Thoughts on the finale and the season?
Very underwhelming intro for Hamilton in the prior episode, would love to see more hamilton going forward despite the actor being extremely forgettable. Maybe the writers don't want hamilton to overshadow the culper ring story despite hamilton's major importance to Washington?
Excellent job with the lead up to Andre's hanging, so many continental officers could not speak more highly of him leading up to the hanging, I was glad to see they did justice for Andre in that regard. There was much respect for him despite being caught and tried as a spy, glad they went over the controversy there too.
Definitely some inaccuracies regarding how andre was caught and how arnold escaped. I never expected total accuracy here but I think you could have a much better horse chase rather than arnold just getting on a boat after being found out, and tallmadge missing the shot as he departed. (Real good Hamilton book came out a few months ago and describes the west point affair with as much evidence as possible. Alexander Hamilton: The formative years. One of the best sourced books I ever read.)
The whole season was very entertaining. Anna and Major Hewlett. Andre's scheming. Rogers killing it. Symcoe's continued sociopathic rampage. The Townshends and Rivington. (I wonder if we'll get to see Rivington's opportunistic assistance to the colonies later in the war) Biggest complaint is how amateurish abraham is regularly, onscreen he does not learn from his mistakes at all nor does he really acknowledge that he makes them.
It was great seeing the Arnold defection brought to life, but I was left wanting to see more on just how shitty Arnold had made the defenses around west point and again, a bit better depiction of the andre capture and horserace to catch arnold. Awesome job having Clinton put Arnold in his place after the fact too.
Really great third season though overall, every week was thoroughly compelling.
Simcoe deserves an emmy.
And I think that's Abraham and why he was effective, he's reckless and determined and doesn't care so much for living or dying.
I love they got the Nathan Hale quote right, and Washington admitted Hale never said it but was orchestrated for a reason.
Did you read the book Turn was based on? This is one case where the show/movie FAR exceeds the book. The book is great because it includes actual content from the letters sent back and forth and some very cool historical fact, but it's rambling and all over the place.
I'll check out the Hamilton book, this subject fascinates me.
When GW arrived at the residence, he had breakfast then decided to check out west point himself instead of waiting. He immediately noticed the defenses were terribly set up. Then he received a dispatch about the Andre news along with the west point plans recovered from Andre. Then they put 2 and 2 together and a couple subordinates took off on horseback to catch him but were too late.
pj, it's in my kindle queue but I've heard it's more a compelling narrative than a very well researched book so it's on the list but not a huge priority.
Robert Rogers, also pretty untrue to history, is my favorite character though.
When GW arrived at the residence, he had breakfast then decided to check out west point himself instead of waiting. He immediately noticed the defenses were terribly set up. Then he received a dispatch about the Andre news along with the west point plans recovered from Andre. Then they put 2 and 2 together and a couple subordinates took off on horseback to catch him but were too late.
pj, it's in my kindle queue but I've heard it's more a compelling narrative than a very well researched book so it's on the list but not a huge priority.
Less a narrative more a collection of anecdotes with no real cohesive plot. worth a read, but agree shouldn't be high priority.
And Arnold turned out to be a treasonous traitor, but man he got hosed. Obviously nearly everyone watching the show knew the outcome, but he was pushed to his breaking point.
the other piece I found somewhat unrealistic is talmadge letting shippen (Arnold's wife) because we know she accompanies him back to England.
And while Arnold was certainly passed over a lot and not recognized for his merits, he was hardly the only continental rank to suffer such a fate. He was terrible with finances and quite ill tempered as well so he made a great target for the british to attempt to turn. Without Andre's cunning, Arnold likely never contemplates treason but that happens in war.
forget the monetary "reward" for things he considered he financed on the behalf of the continental army that he should have been reimbursed for, I'm speaking strictly as a combat leader.
he supposedly was quite the formidable warrior.
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Sometimes people deserved promotion for progressing through the ranks in a typical hierarchy, people like Arnold, Hamilton, John Laurens, and may others, who deserved promotions based solely off merit, had a very difficult time getting said promotions. Traditionally, the former hierarchy procedure was how this typically worked. It's why you see the english immediately demoting arnold's rank. They're all about the hierarchy.
This was one of Washington's biggest bureaucratic struggles throughout the war.
but he was petulant and sensitive. Anyone who got promoted over him he would stew over.
and when he finally did get his promotion approved he rejected it unless it was backdated to be before those who he felt should be his junior. I read he re-signed multiple times and withdrew his forces from the battlefield multiple times because he disagreed with strategy or felt disrespected. and he was probably right if we had good accurate accounts of the events.
anyway, my point wasn't suggesting Arnold was a great American, however he was, if you believe the accounts, a legendary combat tactician, a real battlefield warrior and probably got hosed in terms of recognition.
should have been hanged, but also could have been avoided.
Simcoe is a great bad guy, on par with Ramsay Bolton in GOT with his chillingly cheerful psychotic bent
The only part of the story that got pretty dull for me is the ongoing angst between Woodhull and his father.
forget the monetary "reward" for things he considered he financed on the behalf of the continental army that he should have been reimbursed for, I'm speaking strictly as a combat leader.
he supposedly was quite the formidable warrior.
Arnold also personally financed a campaign in 1775-1776 to take Quebec which was a source of his financial difficulties
The Lee at the battle of Monmouth is General Charles Lee not Light Horse Harry Lee who was a Cavalry commander and the father of Robert E. Lee.
My fear is the don't renew it. The really onl need one more season to Finnish the story but the ratings have been dismal
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but overall, I love the show. I thought the finale was fantastic. It was probably my favorite episode. It will be a crime if they don't bring it back for another season.
My fear is the don't renew it. The really onl need one more season to Finnish the story but the ratings have been dismal
For comparisons sake, Low Winter sun had a .44 which is about 1.2 million viewers in that demographic. It was cancelled after a season. I bet AMC wants to put a ribbon on the show, but I see a "Treme-like" renewal of 4-6 episodes to wrap things up. If not by AMC, maybe by Netflix even though they said they were straying from that practice. Hulu also. Or maybe I am just selfishly hoping.
Read an interesting article that suggested the intro of Hamilton could gain some people obsessed with the Broadway play and that could be the saving grace. With these ratings, Id be shocked if it were brought back for a full season.