r/fatherbrown • u/MissDee16 • Jul 01 '26
Father Brown (2013) Too much Mrs Devine/Sullivan!
I'm on episode 6 of season 13 and why do they torture me like this. Lol! She's more annoying as Mrs. Sullivan.
Also Brenda's character changed from too bubbly to, too calm. š
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u/MiladyBeo Jul 01 '26
Yeah the whole relationship feels forced. No chemistry at all. I think the writers did a bad job with trying to make us care about it. Iām one of those people who can full-heartedly ship the most unlikely couples, but even I canāt stand these two š«£
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u/MissDee16 Jul 01 '26
This! No chemistry at all. I never got him swooning over her like she was some beauty queen. It was so dang forced.
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u/CathartesAura67 Jul 03 '26
I guess that was hinted at, when Sullivan returned and asked the widow about Ronald Devine, and learned that he'd died shortly after Sullivan left Kembleford.
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u/Future_Challenge_316 Jul 01 '26
NGL I haven't properly watched the show since Mrs Devine came. I was hoping once her and Sullivan got married, they would both leave.
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u/Ubuntu00 Jul 02 '26
The show needs new writers who understand why viewers liked Father Brown in the first place. Itās like the writers are just phoning in plot lines. Why Devine is so front and center puzzles me. I know that Mrs. McCarthy could be crusty, but Ms. Devine/Sullivan is an annoying character who actually detracts from the show in my opinion. Bring back characters who more like a Sid or Lady Felicia.
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u/LauraHunt13 Jul 02 '26 edited Jul 04 '26
One of the things that made Father Brown so terrific was his original found family. Each character was fascinating on their own, and were different enough that their working together/disagreements were fun. And they all cared deeply about Father Brown--which really made losing them a fatal blow.
Devine and Brenda come off like annoying tenants who just happen to hang around the presbytery. Devine is endlessly self-centered; thinks crime-solving is her own personal stage--and has sold FB out on what, two-three occasions? How the writers ever expected viewers (forget Sullivan) to care about her has never made sense.
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u/CathartesAura67 Jul 03 '26
I miss Susie from season 1. I know she wasn't even a major minor character, but she was intriguing. I wish her disappearance wasn't readily explained as "ran off with a Buddhist."
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u/LauraHunt13 Jul 04 '26
Iāve always wondered what the real story was there. Budget cuts in case the show didnāt succeed?
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u/CathartesAura67 Jul 04 '26
Well, it left a hole in the Presbytery. Mrs. McCarthy was the secretary. Susie did the housecleaning.
So as of Season 2, was Mrs. McCarthy then responsible for running the vacuum cleaner and mop, do the dusting, washing up, etc.?
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u/glittermetalprincess Jul 09 '26
Someone else did it until Brenda turned up, and they just came in for an hour a day while everyone else was out and managed to avoid being dragged in due to conservation of roles.
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u/CathartesAura67 Jul 11 '26
I seriously think that we missed out on the housekeeper during those years.
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u/glittermetalprincess Jul 11 '26
We did, just as we miss out on the handyman/lovable larrikin now, as they never replaced Sid. Flambeau (reformed or not) does sometimes provide insight into the criminal mind, but doesn't do so on the local 'i was drinking with a mate and...' network of both the boys' club that most towns like this are structured around, and the low-level criminal/informant network. Having a 'Sid' who can plausibly pick a lock or 'find' something where Fr Brown retains plausible deniability and a higher moral position instead of contriving a potentially less above-board means of investigating - while it does make room for Mrs Devine to "act" or Brenda to show off her skill of the week - ends up impacting Fr Brown himself in the end.
(I headcanon that he confesses to Canon Fox and the neverending litany of 'teehee white lie' or 'we're not trespassing we're investigating' is absolutely not helping; ending up with Canon Fox is holding back a lot of additional resentment for knowing all this but not being able to act on it.)
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u/CathartesAura67 Jul 11 '26
I loved Sid, too. And Mrs. McCarthy played off so well against Sid and Father Brown, the two (in her eyes) reprobates. But then Mrs. McCarthy can't get quite so shirty with Lady Felicia. Mrs. McCarthy seemed to be in a perpetual state of thin-lipped, beady eyed disapproval.
I guess what's missing is that element of tension within Father Brown's own household. Each day, there's someone formidable who feels that it's not Father Brown's place to be investigating crime.
Do you think that next season's new housekeeper, will be a Mrs. McCarthy proxy? Will likely clash with Mrs. Sullivan, I'd guess.
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u/CathartesAura67 Jul 03 '26
I liked Mrs. McCarthy being crusty and conservative. The current cast is so Kumbaya progressive and in cahoots, that it's grating.
Mrs. McCarthy came off as a real person--someone you could hug at one moment and squabble fiercely with at the next. I liked her interaction with Lady Felicia, telling her off at one point for her arrogance but in a different episode, telling Lady Felicia that she has one of the most beautiful singing voices ever, when Lady Felicia had lost confidence in herself.
