Stripteases, brothels, wet dreams…
While Les Misérables screenwriter Andrew Davies has a reputation for sexing-up classic period dramas (remember Colin Firth sporting a wet shirt in Pride and Prejudice? And those incest scenes in War and Peace?), viewers were nevertheless shocked by the BBC1 drama’s “weirdly sexual” undertones on Sunday night.
- What are the differences between Les Misérables the musical and the new BBC TV series?
- Meet the cast of BBC’s Les Misérables
Episode four saw Marius (Josh O’Connor) and his friends head to a brothel, where it was suggested that the Thenardiers’ daughter Eponine (Erin Kellyman) has been working as a prostitute.
Eponine had previously woken Marius with a peepshow, before blowing out her bedroom candle when he said he didn’t want the striptease to continue.
Show’s over. See you next week! #LesMisérables pic.twitter.com/fiEYkTxboK
— BBC One (@BBCOne) January 20, 2019
The episode also featured Marius having a vivid sex dream about both Cosette (Ellie Bamber) and Eponine.
“Marius having a wet dream about… Cosette and Eponine,” one viewer tweeted. “So. That happened.”
Marius having a wet dream about a strange bend of Cosette and Eponine.
So. That happened.#LesMiserables @BBCOne
— Sarah B. (@SCEBelle) January 20, 2019
this adaptation is weirdly sexual, is davies a horny old man or something #lesmiserables
— mel 🌈🌈 (@softthirteen) January 20, 2019
“he’s all pure at heart” éponine sweetie he literally just had a wet dream about u whilst claiming he loves cosette #LesMisérables
— jodie✨ (@jlb26_) January 20, 2019
“Ooh er Marius… you’d never find Michael Ball [who originated the part of Marius in the West End musical version of Les Misérables] in a place like that,” one viewer tweeted during the brothel scene.
Ooh er Marius…you’d never find @mrmichaelball in a place like that! 😳 #LesMiserables
— Donna Spear (@donnab007) January 20, 2019
"STDs. STDs everywhere." #LesMiserables pic.twitter.com/7RzrhDQtrm
— Rachel Mansfield (@forestfruits1) January 20, 2019
“This #LesMiserables adaptation is so weird,” another viewer commentated. “There’s so much that is straight out of the novel which is really well done and then they throw in things like Les Amis taking Marius to a brothel and Marius having an erotic dream featuring Eponine – like WTF?!”
This #LesMiserables adaptation is so weird. There’s so much that is straight out of the novel which is really well done and then they throw in things like Les Amis taking Marius to a brothel and Marius having an erotic dream featuring Eponine – like WTF?!
— Lynsey 🦋 (@eponine_b) January 20, 2019
Has Davies overdone the show’s raunchiness? One viewer found “all the sexual stuff… uncomfortable and unnecessary,” adding that they had “had all [their] hopes on episode 4. Very disappointing”.
All the sexual stuff in this episode was uncomfortable and unnecessary 😣 I had all my hopes on episode 4. Very disappointing 🙃 #LesMiserables
— Laura she/her 51 Days 🇫🇷 (@eponinetaire) January 20, 2019
“The book was grim but it wasn’t depraved,” another viewer tweeted.
What's with the striptease and brothel scenes? And why does everyone seem to assume Valjean is a child molester – but they're fine with that?!
The book was grim but it wasn't depraved.
#LesMiserables— Karen Murdarasi (@KCMurdarasi) January 21, 2019
from Radio Times http://bit.ly/2RYrxEZ
