The Lizzie Bennet Diaries: Episode #90 "Something Lighter Please": Not Light Enough Though

On Friday the latest episode of The Lizzie Bennet Diaries was released. We are treated to a little Jing action, and I mean VERY little. Lizzie actually turns off the camera when Jane and Bing have there talk. The episode basically establishes that Bing has returned, and he wants Jane back. I think we can all agree that Darcy had something to do with all this. After all, he did say in the last Pemberly Digital video that he was going to continue to make amends. So, it's safe to say that Darcy is probably back in town as well.

New Jane, however is not so quick to forgive Bing. She tells Lizzie that she and Bing have discussed, taking it slow, being friends. So yeay for being an independent woman, but come on, I want me some Jing.

Also, I still really wanna know two things:

1) What was Jane's "indiscretion" at Bing's Birthday Party?
2) How did George "Save" Lydia from in Vegas?

So what's next guys?

The Lizzie Bennet Diaries #89 "Insomnia": AKA: The Bennet Sisters in PJs

So once again we are given another filler episode, which is all well and good. I mean there can't be epic drama in every episode, right? I think we all just got so used to the turmoil of the past few weeks that we may have forgotten that.

Still today we are treated to Jane and Lizzie in their Pjs, and once again Lizzie expresses her gratitude to the "mysterious person" who got the website taken down. If Darcy is still watching the video, which I am pretty sure he does, you know it has to be killing him inside.

But it wasn't all fluff today, Lizzie tells Jane that she saw Bing at Pemberly Digital and he asked about her. Did anyone else just want to give Jane a big hug? I mean clearly she still has feelings for Bing, and now she's also unemployed so it's not like sh e can throw herself into her work to try and forget about him. I'm really hoping that Bing has been watching Lizzie's videos, since he sort of found out about them the last time she saw him, and he sees Jane's face. I want him to know that she's hurting as much as, though probably more than, he is. Plus if he has been watching the videos he will see that her feelings were always real.

The Lizzie Bennet Diaries: Pemberly Digital #6 "Return": AKA: Wrapping Things Up

Well it looks like yesterday's was the last episode of Pemberly Digital's "Domino demos", or as I call them: The Gigi Diaries. The purpose for yesterday's installment was basically to confirm what we all already knew. Yes, Darcy was the one responsible for the website shutting down, and no he has no intentions of telling our dear Lizzie of his involvement.

Of course he didn't tell Gigi how he got the website taken down, but I think it's safe to say none of the fandom really expected him to come right out with a full recounting of the tale, especially to his little sister. I am convinced however, that Lydia knows what happened, as I mentioned here a few days ago.

I have to admit I am a little sad that there will be no more Pemberly Digital videos to look forward to, but this means that we are moving forward. I'm excited to see how things progress.

On a mostly unrelated note, I have come to the realization that I love the fact that Darcy hardly ever smiles. I know that is a really weird thing to notice/say, but here me out, because he smiles so rarely, it makes when he does, even when it is only the tiniest hint of a smile, all the more endearing. Seriously, watch him talk to Gigi. His face when she tells him "Thank you. Thank you for being the best big brother a girl could ask for," is one of the sweetest things you will ever see.

The Lizzie Bennet Diaries #88 "Okay":AKA: So Not the Controversy

 

So, the sextape site went down yesterday afternoon, and the fandom rejoiced. Of course it HAD to go down yesterday because according to TLBD timeline, Lizzie tapes the day before she posts, so Sundays and Wednesdays. Since clearly the site need to be done before the tape was released, because remember people this is fiction and the tape doesn't really exist, it needed to go down yesterday so Lizzie could talk about it in today's video.

I know, I know every was really hoping that we would get a Darcy/Wickham confrontation, or Lizzie learning from Darcy that the site was down, but come on folks, we all knew, or should have known, deep down in the cockles of our hearts that there was no way that's how it was going down. After all Elizabeth doesn't find out about Mr. Darcy's involvement in the Lydia/Wickham affair til Lydia lets it slip that Mr. Darcy was at the wedding, and then Elizabeth hunts down the information out of her aunt in the book. So why would it be so easily revealed in the world of TLBD?

