Tapestry Reviews

O what a tangled web we weave!

You can call it a Tapestry where all the different lives are woven together, but an equally apt metaphor would be a spider's web where creatures playing out their roles are enmeshed in a master plan bigger than themselves. The spider image crops up a couple of times -Marguerite reputedly is the Black Widow -luring rich old men to their deaths. And as Roxton hunts, there is a brief close-up of a spider in its web then it dissolves into a longer shot of Roxton in the woods.

Secrecy must be maintained at all costs

All the players from the 'Iridium Affair' are on the plateau and all have kept their war-time secrets from each other until this very moment. All the connections both war-time and on the standing stones of Avebury are examined (it almost becomes an 'encounter group' as it went on) and at least Roxton and Marguerite are agreed that there is no such thing as coincidence.

Sacrifices

Wittingly or unwittingly, much has been sacrificed for the winning of the war. Marguerite has given up security and trust - playing so many roles she may have lost herself. (little wonder her soul is 'a little the worse for wear'). Roxton gave up his career as an officer and doubtless there would be some lingering shame for the Roxton name (at least from people in the know). Challenger lost his chance to 'end war forever', his Special Research department a shambles at the end of 1917. And poor insane Drummond has spent every day for the last five years burying his burden/treasure and digging it up again, setting an ambush every day for the enemy and waiting for orders on a radio that doesn't work.

Peace Offerings

There was much apology as well in this story. Marguerite and Roxton hurt each other's feelings at first. They then try to create desirable food offerings (unsucessfully) and practice those difficult words "I'm sorry." More poignant are the words of remorse uttered by Roxton to Challenger (though they are not very well received by George)

Quite the visionary!

We finally get to hear the 'to hell and back' speech that has sparked Roxton's loyalty to Challenger so long ago. And it is a clarion call "All is takes is one person. And then there will be others, brave and true enough to follow."

Duelling dames or dynamic duo?

I've never seen Veronica show such deadly intent - to throw a knife at a person whose merely asks her if she's seen an old man. And Finn's responding with a knock-down brawl, when we know that she is quite familiar with Veronica's features from the self-portraits around the tree-house. But when they aren't trying to kill each other, they are quite a team. Scaling vines and launching themselves through the balcony was pretty impressive.

Anything you can do, I can do better.

If they are the Dynamic Duo, then Veronica is definitely Batman, Finn is Robin. Veronica outfought her, out-tracked her and out-read her. However, Finn shows some mental quickness when she deduces that the radio is missing. Both are pretty heavy-handed in the insults department.

The storm's not here yet.

A lot of foreshadowing of the Season 3 finale. The whole conversation between Challenger and Finn at the beginning about the nature of the plateau including the part where they compare it to a vortex or black hole. The storm itself providing the climax to the story. The fact that each explorer is on their own for a time (a sight rarely seen in this series). And an introduction of Veronica's role in the upcoming maelstrom.

Other things

How Challenger has changed! What a contrast between the compassionate man of 1922 to the egotist of 1917 "Do you know how important I am? The Admiralty will hear about this...the Prime Minister... the King."

How very British - I love the way the Baroness (aided and abetted by Huxley) make a mockery of the interrogation. And it's topped off with dialogue that reminded me of the old Chip 'n Dale cartoons.
Huxley: I have to ask.
Marguerite: I quite understand.
Huxley: Frightfully sorry.
Marguerite: Well?

The stolen ciphers.
I took a look at the sheet of paper that was the cipher given to Marguerite to pass along to Berlin. It was an exerpt from Woodrow Wilson's speech to Congress on April 2, 1917 advising them to declare war on Germany. I did a little research on codes, ciphers and code-breaking in World War I.It seems England had a top-notch crew of code-breakers (Room 40 they were called). Their greatest successes included 1) breaking the naval codes that should have won the Battle of Jutland for England (and did end the German naval threat) and 2) the Zimmerman telegram that was leaked by the British to the U.S leading to the US declaration of war in 1917. Can't you just picture Marguerite being involved in both of these actions? (Dieter actually mentioned Jutland in Tribute)

Finn has the best of lines, she has the worst of lines.
Worst: (I hate it when she gets the last word) Whoa, that radio's not getting fixed!
Best: This plateau has got to be the wierdest place in the universe. No wonder it's lost.

The gamut of emotions - We certainly see Marguerite at her most vulnerable, saddest, bravest, iciest and hardest all in a single episode. I love all the little moments (some I've mentioned in my earlier post). One that I see on later viewings is when Roxton tells them that he was the one arrested for the theft of the iridium. There is a shot of Marguerite, her forehead furrowed, her brain plainly racing, figuring out the whole story but never saying a word.

The coffee/childhood scene - I've already raved about this one, but its right up there in my top 5 favourite Roxton/Marguerite scenes.

This is one episode that holds up well to repeated viewing. There's a lot going on here.