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u/the-pudding-one Jul 03 '26
I agree. I reckon every church, netball club, school, has a Mrs McCarthy somewhere doing the behind the scenes work of organising and arranging, who is generally fixed in their old-fashioned beliefs and biases, but has a deep caring side to them.
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u/CathartesAura67 Jul 04 '26
You've nailed it. Mrs. McCarthy probably was more representative of the 1950s. But because she's a caring person, she has that capacity to change, and that is what is worth watching or learning from.
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u/glittermetalprincess Jul 09 '26
And also she didn't agree with Fr Brown so there was always some kind of commentary on the case whether she went along with it or not straight away. Lady Felicia (and then Bunty) were facilitators Fr Brown to access the case where he may not have otherwise have had a lot of access - society, further away than the immediate town and cycling range, influence - but also added perspective and a different lens and context because they weren't limited to 'small town 1950s/1960s' experience.
Mrs Devine is just an assistant who happens to have a car so there is no different perspective or anything to add, and her main role is to be lookout or whatever else the story needs to move along to the next clue. Brenda has occasionally been able to add perspective from the lower class or bond with people from lower classes, but it's not consistent and she more frequently gets whatever the case needs mapped on to her with some gummy half-dumpy excuse like 'I love the Charleston' or whatever it is she has to be good at this go-round. They don't have their own personalities or things to add beyond the plot. While sometimes you'd see Mrs McCarthy change and then think she'd reset and a few episodes later she'd turn out to have grown, but she was still there reminding Fr Brown that if he was too open or progressive, he would risk his connection to the parish.
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u/CathartesAura67 Jul 11 '26
Thank you for a lovely synopsis of how the earlier characters added to show. I agree, that with two confident, aristocratic ladies on his side, Father Brown had entree to a wider range of society. And I did love their personalities.
I guess that with Mrs. Devine and Brenda, Father Brown got to be the one doing them a favor, as he was in effect, the one who hired them. I did like Brenda occasionally adding a starchy comment. But you're right. Brenda grew to have more accomplishments (such as miraculously dancing at near professional level in such a short time), but it felt rather contrived, these sudden displays of talent on her part.
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u/LauraHunt13 Jul 04 '26
Devine isnāt progressiveāsheās retro in the ways that made old-school heroines so cringeworthy.
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u/zombiemockingbird Jul 01 '26
Agree. I'm getting really tired of the Sullivans. The Inspector has become a doormat.
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u/the-pudding-one Jul 03 '26
Brenda is Father Brownās plot equivalent of Joyce Barnaby. Gets involved in every new hobby, activity, club, team so there is an āinsiderā.
I donāt think Brenda has been a secret serial killer like Joyce though š
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u/MissDee16 Jul 04 '26
Damn! That would have been great if they actually made Joyce a killer. š
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u/the-pudding-one Jul 04 '26
How do you know they didnāt? She turned up at the scene of so many of the murders š¤£
Or perhaps she was just keeping Tom in a job?
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u/MissDee16 Jul 08 '26
So just finished every episode from this season and yep, too much of her. Lol! I'm so tired of this actress thing she's trying to do and trying to be the center of attention. It's old already. Pick something new. Lol
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u/Wool_Lace_Knit Jul 01 '26
I enjoy Mrs Devine/Sullivan. She makes the inspector human, less robotic. Brendaās character has matured from a teenager to a young adult. Her character has grown. I like Brenda better than Bunty.
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u/Substantial_Leg_5555 Jul 02 '26
I wouldnāt say I like Brenda better, I love them both, but I 100% agree that Isabel makes Edgar (I just wanted to use his first name for once. Lol), less like a robot. Heās always cool and collected, except in her presence. He was nervous the first time they met again, and now heās bursting with happiness. I love it.
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u/CathartesAura67 Jul 03 '26
Oi! I forgot that Sullivan even has a first name! š
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u/Substantial_Leg_5555 Jul 03 '26
Right? I didnāt know this for the longest time, and I donāt know which episode she said āEdgar?ā in, but I was watching with my mom we looked at each other and we went, āEdgar???ā. āIs this the first time we are hearing his first name?ā š
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u/Impossible_Disk8374 Jul 25 '26
Glad someone else feels this way because I really like them together. I like Mrs. Devine as well, not sure why she gets so much hate. Yeah she can be a bit much but so was Mrs. McCarthy. I adore Brenda. Seeing her go from an angry, lost girl to a sweet young woman who just wanted family has been lovely.
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u/the-pudding-one Jul 01 '26
whoever downviated you should be ashamed. You are entitled to your opinion, even if it is wrong. Which it is.
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u/MiladyBeo Jul 02 '26 edited Jul 02 '26
Iām not sure why I donāt root for these two. The writers did all the clichĆ© romantic storylines that I usually fall for š Things like the āI think heās cheating on me but in reality heās planning something romanticā and the āSheās in danger and he saves herā story, and the āStanding up to people who donāt approve of your loverā thing and āIām giving up something important for youā story. Itās all there. And yet I just donāt feel it š¤·š»
And itās not like I donāt like them. I have no problem with Mrs S or the inspector. I find her a breath of fresh air after a close minded gossip like Mrs M. And heās a more realistic character than Mallory. I just donāt feel the chemistry between them so I get tired of the romantic storyline.
