My annual social media Lent is coming up. From Ash Wednesday I will abstain from Twitter for the next 6 and a half weeks (until Easter Sunday), allowing me to recalibrate a little and concentrate on other things. Such as my blog – or RAnet. That means I need blog fodder. Almost four weeks have passed since The Stranger launched on Netflix. Enough time to assume that most fans and readers have watched the show and will not be spoiled by the discussion of the show. Moreover, some more in-depth discussions have already started in the comments. Last weekend, for instance, we got into the intracacies of the “bar scene” in episode 4 of TS, talking about the casting, costuming and directing of that particular scene and how we, as women of a particular age reacted to that scene.
However, it would probably make more sense to start at the beginning. So anyone who’d like to discuss TS with me, you are welcome to write your observations, reactions and opinions in the comments. I know I am kind of launching into this without announcement. But by doing this episode by episode, I hope you can follow along and catch up with individual episode if need be. I’ll also try and summarise every episode at the beginning of each review post so we know what we are talking about. Hm, I may need to rewatch the show for that. The hardship!!! However, the discussion will probably focus on the plot… eh… Adam. Anyhow, I hope you’ll join me and share your thoughts either here – or your own blog, if you are blogging, too.
The Stranger – Episode 1 Recap
Prior to the trailer, TS starts with teenagers at a bonfire party, culminating in a naked boy escaping through the dark forest. The plot then begins with the Price boys driving in the car to the football club where younger son Ryan is trying out for the A team. While at the club, daddy Adam briefly speaks with his wife Corinne on the phone. She is away at a teachers’ conference while Adam looks after their sons. In the clubhouse, Adam is approached by “a stranger” who reveals a devastating secret to him: His wife faked her pregnancy a couple of years ago. He is shocked and disturbed.
Once back home after football training, Adam can’t resist checking the details the stranger passed on to him, and sure enough, his suspicions are confirmed – there is a credit card payment for a fishy website called Novelty Funsy, and the ultrasound scan of the miscarried baby does not quite match the ones of his two sons. Meanwhile, Adam’s elder son Thomas heads out to the bonfire party with his friends.
The next morning, police woman Johanna investigates a bizarre crime scene of a decapitated alpaca in the city centre. With her DS, she drives to a nearby alpaca farm to confirm where the animal came from. On their return trip their attention is attracted by some pieces of clothing in the forest. They follow the trail of clothes and find a naked body. The young man is still alive.
Adam meanwhile looks after his day job – he is the legal advisor to an obstinate tenant who refuses to move out of a house that has been earmarked for demolition. Upon his return, Corinne arrives back from her conference and Adam receives confirmation that the mysterious credit card payments 
are for a website that provides fake pregnancy products. He immediately confronts Corinne. She does neither deny nor explain why or what she did, only hinting that there is more to it than he thinks. The Prices spend the night in separate bedrooms.
The next morning Adam observes Corinne taking a phone call outside the house. She later suggests to Adam that they talk later that day after a school awards ceremony where she will explain all. However, Corinne never shows to the event. Adam receives a text message asking for some time apart.
The episode ends with Thomas revealing the decapitated alpaca head in his cupboard.
Episode 1 – Discuss
So, first of all – I have watched the first episode about three and a half times. Twice on my own, once with hubster, and finally today a quick run-through for the sake of the recap where I fast forwarded through a lot of scenes, focussing on Adam mostly. I couldn’t help it… My first response to the show at the very first viewing was – WOW! I remember that I was fully engaged during every minute of it – even the scenes and story lines that Richard did not feature in. Granted, I was most interested with the “grown-up” arcs, not least because anything involving drugs and other goings-on with teenagers makes *this* mama really worried. But having said that, I think the first episode was very effective in establishing the storylines and the characters. Hence the show spends most time following Adam (Richard Armitage) – as a father, as a lawyer and as a husband. Then there are the two police officers who also are presented as round characters – the middle-aged senior officer Johanna (Siobhan Finneran) approaching retirement who has just decided to split from her husband, and her much younger partner, a gay black man. Adam’s son Thomas also gets a good bit of screen time with his friends, making him more than just secondary. Other secondary characters include first and foremost Dervla Kirwan as Corinne, Stephen Rea as obstinate tenant Martin, and Jennifer Saunders as Johanna’s BFF Heidi.
