We’re recapping the 2008 miniseries John Adams each week because the 18th-century costumes and American history are just that good! Catch up with previous episodes here.
This episode opens in 1790, with John Adams doing a bit of grandstanding in his role of Vice President, calling for a vote on what title the President of the United States should go by.
No shit, “His Highness” did not go over well.
Abigail is irritated, partly because she knew the proposal to address the President as “His Highness” would go over badly, and partly because she’s just over politics and wants to go back to the farm.
Washington looking sober in a brown suit.
Meanwhile, Jefferson is looking very Parisian in a lavender silk jacket and eggshell blue embroidered waistcoat.
John is annoyed when Alexander Hamilton shows up and starts ingratiating himself into Washington’s inner circle.
John’s clothing aren’t interesting, but the clothes on the extras are…
At a dinner with Jefferson, Abby wears a nice gray striped gown.
Flashing forward a bit, Moriarty is annoyed because John wont let him marry his daughter, Nabby.
But the marriage takes place anyway because Abigail thinks it’s a good match, even if John is convinced Nabby is marrying beneath her.
A wider shot of the wedding party. Nabby has a nice light organza frock while you don’t see much of Abigail’s dress in this scene. You will, however, see it later.
Washington is irritated with the French because they’re attempting to drum up support for the French Revolution amongst Americans.
Genet is like, “WTF, you guys practically came knocking down our door to get support for your little revolution.”
Meanwhile, back at the farm. The family shows up to send off John Quincy and Thomas to England. JQ has been appointed ambassador to the English court, due to a bit of political maneuvering on his father’s part after telling his son-in-law, William Smith, that he wouldn’t be caught dead trying to pull strings for anyone in his family.
Adams is elected President and he and Abby are forced to reckon with the fact that the Presidential Residence has been ransacked by angry mobs.
So, of course Abby gets to work cleaning things up.
I really liked this shot, which shows her tasteful shoes.
What did you think of episode 5 of John Adams? Share it with us in the comments!
John was right about Moriarty but the costume details were terrific
I like the hair on the French guys. Really seems like a lot of attention to detail in the production design as a whole.
They really did the normal,everyday kind of clothes and hair very well.Abigail’s green gown is gloriously gorgeous.
Is the cut of the coat on Genet accurate though?It looks a bit too high for the ’90s.His entire aesthetic gives perfectly Regency vibes,perhaps a bit too early for it.
I think it may be the hair that’s giving that impression: I agree, it’s way too late. Genet’s outfit is pretty consistent with what prominent political figures were wearing in France c. 1793, however (though it could arguably stand to be a bit more colorful). Laneuville’s portraits are a pretty good source on that: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Jean-Louis_Laneuville?uselang=fr.
May I please have that green dress? And the hat and shoes, yes, thank you.
Is it just me, or that the first Major Hat we’ve seen on Abigail?
John wasn’t the only one annoyed when Hamilton showed up. Jefferson was like: I HATE THIS BUFFOON, GET HIM OUT OF MY SIGHT. And I gotta admit, as much as I love Rufus Sewell, his Hamilton annoyed me too. XD
Correction: the Presidential Residence has not been ransacked by angry mobs but by Washington himself (as a reference to the fact that the real life Washington comitted plenty of embezzlement, while in office).