On Sunday, Dad invited me to watch a few shows with him on PBS. (The vet one, he explained, was really quite good.) Perhaps he considered this a bonding moment, a chance to introduce his non-TV viewing daughter to some quality programming. This in and of itself was odd because: one, he normally falls asleep during Masterpiece and two, he never asks anyone to sit with him.
As promised, the vet show was quaint, but enjoyable. Another, about a female detective set in Victorian England, was also interesting enough to hold my interest for the half hour I watched. There are some shows and movies, however, that stay with you. The Long Song is one of them.
There were a number of reasons this program, more than the others, captivated me. Set in post-slavery Jamaica, the show highlights the romance between an ex-house slave and a young overseer. He falls for her the moment he sees her, but knowing his father would never consent to the marriage, he comes up with another plan: to marry the young woman's employer - the widow of the plantation. It seems the perfect solution, for this way, he would gain prestige, a plantation, and be united with his love.
The reality is, of course, horrifying. Their union starts out well enough. They have a child together. He seems to be able to navigate the lives of the two women (his true wife knows this is happening, but is unable to stop it) but he is not able to earn the respect and admiration of the rest of the ex-slaves on the plantation. He loses his cool when they refuse to obey him. By the end of the episode, you obsess over the possibilities for the inevitable train wreck next time. You know it won't be good for our two star-crossed lovers and yet you need to see just a little bit more.
Now you know where I'll be Sunday night.
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