So, the first watch was highly exciting and addictive, so much so that I basically binged the whole show. On second and subsequent views, I found the episode not quite as fast and exciting anymore – only natural, as a lot of time was actually spent setting up the characters and the various story lines: Johanna waking up in bed to her snoring husband; Johanna meeting Heidi in her café; observing the teenagers at their bonfire party; visiting Dante in hospital…
RA is the natural focal point from the get-go. Not only for fangirls, I might add. The show is really good at setting him up as the perfect family man who obviously has great rapport with his sons, both the “difficult” almost grown-up older son, but also the younger lad who needs a different kind of care than a young adult. I found the casting really great, with Thomas definitely matching the tall, dark, handsome vibes of TV-dad Richard, and younger boy Ryan more a mirror of his blond, curly-haired TV-mum. They all have great chemistry together, and found Misha Handley (Ryan) very natural and convincing. Jacob Dudman as Thomas was also great.
… really aged well… hehe
RA really shines in the confrontation scenes, both with the stranger and with his wife, when he has to convey both suppressed anger and outright fury at having been deceived. Both his major scenes with Corinne are very convincing, and I appreciated the decision to make Adam extremely angry, on the verge of volatile, when Corinne refuses to explain her actions. Adam’s anger is immediate, raw and confused and Armitage really draws the viewer on his side with his emotional outburst. So much so that I basically missed Dervla Kirwan’s nuanced acting in that scene. On second and subsequent viewings, once you know how the show ends and why she doesn’t want to talk immediately, you start to notice the little things: her refusal to talk has more to do with fear than with anger or denial. She is afraid of actually addressing the fact that the reason for her faked pregnancy will also bring another secret out in the open, and the subsequent discussion (which she had successfully avoided by faking the pregnancy in the first place) will now have to take place. What might have looked as callous or dismissive at first viewing, conveys much more detail the second time round: there 
is a sadness to Corinne that Kirwan expresses very subtly – in a slight pause, or the tiniest glance into the mid-distance. The same applies to their second and much calmer confrontation the next morning. What might have looked almost callous on first viewing, gains much more weight when you watch it with prior knowledge of the plot. When Adam says he has lost trust in her, Corinne replies “it hurts, doesn’t it?“. The question tag really stood out to me on first viewing. It confused me. Why is she phrasing it like that? It of course became clear in episode 4, but again, Kirwan really gave it a spin by loading it with subtle sadness that doesn’t only confuse the viewer but also Adam. Armitage here kept his response at just the right level of confusion without giving away how much Adam really recognises or understands what she was hinting at. RA reacts with great detail expressions. No words are needed. And in hindsight you can see how he begins to wonder whether she knows about his affair. Loved it.
Let’s talk a bit about Armitage’s look in this show. Such a spectacle!
Yes, I like details like that. The jury is still out on whether this is a prescription that Armitage wrote into the script himself 😂, or whether we just had a costume department that is on the ball. Yes, it’s time for the presbyopic lenses. Happens to most of us at around middle age. 🤓 I found it a lovely detail that makes Adam more relatable. Because – a dad bod he has not.
Even if he claims he does. I find this a rather attractive package for a middle aged family man. Also:
Bonus WRP. Needs no further elaboration
But to get back to the look and style – I enjoyed the casual style of Adam. Once again, it felt right – nothing too fancy, with windbreaker, jeans and shirts, and even a tracksuit at home, the perfect attire for a father of two (pre-) teen sons. I was surprised how good RA looked in other colours than just black and blue. The red polo shirt was very nice on him.
I can’t say I am as convinced of the costumes provided for Corinne. In fact, I think there were some rather sledge-hammer style decisions going on there, putting the wife and mother into rather dowdy, pale pink mom trousers and giving her a hole-pattern, fluffy knit jumper. Then there was that turquoise dress that went slightly longer than her knees – apparently the work wear for female teachers in English private schools, judging by an equally frumpy outfit for Corinne’s colleague and friend Vicky? (This observation I will come back to in a later post once we get to episode 4.) It just kind of made me think that Corinne was made to look older and less casual than her husband who even attends to his client in jeans and shirt…
Police officer Johanna Griffin OTOH looked *real* and great. (I kept double-taking because O’Brien’s severe look kept coming back to me.) And I loved Heidi’s funky style – very much the slightly crazy café-owner with a café as stylish as herself… And can we also mention the Price’s residence here? There were only quick first glimpses of their house – but oh, that stylist made it a gorgeous family home. The garden was beautiful but I can take it or leave it. Too much work – I don’t like to get my fingers dirty. But the dining area with the floor-to-ceiling windows and the sleek white kitchen? Big win, especially because it doesn’t look like a showroom but has photos on the fridge and a mess on the counters.
