#the thing about reading & rewatching through s9 this time is like...there's so much self-reflection on just how wrong i was on first watch

[vagueeyes]

Finished reading and rewatching THE CURSE OF THE NINTH.

There's two big reasons to love this episode:

The first being, its distinction as the third(!) period piece of the entire show - even down to having its own typeface for the titlecard:

The second and more obvious one being, the ~*meta commentary*~ (henry paker: is it a jeu de miroir~) of a composer being terrified of finishing their 9th symphony vs r&s finishing the 9th series of their show. I loved all the quotes alluding to this - probably the most subtle one being, "After all, there's many a good tune can be played on an old piano." Which I feel is quite a hopeful outlook in terms of what they'll have in store post-S/F? :)

It's really interesting that in the foreword, they explain that this episode had almost been written as part of s8, but they held off due to its similarities to PARASKEVIDEKATRIAPHOBIA!

The main difference between the script and the ep - apart from a few lines being cut out (and the ending, ofc) - were changes to the wording in the dialogue, presumably to make it more "era appropriate". Little things like: "I'm one of his biggest admirers" to "I'm one of his greatest admirers", or "I'm pretty much done now, actually" to "I'm finished now, in fact".

Six more points that stood out on read & rewatch:

Stage directions for an establishing shot of the house is written in multiple times (I don't immediately recall r&s being this explicit about establishers in the other scripts)! It's quite clear they meant to go big in this episode and I'm very glad they got that opportunity.

I definitely giggled a lot during the scene where Jonah first meets Lillian (how can you not?), but I laughed out loud at finally learning how Dicky's surname is actually spelt! I never watched the ep with subtitles lol

This comment from the sub came to my mind during the grave-digging scene. The sound effects when Jonah snaps the fingers off and the fact that this was specifically scripted!! When they were thinking, "What else haven't we done?" did R just go, "I'd like to bury someone alive"??

This is easily my favourite scene. I love that the initial fake-out of looking like the bust is talking to Jonah was scripted. The reveal of Nathaniel ended up being such a slow burn as well - so well done! "You're not at the beginning, boy, you're at the end. It's the final movement, remember." Another subtle meta quote! Actually quite apt from a viewer's perspective as well, as someone who got into the show in s9.

Also, it took a third watch (today was my fourth lol) to really notice the exchange: "I've been assured by your wife that the curse isn't real." / "Then why didn't she complete it herself?" If this is Jonah talking to himself (that's my read on it, anyway), then it's a very telling moment just before the ending. It explains why he looks so damned smug when he hands the missing piece of the symphony to Lillian!!

I sometimes think whether the curse is "real" or not is a bit open-ended - the script even made this a bit vague? But at the same time, I appreciate how full on they made it in the ep (I mean ofc, it's Guillem lol). The fall over the balcony is also very THE OMEN-esque! Speaking of Guillem, I'm so glad they got him back to direct this ep!! I couldn't appreciate this on first watch but I definitely did by the time I had completed the show and rewatched s9!

Reece tweeting about this episode having a different ending was definitely what prompted me to look into getting the scriptbooks. And what an ending?? (Another stage direction for an establisher as well!) Jonah's really not so innocent, is he...