While a show has the odd episode here or there that is weaker than the others, taken on a while this series kept me completely enthralled from beginning to end. Everyone brought their best acting, but I think the spotlight was stollen by the wardrobe/costume department.
Overall I'm pretty fond of this show. Especially the first season. It had me sucked in right from the first episode. I do think this show has the rare problem of being a little too fast paced. I don't think this is a that big of a problem, as it is only a little bit, but its probably the reason why some people here say it feel likes they skip over the serious subjects. Because that's just kind of how they treat everything, and it stands out more with the obvious things you'd expect to have a more long-term effect. The show probably would've benefited from making the seasons a bit longer, so they could have taken the time to give everything the attention it deserves.
I think the major problem with this show is one many shows have, in which it seems like they have no real long-term plans and just make the story up per season. This always makes for a really rough transition between seasons. The story doesn't flow together well and its hard to get into again each time. 'Harlots' seems to take this particularly hard. At the end of the first season, there are a lot of arcs they just kind of drop. Like they're just got tired of it and said "yeah we're done with this", instead of actually giving it a logical and satisfying conclusion (some examples: Harriet getting her children back, Charlotte's plans to run away with Daniel Marney). It also has one of the biggest character purges between seasons I've ever seen. Almost all of the supporting cast disappears. Some get a quick, not very well thought out moment which explains their leaving, but most get some one-line mention or are just never seen again without any explanation at all. Which I think is shame, because there we're a lot of interesting characters among them of which I would have liked to have seen more (eg. Daniel Marney, Thomas Haxby, Marie-Louise D'Aubigne, Betsey Fletcher, Rasselas, Benjamin Lennox, Lord and Lady Repton, Caroline Howard, Christopher Rutledge). And it makes all the new supporting characters that were added to replace them feel a lot more shallow and empty.
This isn’t your standard period drama, Harlots is done in a similar vein as Peaky Blinders but with worse writing and some really annoying male leads. I could overlook the modern soundtrack and the overall style if there was an interesting story behind it all but it’s not there. it feels cheap and hollow.
Most of the men are just so unbelievably horrible you can’t wait until they’re off the screen. Problem is they are central figures in the show so they’re in a lot of scenes. The ones that seem like they could be interesting, like Margret Well’s partner, are written so thin it’s a wonder they have a last name.
Another thing that stood out is the cavalier way Harlots handles serious subjects such as rape, murder, pimping etc. Like mere formalities it has to go through before it can go back to showcasing the characters jaunty antics. There are moments when characters reflect the emotions you’d expect for a given subject but it rarely leads anywhere. There is very little growth overall.
I don’t understand the great reviews this show has. I gave it until the third episode in season 2 to improve but if anything it only got worse.
This is simply one of the best, diverse, feminist show on television right now. Written, directed and produced by women, this is a show that despite its subject matter doesn't cater to the male gaze. It is a show less interested in sex that on how power and love (or lack of) impacts on the lives of women as well as the ramifications of generational violence within families.
its dirty, its naughty, its racy, its everything against decency and its deadass one of the best shows ive ever seen!
the acting is very good, the music is addicting and the story -battle of brothels- is one of the most exciting and most original ideas ive ever seen! please for the love of god, and everything that stands against god (i.e. this show), watch it! 10/10
Shout by DanBlockedParent2017-04-14T18:45:27Z— updated 2017-06-14T17:51:52Z
Game of Brothels - Betrayal, Politics, Sex and Revenge in the Struggle to Become Queen of Whores:
Surprisingly addicting. Game of Throne-esque betrayal, alliances,
bribery, coercion, corruption, politics, sex, and revenge.
Harlots inspires empathy for the plights of the heroines -
the brothel madam and her youngest daughter. You really root for the
madam's struggle to keep her girls from harm and rise up through the
ranks of brothels to move up in station and compete with the Queen of
Whores.
Harlots touches on racial and class issues and even features the
occasional gigolo, during a time in which one in five women in old
London make their livings as whores. It shows how religious zealots,
the law, and the masses can be manipulated as pawns in the political,
carnal, racial, and socioeconomic power struggle that is the Game of
Brothels...