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How Much Work is Involved in Getting Bread and Milk for Julia? (Ep. 6)

posted 12 years ago by dizexpat
3 replies | jump to latest

In episode 6, Julia rings for Wilcox late at night. No doubt asleep, he had to wake up, put on his tuxedo (he can't be seen without it) and rush to answer the call.

Julia tells him "Wilcox, I'm starving! Is there any bread and milk?"

As Wilcox does not work in the kitchen, he would have had to quickly wake up the cook, who probably then woke up one of her underlings to go into the kitchen to get bread and milk for Julia, who then gives it to Wilcox who delivers it to Julia.

No doubt Wilcox would have to retrieve the dirty dishes in the middle of the night when she was done, bring them into the kitchen where a kitchen staff member would wash them.

And all because Julia doesn't know where the kitchen is located in her own home, and would have no idea how to find bread and milk even if she did.

"And take that filthy dog out of here!"

[–] murdoch1111 12 years ago

@ dizexpat on Sat Mar 31

I think the point of the scene is to demonstrate the way in which wealthy English aristocrats used to be able to live.

By the way, have you seen the following post about Jeremy Irons that I made two days ago? In it, Irons describes how he feels about acting. I'll paste some of his remarks below.

by murdoch1111 2 days ago (Thu Jun 14 2012 18:37:52)

UPDATED Fri Jun 15 2012 05:18:52

The quotation below comes from the IMDb page about Irons.

Irons says, "I've never been passionate about acting, and I find more and more that I work to live the life I want to live. An actor like Al Pacino lives to act. I'm not sure though, there's something about the detachment I have, the feeling of the lack of importance about what I do, that is healthy. Anyway, I'm never satisfied. I think were I ever satisfied with my work, I'd be in trouble.

Basically, I want to keep working, so I don't worry about the size of the character - if it's interesting, I'll do it. It's quite nice doing smaller roles, in some ways. It means I get home more, and I can get on with my life."

[–] tovangar2-321-223220 12 years ago

Wilcox would not have been asleep. He would have stayed up until the last of the family were in their rooms, unless he had told directly that he would not be needed again that night.

He also would not have had to retrieve the dishes. The family would have gone to the breakfast room and then the morning room the next day, giving staff plenty of time to clear up and relay the fire before the family used the drawing room again the next evening.

Wilcox would also have known where the bread and milk were and could have easily made up a tray himself.

Not that I'm excusing the insufferable Julia. She only rang for bread and milk as a ruse to give Wilcox instructions as to how to respond when Rex rang the next morning.

"I do apologize, I was unaware that the filthy dog was in here"

[–] murdoch1111 12 years ago

@ tovangar2-321-223220 on Wed Oct 31 2012

Please remember that, in the scene in question, Julia is grieving over Rex's relationship with Brenda Champion. Her requesting bread and milk is an attempt to get her mind off the couple. It may also represent a secular form of communion.