MovieChat Forums > Keeping Up Appearances (1990) Discussion > Did Anyone Else Think Emmet Was OTT In ...

Did Anyone Else Think Emmet Was OTT In His Fear Of Hyacinth


I mean I know she could be a right pain in the arse and had an annoying singing voice but at times I found Emmet's fear of her more ridiculous than funny like being scared to come out of the house I mean come on, he's a grown man not a little kid and the fact that he actually wished harm on her at times...

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I so agree with you. And here is an example of a very similar thread: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098837/board/flat/234024843

Intelligence and purity.

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What the heck is OTT

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OTT = Over the Top. The entire series was over the top with pretty much everything. Why single out Emmet? Besides, it wasn't fear, exactly, it was just more about dreading having to deal with her.

I do not have attention deficit disor...Ooh, look at the bunny! 

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Wasn't fear? Not sure what you watched. And I'm referring to Emmet because people like the vicar for instance also dreaded Hyacinth but at least he never wished any harm on her.

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Wasn't fear? Not sure what you watched.

I agree with you. He even called her a monster at least twice.

And I'm referring to Emmet because people like the vicar for instance also dreaded Hyacinth but at least he never wished any harm on her.

But still, even the vicar seemed to hate Hyacinth like he had never hated anybody before.

Intelligence and purity.

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The entire series was over the top with pretty much everything. Why single out Emmet?

We know that Hyacinth is a pain in the butt, but Emmet would often take his fear of her to a ridiculous level. And I also have to agree with what someone said in a different thread, that the script never gave him anything to do except for complaining about his annoying neighbor. So it was like the character got too little depth for us to really care about him. It would have been nice if they had done more with the character. For example, we often see Daisy and Onslow do other things than complain about Hyacinth, which makes them feel like more rounded characters than Emmet. Someone might now argue that Elizabeth's character also was all about her reactions to Hyacinth's antics, but I say that her reactions, even if she keeps dropping things and spilling her coffee, are less over the top than Emmet's.

Besides, it wasn't fear, exactly, it was just more about dreading having to deal with her.

So what is the different between fear and dread? (English is not my mother tongue, so I don't really know).

Intelligence and purity.

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the vicar for instance also dreaded Hyacinth but at least he never wished any harm on her.
But the Vicar doesn't live next door to her. Also, as a single man Emmet is especially 'vulnerable' to Hyacinth, as he hasn't got a woman like the vicar's wife to fight Hyacinth off.

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It's not just Emmet, though, is it? The vicar, the postman and just about anyone who has to encounter Hyacinth react in a far too OTT way. It's called overacting and it is a bit embarrassing at times.It's the only thing I don't like about the show.

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True that! Many characters on this show were over the top in their fear of Hyacinth. We have the vicar and the post man and the milk man, and all those ladies running away from her at the church hall. Yeah, I know that we're probably just supposed to laugh it off. But I have to agree with you that it's a blemish on the otherwise high quality of this show.

Intelligence and purity.

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I'm sure we all have someone at work or school that we avoid at all costs, turning in the opposite direction if we see them coming down the hall. We all have our Hyacinth Buckets.

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Yes, I know. Like I have explained in other threads on this board, my sister had a "friend", who pretty much stalked her just like Hyacinth would stalk people. So I know that it can happen. But my sister's "friend" was no social climber, and we all were disgusted by her complete scum for a boyfriend. But I can still see some similarities between her and Hyacinth, particularly in how she couldn't take a hint when people were sick of her. And in the end, poor sis began to hide if she saw this girl walking down the street. So she started to understand Emmet in a way, that she had never done before. But still, many characters on this show just went too far to be realistic. The post man and the milk man should just have done their jobs and then left. And I found it ridiculous that people kept hiding behind some bushes, instead of just keep on walking, in one episode.

Intelligence and purity.

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I don't have my Hyacinth Buckets. Where are my Hyacinth Buckets? Can I have my Hyacinth Buckets? I want my Hyacinth Buckets!

No fair, I'm telling mom.

Life is like Wikipedia: There are no Facts, Just Popular Opinion

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I have a Hyacinth as a neighbour. My husband and I often say we are like Elizabeth and Emmet. If we are going out, we look to see if she's outside. If she is, and we can wait, then we do. We are not afraid of her, it's just that when she "catches" us, there's really NO escaping! I usually complain to my husband that the conversation ends when she wants it to end. We have tried everything. I say I have to go back to work (I work from home), that I have something in the oven, but she just keeps talking. The only thing that works is if my phone rings, so sometimes when I see her coming or when she knocks on my door, I set a timer and when it ends she thinks my phone is ringing lol!

Bonus: the other day we were talking and I happened to mention something about a neighbour down the street (regarding garbage collection - I never talk about other people with her because she's so gossipy). Anyway, when I said "You know Mrs. X, down the street" and then she said... I kid you not... "THE ONE WITH THE MERCEDES?" Needless to say my husband and I had a fit of laughter that night when I told him what "our Hyacinth" had said! 

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>>>"THE ONE WITH THE MERCEDES?">>>



*****
On your feet, Sam.

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yes, it did work once per episode but then they used it several times and then it was a bit much


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I just finished a KUA binge, and I found Emmett VERY annoying this time around. He gripes and complains so much to Elizabeth about Hyacinth that I wanted Liz to kick him out of her house. I was thinking, "Good grief, nobody is MAKING you live there....find some other place to live!!!"

LBE


*****
On your feet, Sam.

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Thats what I thought too. If youre so paralyzed with fear that she'll "sing at you", then find another place to live.



I know of only one duty, and that is to love... Albert Camus

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To be fair to Emmet, I can see why he stays with his sister, even if Hyacinth lives next door and drives him nuts. He has been through a nasty divorce and lost his house to his ex-wife. Elizabeth's husband is abroad, leaving her alone to handle everything at home, and it has been implied that their marriage isn't that happy. So at this point, Emmet and Elizabeth simply need each other's support. I can agree that the writers probably exaggerated reality a bit to fit the format of the show, so Emmet probably would have moved away in real life. But for a sitcom, it works fine for me. It is no stranger than that Rose lives with Daisy and Onslow.

Intelligence and purity.

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Yes, why does Rose live with Daisy and Onslow and their father? I love Daisy and Onslow, they are a gorgeous couple however I would like to take a wrecking ball through their house or set a match to it 😆

SkiesAreBlue

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Lot of single adult people live with there family.

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I can sympathize with Emmet a little bit. Hyacinth had an agenda and it had to do with his career. Imagine if you're a plastic surgeon, for example. And you have a neighbour who is eager to be a part of your services. So she looks for every opportunity to engage you, but it's only about HER desire for plastic surgery.

Or you're an accountant and have a neighbour who ONLY bugs you about questions on his taxes and finances and has no other interest in you or your life, and actually goes out of their way to track you down and bombard you with questions and tries to wriggle into your profession.

I get this as a personal trainer with people always wanting to talk about their weight loss (for free). I personally don't mind because I love what I do, but it can get very tiresome.



______________________________________
Sic vis pacem para bellum.

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Some of the responses in this thread are over the top, I think. It is just a comedy for goodness sakes. The show is filled with funny repeat gags, and Emmett is one of them. He's hilarious and I love watching him stress over Hyacinth. It's funny to watch him stress over her, and then boom! There she is doing exactly what he feared. Emmett talks big, but he is just as bad as Elizabeth about not being able to turn Hyacinth away!

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I am not a fan. I just happen to enjoy movies. Fans are embarrassing.

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Duh, I know that this is a comedy. But that doesn't mean that I find every character on it hilarious all the time...

Intelligence and purity.

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