| Agreed. We used to have whole threads devoted to the absence of narrative logic in the through-line, which, among other things, presumes an audience's full acceptance of -- and investment in -- the central players as a romantic triangle, even though nothing that unfolds truly supports the contention in understandable emotional terms. When I went back, 20 years after my initial viewing with the first and now legendary Crawford, I thought of it as a series of set pieces, tableaux very vivants, gorgeously staged. If I paused to suspend disbelief in actual plotting, let's just say: I found myself with questions. But no one cares. People adore the show almost independent of its libretto, and find its romantic patina helps forgive all. |
