BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012 / To The End's of the Earth

**Posted by kazza474** March 14, 2012 12:25 pm

Amazing, I finally found this online!
Of course I stumble on it very late at night, BUT at least I found it and will be rushing home from work tomorrow to settle back to watch it!

It's in 12 parts, and has English sub texts for anyone who needs it.
Best part is I found it though

**Posted by kazza474** March 16, 2012 5:48 am

OK, finally finished watching that ( it was interrupted by a mandatory Wreckers viewing).
I enjoyed it. Gave more insight to Class and position in those days.
Schmaltzy ending though.
I hate 'happily ever afters'.

**Posted by Sherli Bakerst** June 23, 2012 10:06 pm

I've just watched the first episode, courtesy of Netflix streaming. I found the show by searching Netflix for anything Benedict was in. There are lots of characters and I don't think they are quite as well fleshed out as those in Sherlock, other than Talbot (BC's character), the captain and Somers (sp?). But the situations on board the ship were really interesting to watch, especially how the different groups--the upper class passengers, the "steerage" passengers, the officers, the other sailors--interacted with each other. I could feel the closeness of being on a small ship. One thing I really like is that the show doesn't prettify conditions on board, as other shows sometimes do in historical dramas. I will definitely be watching more episodes as my time allows.

**Posted by Sherli Bakerst** June 28, 2012 11:20 pm

I finished watching this last night. It's available through Netflix streaming and comes in three 90-minute episodes. I hadn't realized it was based on books written by William Golding, author of Lord of the Flies.

I really enjoyed the entire series, although the second episode was, in my opinion, the weakest one. Sometimes it was hard to decide if the events presented were real or a dream. But the ending of the final episode answered that question.

I, too, didn't care for the very end of the series. But, without spoiling things for people who haven't seen it, the scenes towards but not quite at the very end were very exciting and I'm not even sure what happened to one of the characters. I'm pretty sure I know but it was made explicit enough for me to be sure.

Benedict was great throughout and I highly recommend watching this show.

**Posted by sherlockskitty** June 29, 2012 12:42 am

Oh THANK you kazza!!! My netflix dvd's didn't have disc 1--only disc 2 was avaoilable!! and having this with subtitles REALLY helped me as I'm hearing impaired. Most ogff the time, the CC on the yutube vids don't work or translate properly. So whoever uploaded this i thank thee wholeheartedly!! Many thanks, kazza!! I am enjoying it now.

Last edited by sherlockskitty (June 29, 2012 4:47 pm)

**Posted by Sherli Bakerst** June 29, 2012 2:43 am

Please let us know what you think of it when you reach the end.

**Posted by Wholocked** June 29, 2012 5:05 am

I've got this at home and I've watched all the episodes. I found it a bit slow going in parts so I watched it over a few weeks.

I did also go "oh you have got to be kidding" at the end...but yes, it was a very interesting look at the class system and the challenges of naval travel etc.

I loved the ice berg scene. I was like "There, see? The Captain does have a clue!"

I found Benedict's character very arrogant and naive. It was a very nice character journey. He had to 'wise up' a lot over the trip. I also like the scene towards the end when he visits some of the 'lower class' passengers who basically go "what are you doing here, the trip's over, we don't associate anymore". Demonstrates the isolation the class system imposed on people I thought.

**Posted by sherlockskitty** June 29, 2012 8:03 am

I couldn't go to bed without saying my praise for this wonderful series. Something tells me I've seen this before, but I can't recal when or where. I LOVED it!! enough to go and buy it. This reminded me of the Horatio Hornblower series, which I watched, but this one was great because it had benedict in it. At first I thought he was a bit snobbish. his godfather was, after all, a lord, (but he wasn't BORN into a noble family, right?) but-- he had his godfather to thank, for him having that upper class position. So this miniseries was set in 1812, a hundred years before they had the titanic tragedy. I looked up the info on IMDB.
Edmund flaunted his position, which set in motion the events leading to the parson's death. then there were other strings of bad luck that followed. and oh, those hutches/cabins were absolutely horrible.
Ben's acting in here was a joy to watch. I could not stop until I got to the end. His yelling, his crying, his tears, his embarrassment, his fear, his loss at leaving Miss Chumley behind, his heroism at the end, when HE spotted the ice ahead.... And the costumes he wore---oh those were a treat to see. And I loved the ending-- where Edmund began to rethink his position in life...and then he saw Miss Chumley at the dock, and that's how it ended? I was disappointed at that. Would have loved to see a wedding.

Great miniseries. I loved Our boy starring in it. I LOVE naval ships-- actually ships of any kind, I love.

Thank you kazza for posting it...the subtexts really helped. I did have trouble with the shockwave flash player, I don't know why, but I did see it to the ends. so this was a book trilogy by william golding? I will have to go and see if my library has it. goodnight all!! thanks again kazza

**Posted by SusiGo** June 29, 2012 3:47 pm

Thanks for your recommendations which made me once again spend money on Amazon .

**Posted by sherlockskitty** June 29, 2012 4:50 pm

Wholocked wrote:
I've got this at home and I've watched all the episodes. I found it a bit slow going in parts so I watched it over a few weeks.

I did also go "oh you have got to be kidding" at the end...but yes, it was a very interesting look at the class system and the challenges of naval travel etc.

I loved the ice berg scene. I was like "There, see? The Captain does have a clue!"

