Shark Bytes

I LOVED this show, untill the end of season 3. When Assumpta died & Peter left, that was it for me. Being a Protestant, I believe he could have left the Priesthood & still served God. They could have been together & it would have been interesting to see how the town would have reacted (& adapted/or not). Plus... Assumpta clearly stated (in the episode that she & the "RockStar" went out) that she WAS NOT an Atheist. She just didn't agree w/ the Catholic Church (or, I guess, organized church in general). It broke my heart when Assumpta died & Peter left... & it KILLED that show for me also. I like to end it (in my mind) after the "I love you" bit, in the pub, before she goes down the stairs. I'll just be happy re-writing it in my head. What a beautiful, yet totaly frustrating show.

Wasn't the departure of Assumpta and Peter because in real life they had broken off their engagement? How could they continue working together on the set of the show where their off-screen romance began?

To be honest, Father Clifford often gave terrible advice and I was never convinced that he even liked being a priest. In real life, there are many priests who take their vow/promise of celibacy seriously and understand the sacrifice it takes. They understand that sexual tension can happen but they are committed to their vocation. No priest is "forced" into it, and when they break that vow/promise, they're breaking a marriage covenant between them and the church. Sexual tension does happen, sure, but Father Peter falling for a woman would be no different than a married man falling for another woman who he "clicks" with. If you think divorce is OK, then it's fine for Father Peter to "follow his heart" and just jump from one vocation to another to be happy.

I also feel in love with this series from the moment Assumpta picked up Peter in the rain on the side of the road. I think when the show killed off Assumpta and Peter left, it signed it's death certificate. I know Dervla Kirwan wanted to leave the show and this was to assure nobody else could step back in as Assumpta (like anyone else could play the part as she did)but after they left the heart of the show was gone. I watched Season 4 and after that it just was not as good. The other actors did a fine job, it is just that it was not as good without them

Just watched the Reckoning episode this past Saturday. I am still not over it! I absolutely loved that show, but can no longer watch it. Now I read where Peter is leaving and Ambrose will be killed off. Done.

Agree with the poster who equated with Romeo and Juliet. What was the driving force of the show could only be played for a relatively limited time. The "Sexual Tension" between Peter and Assumpta drove the whole thing. Will they or won't they? Could they even? They certainly shouldn't.....

The stark contrast between a Pius, yet questioning Priest who struggles with love of God and church but has very human feelings toward a wonderful woman in his life. His venue is the meeting grounds for the Sunday absolution.

A died in the wool atheist, predisposed to cynicism about not only the church but the men who wear the collar. Finds not only a true friend but a potential love of her life wearing that damn collar! And her venue is the meeting grounds for the Saturday night reason for Sunday's absolution.

To me, everything else was window dressing. Good, wonderful small town life, but that which provided the setting for the primary drama.

Been watching full series on Netflix, and just watched The Reckoning last evening. It will be interesting to see how the thing progresses....

There was really only so far they could take the priest and the pub owner romance. I think it was a bad idea to focus so much of the story line on that.

There could've been a few episodes where the town was divided on the issue, but frankly, they probably would've ended up leaving the community. A stuanchly Catholic community will forgive a lot of things, but a priest who tries to marry an already married woman is not going to sit well ever. I'm also not convinced that a bunch of episodes relating to Peter's guilt about abandoning the Church and having a non-Catholic relationship would have been particularly fullfilling viewing.

The romantic feelings between them would have been great as a side plot, but it just didn't have that much potential as the main theme.

You do have to give the writers credit for keeping it the Perfect Romance. Shakespeare killed off Romeo and Juliet because he knew (we all know) there's a bell curve to passion... unless it never gets the chance to decline. The heartbreak is what keeps us thinking about an epic romance which otherwise would just be a relationship. Still, here I don't even think they kissed -- would've been more satisfying if they could've gotten a bit higher on their curve before the big, Tragic end. The Irish do like drama, don't they?

I think the Ballykissangel became much better when Clifford and Assumpta left.
It was to much about their love affair.
In fact, I could really stand either of them.
Father Mac should have left as well.

I just assumed the two actors quit. Why else would the show commit suicide like it did? Why not keep Assumpta in a coma for 2 years? Peter could have stuck around indefinitely and pined in secret at her bedside.

I just discovered the Ballykissangel series from my local library in the U.S. and instantly got drawn in to the first three series.

There was depth and sensitivity to each of the characters and the ongoing lessons in life and morality that Father Peter faced became the underpinnings for the series.

