achieve impact.

    I’ve never been a fan of the “people forget” idea used in Who – it largely seems to be used as a plot convenience. People have gone missing at best, and hostile aliens have appeared before a large group of students. Just because the teachers didn’t see it, doesn’t mean that it would just be forgotten/misinterpreted by most. It’s made light of in the episode, so I think Ness is acknowledging that also.

    Regardless, the events of the first episode had a real impact on the core characters, especially Ram. And that’s used to develop the characters and their relationships further. So that opportunity isn’t lost.

    I’m interested enough in seeing how the series develops to be sticking with it.

    #54430
    Juniperfish @juniperfish

    Ewww, that’s quite gory (flayed assistant coach). It feels a bit unnecessary. I prefer the more restrained, suggestive terror of Who.

    Ok, I’m in love with Miss Quill’s bootlace tie.

    “All teachers are monkeys, have you been listening to the Education Secretary?” Yes, some sweet revenge on behalf of teachers everywhere is going to be enacted by this show. It’s not hard to believe that our erstwhile Ed Sec, Gove, is alien spawn of some dubious sort.

    And the robot Ofsted inspector continues the theme.

    “He’s evil.”

    “He’s from Ofsted – of course he’s evil.”

    The school board sounds ominous.

    Ooh, the dragon is doing an Alien on Mr. Armitage.

    Miss Quill is already my favourite thing about this show. She’s got alien Sherlock skillz (that sequence being a little affectionate dig at Moffat’s Other Project). Yes and why not boff a robot on school premises? One of (too) many Buffy nods, I fear.

    The entire premise is a flagrant Buffy AU – Miss Quill as the anti-Giles, no one with a super-power yet (although Charlie’s box of souls is clearly arc material and Ram’s new leg is bionic) but the monsters are still mirrors for the inner turmoil of youth.  Tanya is my favourite Scooby – she’s a wise head on young shoulders.

    I like the chess game metaphor running throughout. Knight drips blood.

    Some serious Apple product placement going on BBC. No post-it notes over the logos – standards have slipped!

    Nice catch on the Barbara Wright Wing @pedant and @craig .

    As with the Shadow Kin, I’m not keen in the CGI dragon. Bit of a clunky conversation between Ram and said dragon – whacking us over the head with the monsters as mirrors scenario. That’s disappointing – trust your audience to figure it out on their own.

    The team is coalescing around the Bung Hole of Time.

    Well thanks to Miss Quill, I’m not out yet…

     

     

    #54444
    Mudlark @mudlark

    There was rather too much gore-splatter in this for my taste. If they intend to go down the horror route, I would prefer it to be delivered with more nuance –  M R James rather than ‘Nightmare on Elm Street’. Ultimately this is a matter of personal preference and may seem hypocritical from someone who watches Game of Thrones, but it is all to do with context.  The violence and (relatively limited) gore quotient in GoT is, give or take a few supernatural elements, intended to convey the reality and cost of dynastic and internecine warfare and its effect on the ‘little’ people in a medieval and early post-medieval society – think the Hundred Years War,  the Wars of the Roses, the Thirty Years War, or even the English Civil War.  Where the fantasy in ‘Class’ is concerned, I just feel, like @juniperfish ,  that what is suggested or implied would be more effective, if less viscerally shocking, than what is explicit.

    That is not to say that I found nothing engaging in this episode, still less that I am giving up on it – I’m with @pedant on that score.   There were some good jokes at the expense of Ofsted etc. especially the robot inspector, though how Miss Quill failed to spot that he was a robot at the outset escapes me; to me it was so evident that I was yelling at the TV screen.  The tattoo-dragon as metaphor for steroid abuse was an interesting angle, and I felt that they could have done more with this, rather than going for the more obvious and literal; but, again, that is a personal view.  And I liked the dramatic irony of the coach’s advice to Ram, to ‘face your demons and you conquer them’: wishful thinking on his part, as it turned out.

    At a more general level, the exploration of the personal lives and problems of the student still seems to me a bit stereotyped and superficial, but it is early days yet and, for the present, Tanya is the one who is for me  is the most fully realised and sympathetic.  Realistically, on the other hand, almost any group of 14-18 year olds who faced these horrors would probably have been reduced to traumatised, catatonic wrecks, regardless of their personal circumstances, and in no state to face whatever might come through ‘the bung-hole of time’, so suspension of disbelief by stout cables is in order.

     

     

     

    #54501
    Cath Annabel @cathannabel

    Plenty of nods to Buffy – not least the sad fate of the headmaster who is eaten, just like Principal Flutie (eaten by the Pack – high school kids possessed by hyena spirits) and Principal Snyder (eaten by the Mayor in the form of a giant snake).

    Overall, lots to like, some creaks and clunkiness but nothing that can’t be sorted.

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