So episode 1 gets a big thumbs up from me – for introducing us to almost all the characters (some held back for more surprise later on) and establishing the plot. Yes, there is a lot going on here, which I haven’t even all mentioned in the recap: the stranger dropping her first bomb, the Price family life, the secret in Corinne’s past, the tenant who refuses to move out of his home, the colleague who has trouble with her pre-teen daughter, the teenagers who are partying under the influence of drugs, the mystery of the boy who was hunted through the forest, the curious story of the decapitated alpaca, an almost-comic police duo, a police officer who is splitting up with her hubby, her friend, the funky café owner, the gregarious neighbour, the busybody football trainer… Too much? I’d say a lot of it is deliberate overload to distract us, yet give us some extra info about the characters, their work, their life and their environment.
The strategy definitely works when you watch the show for the first time. You are busy dealing with Richard Armitage’s overwhelming handsomeness taking it all in. The questions only really pop up when you watch again. Such as: When stoned Mike takes the alpaca for a walk into the city centre, why is there no CCTV footage? I mean, nowadays there is hardly *any* urban area that does *not* have CCTV on shops and banks or traffic spots. How come no one saw him decapitating the alpaca, in a city centre? And how did he manage to decapitate it anyway`- it’s hardly a one-chop job?Likewise and with hindsight we know now that Corinne’s text message was not sent by her at all: But how did the sender actually know the password to Corinne’s phone to send that message? I mean, don’t all people lock their phone with a password these days? Possibly nit-picking questions, but that’s the fun of it, isn’t it? You can enjoy a show immensely – and still want to pick a few holes into the plot just to see whether you are cleverer than the writer 😉.
There is probably so much more to discuss, but for the sake of getting the discussion started, here is the post. What is your take on the first episode of TS? Any agreements with me, or disagree? Other points of interest? Let me know in the comments!
Guylty Pleasure 
I am such a bad fangirl 🤣 I just don’t analyse things like this, though when you mention things (like how could he send a text from Corinne, but especially how decapitating an alpaca in the middle of a city goes undetected!) I suddenly think “oh yes!”.
One thing I did notice was his sexy glasses… 😊
I haven’t had time to watch it again yet, but I will 😊
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To be fair, I don’t really think I analyse during my first viewing. I’m far too busy taking it all in to even concentrate on the OOA, let alone other characters. That’s what second and subsequent viewings are for 😉. The questions really only came up later… The glasses, however, were a highlight the first time round, as were outfits etc.
You definitely need to rewatch… the plot…
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How easy is it to obtain PCP? I maybe naive but I thought that was extremely dangerous, I was shocked at the casual drug taking.
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I have to admit that I am rather naive in that respect, too – despite having teenage children who have told me about casual drug use among their friends… I am guessing that you can get *anything* if you know the right people…
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Ooooooh, can we finally talk about this show?!?! I LOVE your analysis and have much to add, but let me start with Corinne’s pink pants and middle school girl sweater/jumper: That was just plain mean (to the actress), and I have no forgiveness for the costume designer. This is the wife of a hot dad, and there’s nothing wrong with her figure. Come on, give her a fighting chance of having kept up for 16 or so years: slim jeans, yoga pants, a tight-ish, stretchy, sexy t-shirt, perhaps? That loose style of pants is 30 years out of date. There is no way that woman would have been that clueless.
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I agree Corinne had some awful clothes, especially that blue tent.
In that pink outfit she is all bust and not in a good way, I was reminded of the ladies that used to adorn the prow of the sailing ships lol
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A figurehead? 😂😂😂Yeah, I really didn’t like the costume choices for her. Ok, I get that they are trying to paint a particular picture of the character. As in: harmless mother and teacher. But somehow the outfit didn’t really match up with her hot dad hubs. And I doubt that was coincidence.
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Yes, I think we should finally talk about this show 😁.
Glad to see that I am not alone in thinking that they really frumped Corinne. Tbh, I am taking that slightly personally, as a woman in the same age bracket and in a similar family situation. I mean, ok, everybody has their own personal style. But somehow I think this kind of costuming really also played a part in a later episode of the show – and I sure didn’t like that.
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I agree wholeheartedly. I have a theory as to why they did that and it will be relevant when we discuss ep. 4 but Dervla Kirwan is a very attractive woman and no frump girl. This was deliberate. That all-pink outfit was plain mean. That length pants does nothing for a woman her height and she would know that.
