MovieChat Forums > Emily of New Moon (1998) Discussion > Laura Murray annoying...

Laura Murray annoying...

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

We have been enjoying the show and finally got the 3rd season (from the library because Netflix has chosen to only put the first and second season on instant play!!!).

Anyhow, the first episode of season 3 starts out fine until the Bowles show up and Laura does the most pointless thing ever!

*SPOILER*

Ian Bowles is accused of stealing jewelry and in order to save her son and provide him with an alibi, his mother tells the detective that he couldn't have done it as he was getting married to Laura Murray at the time. Laura agrees to go along with the lie, even though she was going to tell Ian that she was in love with Doctor Burnley.

*END OF SPOILER*

When this scene passed the only thing that came to mind was that the writers purposely wrote Laura as the stupidest character ever. I don't know how she comes off in the books but my hope is that she isn't as ridiculous as she is depicted in the series. This is not a slight to the actress as she has to work with the material given.

Did anyone else find this as turn of events to be moronic? I mean the way the whole scene was played was one of the worst scenes ever in a television series. Perhaps she was showing a kindness but the way it was played out struck one as false melodrama of the highest order.

I hope the show doesn't find it's way downhill after this.

[–] CrowRoses 12 years ago

I have a lot of gripes about the show, but the treatment of Laura's character is number one.

It's been a good seven years since I read the books and I wasn't much of a close reader then, but here are the differences as I saw them. Book!Laura is, generally speaking, subservient to Elizabeth (who doesn't randomly die like in the show, I don't know what the hell that was.). In a lot of ways, she's a foil to her sister - gentle and compassionate and empathetic where Elizabeth is stern and authoritarian. Her history with Dr. Burnley is present, but it's really just that - history. She's content to let Elizabeth call the shots, but she can stand up for herself (and Emily) if need be. This is where my memory is failing me now, but I remember there was at least one specific instance where she undermined Elizabeth in a non-dramatic way, showing the backbone that her show counterpart sorely lacks.

The thing is that the show became literally unrecognizable by the third season. Laura doesn't really have her own story line in the books, and if she did, maybe her flaws would be more obvious. I should really read the books again (seven years and one English degree later...) to see if I'm not completely off track, but that's the nub and gist of it.

TL;DR - Show!Laura = exaggeratedly weak and shows surprising lack of judgement. Show!Laura + Bowles = hot mess where storytelling is concerned. Book!Laura = markedly different.

And who are you, the proud lord said, that I must bow so low?

[–] IzzyTree 8 years ago

I'm totally annoyed with this show. After the first season, I got annoyed when Aunt Elizabeth died. It took me about a year to be ready to watch the second season, in which Cousin Isobel takes over the "stern authoritarian" role and makes a reasonable stand-in for Aunt Elizabeth. Okay, I could deal with that, and really enjoyed the second season (especially with Uncle Malcolm, and Laura and Dr. Burnley becoming closer).

Now I just watched the first episode of season 3, and I'm totally disgusted.

*SPOILER* for 3rd season....

The marriage scene b/t Ian and Laura just disgusted me! Okay, lie to save the jerk's life, in a moment of stupidity... but to go on and ACTUALLY marry the guy, when the guy of your dreams (Burnley) is just waiting for you?!!!

What an idiotic storyline. And I don't blame the actress, I blame the writers!!!

If the point of this story is to show how important writers are, they sure did in this episode... which needed better writers!!!

*END SPOILER*

I may have to wait another year to be ready to watch anymore.... AGAIN. Sigh.

[–] bittenhoney 8 years ago

I think this show could have gone six or seven seasons like Avonlea did if they'd kept more to the books and if Laura wasn't such a doormat. I could not stand her weakness and the months she was an addict. I just found season 4 on Ebay for $2.40 and bought it because I have to finish a series once I start, but the show was cancelled after episode 7.