The Lizzie Bennet Diaries

[Katya]

(Starting a new thread so as to focus the discussion in one place)

I bought my kindle in order to watch the Lizzie Bennet Diaries and it works great for that purpose.

/mostly irrelevant contribution

I only just saw this...but I *had* to say something. I'm a huge LBD fan...how're you liking the developments?

This wasn't directed at me, but I will say I've stopped watching the Lydia/Wickham videos. They're just painful and miserable to get through, and I feel like I'll still be able to pick up the story from watching the Lizzie videos. (Plus, I know P&P really well, so it's not like I don't know what's going to happen.)

I've loved the two videos Darcy's been in at Pemberley, and I didn't figure out who Gigi was in her first video until right before she said her name, so that was a fun surprise.

I do think that the vlog format is making for some tricky plot points, such as the viewers knowing exactly what Wickham did to make Darcy hate him or putting Bing in the videos without him knowing why he's there, as well as keeping him separate from Jane in such an interconnected world. On the whole, though, I really like the series and I trust that Hank and Bernie will take it to a satisfying conclusion.

[bobtheenchantedone]

I will comment as well! I am still a tiny bit of a 13-year-old girl, so watching LBD usually gets me fairly giggly. I'm so hungry for updates that I have kept up with the L/W vids as well, even though they seem much less planned and useful. I rather wonder if they were planned from the beginning or if it was an idea they threw in as the series got popular? I do like some of the nice touches they're doing, though; I subscribe to Lydia's channel and lately she's been liking all of the LBD vids that bash Darcy, as well as liking music videos with titles like "Your Love is My Drug" and "Mistakes We Knew We Were Making."

I can't wait to see how all of the twists that we're getting close to will play out, and how the series will end.

ETA: I'm just watching the most recent L/W vid and ARRG. I was thinking that maybe one of the twists of the series would be a slightly-reformed W, but with this video I'm back to wanting to punch his stupid hair so he'll quit manipulating Lydia.

[C is for]

I have so many feels...I don't think I can coherent them enough before I go home for the weekend have to type on a touch screen (which is a big pain for me).

Spoilers abound for people not familiar with the show. Okay.

A lot of the things I think and feel come from my stalking of various tumblrs, so I am not really original.

oh, and also I've not seen today's video yet because I don't have the youtube. So that'll be first thing when I get home.

ANYWAY

A lot of people aren't sure what to think about Gigi's big reveal about Wickham that he broke her heart...and that's it. He wasn't trying to elope with her, or do anything immoral by today's standards. It was because he wanted to get back at Darcy, and that is all.

Just like he's trying to get back at Lizzie right now.

So I'm a little interested to see what thing is going to happen to cause a big frenzy at the Bennet home...

Also, speculation for today's video informed by some comments I might have seen: DOES HE CALL LYDIA PEACH?? That is not cool!!!
(It shows that he's less interested in her as a person, which he's probably never been but also that he's not pretending as much.)

Also I got really nervous in the last video when he insinuated that Lydia would be the one to break his heart. Because that makes everything her fault. (Been there.) I think he says something else along those lines in today's video?
Also. Don't forget that he's almost certainly seen Lizzie's last video. I'm interested to see what developments come from that...(only one more hour!)

Anyway. I am not doing a good job with coherenting.

Here's my prediction for next week: the video on Monday, with Darcy and Lizzie looking kind of cute together will be the last Pemberley video. Everyone seems to think that we'll get a full week, but I think not. They need to move things forward, and there's only so much "look how good they are together" that's useful.

...
yeah, I'll stop here for now I guess.

[C is for]

Well, I still have some more waiting around to do before I can finish. So. Here I am back!

1. I've been thinking lately about how ... Lizzie's engaging, but she's not really very nice. I was watching a few videos and couldn't really see anything redeeming. I still like her, but...I dunno.

2. And the reason I noticed that was when in ep. 78 (which I have watched many times) she said "I don't have my #1 bestie watching my back" and I was like, Nope! JUST LIKE SHE DIDN'T HAVE YOU WATCHING HER BACK WHEN SHE MOVED AWAY. It's like she doesn't even make that connection, that Charlotte must've been lonely too. Extra lonely, because she and Lizzie weren't even friends. So it made me kind of mad at Lizzie for being so self-centered. Which is overreacting of me, I realize.

3. I will find the text post from tumblr when I get home, (if i can find it; I know which tumblr I got it from, but they are such copious posters over there!) that says how important Ep. 81 was for showing how Darcy has had to grow as a character too since his ill-fated proposal. Lizzie's obviously seeing him in a new light, and she's trying to be more moderate in her expressions, but if Darcy acted anything like Gigi and her thoughtless flaunting of wealth, it's no real surprise Lizzie thought he was a snob. Yeah. I'll find the post where it says it better.

Oh guys I've been so pathetic. Pretty much all I've done for the past few months is browse LBD tumblrs.

[Tally M.]

My roommate and I are super addicted to this show. It's heartbreaking to watch Lydia and Wickham together, and I think they're doing a really good job of the show in general. I hope they do the rest of Jane Austen's work!