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And especially when having the legs turned up and wearing trainers…
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Am currently on a short trip away with hubby and only have my iPad with me which isn’t the best for commenting, so hopefully will have something worthwhile to add once I get back to my laptop, plus I think I need to watch the episode again! 😉
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Dang, bad timing. Well, enjoy your trip for the moment – the post will still be here when you get back and we can continue discussing😚
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Spoiler alert, just in case
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I have a trouble with the timing and the spade used to kill the poor alpaca. The boy found it around the grave of Corinne? I must really rewatch the whole thing! I have a trouble with the underwear too. It’s still the same from Hannibal? I swear, if I see another pair of black boxers I don’t trust myself.
Why Corinne doesn’t talk to Adam? Why she’s not mad when he dares judge her? Don’t English women throw random object when they’re angry? It’s good for the plot, of course, but she’s dismitted as a mediocre woman.
Loved very much what they did with the stereotype of the good old stronghead cop, Stephen Rea is great. All the actors were good.
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Same spade, really? Honestly, there were so many big holes in the plot that by the end, I wasn’t paying so much attention, or caring if things didn’t “add up.” But Coben is supposedly a mystery writer. Did he have problems changing these details from American to English? (I’m assuming it was some animal other than a llama in the book?) Or are all his stories this sloppy with the details?
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I wasn’t really sure whether they were plotholes or whether I had missed something… Some stuff became clearer with Coben’s explanations. However, I suppose with TV, you just have to suspend your disbelief…
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I don‘t think it‘s the same spade. Surely he took that back with him and I doubt Mike carried a spade to the rave. As I know nothing whatsoever about drugs, I‘m sold on PCP making someone go crazy enough to kill in a rage. I have no disbelief to suspend, so that‘s easy. And a good spade is not designed to dig, but to cut, so that storyline is fine by me. Can‘t sweat the small stuff.
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Yeah, the whole alpaca killing doesn’t quite add up to me – with a spade???? I mean, apart from wondering where he found the spade, I just can’t believe it’s that straightforward to decapitate a large animal.
I also asked myself why Corinne doesn’t explain herself to Adam. I mean, she does basically admit that she did fake her pregnancy, or rather, she doesn’t say she *didn’t*. She says at some point that she *will* explain, but not right there – “because there is more to this”. Coben has explained that she says that because at that point she believes that the stranger had been triggered by Tripp. So presumably she wants to talk to him first – which she does the next morning – and *then* explain to Adam…
As for throwing random objects *hehe* – I’m not an Englishwoman, but tbh I would not find that believable. But yeah, at first viewing I was also surprised why she didn’t immediately defend herself and explain why she had faked the pregnancy. It only made sense to me once I had read Coben’s explanation. (And I have to say I don’t think it is good for a show when you need the writer to explain why things are happening…)
Totally agree with you on Stephen Rea. I thought he was great and I loved that he had his Northern Irish twang.
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Repeating myself from above, a spade is not so much for shoveling as it is for cutting soil, large roots etc. It‘s a good choice of tool imo.
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But – just theoretically speaking; I know you have no experience (at least I hope you don’t) – could it could that easily through 30 cm of solid flesh, including bone?
Actually, I’ll rephrase that. It probably could. But it would take quite some effort and time. And that is what bothers me here – I get that Mike is completely drugged out of his mind and gets a schizophrenic episode (which apparently is typical for PCP), so he starts attacking the alpaca. But that all must take more than just seconds – and might be accompanied by the animal and Mike screaming. But no one hears and sees anything 🎶
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It would certainly take effort and that’s where I simply subbed in my drug-craze ignorance and went with “the PCP did it.” I have no idea if that’s realistic or not and I’m too afraid to google it. 🙈
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*haha* yeah, I don’t really want to know more about it either… otherwise my kids will never be let out of their rooms again.
Totally a case of suspending the disbelief.
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I have a question about spoilers, too. Are the comments here supposed to be for episode 1, only? Because I can’t remember when certain plot points were revealed, honestly, so I hesitate to participate. It’s been a few weeks after all. How well do you think my brain actually works?
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Yeah, I would suggest we keep the episodes separate. Might make discussion easier. Although references to other episodes make sense, of course.
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My first impression, (have only watched once w/hubs) was that they made Corinne look a bit frumpy w/her outfits. My hubs thought they didn’t have to make her look like that was the best he could do. (He didn’t put it so nicely.) Don’t know if I’ll have time to rewatch it, but reading this will be as good, especially if you keep putting up pics of Adam Price in his undies.
Haha 😁
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Hear, hear, I agree with you and Lurkerella. I thought those black knickers/underpants were just…fine.
