The Playlist

Recap: 'Parade's End' Brings Dense Miniseries To A Quiet Close In Finale

By Kevin Jagernauth
|
March 1, 2013 10:00 AM
|
4 Comments

Reviews

As my colleagues have written in their recaps of the first four episodes of "Parade's End," there is much to admire in the five-part miniseries. From the dense, multi-threaded and layered script from Tom Stoppard, to the sumptuous direction from Susanna White and a cluster of great performances from Benedict Cumberbatch, Rebecca Hall, Adelaide Clemens, Stephen Graham and Rupert Everett. And at the middle of it all, perhaps one of the most buttoned up leading men we've seen in quite some time on the small screen, Christopher Tietjens. It would almost be laughable at how much his life has taken a downward turn since we met him at the start of the first episode, if it weren't so tragic. As an era fades, so too does a particular way of English, gentlemanly life, and Tietjens will hold on to it until it nearly destroys him. But after seeing nearly every facet of his life crumble and corrupted, you yearn for Christopher -- as his wife Sylvia long has -- to finally submit to some kind of emotion. To break free and reclaim his life. And while he doesn't quite do that in the finale, his victory such as it is, is satisfying in the way the character deserves.

More:

Recap: 'Parade's End' Goes To War With One Outstanding Episode, And One Middling One

By Oliver Lyttelton
|
February 28, 2013 9:58 AM
|
0 Comments

Television

When we left off with part two of "Parade's End," war had arrived, with Christopher Tietjens (Benedict Cumberbatch) in the trenches, and his wife Sylvia (Rebecca Hall) seemingly finding religion. Part three of the show stayed mostly away from the front, picking up with Christopher waking in a military hospital, concussed by a shell, and seemingly unable to remember even his name.

More:

Recap: Benedict Cumberbatch & Rebecca Hall Shine In First 2 Parts Of Period Miniseries 'Parade's End'

By The Playlist Staff
|
February 27, 2013 10:00 AM
|
0 Comments

Reviews

The specter of "Downton Abbey" has been present in the run up to the broadcast of BBC and HBO's new period drama "Parade's End." Both are lavish period tales set before, during and after World War I. But in fact, the comparisons are a little overblown. 'Downton' and "Parade's End" (an adaptation of Ford Madox Ford's cycle of novels, often labelled as among the finest literary achievements of the 20th century, written for the screen by the great Sir Tom Stoppard, and directed by Susanna White, who was also behind "Bleak House" and "Generation Kill") might share a loose genre, but on the strength of the first episode, they couldn't be more different. 'Downton' is a soap, for better or worse, while "Parade's End" is a fearsomely intelligent, deceptively funny epic that, if it can keep up this level of quality, will likely be one of the best things on television all year.

More:

Watch: New Trailer For HBO Miniseries 'Parade's End' With Benedict Cumberbatch & Rebecca Hall

By Tess Hofmann
|
January 22, 2013 10:39 AM
|
6 Comments

Television

Two weeks after announcing that they would be airing the popular U.K. miniseries “Parade’s End” and releasing an impressive teaser trailer, HBO is letting viewers have a longer peak at the imported literary adaptation with a new full-length promo. It similarly highlights the devastating pseudo-love triangle between Christoper Tietjens (Benedict Cumberbatch), his adulterous wife Sylvia (Rebecca Hall) and the alluring young suffragette Valentine Wannop (Adelaide Clemens), but this extended version gives a better feel of what looks like a chilling performance by Cumberbatch, whose character is crippled by allegiance to an outdated moral code.

More:

Watch: Teaser Trailer For 'Parade's End' Starring Benedict Cumberbatch & Rebecca Hall

By Kevin Jagernauth
|
January 4, 2013 5:29 PM
|
9 Comments

Television

Well, that was fast. Just a few hours after HBO announced that they'll be bringing the U.K. miniseries "Parade's End" starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Rebecca Hall to American shores next month, they've gone ahead and dropped the first teaser trailer. And yes, it's look pretty damn good.

More:

U.K. Miniseries 'Parade's End' With Benedict Cumberbatch Comes To HBO In Feb.; Christopher Guest's 'Family Tree' This Spring

By Kevin Jagernauth
|
January 4, 2013 3:16 PM
|
0 Comments

Television

HBO isn't wasting a single moment in 2013. Next weekend, Lena Dunham's smash hit "Girls" returns for season two, with season one not even a full year in the rearview. And while the world breathlessly awaits "Game Of Thrones" this spring and "Boardwalk Empire" this fall, there will be plenty of programming to keep you occupied.

More:

Recap: 'Parade's End' Goes To War With One Outstanding Episode, And One Middling One

By Oliver Lyttelton
|
September 15, 2012 12:53 PM
|
4 Comments

Television

When we left off with "Parade's End" (two weeks ago -- TIFF commitments mean that we had to skip last week's recap, which will be covered below), war had arrived, with Christopher Tietjens (Benedict Cumberbatch) in the trenches, and his wife Sylvia (Rebecca Hall) seemingly finding religion. Part three of the show stayed mostly away from the front, picking up with Christopher waking in a military hospital, concussed by a shell, and seemingly unable to remember even his name.

More:

Recap: The Women Come To The Fore As War Looms In Episode 2 Of 'Parade's End'

By Jessica Kiang
|
September 1, 2012 11:52 AM
|
3 Comments

Television

“Parade’s End” has already proven divisive. It’s been widely praised by the punditry, but many viewers have expressed frustration with its wilfully muddled structure (apparently a hangover from the even more chronologically confusing books), in which events separated by years and sometimes countries crash together as though occupying contiguous spaces. It doesn’t help, say these critics, that these events then unfold with a minimum of helpful backstory, and little contextualisation, so we drop in mid-conversation or catch mere glimpses of relevant newspaper headlines or have to tell simply by the fact that this minor character is talking to this other minor character, that Something Is Up. It’s challenging for the viewer, and within the genre of the costume drama, which is frequently reduced to who-is-shagging-whom-oh-look-at-that-pretty-hat throughlines, that can be offputting.

More:

Recap: Benedict Cumberbatch & Rebecca Hall Shine In First Part Of Period Miniseries 'Parade's End'

By Oliver Lyttelton
|
August 25, 2012 12:59 PM
|
19 Comments

Television

The specter of "Downton Abbey" has been present in the run up to the broadcast of BBC and HBO's new period drama "Parade's End," which aired its first episode in the UK last night (it'll come to the US cable network in the near future, though no exact date has been confirmed yet). Both are lavish period tales in the run up to, midst and aftermath of the first world war, and the star of the latter, Benedict Cumberbatch, didn't help matters much when he labelled the second season of 'Downton' "fucking atrocious" in a recent interview.

More:

New Images Of Benedict Cumberbatch, Adelaide Clemens & Rebecca Hall In 'Parade's End'

By Joe Cunningham
|
August 6, 2012 11:36 AM
|
49 Comments

Television

Back in 2006 James McAvoy, Alice Eve, Dominic Cooper, James Corden, Rebecca Hall and Benedict Cumberbatch all starred together in the low key British rom-com “Starter For Ten.” It would take a hefty chunk of change to reassemble that cast in 2012, but the BBC and HBO have managed to secure the latter two, Hall and Cumberbatch, for their co-produced miniseries “Parade’s End.” Also working on the Tom Stoppard penned novel adaptation are Rupert Everett, Miranda Richardson, Anne-Marie Duff (aka Mrs James McAvoy), Roger Allam, Janet McTeer, Jack Huston and Aussie newcomer Adelaide Clemens.

More: