Comment from Lexy
Time February 19, 2009 at 8:01 pm

Ohhh I hope she can learn to trust him again, especially if he’s making such a big effort in this episode.

Has anyone seen the preview clip of this episode from the BBC? Is looks so funny with Thomas mending the calendar and wires getting crossed about setting (wedding) dates with Miss Ellison!

Very much looking forward to it after all the drama of last week.

Comment from Mistress of the bees
Time February 19, 2009 at 8:21 pm

Oh I am so excited! Yes I saw the preview… everybody is so dressed up, must be for the wedding of Queenie and Twister. Must be- since he is eating a sausage in the clip, wasn’t that waht he promised at the engagement….sausages for breakfeast =)
Oh and JD looks handsome too, not sure though if expensive flowers will be enough to win back Dorca’s heart. I am sure she will keep him (and us) in suspense for a while(till end of the series?). OHHHH I am SOOOO excited!

Comment from Candlefordmad
Time February 19, 2009 at 10:17 pm

I can’t wait for next weeks episode, I really hope that JD and Dorcas can make it up and that they will finally get together.

Comment from lynda
Time February 20, 2009 at 11:03 am

i saw the preview it was funny but i do feel sorry for miss margaret thought!!! i cant wait for the next episode!!!!!!

Comment from MissRose
Time February 21, 2009 at 9:09 am

Can’t wait either! Do feel very sorry for miss Margaret as well, though. She’s so sweet and yet they’ve made them both into comedy characters…

Love JD. So yummy!

Comment from Mimmi
Time February 21, 2009 at 10:26 am

Well there is nothing like a wedding to soften the heart and a Larkrise wedding will be an informal affair to allow the potential for some rekindling of Dorcas warm feelings for JD…..we hope.

I looks like we have a nice fuzzy warm episode for Sunday with Queen and Twisters wedding, Maragret andThomas misunderstading (again) and poor Alf being attracted to a girl from the wrong end of the lane.

Comment from BABNI
Time February 21, 2009 at 6:55 pm

I have to say that Julia plays the role of Dorcas lane brilliantly. The wee turn of the mouth her expressions are priceless. I am glued to her performance and watch her every facial movement extraordinary talent. the type of actress who,when on stage, you can look at noone else her performance is so completely charismatic. All said, the performances by the others is stunning too. Brilliantly directed of course.

Comment from Camilla
Time February 22, 2009 at 9:02 pm

Ah Dorcas and James keep us waiting!
I think they will get together hopefully at the end of the series
let’s hope so anyway! who else reckons they will get together?

Comment from MyOneWeakness
Time February 22, 2009 at 9:23 pm

Yes Camilla I hope so too! Poor JD, just when he thought he had won her back… Ah well we’ll just have to wait and see.
Great news about series 3 though!

Comment from Ami
Time February 22, 2009 at 9:39 pm

Oh my gosh, they had better get together! The suspense is far too much!

Comment from Amy
Time February 22, 2009 at 9:42 pm

Oh i do hope they get together!
I can’t stand the suspense! I also want Alf and Laura to be together!
Fantastic episode!

Comment from JMac
Time February 22, 2009 at 9:43 pm

Poor James! His love sick ways in this latest episode make him even more endearing but I think the tension and drama could be made even more electric.
And how do we bring the couple back together?
I think what we need is a good old fashioned catastrophe that brings Dorcas and James together, at the same time as a visit from Sir Tim that will help Dorcas realise how wonderful James is and voila, they’ll be back on!

Comment from Mimmi
Time February 22, 2009 at 10:46 pm

No..that’s it the writers have done the deed and I for one feel very annoyed after last weeks epsiode when the door was still open, that they chose to close it so quickly and in such an unsatisfactory way.

Guess that’s Jason Merrells gone from series 3 – shame.