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IKR! 😂Hahaha
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He can keep wearing them — and sleeping shirtless — a s l o n g a s h e w a n t s t o.
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Nooo! Adam, please, go commando! 😂😂😂
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🤐👍🏻
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I like the way this discussion is turning… 😂
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I’m a bit late to the party but I’ve just finished watching episode 1. So far so good, I’m enjoying it but I’m not totally gripped ie. I won’t be binge watching the show (at least not yet).
However, I have to say it did bring a smile to my face to see the infamous black undies make another (fleeting) appearance – last seen on RA cavorting around as Francis Dolarhyde (I believe). Can’t help wondering if RA’s contract stipulates black undies? And whether they are going to be a recurring feature?! 😉
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Oh, those black undies. Yes, either stipulated as “must be shown wearing black briefs” in contract or a case of stolen underwear from previous set 😉
In either case – I do not mind 😁
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Style-wise Corinne and Adam didn’t quite match up, I agree. Dervla Kirwan looks much better than that!
Well, Adam Price in his black tight briefs was a given, not least because Armitage and his fishing for compliments demanded it. Dad bod, my arse.
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🎣 for compliments. I am shocked at the insinuation!
(j/k. Mr. Humble Pie really needs to make up his mind. Rin in die Kartoffeln oder raus aus den Kartoffeln!)
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*coughs* Well, if he wasn’t *intentionally* on the haul, then he should *know* by experience that any such statements would be greeted with massive disagreement by *most* people, not just fans.
But yes, he definitely hasn’t quite put the money where his mouth is – or the shirt where his bod is. “Methinks the lady protest too much”…
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Put the shirt where the bod is 😂😂😂
OMG, I love that.
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Shall we get that on a t-shirt?
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You know it!!
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😁
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Or a pin, (badge)?
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Hehe, good idea.
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Yeah, she could’ve been outfitted way better. Dad-bod or whatever, as long as it’s *his* bod. 😋Just sayin’ ☺️
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Yeah, he doesn’t look like the type of guy who might let himself go… And even without visible six pack, I bet he still trains every day…
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I know a few dads who would kill for that bod.
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👍🏻Yep!
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New subject. Tough for anyone who has suffered a miscarriage, and my language is blunt, trigger alert. What do we all think of the faked pregnancy? Really? They lost me on the plot as soon as I saw that fake baby bump and realized how far along she was supposed to be. Did they actually say 8 months at some point (or am I imagining that)? Are we supposed to believe that she never appeared naked in front of her husband that whole time? That he never walked in on the (lack of) evidence while she was showering? Or rubbed her belly and realized it was fake (doesn’t feel like the previous two pregnancies, duh), or asked to hear the baby’s heartbeat? Or noticed the lack of loose skin afterward? Puhleeze. Did they have to push it to 8 months, which makes it so ridiculously unbelievable? I hate to be gross, people, but a miscarriage at 8 months does not culminate in a quiet, containable, personal tragedy in your bathroom. It culminates in the horror of pushing out a dead baby, and you need help with it. Where was all that drama? The hospital visit? Corinne could have achieved her goal of attracting Adam’s attention with a stunt of a more typical 8-12 weeks miscarriage, minus the baby bump, and that would have been much more believable.
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The other lady was 8 months, the one who gave this weird idea to Corinne. I didn’t like this part of the plot. To fake a initial pregnancy you don’t need a fake belly. Corinne could tell this lie to Dat Bitch, who’s more vulnerable than Adam. Adam is depicted like a victim of a petty wife and a man-eater lover, because of his sad childhood. I know that’s still mainstream, but I’m growing really tired of this stuff, also if Adam is a morsel.
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They really should have left it with the fake ultrasound photograph.
The other girl wanted the attention which she felt she only got when she had a massive 8 month bump.
Corrine only needed Adam’s attention so the fake urine test and scan were enough.
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Yep, I agree. They went a bit overboard with the fake belly. The ultrasound and the urine test were pretty convincing and all that was needed, especially as they already did the trick and made Adam believe that she was pregnant.
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Agreed. The could’ve lost the belly. I guess they were so charmed by the idea they wanted to use it twice.
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Yeah, sometimes less is more…
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This is a major discussion point – Adam as the victim… That’s how they pitch him for the first 3 episodes of the show. But then we actually find out more (to be discussed later, I guess), and it becomes clear that there is indeed more to Corinne’s faked pregnancy.