Plus there is something so tragically beautiful to me about, Darcy watching Lizzie’s video today, seeing her say: “Oh, thank you, whoever you are, whatever you did, you are a wonderful person, and I can’t thank you enough.” Smiling sadly and softly saying “You’re welcome, Lizzie”, knowing she will never (at least as far as he believes) ever know he was the one responsible.

As for Lydia, I totally think she knows Darcy had something to do with it and has been sworn to secrecy. The way she says thank you to the camera and then turns to Lizzie and says it again? It's because she knows that Darcy did this for Lizzie and so if it hadn't been for Lizzie the site probably wouldn't have been taken down. Or at least that's how I interpret it.

Even though we may not have gotten the epic Valentine's Day romance we all were secretly, and not so secretly hoping for in today's installment, remember...we will always have this.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Created by: Emily AKA: decent-enough on tumblr

 

The Lizzie Bennet Diaries: Pemberly Digital #5 "If Else": AKA: Gigi Does Exactly What She Has Promised Not To Do

 The Lydia/Wickham sextape scandal continues, yesterday we get to see the Darcy side, via another "Domino Demo" hosted by Gigi. Ok, first off the whole pretense that these videos are about the wonderful product that is Domino is wearing pretty thin.

In today's installment, Gigi doesn't even bother pretending that she is trying to show off the nifty technology any more, she just starts right out like this is her own little Vlog. Explaining that not much has progressed in the way of discovering where George has holed himself up. She tells us she has made several attempts to reach him via text and gotten no response. So, Gigi does what any gal would do, despite having promised Fitz, and I'm sure her brother as well, she wouldn't, she goes ahead and calls George.

Of course he doesn't pick up. Was anyone else sort of disappointed it was an automated recording? I, for one, totally expected him to have some sort of douchey "I'm probably off at the gym or swimming and missed your call" type of greeting, but alas it is just an automated voice instructing you to leave a message. So after a brief hesitation, she leaves a message practically begging him to call her back. Are you ready for the kinda crazy part? He does.

I'm not really sure what it was that Gigi thought talking to George would accomplish. She didn't seem to have much of a game plan, just a lot of "Take the site down" and "Tell me where you are", neither got any progress. George returning the call was a calculated move of course. After all Gigi, was by her own admission, in love with him once. Of all the people "involved" in this mess it stands to reason that given their history, she would be the easiest to sway to see his "side of the story". Wickham is a master manipulate of women after all. He even calls Gigi by the pet name, "Peach", which was apparently the same per name he had for Lizzie, apparently, though charming, creativity is not one of Mr. Wickham's strong suits.

George maintains his innocence, claiming the tape was stolen, and he is "laying low" until this all blows over, as he is just as embarrassed as Lydia that it has been sold for distribution.

If that was the case, and I highly doubt that it was, but go with me for a moment, and the tape had been stolen, why then has he cut off all communication with out darling Lydia? We know she was desperately trying to get a hold of him, tweeting at him to pick up his phone. Yet he remained silent, despite the fact that she was begging him for an explanation.

"@TheGWickham its okay if something happened, if it wasnt your fault. just please please talk to me. i'm here. just tell me it wasnt you."

So if the tape was stolen, even if he did not discover that the tape was stolen till after the website went up, why not just tell Lydia that? Why would he then unfollow her on twitter instead. Simple, he's lying.

And was I the only one who spent his entire video convo with Gigi trying to find some sort of clue as to where he was hiding out? Not that there was much to gather from it, aside from the fact that wherever he is is dim, with shitty reception. I mean I'm pretty sure Darcy called in from an underground parking lot and got better reception than George did. Am I over analyzing? Maybe, but this is the first time we've seen any sort of static/interference on Domino, despite seeing several vid calls between Gigi and Fitz and Gigi and Darcy. There has to be a reason for that.