Comment from DS
Time February 22, 2009 at 10:47 pm

I agree, keep us waiting! There’s 2 or 3 more episodes to the end, so they’ll drag it out as long as possible! They haven’t even kissed yet, and he asked her to marry him! No wonder she said no…!

Comment from Mimmi
Time February 22, 2009 at 11:42 pm

God love some of you lot for living in hope , but this episode has put me in a serious bad mood and Dorcus as a character is starting to grate on me.

Comment from DS
Time February 23, 2009 at 12:55 am

Hey, Mimmi why so cynical? Don’t you realise this is typical TV serial ploy – to get us to watch it to the end, they have to hold off the big romance so as not to kill the tension! I must admit, I was expecting Dorcas to forgive James and fall into his arms, but then what would we look forward to next week, or the week after etc? I reckon something will happen in the very last episode.

Comment from Mimmi
Time February 23, 2009 at 5:40 am

Hi DS, dont mind me, was really grumpy about that episode last night. I know LRTC is Sunday night easy viewing and the idea with that time slot is to leave us with a warm fuzzy feel before we start another week, but I really think it’s far too obvious for a happy-ish ever after….so I really am not expecting Dorcus to change her view. I think JD just needs to get on with his business and be less of a mope and maybe he’ll find happiness and ‘family’ elsewhere.

Comment from Mistress of the bees
Time February 23, 2009 at 8:10 am

Oh no that doesn’t sound good- I haven’t seen the episode yet since I was away. I can’t wait to leave work today and rush home to see it.
I really hope the writers are just keeping the suspense up like DS was commenting.I am so hoping they are not writing JD out of the series! =(
Couldn’t resist reading the comments today but now I stop before I totaly spoil the episode for me…

Comment from DS
Time February 23, 2009 at 10:12 am

You have to hang on, Mimmi! I feel I need to help you have hope! I’m quite a romantic girl, so I live knee-deep in hope! I’ve never read the books of Lark Rise so I don’t know what happens, and even then, I’m sure the series is nothing like the books, so I think they can have a bit of creative license and give the viewer what they want. In the last series, She and Sir Timothy couldn’t relive the past because of their difference in status, and his dreary wife. Then hot teacher Mr Delafield comes along and within the hour they’re kissing and nearly running off together! At least something happened. Why make poor James Downland come into the series from beginning to end and endear himself to us and then just slink away without so much as a by-your leave? Obviously this is meant to be a slow burner, and slow burners last a while, so he’ll be there to the end, and maybe in the 3rd series. And I can’t imagine nothing happening between them, why bring him in otherwise? And the attraction is so clearly there…

Comment from ER
Time February 23, 2009 at 7:40 pm

I hope so much that James and Dorcas get together. After all the disappointment of her and Sir Tim, she needs a happy ending and they make such a nice couple. I’m the romantic type and like the predicatable happy ever after ending.
Julia sawalha is brillaint as Dorcas and am really hoping Jason Merrells is back for series 3.

Comment from Debx
Time February 23, 2009 at 8:24 pm

^^ i totally agree with all you guys!! julia sawalha is an amazing actress!!

i can’t wait for dorcas and james to get together but i would find it really annoying if they didn’t drag it out! (weird i no!)

i love how their meant to be and we are all getting really annoyed they just wont get together!!

is it just me or when mini (i love her shes so weird! and when she said to james that dorcas wanted him to personally bring her a cigar box for her cigars and when she gave him the gingerbread man – but to be far i would probably do the same and try and get dorcas and james together!)said about how she though dorcas was being cruel i thought dorcas was going to get beserk! i was expecting her to go off in a huff instead of going to help james

i can’t believe she said that they can be friends! just friends! – james better not give up!!

anyway sorry for the essay im just loving the james + Dorcas storyline at the mo!

xx JAMES AND DORCAS!!