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Yep, I agree they pitched the pregnancy a little too far along. As Lurkerella already said, the 8 months referred to Suzanne Hope’s pregnancy. Corinne was not that far along – that kind of bump is probably looked like second trimester to me – at which time you can still go through unassisted birth (which I unfortunately know from my own experience). But that aside – I am with you on the unbelievability of Adam never having seen her properly naked during that time. Or at least touching her belly. I mean, I guess there are ways of explaining it all – maybe she refused to have sex with him during her fake pregnancy, and that way never got close enough to notice… But yeah, they pushed it a bit too far with the belly, especially as a partner who had already gone through two pregnancies with his wife, would have known the drill.
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Oh, Guylty, sorry! This topic is triggering for a lot of women I fear. I was more lucky, but this part of the plot made me uneasy – and the drug thing, having two teenage children.
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Same here, Lurkerella. Even though I have experience, the topic is no trigger for *me* personally. Like you, I find drug-taking and other shenanigans of young people far more emotionally difficult…
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Yep agree, they seem to be such a loving couple, it stretches credibility that he wouldn’t have at least stroked her rubbery stomach at some point.
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Not to mention other activities that might require getting close and personal… Or even just walking into the bathroom as Corinne is taking a shower in the morning…
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Maybe an hint that their marriage is not that great? Adam did not go with Corinne when the she got the echo, was absent-minded and detached. Idk.
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We don’t really know why he didn’t go. Corinne must have made sure he didn’t come to the ultrasound. Maybe she claimed that she could only get an appointment at a time she knew he couldn’t make it? In any case, that was probably largely down to her—for obvious reasons.
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Can we talk about casting? I think it was brilliant. Every single character, including the Price children. The older one was totally believable as an oldish, amazingly thoughtful and responsible teenager who is just on the cusp of flying from the nest, and the younger one was so believably adorable in his bewilderment over his mum being missing that I wanted to climb into the tv to console him. Of the adults, that ones that stood out to me as being totally believable in their roles and having fabulous chemistry with every single other cast member they interacted with were Siobhan Finneran as the cop and Stephen Rea, especially his wry, deadpan, hilarious “contributions” to the conversation in the car.
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Oh yes, casting!
I agree – the characters were all cast perfectly. I really thought that the whole Price family was very believably put together – and I liked the little touch of giving Thomas more similarity with his dad, and Ryan the lighter hair and bubbly personality of his mother. The two lads were great, and you are right, I so felt for little Ryan who just can’t get his head around mum leaving – and then being all hysterical later on as he finds her mobile phone…
Siobhan Finneran was definitely a highlight, too. I loved her laconic police officer.
And I omitted to say it in my post, but in general it really stood out to me that they had chosen a really diverse cast. That was so cool and looked so natural. (I hate when shows, especially when set in middle-class/affluent settings, are white-only, or with only a token non-white person in it.)
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Honestly there are so many plotholes in The Stranger. My favourite is with the police duo and “Stop!!!!! There’s an orange jacket!”.( or whatever Ross says). There must be really low crime rate in Stockport. I was really impressed by Ryan (Mate!) He was fantastic in it. It was was really interesting too seeing how the camera seem to dwell on Tripp, knowing what he know. Seeing the first episode for the fourth time now , that particular red of Adam’s shirt seem to feature, in the leaves, prints etc. And finally, Richard was distractingly beautiful, sigh. It was interesting that he said that there was a more natural take with the argument with Corinne in the garden as it didn’t convince me so much, intense though it was
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Is the orange jacket thing when the policeman spots an out-of-place garment, in the bushes, of a wooded area, from a moving car? Yeah, I agree, Armidreamer. That was a bit far-fetched.
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Yep, that scene.
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I wouldn’t quite call that a plothole, but I agree with you: Even upon first viewing, I distinctly remember thinking to myself – wow, he saw a bit of orange flashing in the forest, while driving by in a car and that makes him go back and look??? A bit far-fetched.
LOL “mate” – there was a lot of “mate” in there, and tbh I found that very un-Armitage. As in: I don’t imagine him saying that in his real life. I was actually wondering whether that was something that came in through Dooley (who seems more of a “ey, mate” kind of guy). However, it really worked well and made me chuckle. (I also find it a very English expression, in a good way, of course!)
Tripp definitely escaped my notice on first viewing. Very cleverly done!
The argument in the garden – I was wondering about that, too. Intense is the word – Adam was quite aggressive, and I wondered whether a loving husband, even if shocked by what he has uncovered, wouldn’t be a little less aggressive. Benefit of the doubt etc? Especially as he is a lawyer – wouldn’t he know from his professional practice that force usually only elicits resistance?
