Now that Miss Johnson is the (acting) head mistress, I really hope that they start to reveal what she is up to.

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The New Headmistress

What I liked

Well, let’s just say that Miss Johnson doesn’t hang around! My first note for the episode was

Dolores Umbridge has arrived!

And honestly, short of making the children carve lines into their own hands, I feel that stayed a pretty accurate interpretation.

The first thing she does it put up an educational decree, sorry, a new set of rules. Unlike Umbridge she puts them all up at once, instead of one at a time, but it very much reminded me of the trio coming downstairs to find that all clubs and groups etc had been disbanded.

I paused the episode a few times to get the full rules which are as follows:

1 Exemplary behaviour is expected from pupils at all times

2 No talking in the corridors during mealtimes or in class

3 Full school uniform, smart, clean and ironed, must be worn within the school building

4 No jewellery is to be worn and all hair must be tied back

5 No food or drink outside of the dining room unless with permission

6 Valuables and personal objects must remain in the common room or dormitory

7 No leaving the school building without a permission slip

8 No fraternising with the grounds staff

I have a lot of thoughts on these rules which I’ll come to later.

I like Jean’s shrewd comment about rule 2 – So she can stop us talking to one another.

Miss Johnson, infuriatingly smugly, declares that “Every one of my rules will guide you to becoming exemplary young women.” I can see it being carnage, I just hope none of the girls get punished too harshly.

Bill getting caught with a carrot on her was pretty funny especially when she ate it in front of Miss Johnson, pretending it was for her. Unfortunately while being reasonably convincing that she wasn’t going to see Thunder (breaking the rule on not seeing him during the week, and probably rule 7 into the bargain as she knew she wouldn’t get permission) she still fell foul of rule 5, and possibly rule 6 if we are considering a carrot a personal object.

Although coming under the heading of me hating Miss Johnson, it was pretty clever (and cold and cruel) of her to have Ellen give a science demonstration for the class and trick her into explaining the green bubbly sink trick from the previous episode.

It was heartening to see the other girls offering up their privileges in return for Darrell getting to play lacrosse, and them all helping her (including Gwen, but I suspect she was being self-serving here as she didn’t want to play lacrosse in Darrell’s place!) put the book back together (though I wonder where they all learned book-binding).

I assume that Miss Johnson was just being cruel when she told Darrell she could pay lacrosse if she fixed the book, as it was surely an impossible task do to it before lights out. (I had betted that Miss Johnson had kept back a few pages to prevent it being fixed but it seems I was wrong.)

As Darrell snuck out of the dorm at night to finish the book, that would have an order mark and a lacrosse ban for sure, but she was between a rock and a hard place and Miss Johnson knew it. I wonder if she also hoped to catch her breaking rules to punish her further. Nothing would surprise me!

Just because I’m liking the Harry Potter parallels I also liked that she decided to confiscate all the science materials and decreed learning would be from texts only.

My note here simply read HELLO UMBRIDGE.

I loved Matron’s little cough as Gwen stuffs up her father about teaching the other girls all she knows about lacrosse.

Thank god the scout saw through all the Gwen nonsense and chose Darrell for the county team, it was definitely deserved.

Things I didn’t understand

What’s Miss Johnson’s goal here? Her time as headmistress is surely temporary. Is her goal to keep them from talking to Ron and/or visiting the stables and the other rules are just to disguise these? Or… does she really just love control and has grabbed it for as long as she can?

Her rules are pretty draconian but several of them actually don’t make sense, or lack clarity to make them properly enforceable.

I assume rule 3 doesn’t include the changing rooms or the dormitories, or are the girls going to have to change into games kits outside and sleep in their uniforms?

Rule 2 needs a comma, otherwise it says specifically that they can’t talk in the corridors during mealtimes, but presumably can talk elsewhere at meals times, and in the corridors at other times.

Rule 4 has no allowance for girls whose hair is too short to tie back (like Darrell and Bill) – but at least Miss Johnson doesn’t try to punish them for not following that rule.

Does rule 5 include even water? Is permission given for them to store their tuck boxes in the common rooms like they always used to?

Does rule 6 include books and other learning materials?

Rule 7 sounds like an awful lot of work to sign a slip for every girl who wants to go to the stables, practice lacrosse, go for a walk or swim…

I’d love to see some real malicious compliance from the girls, only I fear there would be strong repercussions. I’d love the girls to keep checking that permission has been given for the food in the kitchens, the vegetables in the gardens, and so on. The girls refusing to speak when spoken to by a teacher in the corridor or at meal times, as per the rules. Refusing to attend games lessons until every girl has a signed slip, and so on.

Miss Johnson reveals a plan for healthier meals – I’m not sure what that’s about unless by healthier she means cheaper (and she plans to pocket the left-over catering money), as the books always said that the cakes and fancy food was only a first and last night sort of treat. I think they got more standard meat, potatoes and veg style meals the rest of the time. Or does she mean smaller meals, hungry and down-trodden girls who won’t answer back?