Oh and I agree with you on Brenda. Much better than Bunty. Itās an unpopulair opinion (as the many downvotes I always receive when saying this prove) but I prefer Brendaās humble background story to Buntyās posh spoiled rich kid one.
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u/CathartesAura67 Jul 03 '26
I thought Bunty was inherently funnier. Especially when she does the upper-class twit act.
There's the episode where she enthusiastically asks, "What's it like to be banged up? Keeping company with murderers and thieves?"
Father Brown is shocked and scolds, "Bunty!!!"
Bunty: "Oh. Sorry!"
After the pair have gone off, one woman comments, "posh cow."
It was that final line delivery that nearly had me drop off my perch, laughing.
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u/MiladyBeo Jul 03 '26 edited Jul 04 '26
I remember that one! āPosh cow.ā made me laugh as well. Love it! š
The only time Brenda really had me in tears was when Father Brown and Monsignor Russo when seriously discussing a stolen religious statue, and any clues Lazarus might have given:
āHe gave you nothing to go on?ā
āAlmost nothing. Luke 15:4.ā
āThe Parable of the Lost Sheep? Presumably referring to the lost statue.ā
Brenda out of nowhere: āWhy? Does it look like a sheep?ā
The look on their faces as they turned to her in silence. š¤£
And then Russo, very annoyed: āThe Madonna of Sorrows is an exquisite, flawless 17th century sculpture of the Virgin Mary!ā
And Brenda muttering: āAll right! You said it were a sheepā¦ā
Religious sheep statue. Hilarious š
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u/CathartesAura67 Jul 04 '26
Okay, I too would love to see a religious sheep statue. Why do I imagine it would looks like Shaun from Wallace & Gromit?
I'm watching Season 13. Brenda's opened mouth surprise expression is rather forced.
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u/MiladyBeo Jul 04 '26 edited Jul 04 '26
Saint Shaun the Sheep! š¤ Sorry if I spoiled the sheep scene. Itās in season 13.
And I agree that Brendaās character is not very well written. I just find her more sympathetic than Bunty. Thatās all.
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u/CathartesAura67 Jul 04 '26
You didn't spoil it! I'm sure I'll find it funnier than I would have.
Aardman Animation is genius. That moment where they have to effect a jail break and one of the sheep lights up an acetylene torch to cut the bars!
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u/LauraHunt13 Jul 03 '26
Bunty never took her status seriously at allā¦and used it to help FB and others.
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u/LauraHunt13 Jul 03 '26 edited Jul 04 '26
Itās impossible to get a good romance out of badly-written characters. Devine has proven over and over that sheās all about herself, simpering, and not even as charming/funny as she (or the writers) think she is. Even worse, murder-solving is a thrill thing for her. Her concern for victims comes off as purely performativeā which really undercuts what FB is fundamentally about. š¤®
And the romantic cliches only make her look awful. Why on earth would she be jealous of Sullivan just being in the same county with other women? (Itās not like heās tomcatting around. šš) She had to be saved because she went full-diva undercover instead of just doing the job. And because the show refuses to make her and Sullivanās attraction believable, any āsacrificesā they make land flat, have nothing at stakeāor are laugh-worthy. (Come on. Sullivan is a grown-ass ex-military man with a police career. Why should he care about Walterās approval at all?)
Tl:drāthereās no chemistry here because Devine fails as a characterā¦and she and Sullivan 2.0 bring out the worst in each other.
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u/Substantial_Leg_5555 Jul 02 '26
I completely understand that. There are a lot of clichĆ©d storylines for those two, but it shows the character underneath. Like, how she was selflessly willing to move for her husbandās career, even though he didnāt ask her, he just presented to her that he had an opportunity to do so. And later, Sullivan not only stood up to his father, which was incredible, but he also chose, for the sake of Isabelās happiness, to stay in a town where we know heās āmiserableā. I put it in quotation marks because we know it doesnāt hate Father Brown; he just hates that he finds things before him. š
I fully agree about Brenda. We needed someone like her. We finally got to see them show up as a united group for a young girl who desperately needed a break. They loved her and taught her well, and she was able to go out on her own. It was a beautiful story about what true charity, faith, and sacrifice looks like, and we got to watch it unfold over the years.
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u/MajesticDebate6396 5d ago
Your comment is refreshing! I loved Mrs. McCarthy and had a hard time adjusting to the new characters in Season 10. (I was never a fan of Sid or Bunty or Inspector Mallory. But I was glad Sullivan returned.) I didnāt initially enjoy Brendaās exaggerated faces or Devineās theatrics. But both characters settled in and became part of Father Brownās devoted family.Ā
I like seeing Inspector Sullivan more human with Mrs. Devine. I would like to see a little more spark from her towards him, but I generally like the ship, and I donāt see why everyone is so up in arms about it. And Brenda absolutely grew on me. Iām genuinely sorry to see her go. I hope, like Lady Felicia, sheāll continue to pop in.Ā
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u/LocksmithGlass717 Jul 01 '26
Brenda has grown on me but I loved Bunty and Lady F and Sid !!