Review - The Pillars of the Earth Part 7 New Beginnings / 8 The Work of Angels

The Pillars of the Earth was good viewing for the summer that I didn't really feel like commenting on. There's not much else on Friday or Saturday, so it was something enjoyable to watch. But I rarely had a response to what transpired on the screen other than the though that the production value was great.

The time skips play a large role in that. They have a way of disconnecting the viewer by jumping from important moment to important moment, without pause for the more mundane aspects of life in 12th Century England. The exact plot points which move things forward are intently the focus, and the characters, Kingsbridge, and Shiring are along for the ride. When everything jumps ahead in time, whether it be a year or 10 years, it seems to be all the same, from the appearances of Aliena or Jack to everyone's behavior (Jack and Aliena's "spat" resolved itself in about 2 minutes.).

The plot itself is basically people constantly double-crossing each other with Waleran as the primary instigator. Poor townsfolk--and the cathedral--suffer as a result. And variations on that is repeated in every episode.

"New Beginnings" and "The Work of Angels" wraps things up as expected. After more evil by Waleran and the usual suspects, the evildoers are killed, exposed for who they are, and the good guys are happy. At least the final shot was cool--the camera pans out to show the cathedral still erect in modern times.

Score: 8.3/10

Review - The Pillars of the Earth Part 3 Redemption

I'm not sure whether to review the rest of The Pillars of the Earth weekly. It's not bad--the production is immersive and the plot is decent--but that's all it is: nice looking sets and clothing and a fairly interesting plot about England in the 12th century. The miniseries lacks much of the nuance found in miniseries on HBO in that the characters are mostly one-dimensional, either good guys or bad guys. My interest in the miniseries lies in what happens. Everything else in between is currently forgettable, even Ian McShane who makes the most out of his role, flitting around in the background, maneuvering those in power.

The biggest developments this week were the arrival of Aliena and Richard in Kingsbridge and King Stephen arriving afterwards, only to go mad as his dream becomes true.

Score: 8.5/10

Review - The Pillars of the Earth Part 1 Anarchy / 2 Master Builder

The Pillars of the Earth, based on Ken Follett's novel of the same name, isn't fun to watch. The setting is eternally dreary, the acting ranges from inspired to plain bad, and the plot trudges along slowly as characters are piled upon more characters.

However, the above-average production value and the unique time period are enough to make the miniseries perfectly watchable. Since it's on a Friday and it'll be ending in a few months, I won't be writing long reviews on The Pillars of the Earth, but I'll be watching with at least a passing interest.

Score: 8.4/10