— Aunt Hermione (played by Barbara Flynn) pontificates to her nephew Larry (played by Josh O’Connor) the value of wisdom in the The Durrells in Corfu (Series 3, Episode 2)
One of my guilty pleasures during the pandemic, The Durrells (as is known in the UK) is a great show transported me to the beautiful scenery of Corfu island in Greece before the great war. Funny, light hearted, but genuine where it needed to, this show is a great relaxing adventure. Not to mention the opening credits (that changed for every season) were absolutely gorgeous and the Greek music was just right.
This quote got me the second time around watching the series. It was a tender moment, one where aunt Hermione imparted great knowledge onto her younger nephew. It does remind me of my past in my country, where our elders were seen as the “depots of wisdom” of old in the present. In The Durrells, auntie Hermione suddenly passes away after her exchange with her nephew, reminding us the cycle of life, leaving the family to come to terms with her passing. Sadness befalls in the household at to the loss of another wonderful depot of knowledge, at the loss of a life time of experiences and a life dear to a family. And it’s a circle of life journey we all take is various ways, from Leslie finding out about creating unplanned new life, to Jerry seeing a prying mantis being devoured by a salamander and Louisa grieving for her dead aunt. 😢 And then there was Larry trying to shoot that poor goat… 🤣
