I love Fridays and one reason for that is that here on  whYAnot that means  it’s time for another watch and review for The Lizzie Bennet Diaries!

So this week I’m re-capping and sharing my thoughts on episodes 71 though to 80. And I have to admit that the more I watch, the more I love this series.
Note: For some reason the Lizzie Bennet website has been down for the past few days whenever I’ve tried to visit. This week all my links for the videos will direct directly to YouTube.

It’s Christmas time and that means it’s time for Mr. Bennet’s Christmas Train Extravaganza! Lucky for Birthday girl Lydia, Mrs and Mr Bennet will be out-of-town for a night giving her a chance to celebrate her 21st in typical Lydia style – with a loud and over the top PAR-TAY!

Party Time in the Bennet house and Lizzie has found a brief moment of solitude in her bedroom. It’s not long before she’s joined by Cousin Mary. Mary is eager to help Lizzie show viewers just why George Wickham isn’t attending Lydia’s birthday bash.

It seems that one night isn’t enough party to satisfy Lydia’s birthday requirements. A rather tired Lizzie gives Lydia her birthday present but doesn’t quite get the reaction she was expecting … (Episode 73 – 2+1)

Her name is Lizzie Bennet and absolutely nothing will ruin this Christmas! (How to Hold a Grudge). Not a mother lamenting that none of her daughters have gotten married – or even engaged. Nor an exceptionally angry Lydia who goes as far as embarrassing Lizzie on her own vlog.

Christmas time (Episode 75 – Merry Christmas) in the Bennet house reunites Charlotte, Lizzie and Jane again! But not even the festive season has Lydia accepting Lizzie’s apology. At least Jane brought cookies…

Not wanting to exclude any of her viewers, Lizzie is Wishing Something Universal. Lydia managed to get her mother’s approval to hit up Vegas (Who knows? Lydia might meet her husband there!) but Lizzie still feels like someone should be there to look out for her little sister just in case something bad happens. Lizzie also decides to try to branch out like Jane suggested. She’s going to San Francisco!

Turns out that Lizzie’s big opportunity in San Francisco ends up being shadowing at Pemberley Digital – whose CEO happens to be none other than Mister William Darcy (Tour Leader). And upon finding out that if she wants out then she won’t graduate, Lizzie resorts to twitterstalking Darcy just to make sure they don’t cross paths. To make things just a little more uncomfortable, Lizzie is introduced to Gigi -Darcy’s younger sister – and a HUGE fan of the Lizzie Bennet Diaries.

Realizing that having no friends in San Francisco – and missing Charlotte and Jane terribly.. oh and Lydia too – Lizzie decides to meet some new people. Gigi has great friend potential but the fact that she knows all the terrible things Lizzie has said about Darcy makes Lizzie a little nervous. Not to mention Gigi is a little odd… but turns out she has some plans of her own. Plans involving Lizzie and Darcy… (The Lizzie Trap)

 

But Darcy is not the only unexpected visitor at Pemberley Digital. The loveable yet naive Bing Lee stops by to chat with Lizzie (The Unavoidable Mr. Lee). How is it possibly that he doesn’t know about the videos? Is he really that clueless? Or maybe it’s his clueless nativity that makes him perfect for Jane… Old Jane that is.

Annoyed at herself for not confronting Bing about not taking a more take charge attitude in his own love life, Lizzie needs some costume therapy to talk out her emotions with someone. After resorting to roaming the halls to find a willing participant, Lizzie finds the perfect person to play Darcy… (Episode 80 – Hyper-Mediation in New Media).

 

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I think this week’s episodes have been my favourite to date. There’s sister drama and Lizzie going out into the world. And then there’s Darcy. I admit it – I’m a Darcy fan girl since I was 15. And every time I’ve reread the book, seen any number of the film or TV adaptations or modernized versions, in the ones that I really connect with there’s a moment. A single moment where, if they’ve done it right, I can see exactly what it is that makes Darcy the character that so many women fall for. And for me it was in episode 80. For me, that’s what makes this series so amazing. It’s got the elements that made me fall in love with Elizabeth Bennet’s story the first time I read it.

The acting in these episodes was fantastic – as always. Stand out performance from Lydia. She may be a character that I’ve never been particularly fond of but in 2+1 she played the somewhat heartbroken sister feeling betrayed to a T.

I am more excited than ever to watch the next episodes! Things really are getting exciting now!

Thanks for reading my post and as always – I love your comments! Let me know what you thought/think of the Lizzie Bennet diaries!