Foyle's War: The German Woman
March 20, 2015 10:13 PM - Season 1, Episode 1 - Subscribe
In which we meet Detective Chief Superintendent Christopher Foyle, establish his style as a quiet, dogged, highly ethical dude, attempting to carry out police work during WWII, and are also introduced to his driver/sidekick "Sam", his son, newly enlisted Andrew, and his future assistant and recent war veteran, Paul Miller.
In this episode we look at anti-German xenophobia during the war period, as well as profiteering and the impact of bombings on even somewhat isolated communities.
In this episode we look at anti-German xenophobia during the war period, as well as profiteering and the impact of bombings on even somewhat isolated communities.
I don't remember the pilot but I watched a lot of this show.
They've blurred together a lot by now. The show is always good but never fantastic. The moral messages are pretty straightforward, and I don't think there's much historicity to chew on. I watched mostly because it was pleasant to spend some time with Foyle and Sam, who don't have a lot in common except a recognition of the deep goodness in each other.
Plus the old cars. <3
posted by nom de poop at 4:26 AM on March 21, 2015 [3 favorites]
They've blurred together a lot by now. The show is always good but never fantastic. The moral messages are pretty straightforward, and I don't think there's much historicity to chew on. I watched mostly because it was pleasant to spend some time with Foyle and Sam, who don't have a lot in common except a recognition of the deep goodness in each other.
Plus the old cars. <3
posted by nom de poop at 4:26 AM on March 21, 2015 [3 favorites]
Oh, wonderful! These are as soothing as wartime murder mysteries could be.
posted by tchemgrrl at 4:30 PM on March 21, 2015
posted by tchemgrrl at 4:30 PM on March 21, 2015
In an age before Benedict Cumberbatch, Honeysuckle Weeks was the most English name that ever Englished up English class.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 5:22 PM on March 21, 2015 [7 favorites]
posted by robocop is bleeding at 5:22 PM on March 21, 2015 [7 favorites]
Tuppence Middleton, but she's more of a contemporary to Cumberbatch.
posted by figurant at 10:57 PM on March 21, 2015
posted by figurant at 10:57 PM on March 21, 2015
I love this show. Might have to rewatch.
posted by ocherdraco at 11:38 AM on March 22, 2015
posted by ocherdraco at 11:38 AM on March 22, 2015
Love this show! This post actually made me dig up my Metafilter password and log in after a long while. I love Poirot, Marple, Grantchester, and even Father Brown, but I assumed this show would be too grim and bleak for me. When I tried it a few months ago, I found it so charming that I watched all of it (minus the last season) in one week. Looking foward to rewatching it.
posted by larkin123 at 5:24 PM on March 22, 2015
posted by larkin123 at 5:24 PM on March 22, 2015
This is definitely worth a re-watch, up until the end of the war at least. After they tried to wrap it up with the end of the war, I think it kind of fell victim to its own popularity. I gather there was some considerable pressure to carry on, so they tried to continue in a sort of communist paranoia mold (Foyle's war becomes the cold war) that I just don't think works. They'd wrapped up all the characters' arcs, and the war provided their reason for all being in each others' lives. Afterwards, it felt like the writers had to force the characters back together as their lives tried to carry them off in different directions.
But the early seasons are very good indeed!
posted by Naberius at 11:03 AM on March 23, 2015
But the early seasons are very good indeed!
posted by Naberius at 11:03 AM on March 23, 2015
I wish I could just post in a general discussion about the show. I've been binge watching and I don't really think it's worth posting on single episodes but would love to discuss the overall themes etc. Oh well.
I will say I find it funny: I am usually put off by such formula but I seem to have an endless tolerance (so far) for Foyle’s apparent 100% unflappability, for the plausibility-straining plot-lines, and for the inevitable 3rd act confessions, “Of course I did it Charles, you kept me pent up in this house like a caged bird!”/”Of course I did it father, you’ve always known I was actually a Nazi!” kind of thing….
posted by latkes at 12:56 PM on March 27, 2015
I will say I find it funny: I am usually put off by such formula but I seem to have an endless tolerance (so far) for Foyle’s apparent 100% unflappability, for the plausibility-straining plot-lines, and for the inevitable 3rd act confessions, “Of course I did it Charles, you kept me pent up in this house like a caged bird!”/”Of course I did it father, you’ve always known I was actually a Nazi!” kind of thing….
posted by latkes at 12:56 PM on March 27, 2015
Tuppence Middleton, Honeysuckle Weeks, & Benedict Cumberbatch need to form a Traveling Wilburys-style supergroup of delightfully posh names.
posted by duffell at 7:56 AM on March 30, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by duffell at 7:56 AM on March 30, 2015 [1 favorite]
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Maybe I'm primed to be into this from years of hiding behind the couch as a kid while my mom watched Miss Marple or whatever, but I found it satisfying enough that I'm about to binge-watch the second episode.
Anyone out there who has watched this still remember the pilot? I'd love to hear your perspective!
posted by latkes at 10:16 PM on March 20, 2015