Ron comes to the lacrosse match and Miss Johnson does nothing about him sitting talking to the girls – which is in direct contravention of rule 8. If you’re going to come up with unfair rules at least enforce them!

(This time my note read RON STOP FRATERNISING WITH BILL!)

Everyone kept shouting on (only) Darrell during the match, were they forgetting that it’s a team effort?

Gwen’s was eating the oranges which surely are for the girls at half-time? (Presumably permission was given for the oranges to be outside of the dining hall.) Nice book/period reference, though.

Things I didn’t like

Although in-keeping with Miss Johnsons nastiness I didn’t enjoy seeing her punish the girls in unfair ways, like giving order marks to Darrell and Jean for coming inside in their games kit – having obviously missed the rules on their way out, if they were posted that early in the morning.

Any reasonable teacher even with these rules would have given a warning and tell them they know better for next time.

It was infuriating to see Miss Johnson drilling them in class on the rules – (and slightly annoying that nobody seemed to pick up on the loopholes I noticed!)

As much as I love Danya Griver’s acting Gwen was back to being hated as she clearly loves the new rules and plans to suck up to Miss Johnson. She’s also pretty awful and snobby about them not “fraternising” with the staff, despite all the ways Ron has helped her.

Lacrosse filming continued to underwhelm, with an awful lot of shots of running feet in between very short moments of actual play.

I’m enraged at Matron for being so gung-ho about enforcing the rules – she seems to be enjoying it almost as much as Miss Johnson, despite being initially shocked at her taking over.  In fact, at one point in my notes I call her a real Filch as that’s who she reminded me of!

While I do feel that Darrell’s temper hasn’t been a plot point as often as it was in the books I felt her display of temper here was a bit weird and irrational. Yes it’s very Darrell to rail against any unfairness she sees but she goes from sitting quietly to practically screaming at Miss Johnson. She’s told off – not in a particularly harsh way – and then throws a textbook across the room at the door which Miss Johnson has just closed behind her. It’s definitely a temper, but it’s not Book Darrell’s temper. Book Darrell could be impetuous and certainly answer back but I don’t recall her ever being truly disruptive or destructive.

She also doesn’t rub her nose when her flare up subsides which was one of Book Darrell’s little things.

Things I was ambivalent about

Gwen (having caused the world’s silliest accident by letting her hanky blow in Mary-Lou’s face, causing her to go blind and fall over) has to play lacrosse.

On one hand I felt like she deserved to be made to do something she didn’t want to, but on the other I felt really sorry for her as her father was there watching.

It truly was embarrassing (and quite funny as we know that Danya Griver is/was a much better player than Ella Bright) to see Gwen flinging the ball wildly around almost taking out the lacrosse scout and Ron. Proof that having an attitude and being able to run isn’t a replacement for actual lacrosse skills like catching and aiming.

Her scoring also had me torn. It wasn’t deserved as she had just hacked Darrell’s feet out from under her, ruining her chances of scoring.

I wrote If the scout picks her [Gwen] I’ll scream.

Miss Johnson picked Gwen as woman of the match. I did groan, even if I didn’t scream.

And again it was sad to see Gwen embarrassed by her father – as he and Miss Johnson agree that Gwen didn’t deserve woman of the match, it was just done to encourage her.

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The Voice

I assumed this episode would be about Mavis, but I had questions as obviously they’ve changed around the character and the plot already.

Is Mavis going to have to sneak off for her audition due to the permission rule and perhaps become unwell? But then it couldn’t tie in with Thunder getting ill, and the dramatic double rescue which would surely be the main plot and title of an ep (and later in the series too)?

Things I liked

Sally is back!

I wasn’t the biggest fan of Sally in the first series, I thought she was a bit flat but Sienna Arif-Knights really shines in this episode as she stands up to Miss Johnson. Her speech about the importance of freedom for the girls was great, and her plan to write to Miss Grayling was a good one. I did think she should have gotten the address from Miss Johnson before giving her speech, but I think it showed her passion for what’s right.

I loved her response to Miss Johnson suggesting that she post the letter (an obvious attempt to prevent the letter reaching Miss Grayling!) A superbly curt and derisive

“No need. Good day.”

My notes here read OOH Sally! Well done. 

Sally continues to be clever by calling the hospital, hoping for a more immediate response. Although disheartening, the scene where Miss Johnson comes up behind Sally as Miss Grayling calls back was nicely dramatic.

Although different from the book I thought the overall story of Mavis and Irene auditioning was done well. They kept some elements – arriving late, not getting to audition (at least at first), missing the bus back, and so on, but added new elements like Miss Johnson keeping their acceptance to the conservatoire from them (I was groaning when the conservatoire lady handed the letters to Miss Johnson and wrote if she had a shredder I bet she’d use it!)

