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Margaret Hale and John Thornton, such a lovely pair. I’m no romantic, but I can hardly stop myself from replaying the last scene again and again, it’s so wonderfully picturised.

Thornton’s mill is in bad shape, and even a collaboration with the out-of-work Higgins to improve the conditions doesn’t work out. He refuses to engage in speculation with his sister Fanny’s husband, owing to what happened to his father. Margaret’s father passes away and she moves to London. She comes into money when her father’s friend wills his possessions to her, and she decides to invest her inheritance in restoring Thornton’s mill.

The chemistry between Margaret and Thornton is very cute, lovely in its quaintness. Their final romantic meeting is picturised in bright colours in contrast to the dull greys that dominate their previous encounters, depicting a new rosy beginning for both of them (I so fell for Armitage’s smile). Once again, I’ll say, I’m not a romantic: I usually roll my eyes at the final kiss, but I didn’t feel cynical at all when N&S ended. A word about Thornton’s mother: I thought she was like the Wicked Witch, but I was quite wrong. She is haughty, but she cares very much for her son, and is willing to endure poverty for his sake. A very strong performance by Sinead Cusack. Brendan Coyle as Nicholas Higgins was like this polar bear: gruff exterior, but warm heart. He was like the fairy godfather for the couple, building the bridges which brought them together.

This series has really inspired me to search out more BBC dramas. Right now, I’m on to Pride and Prejudice. If you have any suggestions, do share them with me.

I thought N&S was similar to Pride and Prejudice, but the differences clearly showed in this episode. While P&P is more about attraction between opposites, N&S has darker undercurrents throughout. It is not just a love story; it is also a story about the industrial workers, their lives and the difficulties they face.

Well, Margaret’s mother grows sicker by the day, and she has written to her brother Frederick to come. Frederick was involved in a mutiny, and he will be courtmartialled and hanged if he is found in England. Meanwhile, Margaret goes to London to visit an industrial fair, and comes face to face with Thornton for the first time since he proposed to her, and is much impressed by his views. Frederick arrives in Milton and Margaret has to hide a lot of things from the townspeople, especially Thornton, which complicates things between them.

This episode is full of tense moments. It is much darker than the previous ones, and the gloom of death hangs over the episode. I thought that the episode was a little hurried, events tumbling on one another. I’d have preferred the story to be a little more fleshed out. Anyways, I’m on to the final episode, the climax to a nice journey through industrial England. The couple will be together, Thornton will give his killer smile and…well, nothing. If you haven’t seen this miniseries, and aren’t too mad at me for writing all about it (seriously, I tried very hard to avoid spoilers), then please go watch it and tell me what you thought.

I reviewed the first episode of North and South last week, and the series continues. Richard Armitage is just perfect as the brooding, haughty mill owner, I could probably spend this entire post talking about him, but I'll try not to.

Margaret Hale is finding her way about Milton, visitng the workers, making friends with Higgin's sick daughter Bessie. Her mother is falling ill due to the unhealthy atmosphere and wishes to see her son, Frederick, before she dies. Higgins is organizing a strike against the rich mill owners, demanding higher wages and better living conditions. Thornton takes a decision that could endanger his life, as the situation in this small town heats up.

The performances in this episode, well, in this series as such, is superb. I especially liked Sinead Cusack as Hannah, the nose-in-the-air mother of Thornton- her disdain for the workers drips like rainwater throughout. And Armitage, well, the piercing look, the arched nose, the crooked smile, the stern face. He is giving Colin Firth some serious competition as the perfect Victorian gentleman, and sparks fly whenever Thornton and Margaret lock eyes. The proposal scene was just so perfectly executed, I was rooting for Thornton and cursing Margaret for refusing. It was quite the opposite with Pride and Prejudice: I always supported Elizabeth's initial refusal, Darcy's proposal was too arrogantly put. You know, I wondered about the astonishing similarities with P&P. The basic plot is the same: proud man falls in love with strong-willed woman who refuses him, only to learn of all his good qualities later. Put P&P in an industrial setting: N&S is what you get. The initial war of words between the two, the proposal scene, it's like watching P&P again. Was this kind of plot as common then as it is now?

As I write this, the proposal scene is playing on my computer. The music builds to a crescendo as an angry Thornton walks out, delivering his parting stab. I'm starting on the next episode in a short while, expect a review soon.

Quite a few other bloggers have been bitten by the Richard Armitage bug, and I am the latest to join the bandwagon. After watching the Proposal scene over at Eva's blog A Striped Armchair, I decided to download the series from Youtube. But that is easier said than done, 'coz I have a very slow Internet connection. 4 episodes, divided into 6 parts each (on Youtube), and each part takes a minimum of 20 minutes to download. I've watched 1 episode till date, and I am developing quite a crush on Armitage. So that essentially involves me devoting all my time and broadband to finishing the downloads. I'll post a review of each episode as and when I finish it. And after that, I am going to go and drool over Colin Firth in Pride and Prejudice. So don't be surprised if I'm offline for most of June- two dashingly handsome Regency gentlemen await me.

If you want a glimpse into the series, check out the trailer below: