PBS

Miss Scarlet & the Duke: “Deeds Not Words”

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The PBS Masterpiece series Miss Scarlet & The Duke aired its third episode this week, and NiceGirls Leah and Rueben discuss the episode below.

But first, here is the synopsis for the episode entitled “Deeds Not Words”

Scotland Yard has its eye on potentially disruptive gangs and political groups. Eliza is hired by The Duke to go undercover and infiltrate one such group

The Good

Leah: Alice Morgan – I’m not sure if this was a nod to Luther or not, but I’m going to chose to believe it was and that is a good thing. Our “bad guys” are always multilayered and interesting and for that I am thankful. Also watching Eliza rile the coroner is always in the top 5 moments of an episode for me. His indignation, and the fact that she is right, brings me much joy. Almost as much joy as Eliza calling out William for being lazy in his detective work.

Rueben: Oh man, Leah, I didn’t even think of that: the Alice Morgan/Luther reference! I can’t believe I missed that. I loved how Eliza wasn’t afraid to not only punch that constable in the face, but also put him in his place when she was interviewing (interrogating) that older woman. Her words may have very briefly put him in his place, but it won’t change anything; it sure did feel good!

I love how Eliza gets the better of that coroner too. It’s so funny to see his reaction and how little Eliza cares about how upset he gets. It’s frustrating to witness the reactions of all the men in the series – despite the fact that’s how it was in that time – but I give Eliza so much credit for dealing with it all.

The Bad

Leah: When are William and Eliza going to be more on the same page? Is he going to spend the entire first season at almost constant odds with Eliza? On top of that he got credit for Eliza’s work on the case. Ugh! Also….Eliza’s suggestion that the cops do not just go around arresting people who haven’t done anything and Ivy’s assertion that maybe they do makes me remember how ill prepared Eliza has been to become a detective in the real world. What was she doing all these years?

Rueben: While I can’t condone what Margaret was planning to do at that Gentlemen’s Club, I can certainly see why she would do it. Violence never helps make things better (as we all know all too well), but in that time period it was impossible for women to be taken seriously, and the frustration they must have gone through is almost unfathomable to us (although, to a certain degree, we – as women – still go through much of what women did back then. I couldn’t stand Margaret’s brother, blowing his sister off as nothing more than “unhinged” and then William stating that she was “militant.”

Comments

Leah: Eliza starting to teach Ivy to read and write was a nice ending to the episode. I’m curious to see how Eliza and William get closer, or if they even do.

Rueben: That was a great little moment in the episode, wasn’t it? I hope they will incorporate that a little more in the remaining episodes. I was pleasant surprised that the dead man was Margaret’s professor, who wasn’t actually abusive to her and was a kind man who merely got in over his head. I was expecting him to be what Margaret (falsely) presented him as, just another man who abused her.

This episode is ripe for lots of discussion about how some things have changed for women while so much is still the same. We women still have so far to go sometimes, don’t we? And men still have SO much to learn.

Miss Scarlet & The Duke airs in the United States as part of PBS Masterpiece Theater and you can follow along with our coverage here.

The next new episode is set to air on PBS on Sunday, February 7 at 8 PM.

Leah reads constantly, sing incessantly and watches TV what her Mother would consider an unhealthy amount. You can find her on twitter @IamPollyP or contact her via email at leah@nicegirlstv.com