For mouse hover…
I have to say that it wasn’t a hopeful opening for me. The reunion between John and Abagail was overwrought and overlong, and I was afraid I was going to be bored to tears.
But the scene with King George III was simply magical — from the awkward bows to the final diplomatic triumph with his choice and delivery of words to the king. The eyes of George were amazing and spoke volumes of their own. It was good to see the hapless efforts of years of failed diplomacy blossom into a moment of perfection for Adams. A great, great scene.
And nicely relieved, I must say, by the reviews afterward. “And here’s someone who believes I should be HANGED!” Good stuff.
The reunion with the kids was nicely done. Great casting. I recognized them all right away. And the ending with The Other George. Beautiful. Bravo, HBO.
I loved the reunion. I don’t know how many years they were apart but it must have been a few, so I’m glad that time was spent on it. That long walk through all those rooms – another long journey before they could be alone – and it gave them time to think after they saw each other. They were so tentative with each other at first.
What’s the significance of Washington’s barely audible voice, giving the oath? Did he do it on purpose to quiet the crowd?
I’m not nuts about Abigail’s new hair – there’s so much of it! I’ve had perms that turned out like that – scary.
I think it was just a part of his way. He was a quiet and purposeful man who honestly did not want to appear kingly or high and mighty in any way. Henry Cabot Lodge related the story this way:
On April 30 he was inaugurated. He went in procession to the hall, was received in the senate chamber, and thence proceeded to the balcony to take the oath. He was dressed in dark brown cloth of American manufacture, with a steel-hilted sword, and with his hair powdered and drawn back in the fashion of the time. When he appeared, a shout went up from the great crowd gathered beneath the balcony. Much overcome, he bowed in silence to the people, and there was an instant hush over all. Then Chancellor Livingston administered the oath. Washington laid his hand upon the Bible, bowed, and said solemnly when the oath was concluded, “I swear, so help me God,” and, bending reverently, kissed the book. Livingston stepped forward, and raising his hand cried, “Long live George Washington, President of the United States!” Then the cheers broke forth again, the cannon roared, and the bells rang out. Washington withdrew to the hall, where he read his inaugural address to Congress, and the history of the United States of America under the Constitution was begun.
Ugh. That reunion scene was just too over the top for me. Their whole deep, but troubled romance is putting me to sleep.
I did like the rest of it, though. The audience with K. George was very well done, and it was interesting to see them back at life in the USA. They were wealthy by colonial/early US standards, but their lifestyle pales in comparison to what it was while they were in Europe.
Not sure if it’s worth another thread, but I thought last night’s episode, Unite or Die, was much better than the previous one. Although they gave Adams’ line about political plants growing in the shade to Hamilton!
Did applause really transition from table thumping to clapping during this time period?
Rufus Sewell looked great as Hamilton, and I loved Jefferson’s shiny coat. All of the actors look at home in their clothes except for Morse, playing Washington. He looks stiff, as if he’s afraid to move his head because a prosthesis might fall off.
We didn’t see any campaigning. Was there no campaigning? No rallies, buttons, speeches?
Did Adams want to be president? He appears ambivalent. How ambitious was he?
I need to watch again, because the politics in this episode went right over my head. This isn’t dumbed down enough for me. 
If I hadn’t been reading about this stuff recently, I think a lot would have gone over my head, too.
Adams was ambitious, but neither Washington nor Adams actively campaigned for office. Jefferson did so secretly, then feigned surprise to discover that he was on the ballot. They felt that the candidate was supposed to be disinterested.
The show didn’t explain why Washington snubbed Adams at the cabinet meeting. Washington respected Adams, but he seemed to believe that because the VP presided over the senate that he belonged to the Legislative branch of government, and therefore should be kept separate from the Executive.
Hey, wasn’t Cheney making that argument last year?