Comment from Hanna
Time February 23, 2009 at 8:55 pm

Oh damn! I only just watched the episode and frankly I think that was it. Buggar! Well, let’s wait and see but this is exactly as I feared, especially with a series 3 coming up. I mean Dorcas Lane would be Dorcas Lane no more if they married. She’d be Dorcas Dowland, former post mistress and present wife of the hotel owner.

Comment from DS
Time February 23, 2009 at 9:12 pm

Not you as well! Why are people so quick to assume that just because Dorcas says she wants to be friends, then that’s it? First of all, Dorcas has so many weaknesses, ‘rashness’ being one of them as she said a couple of weeks ago, that she doesn’t even know what she’s saying half the time, and secondly, who is to say that James Downland will accept it’s over? And I’m sure he wouldn’t mind if she kept her name as everyone knows her as Dorcas Lane and he worships the ground she walks on.

Comment from Lexy
Time February 23, 2009 at 9:46 pm

I’ve just watched the episode and to be honest, for the first time this series, I simply do not know how I feel. About any of them. Thomas & Margaret need to make a firm decision about something, anything, and stick to it! And Dorcas, oh Dorcas, WHAT ARE YOU DOING????
I know what I deeply wish to happen in the end with them, but I’m being torn in so many directions and I’m sure that mulling over ALL the possibilities (and there are many) really isn’t helping me!
After all, I’ve never heard of over analysing to be of any help to anyone!

Did anyone else notice a serious lack of Pratt sister action in this episode? It looks like next week might make up for it though!

Comment from Ami
Time February 23, 2009 at 10:22 pm

I totally agree that James’ moping was a tad melodramatic in the last episode. Does anyone have any idea if this is even close to the actual books, I might try and sneekily read the ending the Waterstone’s; I don’t do tension or suspense!

Comment from Mimmi
Time February 23, 2009 at 11:16 pm

Apparently Dorcas is hardly mentioned in the book, the book is an inspiration for the series and the writer uses plenty of creative licence.

I’m with Lexy, not sure what would be best. In my heart I think that Dorcas is too much of an independent woman and JD has really not done too much to show that he is capable of coping with her. It seemed that realising he had nearly lost Dorcas sent him into an emotional casm, for much of his life he has been fighting his way to the top – but that’s in the business world. He said at the beginning he came back to ‘find family, in what ever form that took’ – maybe he needs time to develop emotionally without the driving force of seeking wealth and material success – he needs someone to accept him and can bring out the best qualities he has, qualities that Queenie sees. Then and maybe then, he may have a chance to win Dorcas round.

Comment from DS
Time February 23, 2009 at 11:38 pm

Let’s hope that JD sticks around for series 3!

Comment from Kate O’Gorman
Time February 23, 2009 at 11:54 pm

Hey hye im new to this whole discussion??is there a forum where ye discuss general stuff about the show? ..
well that episode wasn’t as brill as others and i have to agree with lexy serious lack of pratt sisters .. but the comical tension between margaret and thomas made up for it !! so is there definatly going to be a series 3?? any major predictions for the next three episodes?

Comment from Mistress of the bees
Time February 24, 2009 at 11:01 am

@Kate aye, there is a forum on this site I think the link to it is one or two posts down (when you are on the main page).
Oh gee, I watched the show yesterday night….not sure what to think, I am with Lexy and Mimmi on the whole Dorcas/James issue…oh DS I wish I could be as positive as you! But in my opinion there is a slight possibility that Mr. Dowland/ Jason Merrells will not be in/casted for the 3rd series. My stomach is knottig up just thinking about that. Their was no hint in the preview where their storyline is going…
But on a different matter: totally looking forward to see more of the Pratt sisters next week!!! Did I see right in the preview that Pearl is doing a head first dive into the bushes to avoid beeng seen cosy with the constable…guess we gonna have much more laughs next week

Comment from Mimmi
Time February 24, 2009 at 2:20 pm

Well there is someone on the Digital Spy website on the LRTC forum claiming to be Julia Sawahla. She says the ending of episode 8 when Dorcas left the door open for JD was filmed before episode 9 was written. Apparently a reconcilliation was planned in that script but is was changed because Julia thought Dorcas as such a modern women would not have folded so soon, but the script writers chose to close the door totally and even the actors found that a huge jump !!!

