One star. Warning: contains spoilers. I write this review as a warning to viewers who might react similarly to me.
I'm the only reviewer so far giving the bottom rating, so I better explain why. The series got off to a great start in episode 1 and immediately drew me in. I was willing to overlook the very poor video quality of the version I watched in the USA from Amazon Prime. The characters were engaging, and I looked forward to the story unfolding.
But I quit after episode 2, which completely blew me out of the water. The motivations and actions of the main characters disgusted me. I couldn't relate to them, respect them, or watch them any longer. Louisa, Augustus, and the Prince engaged in a corrupt relationship, supported by those surrounding them. The cumulative weight of the following events overwhelmed me, all in just one TV episode.
1. Louisa Leyton, the assistant cook, married Augustus Trotter, a man she didn't love, with the intention of also becoming mistress to the exploitative Prince of Wales, just to further her career ambitions. Had she no respect for marriage, love, or the human soul?
2. Augustus Trotter, the butler, married Louisa, a woman who didn't love him, and agreed to her becoming the Prince's mistress. How could any husband demean his wife like this and stoop to such depravity?
3. Louisa's mother, Mrs. Leyton, was more interested in her daughter's social status than happiness.
4. Louisa's father, Mr. Leyton, was a complete wimp. He let his wife and daughter walk all over him regarding Louisa's marriage, even though he suspected wrong motives.
5. The Prince of Wales used his dominating position to satisfy his lusts at the expense of ruining the lives of Louisa and Augustus, lower level people. He schemed to get them married in order for him to take Louisa as his 'respectable' mistress. What about adultery is respectable?
6. Monsier Alex's housekeeper, along with an upper class man, both of whose names escape me, cravenly joined in the plot to marry off Louisa to Augustus, knowing its corrupt purpose.
Goodbye, The Duchess of Duke Street. I sadly deleted it from my watch list.
I'm the only reviewer so far giving the bottom rating, so I better explain why. The series got off to a great start in episode 1 and immediately drew me in. I was willing to overlook the very poor video quality of the version I watched in the USA from Amazon Prime. The characters were engaging, and I looked forward to the story unfolding.
But I quit after episode 2, which completely blew me out of the water. The motivations and actions of the main characters disgusted me. I couldn't relate to them, respect them, or watch them any longer. Louisa, Augustus, and the Prince engaged in a corrupt relationship, supported by those surrounding them. The cumulative weight of the following events overwhelmed me, all in just one TV episode.
1. Louisa Leyton, the assistant cook, married Augustus Trotter, a man she didn't love, with the intention of also becoming mistress to the exploitative Prince of Wales, just to further her career ambitions. Had she no respect for marriage, love, or the human soul?
2. Augustus Trotter, the butler, married Louisa, a woman who didn't love him, and agreed to her becoming the Prince's mistress. How could any husband demean his wife like this and stoop to such depravity?
3. Louisa's mother, Mrs. Leyton, was more interested in her daughter's social status than happiness.
4. Louisa's father, Mr. Leyton, was a complete wimp. He let his wife and daughter walk all over him regarding Louisa's marriage, even though he suspected wrong motives.
5. The Prince of Wales used his dominating position to satisfy his lusts at the expense of ruining the lives of Louisa and Augustus, lower level people. He schemed to get them married in order for him to take Louisa as his 'respectable' mistress. What about adultery is respectable?
6. Monsier Alex's housekeeper, along with an upper class man, both of whose names escape me, cravenly joined in the plot to marry off Louisa to Augustus, knowing its corrupt purpose.
Goodbye, The Duchess of Duke Street. I sadly deleted it from my watch list.