I found Benedict's character very arrogant and naive. It was a very nice character journey. He had to 'wise up' a lot over the trip. I also like the scene towards the end when he visits some of the 'lower class' passengers who basically go "what are you doing here, the trip's over, we don't associate anymore". Demonstrates the isolation the class system imposed on people I thought.

Me too...and our boy spotted the ice first!! this was set in 1812--100 years before that mean ol' iceberg struck my favorite cruise ship!!

wholocked-- how long were the episodes? I know there were three in total-- were they each about 2 hours long?

susigo you're welcome. after my vacation at the end of july, I plan to get this dvd set too. It's well worth keeping.

Oh, one more thing to add-- in the movie there is a character named 'Cumbersham" Oh our poor boy must have been so confused when he was in the same scene with that charrie!!

Last edited by sherlockskitty (July 1, 2012 3:02 am)

**Posted by deerstalker** July 22, 2012 3:08 am

I am in the process of watching "To the ends of the Earth" and I love it to pieces. It was not a hard sell for me- I love ships, sea, travel, maritime history and history in general; I am a big fan of Patrick O'Brian and here is the same time period. So for me it's Christmas ( even without 4 serial suicides and a note).
Has anyone here read William Golding's original novels? I want to read them, but they are not available on Kindle, so it'll take a little time for me to get the books. Any insights would be much appreciated.
And, BTW, I really like Cumberbatch in it.

**Posted by deerstalker** July 24, 2012 4:33 am

I finished it, and loved it with all my heart. Yes, the end is a little bit of a fairy- tale, but the whole series is something of a "Edmund Talbot's Pilgrimage towards being a good man", so I did not mind the ending at all. I loved Benedict in it. It was great to see him so open, so "emo" ( rather than brilliantly introverted, as in "Sherlock" or "Tinker Tailor").

**Posted by SusiGo** July 24, 2012 6:25 am

Oh, did I really forget to write in this thread? Sorry. I watched the films last week and was very impressed.
I liked the careful reconstruction of the world on board a 19th century sailing ship, the costumes, etc. The closeness of space, you could almost smell the stench that must have invaded all the spaces below deck. It is a story of a naive and arrogant young man of the upper classes who enters a totally different world, who learns a lot about the high and lows of human behaviour in the micro-cosmos of a ship. He sometimes takes part in this, but also remains a distant observer when commenting on his experience in his diary to his godfather. Some of his actions are rash and surprising, e.g. the love-making in his cabin while just above his head the parson is humiliated in front of the whole ship. The second part sometimes has a sort of dreamlike quality which reflects the fact that Edmund's perception is influenced and disturbed by his head injury. The end may be a bit sentimental but I could accept it as a sort of reward for Edmund who has experienced some tragedy, last not least in the loss of Mr Summers on the burning ship.
Benedict's performance is brilliant, in this part is able to let go and display a wide range of emotions. He's not shy of playing a character who is sometimes silly and quite often unlikeable (although you somehow like him after all). It's very physical part full of vomiting and bleeding and having sex, eating (did you notice he seems to be eating all the time?) and drinking and physical activity, quite unlike Sherlock. Anyone who likes Benedict Cumberbatch as an actor shouldn't miss this one.

**Posted by deerstalker** July 25, 2012 5:28 am

I like your review, SusiGo, and agree with it. Though to me Edmund never projected as unlikeable. Priviledged, arrogant and naive, certainly; but with a conscience and ability to analyze, feel and change.
I plan to read Golding's books and then re- watch.

**Posted by SusiGo** July 25, 2012 7:13 am

Maybe unlikeable is too strong a word. But sometimes I had the wish to collar him and shake him because he's so full of himself and doesn't realise he's seen nothing of the world so far. And that he's just very privileged. But of course he's a representative of his class and the more privileged your upbringing, the harder the fall (or the contact with other social classes) will be.

**Posted by kazza474** August 26, 2012 9:48 am

Aussie members will find this show on Pay TV tonight on the UKTV channel.

**Posted by sherlockedkt** September 18, 2012 11:54 pm

Just started watching and so far it's not doing much for me - I have a phobia of vomit and he spends several minutes right at the beginning just vomiting... Hopefully that stops soon! But it's a testament to my love of BC that I am continuing to watch it at all...

**Posted by Wholocked** September 19, 2012 12:48 am

It was a bit of a struggle for me to get through as well, but it's quite a nice little series. It's very interesting to see the way the classes interact on the ship vs when they reach Australia too.

**Posted by harleyq** November 4, 2012 4:23 pm

I liked this movie too. I felt it really captured the visceral experience of being on that ship, making me incredibly grateful for the fact that it is no longer our most utilized form of transportation. I, for one, would never leave my house. Benedict's acting is superb, even when he's downright unlikable and snobby. The class system is clearly drawn as is the living in such close quarters and the bonds it forms that cross classes. I felt I could see and smell these people's experiences and that's the hallmark of a great film. (And, the love and bathing scenes didn't hurt. )

**Posted by biscuitbear** January 22, 2013 9:01 pm

I just watched the first episode, I enjoyed it, no hardship to watch, it was quite entertaining. It's a joy to have The Batch on screen from beginning to end for an hour and a half, a younger version, Babybatch, is that his natural hair color maybe? Nice coming of age story, and very good acting as usual. Looking forward to the next 2 episodes. It seems from the other comments there is a happy end, I won't complain about it, sad endings haunt me and make me sad (the other day I went to see Royal Affair at the cinema and I cried my heart out). When I was watching Parade's end, I was so afraid he was going to die in the war.