Sidebar, why didn't Domino, which we are told auto edits out the "boring" parts based on inflection and facial expressions, leave in the part where Gigi disappears from screen? Wouldn't it have autocut that part out? Sorry, getting over analytical again.

Back to the subject at hand, after her less than victorious vid chat with Wickham, Gigi gets a call from her big brother. Her immediate reaction is to apologize and ask if he as mad at her. Which leads me to question just how much time elapsed between the Wickham call and the Darcy call, since Darcy knew it happened.

It's a testament to how much Darcy loves his sister, that instead of being mad and/or annoyed with her for meddling in something which is essentially none of her business, though I suppose technically it's none of his business either, but that is besides the point, he is truly concerned about her. He calls just to make sure she is ok. He knows how hard it is for her to speak to George, and how she irrationally blames herself for all this happening. This is in no way Gigi's fault, and yet seeing all the pain that George is causing is reopening old wounds. She feels for the Bennet sisters, knowing first hand how easy it is to fall for George's charm.

But it is not all doom and gloom, Darcy has also called Gigi with good news! While talking to Gigi, George idiotically downloaded Domino and accepted the terms of service in order to enter video chat mode. Which means Pemberly Digital now has account info on our dear Mr. Wickham. Jackpot. While Darcy wouldn't come out and say that he was gonna use Domino to track George, it's a pretty safe assumption we are one step closer to him being found.

The Lizzie Bennet Diaries #87 "An Understanding" : AKA: Shit Just Got Real....

Ok, new episode of The Lizzie Bennet Diaries. Clearly as I had a small break in my day I devoured it. First thought that comes to mind is, that I wonder if any of the throngs of fan girls (or boys, we're equal opportunist here) who felt the need to tell the Lydia, what a slut she was,  and how awful she was for interrupting the budding romance of Darcy and Lizzie, and berating her for "not listening" to them about George, feel about her calling them out on it?

Seriously though, she called them all out on it, and I have to wonder if seeing her reaction to it, and how it essentially broke her down, had any effect on them. In a world where these characters are so entrenched in technology, it is sometimes easy to forget that these are fictional characters, even so fictional or not the HATRED displayed against the youngest Bennet sister is some what appalling. Let's face it, in our own minds we have a very skewed perception of the world. "I would never allow myself to be manipulated by someone like that!" It's a far easier thing to say than do.

I said it before, and I'll say it again, this is the first time an interpretation of Pride & Prejudice that I have ever felt bad for Lydia. In every other telling of the story, I have seen her as nothing more than the bratty younger sister, who wants what she wants and will do whatever it s to get it, with no regard to who she may hurt in order to get it. Other Lydias have always had Kitty to pal around and be "silly"  with, making her far less isolated when Jane and Lizzie aren't around. I mean sure you could argue that The Lizzie Bennet Diaries'  Lydia has her own  Kitty,  a cat is hardly the same companionship that a sister is. In this particular version of the story Lydia truly is the odd man out, and it gravely effects her.

Also, George Wickham's abhorrent manipulation of poor Lydia is on shocking display in her videos leading up to the announcement of the website with the countdown to the sextape release. I mean come on, telling her "I love you" for the first time, while she was recording? But telling her she had to record a sextape with him to prove that she loved him as much as he loved her. I think I may be sick.

I will be the first to admit, I tend to get way too emotionally invested in the lives of fictional characters, which personally I don't see as a bad thing, so long as you can still separate the difference between fiction and reality, and right now my heart is breaking for poor Lydia. I can not even begin to imagine what she is going through, the man she loved, who she thought loved her, has betrayed her trust and decided to sell a sextape of the two of them, and cut off all communication with her. Then on top of all that she has the her "lovely" viewers/followers berating her on the Internet. Telling her she's "selfish", "being too dramatic"  that she is ruining her life as well as the lives of her sisters.

