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dimity_blueAs I've previously said, it was the Downton Abbey of its day, but far, far better. I posted about season 1 here.
I'm partway through season 2. This particular storyline is about Elizabeth's marriage.
At the end of season 1, Elizabeth (Nicola Pagett) is disappointed to find that her poet beau, Laurence Kirbridge (Ian Ogilvy) is acceptable to her horribly old-fashioned family. To the extent they're all in favour of wedding bells.
Elizabeth wasn't but gave in, possibly to her eternal regret.
Married bliss, but not for long.
They return from the honeymoon with Elizabeth in a bright, brittle mood. Lady Marjorie's arranged for a little house and a cook for them in Greenwich. They can borrow Rose (Jean Marsh - also the series creator), the parlourmaid, for now. Rose has known Elizabeth since she was a little girl. However, they'll have to arrange for a footman/valet.
Elizabeth and Rose arrive at Greenwich to find Thomas Watkins (John Alderton) awaiting them. Elizabeth tries to interview him, but he's really prompting her. He claims to be 'happy to oblige'. As it turns out, he's a bit of a smooth schemer.
Thomas Watkins.
A few months down the line, it's obvious the marriage is in trouble because Laurence is refusing to consummate it. He loves Elizabeth but 'such things' are beneath him, as he complains to his publisher, Sir Edwin Partridge (Charles Grey). Finally, Laurence asks his publisher to help a guy out and bed his wife.
Sir Edwin Partridge, the best friend a guy can ask for. Elizabeth, whose husband sucks.
There's a soirée at the Kirbridge household. Sir Edwin monopolises Elizabeth's attention and she proceeds to get drunk, probably to help ignore the heavy handed compliments she can't escape. At one point, Laurence escorts them both to Elizabeth's bedroom so Sir Edwin can view this lovely piece of porcelain they bought in Vienna. (Not Elizabeth.) Laurence then leaves them together.
Thomas, meanwhile, has clocked most of this and is disgusted.
3 months later, Laurence is off to visit his aunt and Elizabeth has had enough of being treated like a leper. She declines to go with him, has Rose pack her wardrobe, and decamps to her parents to talk to their solicitor, Sir Geoffrey Dillon.
Sir Geoffrey, the soul of discretion.
He explains her options and she picks non-consummation of marriage. Sir Geoffrey arranges for an even more discreet doctor, who discovers Mrs. Kirbridge is A) Not a virgin, and B) Three months pregnant.
At that point I realised Elizabeth didn't even remember that night. :o(
Elizabeth's smart. I don't doubt she put it all together. She carried it off with a high hand with her father, who's appalled she took a lover. She implies it was with Laurence's approval as he couldn't or wouldn't. I suspect Lady Marjorie figured out rather more of the truth.
Laurence is invited to tea. He tries to act delighted about becoming a parent, whereupon he's shot down by Elizabeth who tells him her parents know everything. Laurance is bribed into silence, claiming paternity, and buggering off abroad. At that point, he discovers Thomas has accepted an offer of the position of chauffeur to the Bellamy household and won't be going to Italy with him.
Laurence throws an absolute fit. "No! You promised! He's mine!"
I'm guessing Lady M. and Mr. B. got entirely the wrong impression about Laurence's likes and dislikes.
It made for a fairly humorous ending to the scene, but whoa. It was a heck of a shock to realise the implications for Elizabeth.
I'm partway through season 2. This particular storyline is about Elizabeth's marriage.
At the end of season 1, Elizabeth (Nicola Pagett) is disappointed to find that her poet beau, Laurence Kirbridge (Ian Ogilvy) is acceptable to her horribly old-fashioned family. To the extent they're all in favour of wedding bells.
Elizabeth wasn't but gave in, possibly to her eternal regret.
Married bliss, but not for long.
They return from the honeymoon with Elizabeth in a bright, brittle mood. Lady Marjorie's arranged for a little house and a cook for them in Greenwich. They can borrow Rose (Jean Marsh - also the series creator), the parlourmaid, for now. Rose has known Elizabeth since she was a little girl. However, they'll have to arrange for a footman/valet.
Elizabeth and Rose arrive at Greenwich to find Thomas Watkins (John Alderton) awaiting them. Elizabeth tries to interview him, but he's really prompting her. He claims to be 'happy to oblige'. As it turns out, he's a bit of a smooth schemer.
Thomas Watkins.
A few months down the line, it's obvious the marriage is in trouble because Laurence is refusing to consummate it. He loves Elizabeth but 'such things' are beneath him, as he complains to his publisher, Sir Edwin Partridge (Charles Grey). Finally, Laurence asks his publisher to help a guy out and bed his wife.
Sir Edwin Partridge, the best friend a guy can ask for. Elizabeth, whose husband sucks.
There's a soirée at the Kirbridge household. Sir Edwin monopolises Elizabeth's attention and she proceeds to get drunk, probably to help ignore the heavy handed compliments she can't escape. At one point, Laurence escorts them both to Elizabeth's bedroom so Sir Edwin can view this lovely piece of porcelain they bought in Vienna. (Not Elizabeth.) Laurence then leaves them together.
Thomas, meanwhile, has clocked most of this and is disgusted.
3 months later, Laurence is off to visit his aunt and Elizabeth has had enough of being treated like a leper. She declines to go with him, has Rose pack her wardrobe, and decamps to her parents to talk to their solicitor, Sir Geoffrey Dillon.
Sir Geoffrey, the soul of discretion.
He explains her options and she picks non-consummation of marriage. Sir Geoffrey arranges for an even more discreet doctor, who discovers Mrs. Kirbridge is A) Not a virgin, and B) Three months pregnant.
At that point I realised Elizabeth didn't even remember that night. :o(
Elizabeth's smart. I don't doubt she put it all together. She carried it off with a high hand with her father, who's appalled she took a lover. She implies it was with Laurence's approval as he couldn't or wouldn't. I suspect Lady Marjorie figured out rather more of the truth.
Laurence is invited to tea. He tries to act delighted about becoming a parent, whereupon he's shot down by Elizabeth who tells him her parents know everything. Laurance is bribed into silence, claiming paternity, and buggering off abroad. At that point, he discovers Thomas has accepted an offer of the position of chauffeur to the Bellamy household and won't be going to Italy with him.
Laurence throws an absolute fit. "No! You promised! He's mine!"
I'm guessing Lady M. and Mr. B. got entirely the wrong impression about Laurence's likes and dislikes.
It made for a fairly humorous ending to the scene, but whoa. It was a heck of a shock to realise the implications for Elizabeth.
(no subject)
Date: 2020-03-15 09:06 pm (UTC)Thomas's moustache appears to have fallen off.
(no subject)
Date: 2020-03-16 06:41 pm (UTC)I never noticed Thomas's disappearing moustache. I'll have to check when it made its exit.
(no subject)
Date: 2020-03-17 01:36 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2020-03-21 08:48 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2020-03-23 07:24 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2020-03-26 02:05 am (UTC)It seems to have done quite well, and a second series was intended, but scuppered due to a strike. So presumably it was considered worth watching at the time.