Series 7-Christmas Episode

You know when you think of Christmas episodes, you think "spirit of the season," "good will toward all" and just generally a feel good sort of experience. That is so not the case with the "bonus" episode in the 7th year of Bad Girls. Now, I admit, the show continued to get not better (the word worse sounds so harsh to me) after Series 3. 4 was better than 5, which was better than 6, and so on. I have yet to watch Series 8 because I have read so much negative about it, I just don't want to end that way.

I'll probably watch Series 8 and then afterwards I'll just sit with remote in hand and fly through all the Nikki and Helen parts in Series 1-3, just to make myself feel better. I've actually done that in one sitting. Sounds like I don't have a life, I know. But, my wife was out of town a few months back and I am never home alone. I mean never. I travel lots without her, but I am with her on 99.9% of her travels, so it was such a nice thing to be totally alone. Not that I don't love my wife (we've been together over 15 years and have owned a business together for 11 years, which we operate out of the house). Suffice it to say, it's nice to get a break from each other from time to time and it's a real treat for me to be home alone.

ANYWAY...it was a rainy day and it took 8 hours to watch all the N&H scenes. It was really a lot of fun. Of course, afterwards, I really wanted my wife home, but that’s way off topic.

Back to the Christmas episode...I absolutely hated it. Okay, so hate’s a strong word, but I’m sorry, when evil triumphs over good, hate is the right word to use. And that’s what happened. Now I’m no mamby pamby who thinks only good happens in the world, but goodness gracious, do we have to have our favorite soap opera (‘cause that’s what Bad Girls has become by Series 7) remind us there’s that much true evil in the world.

I thought the whole exorcism was not plausible. I’m not sure what denomination the vicar came from (of course, we know not Catholic), but I just don’t believe she would have gone down that path, based on her age mostly. Exorcisms are sort of old-fashioned aren’t they, except in the archaic Catholic Church anyway (hey, I can say that...I’m a recovering Catholic...K-12 Catholic school and all that).

Maybe my expectations skewed my reaction...ok, my over reaction. I guess I expected more of the play part of it (can’t remember the term they used for the skit) with the Julies doing their schtick. Instead, we get Julie J. going insane and we’re forced to contend with the ghost of Jim Fucking Fenner. I thought we got rid of his sorry arse!

Let me also add that I am a devout Christian so all the negative words and stereotypes in the episode about an important Christian holiday didn’t set well with me either. Again, I’m no prude and I respect all religions (I don’t think I’ve got the only path to heaven, but I believe there are paths and I believe there is a heaven and a loving creator), but there’s no need to bash my faith.

Let me make a footnote here that it’s been a couple of months since I watched the episode so I do not even recall specifics, just an overall feeling of negativity towards Christmas that pervaded the episode. I do not intend to watch it again, so I can’t be more specific.

Now, I’m not saying there’s not some interesting stuff going on in the episode...and that it’s not well written. I’ve read a really good discussion on the N&H Message Board about it...and it’s allusions to other stories. But I can’t get past the negatives to appreciate all that. Okay, maybe I am a bit priggish about this. Oh, well. I can admit and accept that about myself. Enough said.

I’ll have more fun topics later.