Picnic at Hanging Rock episode 3

This episode opens with Irma twirling around, some odd yellow stuff and her walking through a forested area. The policeman interrogates Irma and she seems to remember a fair bit of things including thinking she saw someone. (Michael had been following them earlier.)

The doctor notes that Irma has no scratches or broken bones and she only seems to be suffering from dehydration. Mrs. Appleyard announces that Irma has been found. Sara says she needs to speak to Irma.

It seems the good doctor may be interested in Mrs. Appleyard. She also seems very much interested in him.

Now, for lack of anything better to do with the series, there's some kind of animal hung up on the wall which Edith sees and, as Edith does so well, she screams. The French teacher tells Irma that Irma's father forbids Irma from returning to the college. There's also some kind of trouble between Irma and her step-father. Irma says she plans to marry Michael.

Now, to make sure sex gets involved, there's a repeat of the nude-from-the-back Miranda scene and then it changes to a nude-from-behind Irma and Marion scene.

To make sure that enough (unnecessary) sexual material is added the addled Mrs. Lumley has snuck something out of Miss Mc Craw's room and it appears to be either r a letter of two women having sex. She's talking to her brother Reginald Lumley (who seems to have a lot of problems himself.) Reginald turns the letter over to the police.

Irma is having problems of her own seeming to think that everyone wanted Miranda found rather than her.

Then we have a dream sequence with Irma on the rock. Then it's all three girls and someone yelling Miranda. Irma seems to recall a dark place, not knowing where it leads and someone following. Then there's another dream sequence with all three girls comparing their legs and trying to determine who has the best-looking legs.

In the scene with the three girls laying together you can see how badly damaged Miranda's hands are from the caning.

As part of the sexing-up of the story you have the above scene. Then Irma actually kisses Miranda. (I have absolutely nothing against lesbians. I am a strong supporter of all LBGT, etc. rights. This part, though, is totally made up and was not in the book or the original movie. Again, the original book and movie is a metaphysical mystery; it didn't need overt sexual things or horror elements. I guess the people who did this series thought it wouldn't work unless these more 'modern' elements were added.)

Irma kisses Miranda twice but then Miranda shows she doesn't want to continue. Miranda even has a put-down for Irma, saying she reminds her of Mrs. Appleyard. (Which, to me, is a pretty darn far stretch of the imagination.)

Then we go back to 1894 London for some of Mrs. Appleyard's backstory. It seems Arthur was a thief.

Obviously to make things more 'modern' you absolutely have to have at least one gun so we find out she has hers in a carry bag. She left Arthur and he threatened to find her and kill her. The police then confronts Mrs. Appleyard about forged references and asks her how much she actually knows about the teachers there.

Okay. Sara's now in quarantine and is teaching Mrs. Appleyard some game she learned at the orphanage. Irma still seems to think she will be getting married to Mike. apparently he's expected to propose at night during or after dinner but he doesn't show up for dinner. Instead all she gets is a letter from him which shows he has no intention of marrying her. There has been what could be interpreted as a homosexual interest on his part on Albert.

Irma goes back to the school for a goodbye visit. Mrs. Appleyard still believes Irma has secrets about what happened on the rock even though Irma has said she just can't remember what happened. Then we have the scene where the girls turn on Irma but what is added is that Mrs. Lumley says that her people (Irma is a Jew) 'killed our Lord.' So we now know she's a Jew-hater. Edith is the nastiest of all even spitting on Irma. The French teacher slaps her (good for the French teacher.) Irma starts to leave but tells the French teacher that she hates Miranda.


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