It was a bit jarring to see Christine and Philippe’s relationship be rewritten to this extent (from book!Raoulstine). However, I like how they were still childhood friends, and were connected by music, in a way. Obviously not as much as her and Erik, but still. Having them already know each other also makes their relationship not seem so rushed, considering the story’s short time span.

I really enjoyed the way they handled Erik’s backstory. Some versions hint at his mother being disgusted by his face, but *somehow* giving him unconditional love from his mother was the version that moved me the most. For him to have been loved and then lose it was even more heartbreaking. The flashback with Erik’s parents was a nice touch. This on top of having Gérard be Erik’s father was icing on the cake for emotional impact. Yes, I did cry.

However, I have to admit that Christine being the spitting image of Erik’s mother, and having the same voice as her, kind of freaked me the heck out. It does make sense, since Christine and his mother are the only people who loved him (besides Gérard), but it made me uncomfortable. My mid-watch notes, verbatim: “She reminds him of his MOTHER? Uh oh.”

The unmasking scene was my favorite, and also obliterated my heart. Good grief…Christine was so well intentioned, but unfortunately…sigh. For a moment there, it actually felt like Erik and Christine could have something. I just feel sorry that it went the way it did.

I’m conflicted about the miniseries’ decision to not show Erik’s face to the audience (besides in childhood flashbacks). On one hand, the audience does not deserve to see his face. We are nothing to him. Christine and his mother get to see it, and that’s enough. He’s not to be put on display for strangers to gawk at. And frankly, the exact nature of his features is not the point. The reactions from Christine are enough. On the other hand, I can see how people might find the lack of a reveal to be a let down.