As other readers have pointed out, the end to Series 3 was a big disappointment. Throughout the first three series, Peter addresses moral dilemnas against the backdrop of his Catholic faith but in such a way that all of us can relate, whether Catholic or not. When he is faced with his own personal tragedy and moral dilemna, the viewers are left hanging as to his ultimate decision. Did he remain a priest after Assumpta's death and did his own personal loss make him a better man and priest?

The remaining series paled in comparison to the first three and this burning question was never answered.

I liked the beginning seasons of BallyK, but the reason it ran out of steam was the strict Catholic morality that governed the show. That is why the situations became trite and pat. Right before Assumpta died, she and Peter kissed each other passionately
after admitting their feelings. That might have been seen as a sin by someone with a strict Catholic morality, so she had to die, and he had to leave in shame instead of staying like most wanted him to. Then when Niamh went off the rails, as people often do after losing someone, and kissed another man, Ambrose had to die so she could be punished for her sin. Also, for her to re-marry without committing more sins, she had to be a widow, not a divorcee'. As for Assumpta, she irritated me. She was usually grumbling about something
or sticking her nose where it didn't belong. Some would call that being a high spirited Irish woman, I would call that being a pain in the butt. Also, her quickie marriage didn't ring true. She seemed to be such an independent person, so why would she marry someone she didn't love? Being in love with a priest was obstacle enough. If Peter really loved her, he'd become a Methodist or
another Christian religion where he could be a minister and get married. I was disappointed with Sean and Niamh as a couple, they had no chemistry and the kissing was awful! When she kissed Ambrose, it looked like they were really in love. On the plus side, the acting was top notch, especially Tina Kelleger's. If you don't believe me, rent the movie "The Snapper", and see that she's one of the best actressess on the planet. I cared enough to watch until the end, when they were going to repeat history with that brunette (the real daughter of the actor who played Brian Quigley) and her attraction to the handsome Aussie priest. I guess the producers saw that it was played out and cancelled it.

My husband rented the first half of season one from Netflix. I was addicted immediately. I've been insatiably watching the DVD's at an accelerating pace and, in my haste, have purchased the first 3 seasons. However, I made the mistake of getting on the internet before finishing season 3. I'm devastated! No aplogies: the story of Peter and Sumpta has consumed my middle aged heart. Pathetic, I know. Now I'm dreading watching the last few episodes.

Believe it or not, it’s 2008 and Ballykissangel is only now being shown on BBC Prime in Serbia! I know only few people watching it, because there are no Serbian subtitles. People here have seen Stephen Tompkinson in Wild at Heart, which is a shame, because I like him most as Peter Clifford.
I fell in love with BallyK the moment I saw the first episode. For the past few weeks I have been preparing myself for The Reckoning, searching the Internet and watching ***** clips. But nothing could have prepared me for such a heartbreak.
Have the creators ever explained why they have decided to finish season 3 in such a way?
Since I was a teenager, I haven’t been drawn to a series and to its characters this strongly. It is “exhilarating and depressing at the same time” (in Peter’s words). The story is written with such wit and intelligence. It has awoken the emotions I thought I was too old and too serious to be able to feel. (For God’s sake, I’m a 34-year-old teacher)
I was very happy when I came across http://www.geocities.com/TelevisionCity/9171/BallyK.html . It was extremely comforting to read all the alternative endings to The Reckoning episode, and to see that I am not alone feeling this way.
I am also completely awestricken by Stephen Tompkinson’s brilliance, charm and wit. It has been far too long since I liked an actor so much. I have always been a fan of English films and English humour, but unfortunately I have had little chance to enjoy them. I will do my best to change that.
My best regards to all the fans.

I do does it. It was so shocking when Asumpta died. But it was even more shocking when Peter who was such a great character and priest could not handle temptation. He was so good for the town. I loved the way he ran around putting out fires. It would have been a better show if he could. They lost me at that point. Then when Ninmh turns mean and hurts Ambrose I really was disappointed. The final nail was when they killed another pivotal character, Ambrose. It barely matter. I thought who shall they kill next? It went from a show about a day in the life of an interesting group of people to a soap opera and the BBC became the serial killer of television characters. I am sorry to hear about Brian. I have not made it that far but now I will stop while I am ahead. On another note, I did like the addition of Billy and Sean (and Sean’s daughter). They were great new cast members for added story lines, just not to replaced original cast.

i thouroughly enjoyed each character, and coming to miss some,added tribute to their parts well played.they all became family, and their music played in my sleep.i did feel the loss of assumpta,peter,ambrose,and quigley--but to me, c'est la vie!
it did become 'choppy' after series 4, and the scene changes to and fro' were too soon.but still, hats off, to one of the most enjoyable tv viewing that i have experienced in my 55 years.