"Why don't you go and enjoy yourself? Shoot something. That always cheers you up." - Susan Hampshire as Molly MacDonald
Monarch of the Glen: Series One DVD Review
By Jonathan Boudreaux
BBC Scotland's 1999 series Monarch of the Glen is a true find - an utterly charming Northern Exposure of the Highlands, but less deliberately oddball and more soap driven than its American cousin. Visually sumptuous and filled with both hearty laughs and deeply felt despair, Monarch of the Glen is a gem that will hopefully be discovered by a wider audience.
Young Archie MacDonald (Alastair Mackenzie) is forced to leave the opening of his hip new London restaurant in the capable hands of his girlfriend Justine (Anna Wilson-Jones) when his mother, Molly (Susan Hampshire) calls him back to his childhood home of Glenbogle due to a family emergency. Archie soon discovers that the "emergency" is simply a ruse - Molly wants him to become more involved in the affairs of his father, blustery eccentric Hector (Richard Briers). The dilapidated family estate is rapidly losing money - pots and buckets litter the halls to collect rainwater - and Archie is amazed to learn that thanks to some creative tax accounting, his slightly estranged father has named him Laird, putting control of the estate and the surrounding town (which rents land from the family) into his hands.
Thrust back into the place he thought he'd left behind long ago, Archie is torn between loyalty to his family (they will surely lose Glenbogle if he does not intervene) and the modern, independent life he has made for himself in London. Complicating matters is his growing attraction to Katrina (Lorraine Pilkington), the politically active Glenbogle schoolteacher who tries to convince the new Laird to use his newfound power to help the town.
Monarch of the Glen is instantly addictive. This is partially due to the immensely likeable cast. Mackenzie is a handsome, sympathetic lead. Pilkington excellently plays her character's uneasy navigation between her attraction for Archie and her realization that in many ways he is her enemy. Briers is simultaneously funny and touching as the prickly yet ineffective Hector. Hampshire's infectious smile and twinkling eyes light up every scene in which she appears. Her take on "Las Vegas erotic dancing" in episode eight offers a sexy, humorous look at the ballet dancer she once aspired to be.
Glenbogle's staff is also well played. Dawn Steele infuses cook Lexie with an impish good humor. Alexander Morton is solid as gamekeeper Golly. Hamish Clark as Golly's junior ghillie breathes life into what could have been a standard sad-sack role.
Here is a bit of casting trivia: Julian Fellowes, who plays Hector's neighbor and friendly rival Kilwillie, won an Oscar for writing the screenplay of Gosford Park.
Another indispensable cast member is Scotland itself. Filmed on location, Monarch is visually breathtaking. Whether the focus is on rundown houses in the village, beautiful lochs, or the estate itself, the series possesses an incredibly evocative sense of place. Only someone with a hard heart could watch any five minute stretch of this series and not wish to run off to Scotland.
Although the series follows a similar fish out of water storyline as Northern Exposure, Monarch avoids that series' sometimes too precious sense of humor. Sure, the annual hill race features two contestants dressed as a skunk and a bunny, but that is as wacky as the series gets. Mostly the humor is derived from the characters and their situations. (Be on the lookout for "Wallace's Garage and Funeral Directors" in the town).
Monarch of the Glen's biggest fault is that it is too soapy. Although played as a straight drama, the final two episodes alone have more feints and twists than several weeks' worth of All My Children. This does not sink the series - indeed it successfully creates suspense - but it does seem like overkill at times.
Archie's relationship with bitter, brittle Justine is also too simplistically drawn. Justine is too much of a sourpuss. Her own mother probably would not want to spend time with her, much less Archie. Why do romantic comedy screenwriters always insist on having their heroes choose between a saintly new love or the old harridan that they are currently with? Partially out of laziness, one assumes. It is much easier to justify the breakup when the spurned lover is a shrew, and the hero remains likeable and sympathetic. It would be much more interesting - but harder to pull off - if we remained sympathetic to the hero even as he made choices that we do not agree with.
The eight episodes that make up series one are divided onto two discs. Viewers can choose to play all episodes, or individual ones. The individual episodes menus allow access to the twelve chapters that make up that episode. The opening and closing credits are given their own chapters, allowing viewers to skip over them if they so choose.