So our feelings of dissatisfaction are justified.

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums/showpost.php?p=30981829&postcount=379

Comment from Mistress of the bees
Time February 24, 2009 at 4:29 pm

Thanks for the link Mimmi, I didn’t know there was another forum. I’ ll check it out right away.
It strikes me as a bit odd though that the writers would change the script in between episodes. I have heard that this is common on some shows (like ’24′or Lost). But these shows have a much longer production time. LRtC is a ‘miniseries’ the actual filmimg takes place in just a couple month. You would think that there is a set story arch before they start shooting. But thats just my opinion I might be totally wrong…

Comment from DS
Time February 24, 2009 at 6:13 pm

Are we really to believe that Julia actually had some directive control over her character, and then write in to a forum to tell us all about it?! I don’t think so!!!

Comment from Miss_Rose
Time February 24, 2009 at 10:04 pm

You know what DS, I was just thinking the same thing. I checked out the link too and was rather surprised! Is that really Julia Sawalha????

Comment from DS
Time February 24, 2009 at 11:17 pm

I really don’t think it’s her! I’ve just been reading the whole thread with ‘Julia’s’ comments – and I just can’t shake off this nagging feeling that’s it’s not her. She reckons she can prove it by telling us in next weeks episode, Dorcas will be bringing some fudge to someone!

Comment from larkrise girl
Time February 25, 2009 at 12:04 am

I don’t believe it’s Julia. We are being expected to believe that an episode was changed at short notice because of her wishes! Wendy Richards left Eastenders because she did not agree with how the script writers were developing her character.

Comment from Miss_Rose
Time February 25, 2009 at 11:22 am

If it really is Juila Sawalha, I would be over the moon, if not really annoyed! Bringing fudge to someone? She rekons she can prove it? Hmmm, if it really is her, surely she wouldn’t need to prove it to all us fans…..

Can’t wait for next week epsoide!

Comment from Mimmi
Time February 25, 2009 at 12:46 pm

The preview for ep 10 is on Youtube – very funny.

I doubt JD will feature much in this weeks episode, but I’d like for him to stay around for series 3 as I think he could build a warm respectful relationship with Dorcas and they’d get to know each other properly over time. Mind you spoiler for ep 11 suggests there are further twists for the JD character. The writers are certainly putting the poor guy through the wringer.

Comment from march76
Time February 25, 2009 at 1:13 pm

What is the spoiler

Comment from Mimmi
Time February 25, 2009 at 1:33 pm

Go here and then run your curser over the greyed out area.

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums/showpost.php?p=30960563&postcount=294

Don’t look if you dont want a clue re Ep 11, not that the whole story is given away.

Comment from Debx
Time February 25, 2009 at 6:14 pm

from that spoiler – could this thing with JD bring Dorcas and James back together

i totally disagree that james and dorcas are not meant to be together!
and ok maybe Dorcas might not seem a type of woman who is house wife but she was all for marriage when James proposed! Therefore she obviously loves him otherwise she would have said no! and the only reason she won’t get with him is because she doesn’t know if she can trust him anymore.

though i was very annoyed at James thinking those flowers would work! it was obvious she wouldn’t like them she saw it as cowardice! he needs to prove himself and thats not working if hes moping about letting his buisness go down the drain! he should do some romantic and thoughtful things for Dorcas to show her how much he cares and that she loves him.

Comment from Mimmi
Time February 25, 2009 at 9:18 pm

It seems that there are lots of viewers that want them to be together,and within these there are those that realise it my not be what the writers will allow just yet, given Dorcas’ character and single minded dedication to her PO.