I'm honestly not sure how The Powers That Be over at The Lizzie Bennet Diaries are going to resolve the Lydia/Wickham drama. In the novel, Lydia's scandal is caused not by an impending sextape, but by her running away with Wickham, and so the logical fix to that situation is for him to marry her.  The idea of Lydia ending up even dating George after this, is in a word appalling. Honestly, I don't know how one goes about fixing something like this. I do, however, have faith that TPTD will come up with some clever way to resolve everything, maybe not all wrapped up in a neat little bow, but in a way that will satisfy.

AND I CAN NOT WAIT!

The Lizzie Bennet Diaries: AKA: I've got a new Obession

Ok, so I realize I'm a little late to the party on this one...well not entirely...I remember watching the first video debuting on youtube and thinking it was cute and that I would totally watch it. But this is me, I inevitably got distracted and forgot about it...until the other day.

For those of you who are unaware, The Lizzie Bennet Diaries  is a modern retelling of the Jane Austin classic Pride & Predjudice, a book which I have loved for a majority of my life. My older sister's favorite author was Jane Austin, and even though my sister and I are two entirely different people, we do occasionally have similar tastes, especially when it comes to literature. I remember being in grade school and my sister and I watching the 6 hour BBC miniseries with Colin Firth...which as far as I am concerned is the most well done book adaptation I've ever seen. And I dare any woman out there to watch and NOT fall in love with Fitzwilliam Darcy.

Given that I knew that I would probably enjoy The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, and so when I was reminded of their existence a few days back, I decided to take a look at them. I have now become completely engrossed on this new telling of this classic story. 

If you haven't seen them yet you can start with the first video here. Seriously go. Watch. Love. 

While the entire cast is fabulous and the writers have done an amazing job, I think perhaps the best part of the show is the way that it flushes out characters who are mearly glossed over in the original novel. It actually explains why Lydia "ran away" with the despicable Wickham. It's nice to finally get some sort of understanding about her. I actually felt bad for her, which is an emotion that Lydia Bennet has never inspired in me before. And the cause of her "ruining", which I won't spoil for you here, GO WATCH, is one that I did NOT see coming. 

My hatred for Wickham reached new levels while watching Lydia's vlog. It became easy to see how he seduced not only Lydia, but Lizzie and Gigi as well. It finally made sense how three different woman could fall prey to the same jackass. And speaking of fleshing out characters can we talk Mr. Collins? While the entire cast is bursting with talent, they hit the jackpot with Maxwell Glick who was able to take a traditionally disliked character and make him incredibly endearing. Mr. Collin, with his social awkwardness, nonstop speeches and constant praise of Catherine de Bourg, can easily be annoying and even border on slightly creepy. Yet somehow, Maxwell Glick has managed to make all Collins' shortcomings adorable, and well meaning, a perfect example being  in episode #54 where he tells Lizzie,  "...as you are my business partner's closest and dearest friend, You are forever welcome here [Collins & Collins], my work is my life so, you are both part of that now...". And with that line, we all fell just a little bit more in like with Ricky Collins. 

Also, and I am BLOWN AWAY by their virtual marketing. Not only do we get to see the story as told by Lizzie's vlogs but Lydia has also created her own vlog to fill us in on what is happening on her life when she and Lizzie are apart,  the Pemberly Instructional videos featuring Gigi and the "Darcy side" of the Lydia drama, even Charlotte's little sister Maria got in on the vloging act. On top of that we are treated to a Facebook page and the fact that pretty much every character we have seen on the blogs has their own twitter account where they interact not only with each other but with the fans who tweet at them.  Jane has a Pinterest and there of course is a tumblr. Honestly this all is proof that there are BRILLIANT ways to market your show, you just need to use it.

I can not begin to tell you how annoyed I get by good products/media who don't know how to properly market themselves. So seeing a fabulous show with amazing online marketing? Well that warms the cockles of my little heart. 

So seriously, especially for all of us who are hunkering down for Winter Storm Nemo, this is the perfect time to check out this awesome series if you haven't done so already.