I'll add more about it later...but I've cleaning checks soon =P

[bobtheenchantedone]

Does he call her Peach? Nope. Worse. And I now have some idea what it is about W and L's relationship that will throw the Bennet household into an uproar. (Do I say what I think or let y'all watch the vid?)

[Tally M.]

Here's what I have to say.

1) The characters feel more believable. (Which makes sense, since the original book was intended as a satire.) I love the way they developed Lydia, and truthfully, I almost like her character more than Lizzie. All the characters are well-developed for the modern time. Especially Kitty. I love Kitty
2) It is *painful* to watch Lydia and George, especially because I know that that happens in real life.
3) I feel like the scenarios have been fairly well updated for the time-period. Though, I was fairly surprised nothing serious happened to Lydia when she went to Vegas.
4) I love having it in real time. Well. I hate it too, but it feel real.

...I think that's it. For now.

[Portia]

http://www.theatlanticwire.com/entertai ... ers/60978/

200th anniversary of Pride and Prejudice Monday.

[Portia]

78+ episodes! This sounds dangerous.

[Tally M.]

I watched it Thursday night in celebration. (Watching it being a loose interpretation.)

It's wonderfully dangerous

[C is for]

ugh I don't know how to copy paste reliably. anyway.

we don't know for sure nothing happened to Lydia in Vegas. wix hinted that he did ' something for her ' there, which may or may not have been just partying with her. her reaction seemed a little extreme if it was just that.

also, anyone followed the recent Twitter threads? 10 to 1 George is cheating on her. or worse.

my roommate's been watching them. I sat with her to make sure she watched 60 - she wanted to skip to 61 when it started with lizzie just talking- and after I went to bed last night I could hear her get at least through 70. I love New Jane.

how do you guys think they'll resolve jing? Or do you not speculate like crazy? (I don't generally - I like to see how it goes and be happy with the direction they take, but I do like hearing what other people think)

[Katya]

A lot of people aren't sure what to think about Gigi's big reveal about Wickham that he broke her heart...and that's it. He wasn't trying to elope with her, or do anything immoral by today's standards. It was because he wanted to get back at Darcy, and that is all.

One of the trickiest things about updating P&P is that a lot of social situations and events that are key to the plot don't have a modern equivalent. So, the fact that the Bennet sisters run the risk of being destitute when their father dies (which is why as many of them as possible need to get married) doesn't have a good modern equivalent because they could just get jobs now and be self-supporting. (I do like grad school debt in The LBD as a modern equivalent, though.)

And there's no good modern equivalent for the personal shame that would have been brought on Georgiana by eloping with Wickham as well as the narrowly escaped shame that Lydia would have brought on her family by running off with Wickham and not getting married. Bride and Prejudice updated the Georgiana/Wickham storyline by having Wickham get Georgiana pregnant (which I think works pretty well), but a modern audience could potentially be very polarized by the way Georgiana reacted to the pregnancy (i.e., by getting an abortion or not—Bride and Prejudice just skips over that part).

So, I agree that LBD Wickham doesn't seem to have done anything hugely socially shocking—just morally reprehensible on a personal level—but I think it's because there really isn't a good modern equivalent for Wickham's actions. Also, LBD Gigi is a lot more independent than Georgiana is traditionally portrayed, in part because she's older (out of college instead of being 16) and in part because of modern social views about women, so trying to force some sort of dastardly Wickham plot might just infantalize Gigi in weird ways that wouldn't otherwise square with the plot.

[bobtheenchantedone]

also, anyone followed the recent Twitter threads? 10 to 1 George is cheating on her. or worse.

My vote is abusive-relationship-ing her.

[Tally M.]

It's so painful to watch...

[Violet]

78+ episodes! This sounds dangerous.

It is, but I managed to catch up on the 30+ episodes I missed from before Thanksgiving in an evening back before the semester got going. Pull up the playlist and fold laundry, it's great fun.

Also, I'm thrilled that Lydia appears to be alone in her home bedroom in the preview for her next video. Get away from George. Lydia's really hard to watch without the endearing personality she showed early on. That lack, plus the manipulation only encourages my tendency to skip over the middle of Lydia's videos.

[Tally M.]

Lizzie's most recent video is probably one of my favorite so far. Darcy does a stunning impression of Fitz.

[Emiliana]

So I'd never heard of this until y'all started talking about it the other day. It's entirely possible that I'm now on episode 24 and have no intention of slowing down...

[Katya]

So I'd never heard of this until y'all started talking about it the other day. It's entirely possible that I'm now on episode 24 and have no intention of slowing down...

Oh yes. The day I discovered LBD (several months ago), I lost a good 3 hours.

[Tally M.]

I was lucky enough to come across it back in May...and I've been dutifully following it ever since. It's been hard to wait, though!

[C is for]

Oh guys.

It was bad enough when a new video came out and I can't watch it yet.

But things going down on Twitter are making me hyperventilate with worry. Especially given that ominous pink question mark yesterday.