SINS, THE MINISERIES

When we prematurely had to return home from Paris because of the COVID-19 growing epidemic, my hubby and I had to self-isolate for 14 days. So suffice to say, we watched a lot of TV during that time. One of the titles we caught was the spectacular miniseries SINS based on the 1982 novel by Judith Gould and starring Joan Collins. I talked about this adaptation before in another post, so for me it was a re-visiting thing. It wasn’t for my husband, but since he had enjoyed Joan before in DYNASTY I felt that showing him this one would certainly be a slam dunk. Not so much, as it turned out.  

Basically, what he disliked most about SINS was exactly the same reason why I love it so: the over-the-topness of it all. Love, glamour, revenge...  And Dame Joan Collins to boost. Not one iota of film reel is wasted on this seven-hour miniseries. I even watched it twice that faithful day, since my hubby retired to bed early. I just popped in the disc again and voila, I was back with Hélène Junot in Paris during the Second World War.   

I don’t really need to recap the plot but if I had to I would say that SINS is all about Miss Collins and her insane changing wardrobe. Actress Catherine Mary Stewart may portray a young Joan in flashbacks but it’s Collins who really steals the show with her gowns, suits and dresses (85 of them in total), all led by costume designer Michael Fresmay. Many were sketched by Valentino himself.

As much of a sight for sore eyes she ends up being I must confess that it barely compensates for her limited acting ability. Whether in this miniseries or other highly-sought visual avenues, I usually find that Miss Collins is all looks but little substance. Oh, don’t get me wrong, she does have this star power about her that makes her must-see TV and her icon status is rightfully deserved, but an impressive thespian she is not. But in the end does it really matter when one stars in silly but highly-addictive miniseries such as this one?  

In fact, seeing her in action in SINS is almost as rewarding as catching her in DYNASTY. It’s probably the reason why the miniseries was such a smash to begin with when it aired in 1986. It was clear that Collins swam in known territory. And since she was already being held as the queen of night time television, well, you do the math. When she made another miniseries, MONTE CARLO, later in the same year, however—as DYNASTY began to slip in the ratings—it barely made the same waves when it aired and she never ventured into another miniseries after that. 

A bummer, really, for I certainly find miniseries like SINS to be quite joyful despite their imperfectness. Truth be told, they probably work as a security blanket from reality. And I’m more than OK with that. With all the shit that is going on nowadays what better way to cocoon yourself with than watching an over-produced, over-written, overact piece of fluff that delivers exactly what it sets out to do: entertain the heck out of you. 

Until next post—Martin