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I agree with everyone’s remarks about the casting. Top notch down to the smallest role. I really loved it.
As for the argument in the garden—I disagree. I found his anger believable, especially since he stewed in it before he was able to confront her. Let’s just say when I found out my ex cheated on me, I had to sit on the information for a while before coming face to face with him at which point a rare high/heeled shoe of mine made very satisfying contact with his forehead!
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Ouch! Dangerous! 😉 I’m sure he deserved it.
Interesting perspective, though. And I suppose we all have our own ways of expressing anger, and it is entirely possible to be as aggressive as Adam was in that scene. I just personally thought it didn’t quite mesh with his personality – even this early on in the show. And especially in relation to his reaction to the stranger. That is where I would’ve expected more aggression from him, but he was really low-key.
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He said they played with various degrees of anger in the scene with HJK (hey—same initials as Harry Jasper Kennedy) and decided to go for more low-key because at that point he doesn’t fully believe the information. When he confronted Corinne, he already had irrefutable proof that she did it.
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The explanation makes sense. Although I really think that it would also make sense the other way round – being more aggressive to a stranger who is badmouthing the partner I love, and being less aggressive to the partner because he loves her. Either way is *possible* I think – depends probably on the general (and individual viewer’s) interpretation of Adam which one suits better?
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Yes, the stewing part was certainly recognisable. Your cheating ex is lucky that you didn’t aim lower than his forehead (or perhaps you did?)
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No, I have pretty good aim. I think this was more effective in the moment. 😂
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Yes, the very jacket. Call the Lost-Clothing police!
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This comment was supposed to appear underneath Armitagebesotted’s
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I wonder whether ‘the infant’ also does home visits. I keep losing my socks in the laundry room…
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Yeah, not a plothole really, I was writing my comment lat on a train a bit fuzzy and Astrovied! There is just something for me that just doesn’t gel with the acting in the garden, it seems a little staged and makes me intrigued that Armitage recognised that there was a more naturalistic take, which wasn’t used.
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Fully understandable – Astrovied is always disorienting…
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Yes, I see what you mean now about Astov’s trousers, when his hands are in his pockets. A bit distracting….
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*coughs* Yeah, it really got my attention…
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I enjoyed it. Here’s my review
https://chrishallamworldview.wordpress.com/2020/02/26/tv-review-the-stranger/
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Finally I re-watched TS, with my husband, 3 episodes in a row. I knew he would like it!
Spoiler
.
.
.
I messed up a lot! When the unlucky camelid died Corinne was still alive.
Rewatching her discussions with Adam I thought that his anger was justifiable if his love for the other woman was real and profound. And Corinne was walking on eggs, she still feared to be abandoned.
I really loved the casting, and all the hits that this is a community that lives for appearances, having trouble with money.
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I didn’t get the impression that Adam was really sorry about having given up his affair with Sally as such… In that sense, his anger to me felt only centred around having been deceived… But Corinne was definitely walking on egg shells – she knew she had betrayed him and that he had lost his trust in her…
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Bullet points because I’m being lazy…….
* Richard’s talent for expressing so much without dialogue was, as usual, a joy to watch
* rewatches are interesting (those aside where it’s an Adam-only viewing!), knowing what comes after, recognising all the little nuances that are now loaded with extra meaning. For example, the way the Stranger gazes at Adam when they first meet, she is soaking up the sight of her half-brother, but of course we don’t know that first time around. I can’t even remember if that particular plot line was in the book.
* the casting was spot on
* totally agree with everyone here re Corinne’s wardrobe. That shapeless lacy jumper was awful, thirty years out of date and thirty years too old for her, it’s very likely there is a reason she’s dressed so frumpily, but teachers can be stylish too! She and Adam were a mismatch style wise.
* production values were first rate. I love the Price’s house, and their garden was beautiful. I’d happily have one just like it!
* fabulous theme song
* also agree that the fake pregnancy was taken too far. Positive test and ultrasound would’ve been enough to give Corinne the leverage she felt she needed.
* the black briefs scene
* anyone else find Adam in bare feet extremely appealing??!! *le sigh*
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OMG, Mezz, the jeans, bare feet, sad-melancholy look was… *fistbite*
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Never had a thing for feet, but I seem to have developed an Armitagefootfetish lol!!
Btw, I forgot one more point:
* WRP!!
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Damn, there is no handy little epithet for that. Barefeetitage is just a bit too clunky…
WRP – goes without saying *haha*
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I can’t find what WRP means!
