Gunpowder

Thanks Grumppa. I’d wondered about that. Really enjoyed the last episode. Although due to DD1s sitting room lighting (we were babysitting) we had to watch it in the dark.

Interesting to see the west towers of Westminster Abbey in the background in the final episode, a mere 140 years before Hawksmoor built them.

We’ve just watched it and thought it was very good, and not nearly as mumbly and dark as we were led to believe. The execution scenes were harrowing, but necessary for us to realise how grim the times were.

I must admit to chuckling to myself inappropriately a couple of times, as I’d read that the Radio Times reviewer had misheard the word popery as pot pourri. “This house reeks of pot pourri” brings a whole new slant to the plot.

We`ve just watched episode 1, and thought that it was excellently done, no problems with sound. It was very gruesome, yes, but that is how things were then, it wouldn`t be true drama if they papered over all the nasty bits. I`m looking forward to episode 2.

..still watching it [yawn]. Trouble is, with Liv Tyler being in it I keep expecting her to whip up some Elve'ish magic...

I'm ok with the torture scenes [the only torture scenes I've ever struggled with are the ones in Outlander; GoT's and Vikings etc are fine by me]. However, I can't stand scenes where someone is hidden and they are being searched for. They totally freak me out .

I did wonder whether pressing to death was done in public. As the defendant refused to plead there wouldn't be a proper trial and I thought that, like torture, the pressing was done out of sight. But I suppose they wouldn't have passed up an opportunity for a good spectacle.

I went on holiday to York and did the Ghost tour. It was more of a history lesson than frightening and I learnt about Margaret Clitherow, thank goodness things have changed in Britain. I found it hard to tell the difference between the characters and it was mumbly which is a shame as it's important history and an interesting story.

Game of Thrones. I have read all the books but refuse to watch the tv series, preferring to leave the violence to the imagination!

What’s GoT ?
I don’t like cruelty and gore for the sake of it but if it’s showing something real I think we owe to the victims to watch and learn
I d not heard of the Pressing penalty either Willow

I thought it was very good - grisly stuff doesn't bother me but had not heard of being pressed to death before which was a new revelation. The quartering was sometimes done by fastening four horses to the limbs and making them gallop off in different directions - literally ripping them apart. If you've not watched GoT this was very tame in comparison - in particular the Red Wedding scenes!

The point was to cut the victim down while he was still alive before they disembowelled him.

Pressing to death was the penalty for refusing to plead.

I didn't have too much problem with the sound, it seemed better than usual to me.

Thanks Grannyknot .....thank God it was fifteen minutes not hours it must have been a long fifteen minutes perhaps she lost consciousness before then Terrible terrible stuff but so important we don’t cover it up that’s the only way it won’t be repeated

Just a heads up for next episode - I’ve just watched episode 2.
There’s two bits of torture one by burning and the other by stretching.

Apparently the torture depicted is historically accurate. Here's more info from Wikipedia:

The most famous case in the United Kingdom was that of Roman Catholic martyr St Margaret Clitherow, who (in order to avoid a trial in which her own children would be obliged to give evidence) was pressed to death on March 25, 1586, after refusing to plead to the charge of having harboured Catholic (then outlawed) priests in her house. She died within fifteen minutes under a weight of at least 700 pounds (320 kg). Several hardened criminals, including William Spigott (1721) and Edward Burnworth, lasted a half hour under 400 pounds (180 kg) before pleading to the indictment. Others, such as Major Strangways (1658) and John Weekes (1731), refused to plead, even under 400 pounds.

It will be interesting, at the end, to see whether they depict Guy Fawkes’ death accurately.

Was looking forward to an accurate historic programme but couldn't bear the graphic scenes so gave up on it then. I've never been able to watch stuff like that and had to switch Braveheart off before the end, years back.

Annodomini, true. I must admit I was thinking of Western society. We are all aware of the practices in other countries, and of course the ghastly ISIS.

I thought it might be gory, and I really can't watch anything so cruel, so I thought I'd pop in here and see what's being said. Oh my word, so glad I haven't watched, it's bad enough on here.

I’m not going to watch it, but think it is right that such grisly part of history is not airbrushed out of such a story. Might as well ban Macbeth, most operas etc.

The tv depiction of the hanging drawing and quartering was mercifully brief. In fact, it would be a far more horrible process, drawn out to please the crowds and does not bear thinking about. They would put the traitor’s head on a spike on London Bridge and send the “quarters” out into the country to be displayed as a deterrent to others.

You're right. Insecurity and fear of being picked on. It does show how easy it is for a bully, from school playground to president, to exert power over the masses. I understand Cecil just wanted priests to be quietly expelled from the country, not killed. He didn't want to stir up rebellion. Even the King thought that way to begin with, he didn't want to upset Spain.

I think it’s a ‘all join together against the enemy’ thing same with the French gullitine and the Romans, the stoning in the Middle East even today, every time an enemy is killed a group will form to watch and applaud perhaps its relief it’s not them, perhaps it’s curiosity, perhaps it’s join the right side or it may happen to you or maybe it’s just getting pulled along by the crowd as ‘one’ Think of bullying today its the same thing
Absolutely shows the brutality of humanity as it was and is

I've read they often were conscious throughout Bluebelle and I believe she was pressed to death. I've never understood why people would want to watch. Perhaps it made them feel better about their miserable lot.