Apart from a strong inkling that Dorcas may well never marry, I dont think they have done much to show any real love on her part. We only saw them hold hands briefly in ep 8. I think the only way would be to allow them to start all over again, maybe the letter could help, surely they cann’t have JD floored by more bad news in his story line.

Comment from Mistress of the bees
Time February 26, 2009 at 9:08 am

oh thanks Debx and Mimmi, I was already thinking I am the only one left (after reading all the comments on the DigitalSpy forum) who thinks Dorcas and JD should be together. Call me a hopeless romantic but I just believe in love and I clearly got the message that Dorcas and James are in love despite all their differences. Yes, they did have (still having) an emotional roller coaster but that doesn’t mean they can have a smooth sail into the sunset in the end.
On a different matter: I find it kind of strange that there is no confirmation from the BBC so far that there will actually be a 3rd series. If filming were to start in april they would start the preperations for it about now…

Comment from ER
Time February 26, 2009 at 9:33 pm

I don’t think that Dorcas and JD will get together but I am certainly still hoping that they do. What would have been the point of every episode so far where they have been building the storyline up, for then to just finish it with her wanting to be just friends.

Comment from Mimmi
Time February 26, 2009 at 10:17 pm

Well I have seen the spoilers for the final two episodes, lets just say he needs a good friend. Do you remember a Laura commnetary at the end of week 5 when Dorcas was sick..’in these changing times we were going to need our friends’..I think paying attention to Lauras commentary gives us wee clues.

Comment from Mistress of the bees
Time February 27, 2009 at 10:45 am

Oh no I couldn’t resist and read the summary for the last two eps on the bbc press office page. They are indeed HUGE spoilers, so if you wanna have some surprieses left in this season …DON’t read em! Blimey I was just sooo curious.
@ ER: I am also still hopefull that JD and Dorcas will get together someday who knows after some time a good friendship could always develop into something more (hopefully at the end of series 3 )…
I am more relaxed now and I am really looking forward to the last 3 episodes!!!
The only thing I don’t want to happend now is that the series concludes with Mr. Dowland leaving candleford to move to London….that would be too much of a Déjà vu.
and still no confirmation of a 3rd series…I am starting to get really worried. Also somebody on another board made a really good point: There will be a ‘Cranford’ X-mas special this Year so there will probably NOT be a LRtC as well…

Comment from Mimmi
Time February 27, 2009 at 11:13 am

Oh I agree…it would be awful for them to send JD away, there are no decent men in Candleford and who would Minnie have to swoon and match make for? Anyway, he’s a Counsellor and hotel owner – surely he just cann’t upsticks and leave his LR family and friends.

I think a nice developing relationship with the usual trials will do for series 3 – which I think should be the last, as I always feel that after series 3 these shows tend to loose thier charm/attraction – quit while you’re ahead.

Comment from Hanna
Time February 27, 2009 at 2:17 pm

And considering he signed his stock over to Celestia he really doesn’t have anything in London to return to. I think he’ll stay – as mistress of the bees put it – too much of a deja vu if he left.

Comment from Miss_Rose
Time February 27, 2009 at 4:17 pm

Have also read the spoilers for the end of the series…don’t want JD to move away! He’s sweet but “a man”, plus he adds drama to the plot. Otherwise it just all gets too fluffy!

Comment from Jassie J
Time March 9, 2009 at 5:13 pm

Just read all your commnets, i am sooooo happy to find that i am not alone. I absoulty love Dorcas and James. It has amazed me how important a fictinal charcter can be to you, he is definitely my favourite character. He has been a slow burner but when thngs do come up about hijmthey take up whole episodes and lead to huge revlation, he is certainly intresting and yes hes a darling, although i like Dorcaa i think she is acting mad, JUST KISS HIM WOMEN. You by now saw sunday the 8th ending the only thing i can think of that is worse than James and Dorcas not getting together is him written out of season three by his death at the end of season two PLEASE NOOOOO!