I must say, I’v been quite impressed by David Morse’s portrayal of Washington. It’s just about an impossible part to play but I think he’s done well in a few small scenes to convey the characteristics that made Washington so iconic as well as showing the humanity underneath. During last week’s episode, the sudden forcefulness of his voice when he added “so help me God,” to his oath of office after giving the rest of the oath almost inaudibly was a nice touch. Last night, I liked his scene with the French Ambassador. I liked his toughness when the Ambassador was trying to intimidate him and I especially liked his ever so slight wry smile after the Amabassor leaves the room and Washington says, “Mr. Jefferson, the French Ambassador has taken leave of his senses.”
I think Morse is doing a great job communicating exactly why Washington was so highly regarded and so leaned on – almost parentally so – by the other founders. He did not have Adam’s outspoken ardor or Jefferson’s eloquence. He did not have the personal charm and wit of Ben Franklin. While far from stupid, he did not have the intellectual brilliance of those men. What he did have was an uncanny comforting presence, a reassuring solidity of leadership. He gave the impression that he was going to protect that new country. he wasn’t going to let anything happen to it and perhaps just as importantly, he wasn’t going to lead with his ego. He made his presidency about establishing the office as an office, not about himself. I think even his decision to retire after two terms was a gesture served to cement the idea that the presidency should be seen as a temporary office – as a job – not as a kingship (his refusal to accept such honorifics as “your Highness” served well in that regard as well). Being the first POTUS was a hell of an assignment. There weren’t any precednts or models as to how a President should conduct himself or be seen by others. The fact that Washington is still seen as a virtual template for the office is testament to the fact that he hit the ball out of the park with nothing but his own instincts to guide him by.
Oh yeah, and John Adams was in this episode too. I totally sympathized with his torment at being unable to participate in Senate debates and his frustration at the castrated nature of the job. He couldn’t even go on Meet the Press yet to vent his views. That would be torture for someone who lives for debate.
Something else I like about this series is that the writers haven’t written any lines that have the characters winking at the audience. What I mean is, nobody’s behaving like this fledgling republic will one day be a world power. It’s still toddling, just starting to feel some strength, but it’s tentative. I like that.
There was a moment last night that made me say “damn, that Paul Giamatti is an awesome actor”. Just a little flicker of emotion in his face about something. But now I’ve forgotten what it was ;(
Suffice it to say that I’m extremely impressed and entertained.
IMHO, Giamatti is the worst part of the series. I’m enjoying the history and some of the other actors, but the lead keeps putting me to sleep. I guess he’s trying to do Adams as a very restrained and emotionally reserved character, which may be historically accurate, but it isn’t much fun to watch.
Personally, I would’ve named the thing Franklin and followed Ben around, I liked that actor much better.
Didn’t Washington actually want to be refered to as “His High Mightiness” or something until Congress decided his only title would be “Mr President”. I also seem to recall that he preformed the fairly monarchical levee ceremony, a la Louis XIV.
I agree. Both he and his wife are over-acting, if you ask me. The actress who plays Abigail kind of reminds of the woman who played Lyde in “Rome”, but I see it isn’t her.
I liked the earlier episodes better, and I’m finding less and less to like about these later ones. I was kind of funny how small the Senate was, though!
This series has reinforced for me what true revolutionary Jefferson was. He was WAY further out there than his contemporaries. I think he and Trostky would have been good buddies.
How did the average citizen know what famous people looked like? Upon his return to America, Adams steps off the ship and the crowd goes wild. He was not the first person off the boat and I didn’t hear anyone say, “Here is Adams!” How did the crowd know he was the guy?
That was John Adams. He lobbied for the POTUS to be called “His Highness,” or “His Majesty,” but Washington refused to accept anything but “Mr. President.” Adams was ridiculed for his efforts by the rest of Congress and acquired the nickname "His Rotundity"as a result.
Well, he was returning to his hometown of Boston (population at the time: ~20,000), so regardless of how aware the general colonial populace of what he looked like, Bostonians probably would’ve recognized him.
There were prints and engravings of portaits in newspapers, so I guess they had some idea what to look for.
Regarding Washington’s “stiffness”, I think it is appropriate that he had a military bearing.