I also referred to her drawer of evil which is where Miss Johnson put Miss Grayling’s photos, the conservatoire letters, and Sally’s letter to Miss Grayling. I can’t wait to see what else goes in there!

Things I didn’t understand

In the same vein as my comments on many other episodes the girls seem to not take the rules seriously. They’ve always broken rules (midnight feasts, anyone?) but sometimes it seems on TV as it they’re TRYING to get into trouble. Naturally Sally doesn’t understand about Miss Johnson and the rules so she and Darrell go for a swim without permission. Honestly… it seems like Darrell is trying to get banned from the county team as she knows full well how serious it all is! Plus Sally is supposed to be really sensible and law-abiding and would have listened and understood about the rules.

Matron catches them coming back from the pool and Darrell loses a week of puddings – is that her being kind, by not giving an order-mark or something more serious, or cruel as she knows how much the girls love their puddings?

They also talk A LOT in the dining hall – in front of Miss Johnson, sort of understandable as they will forget and get carried away – but she does nothing to stop them.

Miss Johnson seems to have added a new rule about not leaving the table until their porridge bowls are empty – is that going to get written on the wall too? (Educational decree number 2?) None of them seem to be enjoying the porridge so I assume this is part of the new ‘healthy eating’ plan, or indeed, the cheap gruel plan?

Miss Johnson replaces nature rambles with deportment – this explains them walking with books on her heads in the title, and we see that in this episode. Gwen loves it, but I’m still wondering why Miss Johnson is so determined to keep them indoors. What’s she doing outside?

It was infuriating that Miss Johnson revoked permission for Mavis to go to her audition at the last minute (staffing issues apparently), but obviously necessary for the plot so she could sneak off. Her motive, I am still unclear on her motive. Did she wanting to stop them from bumping into anyone outside of the school and telling them what’s going on? The girls are allowed to write home… I assume.

It seemed out of character for Sally to basically force Mavis and Irene to go, as above, she’s usually pretty big on the rules which is why she is head of form – and Gwen earlier called her strict and rule-abiding.

Mavis and Irene go on the green bus which we’ve previously seen ferrying the girls in and out at the start/end of term. I always assumed it was a private bus, hired for that purpose. It doesn’t really make sense for a regular bus to service the front door of Malory Towers, so how did they get a bus to come for them? Had it already been organised and Miss Johnson didn’t think to cancel it?

Things I didn’t like

Unfortunately as this was filmed during Covid the lack of background characters is really obvious.

Apart from our girls there are three other girls having breakfast. But, there are only two long tables and one round – nowhere near enough for 6 forms assuming each form has 8-10 girls. Just to add confusion there are girls in the third form classroom who are not in Darrell’s dorm, so are we to assume that there is a second third form dorm and there are actually something like 15 girls per year? Do they eat in shifts?? However – there is a kitchen staff member in the scene!

I thought it unfair that Miss Johnson got Sally into trouble for resuming as head of form without her permission. Jean was always temporary and Sally was already head.

Although she had little option as Miss Johnson wouldn’t be likely to give her permission to leave the school it was frustrating that Sally, trustingly, put the letter into the internal post box, which will obviously be opened by school staff…

Although I did generally like the music audition part, I thought the Mavis-falling-ill part fell rather flat. Obviously the book has her go off alone, come back at night, fall ill, collapse, and get rescued from a ditch. On TV she walks back with Irene, on a sunny evening, having forgotten her blazer and her cough gets a bit worse.

Things I was ambivalent about

I’m not sure how I felt about the scene tricking Matron into thinking that Mavis and Irene were still at school. It was sort of clever, Mary-Lou playing a record so it sounded like they were practising (I was just hoping it wouldn’t crackle or skip)

Matron falling asleep outside the room was sort of amusing, as was Miss Johnson discovering her.

Unfortunately they are CAUGHT BONNY (as I wrote) when the record finishes and for some reason Mary-Lou turns it over and it plays a man singing, thus ruining the trick.

This leads to Sally losing her head girl badge, and Jean can’t have it back either as she was involved too.

Bet it’s Gwen. She’s the only one who didn’t take part and she [Miss J] wants to suck up to Mr L.

And would you know, I was right. Gwen is head girl and immediately starts abusing her powers by making Mary-Lou turn down her bed and fetch her hot water bottle.

So much for their friendship!

I know they’re trying to make Gwen complex but dammit I like my baddies bad and the goodies good. All her chopping and changing is frustrating and it makes the other girls’ acceptance and friendship with her more difficult to understand.

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Although I don’t always like the changes they make to the original plots I have to say that one thing the series has done really well is it makes us love (or hate) the characters. I feel like most people watching are behind the girls all the way, furious about how they’re being treated and rooting for them to rise up and oust the odious Miss Johnson.