I started watching this series on the recommendation of a friend. The first episode was so good, I backed up and got my wife to start watching it with me.
Set in the Napoleonic Wars in an alternate history Britain, the story follows two gentleman magicians (older recluse Gilbert Norrell and his young protege Jonathan Strange) as they preside over the return of English magic 300 years after it mysteriously faded from the island.
Costuming/Visuals:
This is a quality BBC miniseries production, with all the technical ability that implies. Some of the actual shooting locations may well date back to Napoleon. The costumes, make up, and sets felt authentic. Special attention was given to making things look just slightly dingy and dark, even among the nobility.
The depiction of Faerie, and Lost Hope specifically, is done in cold tones and high contrasts. Everything is there is finer and cleaner than the real world and simultaneously darker and more sinister. This was a great touch of visual storytelling.
This being a show about the return of ancient magic and deals made with fairies, magic is given a good bit of screen time. The CGI effects, while serviceable, are nothing mind blowing by the standards we see today. However, much of the magic relies on practical visual effects or happens invisibly. This lends an air of mystery and horror to many aspects of the magic, especially where the King of Lost Hope is concerned. Tinkling bells are going to creep me out a little for a while.
One small nitpick: When the Raven King shows up, he looks like a Deatheater wannabe. Kind of a let down after all the buildup.
Acting:
The acting in this show is excellent. There is not a single bad performance I can think of. Let's look to our three leads as examples.
Bertie Carvel as Jonathan Strange: Carvel brings manic energy to his role. Strange bounces from idea to idea, running headlong through his life. Carvel also shows us quiet moments of romance (alongside Charlotte Riley, who plays his wife) and an utterly believable descent into madness. The range required for his role is impressive and he delivers with skill.
Eddie Marsan as Gilbert Norrell: If Carvel was asked to ramp the emotions up, Marsan was asked to pull off something that is probably more difficult. He had to damp them down without becoming a wooden cutout. His performance as Norrell is a study in quiet, downplayed emotions, running the gamut, but all in muted tones and all laced with a thread of arrogance and ambition.
Marc Warren as The Gentleman: Portraying one of the Sidhe (a Grimm's Brothers style fairy) cannot be easy. From stilted, calculated movements to unblinking eyes to a sibilant, rasping tone of voice, Warren's Gentleman is intensely otherworldly. His every word and action drips with menace and disdain. Here is a classic villain of literature: powerful, prideful, cruel, and intelligent. Voldemort wishes he were this scary.
Writing:
This series is something like a Jane Austin drama, with family squabbles, political maneuvering, marriage, funerals, and a touch of coming-of-age story with Strange's introduction to magic and experiences as an apprentice and in the war.
The relationships showcased are all believable and understandable. I smiled at conversations between Mr and Mrs Strange at various points in the show. The tension between Lord and Lady Pole after her resurrection only added to the horror. And the slowly growing rivalry between Strange and Norrell, aided by the plotting of political parasites, is the fuel for so many choices.
The dialogue is sharp, witty, and authentic.
The plot does move slowly in parts, but it takes time to build the tension necessary for mystery and/or horror. I think the writers do an able job in keeping the wheels turning, revealing information to the characters slowly over the course of the show.
The ending felt a little rushed and some of the "twists" were a little unsatisfying. This may be due to the source material (a 2004 novel by Susanna Clarke) or to budget constraints, but on the whole the show does an excellent job at it's aims: displaying the wonder and horror of a world full of magic and highlighting the difference between Great Men and good men.
Action:
Most of the action centers around the feats of practical magic being performed by Norrell and Strange. Statues come to life. Mirrors and silver basins are used for scrying and travel. Constructs of water, sand, mud, and leaves do their master's bidding. Rains and mists are called. Pacts are struck. One person is transformed into a cat. The dead are resurrected.
On a more mundane level, people are shot, stabbed, and slashed in war time and in assassination plots. Captured humans are forced to dance endlessly in Lost Hope. Characters are imprisoned and one is hanged.
Summary:
Jane Austin meets Harry Potter meets Hellboy may do for the bumper sticker, but it doesn't convey how well done this show is. Definitely recommended.
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