Around the World once again

So far, I like the new Masterpiece version of Around the World in 80 Days with David Tennant. In the first episode, they are hinting at some new backstory for Phileas Fogg, because he receives a postcard with the nasty message "Coward" on it. He also has other postcards, and his fellow Reform Club members refer to some previous trip that he failed to take. I suppose they will revisit and explain this later. The writers also soften Fogg because he doesn't fire his old valet over just a wrong bathtub temperature, as in Verne's book. Instead, Fogg just leaves old Grayson at home to take care of the house, while he hires Passepartout to accompany him on the world tour. (Passepartout has his own reasons for engineering himself into the job; he's had a fight, and people have called the police on him. So it's a sort of echo of Jackie Chan's version of Passepartout who was the bank thief, hiding out with Fogg.) So far, there is no bank thief or Scotland Yard chase in this show; they didn't need the contrived plot device for this version.

Anyway, Passepartout and Abigail Fix get backstories too, to give them more dimension. I was pleasantly surprised that this version followed precedent from the Pierce Brosnan version, by including the Paris Commune in the show. Ten years ago, Passepartout's revolutionary father died by firing squad, so he left France to travel the world.  His younger brother Gerard has carried on the political torch of their father. Gerard and his comrades brought about the short-lived Commune in 1871, but the current French President Adolphe Thiers betrayed them and ordered armies against them last year. So Gerard and company are plotting to assassinate Thiers in revenge. I'm not sure I understand the history, but it is refreshing for the show to go political, rather than just include pretty Parisian scenes. With Passepartout being a Black Frenchman, I wonder if the show will address racism such as what we saw on Netflix's Lupin. Abigail Fix certainly addresses issues of feminism; she's the daughter of a newspaper editor, and she's trying to have a real career as a journalist. She talks herself into chronicling the journey and is smart enough to notice that Passepartout is hiding something. After all the drama of the assassination attempt, the trio finally take the obligatory balloon ride. (Verne's novel never had a hot air balloon ride, but every adaptation since the 1956 version with David Niven has added this picturesque detail.) I can't wait to see more drama unfold.

ETA: I mixed up the dates that brother Gerard mentioned. Why does Gerard only call him "brother" or "Passepartout"? Doesn't he have another name? In the book, it was Jean I think.