The original post: /r/television by /u/popcultureSp00nie22 on 2024-05-20 06:55:55.
Ok, let’s be honest: Is it a groundbreaking show? No. Is it even groundbreaking for a teen show? No. And the subs/dubs definitely don’t always do the writing any favors.
But the cast is top notch–the two leads in particular are quite good, with incredible chemistry (think The Notebook levels of angst/chemistry), and the rest of the cast is great–and the show is absolutely gorgeous (minus a few weird lighting choices in the first couple of episodes).
To be clear, Maxton Hall is definitely a soap, and definitely a teen one at that. And while it has some depth, if you’re looking for something closer to real life for most people, or any sort of character study or something, this is not your show. But if you want a fun time with a strong cast and some crazy chemistry, this is your show.
FYI, since I, as an ignorant American, went in only knowing that this was a German show and was confused by this for a bit: This is a German tv show. The actors are German, they speak German in the show, it was partially filmed in Germany, but the show itself is set in England and the *characters* are English.
FYI #2, for any English speakers who have already seen the show and are curious about the book series that it is based on: The original book series is in German and has not been officially translated into English (as of now). Allegedly, there are copies of English translations of the book(s?) floating around on the internet/Reddit, but I haven’t seen them and have no idea how accurate these alleged translations are.
Semi Spoilers to Follow
Percy is the MVP, followed maybe by Alistair. (Personally, I also have a soft spot for Kieran, but that might just be me…idk.)
I didn’t love how James never apologized to Ruby for being absolutely awful to her in the first 2 episodes. He said some terrible things to her and literally tried to destroy her, including almost ruining her chances at Oxford and then just…never even acknowledged any of that and neither did she. I get that the point is that he was literally raised to behave/think that way, but part of his growth should’ve been to acknowledge that and genuinely apologize for it. It was particularly egregious/noticeable when he was at Ruby’s house and told her that he wanted her to know that he doesn’t treat people terribly like his father does, except that he literally treated her the exact same way and worse. I literally said that out loud to the screen after he said that, because it was just like…really?! I also didn’t love that she had to be the one to apologize first. I get why it worked that way in the world of the show. But it still sucks.
I also didn’t love that they went full Ezria from PLL. Poor Lydia, she had the most insane 3 days at Oxford lol
I did appreciate how they handled consent in this show, particularly since a lot it was nonverbal.
Am I the only one who got a vibe between Percy and James’s mom for a split second before she died???!
Also, I guess James’s dad took his mom’s last name??! Unexpected, accidental feminism lmao
Did you guys watch? What did you think?