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Wedding Ring Porn 🤭
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Oh! 😂😂😂 big hands, big ring! Thank you!
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😁
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Yes, the WRP is just… *somanyfistbites*
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The jeans definitely enhanced it even more…
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You are hitting it on the nail – the rewatches are almost like a new first time, because now you suddenly notice things you didn’t see before. Definitely worth doing.
The production values really were great. That house was really nice. Sure, probably a tad too pricy in real life, but in terms of set design it was really nicely done.
The theme song stood out to me, too. It was funny because the first time I heard it, I thought it sounded familiar but I couldn’t put my finger on it. When I found it was by an Irish band, that was an extra bonus for me 😉
Bare feet – oh yes, definitely and always. Although my particular kink is actually bare feet in casual shoes…
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Hmmm, bare feet can do it, too? Think I need to watch again and try that.
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Not just any old bare feet, his feet! 😉
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I didn’t get the impression that Adam was sorry for having a fling–which is all I thought it was–or sorry to stop it. He was exercising male privilege–jerking both women around (Sally and his wife).
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I finished my re-watch with Mr Guylty last night and that was *exactly* what irked me at the end. I found Adam not quite sorry enough – or rather: I wished that there had been a little bit more acknowledgment of his own guilt, in the sense that hadn’t he had an affair, Corinne wouldn’t have faked her pregnancy. Male privilege… spot on.
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I’ve just rewatched that scene at the soccer club where Adam is talking to Corinne on the phone. Their fond banter and saying “love you” seems to indicate their marriage was in a fairly good state before the stranger’s bombshell announcement. Corinne must have felt her deceit was vindicated given that they managed to ride out the crisis of Adam’s affair.
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Absolutely agree. From that little snippet it seems that the Prices’ marriage is in a good place, and although deceit is never a good strategy, it worked until that point.
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Pingback: Let’s Talk About… #The Stranger – Episode 2 | Guylty Pleasure
Sonja, danke für die Besprechung der zwei ersten Episoden. Ich habe den Film erst nach Stay Close gesehen, weil ich den Zugang zu Netflix erst für Stay Close erworben habe. Es war interessant über deine Sicht der Dinge und die Kommentare zu lesen. Hast du über die weiteren Episoden nicht mehr geschrieben oder habe ich es nicht gefunden? Jedenfalls vielen Dank für die ersten zwei. Fühl dich gedrückt 😘
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Ich glaube, ich bin gar nicht mehr weitergekommen mit den Reviews. Ärgerlich. Irgendwie finde ich es selber doof, wenn man eine Sache anfängt und dann nicht zu Ende bringt. (Genau das ist der Grund, warum ich immer noch keine Review für Stay Close geschrieben habe – ich befürchte, dass ich damit nicht zu Ende kommen werde…)
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Oh, das war überhaupt kein Vorwurf, ich dachte nur das ich sie nicht finden kann. Du hast viel Arbeit in die Besprechungen der ersten zwei Episoden investiert und die sind echt toll. Ich suchte nach der Dritten, weil da eigentlich schon so alles klar war und dass zwei Leichen gefunden werden. Nur das, wo die Leiche von Corinne, gefunden wird, das konnte man zu dieser Zeit selbstverständlich nicht wissen. Ich dachte, dass ich die Besprechungen nicht finden kann, weil viele auf die Besprechung der 4 Episode mit der Szene in der Bar scharf zu sein schienen und da dachte ich die dritte Episode muss da auch irgendwo sein. Und für das *nicht zu Ende bringen* bin ich leider die Spezialistin. Ehh, ich bin da eigentlich so wie Ray. Mindestens ist er ein guter Fotograf. Mit Adam hast du Recht, dass er als Jurist ganz und gar nicht überzeugend ist, was nicht an RA liegt, da er echt gut spielt. Aber immerhin war in Stay Close die ganze Befreiungsaktion der Magens Tochter noch viel weniger wahrscheinlich. Für die Rezension für Stay Close würdest du auch viel Zeit brauchen und du brauchst sie jetzt für dich und deine Familie. Gut, dass du dich beim Basteln ein bisschen entspannen konntest. Immerhin schon etwas. Hugs
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Nein, nein, habe ich auch gar nicht als Vorwurf verstanden 😉. Da mache ich mir eher selbst den Vorwurf, dass ich mal wieder etwas nicht zu Ende gebracht habe… Aber das könnte man ja irgendwann noch mal angehen 😁.
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Nette Idee 😊
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