In the fourth part of Lords and Ladies, Granny and Nanny seek out who may have opened the gate to let the Lords and Ladies into the world. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to read Discworld.
I DON’T GET IT AND I KNOW THE ANSWER IS RIGHT THERE. Never before have I felt so much like Magrat because of a Discworld book. I need to know!!!
Sleuthing
Even though I miss Magrat, I do have to admit that watching Nanny and Granny work together is really satisfying. They’re so efficient. They understand one another, and they often don’t even have to speak to know what the other person is communicating. They both have their own techniques to determine what’s going on in Lancre, and they respect that!
For Granny, Borrowing is the skill she relies on first. Yet even without the ability to Borrow the minds of bees (Bees? Bees.), she knows that something is deeply, deeply wrong. And I like that she utilizes more than just her witchcraft to gain information. Granted, she spends most of her time as a bat in this section, and Nanny actually gets better info, but still! She’s versatile in her attempts. Nanny, on the other hand, uses no magic or tricks whatsoever. She just utilizes the power of a mother’s guilt and silence.
And what a spectacle that is, y’all. Jason Ogg reveals the name of two of the young women who have been Dancing while Nanny just stands there and gives him a Look and says Nothing At All. It’s beautiful. BEAUTIFUL. Now, I wasn’t surprised that the circle of stones was a gateway of sorts. That was obvious enough. But now I’m not so certain about literally anything else. When Jason suggests that Them are like the things in the Dungeon Dimension, Nanny corrects him:
“No, it ain’t like that,” said Nanny. “Those live outside. But Them lives… over there.”
I misunderstood this when I read it on video. Does Nanny mean that they’re actually in this world, but from somewhere far away? She denies that they’re outside of it… so what does that mean? Who are Them?
“The Lords and Ladies,” she said.
WHAT? WHO ARE THEY?
“You know, she said. “The Fair Folk. The Gentry. The Shining Ones. The Star People. You know.”
I LITERALLY UNDERSTAND NONE OF THESE TERMS. NONE. And I wonder if I were more knowledgable or genre-savvy, I might have known what Pratchett was referring to her. BUT I DON’T GET IT. Even more confusing? As predicted, when Nanny reveals exactly what they are, Jason’s reaction is to state that they’re nice. WHY??? What one word could Nanny utter to get that kind of reaction?
Regardless, it’s serious. I can tell that much. But is it serious enough to get Granny to question her own worth? Like Nanny, I was a bit concerned when Granny started talking about her own failings because… well, she never does that. Ever! She’s a prideful woman, which is the understatement of the century. What is it about this situation that makes her think this?
From the shelter of a thorn thicket, the unicorn watched them go.
THE QUEEN’S PET WAS A UNICORN? I DON’T UNDERSTAND WHAT THIS HAS TO DO WITH AN ELF AND A QUEEN. How are all these things in the same place??? Why is Lankin going around and stealing from animal minds??
Witch vs Witch
Look, as someone who was once a foolish teenage certain of their place within the world, I feel like I’m allowed to laugh at Diamanda Tockley. Y’all, this all felt TOO REAL. It’s funny, but it’s also a little heartbreaking because Pratchett captures teenage envy and desire a little too well. It’s amazing to me how so many of those things carried over into adult life, especially when it came to self esteem. Perdita and Amanita compete quietly with one another because they’re desperate to feel better about themselves.
And at the center of that feeling is Diamanda, who is confident, pretty, and arrogant, and she’s everything that those girls want to be. Just look at how certain Perdita feels about her:
She wished she could wear black lace like Diamanda did.
Diamanda got results
And:
But Diamanda had read books. She knew about stuff. Raising power at the stones, for one thing. It really worked.
Or:
And she wished she could do her eyes like Diamanda did.
And she wished she could wear heels like Diamanda did.
That’s adoration we’re seeing. And it’s going to become a problem.
I’m curious, though. As much fun as the confrontation between Granny and Diamanda is, it doesn’t make that much sense to me. I think that’s kind of deliberate, though. As soon as Diamanda insults Granny, Granny appears to completely ignore the whole purpose of the visit. She doesn’t do anything to stop these young women from Dancing and opening the gate to that other place. Instead, she sets up an western-style duel of sorts with Diamanda the following day at noon. I’m sure that will be ridiculously entertaining, but I hope Granny’s pride doesn’t get in the way of the real reason she showed up.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzoJcsbBVMQ
Mark Links Stuff
– I am now on Patreon!!! MANY SURPRISES ARE IN STORE FOR YOU IF YOU SUPPORT ME.
– The Mark Does Stuff Tour 2015 is now live and includes dates across the U.S. this summer and fall Check the full list of events on my Tour Dates / Appearances page.
– My Master Schedule is updated for the near and distant future for most projects, so please check it often. My next Double Features for Mark Watches will be the remainder of The Legend of Korra, series 8 of Doctor Who, and Kings. On Mark Reads, Diane Duane’s Young Wizards series will replace the Emelan books.
- Mark Does Stuff is on Facebook! I’ve got a community page up that I’m running. Guaranteed shenanigans!
