“Oh God, they’re coming back.” Woah, this was proper war. Retribution for the Great War, with gas masks and air-raid shelters and people stumbling through the streets on fire, plus a wedding to contend with at the same time. Smelling salts, vicar, please.
If this had been the first episode of a new show about life in wartime London, I would say it was a corker. But it sat uneasily with the tone established in the first half of this series. Surely if they were going to mix grit and glamour in this manner, they should have been doing so since the start?
Still, I did weep at the little girl and the quivering bricks, but was it quite necessary for Mr Garland (who is not really Mr Garland, we now learn) to demolish the house and endanger everyone’s life in the process? It all ended well, though, thank goodness.
The scenes between Max and the newly-promoted chef were great. No, Max, don’t stay and finish the cake! And stop attacking the chicken like that – you’ll do yourself a mischief. I love Max, the moustachioed Austrian Jew with superlative pastry skills. “I’m sorry for the way I have been.” Nice set-up for him finding his family on the coast. We could do with a good news refugee story ...
Toby’s doomed love interest, Theresa, was fabulous too. (“He’s such a dish!”) As was the bitchy mother of the bride (or groom?), wishing she was at The Savoy. And there was a nice bit of revenge here for Her Ladyship, finally letting her Marcel wave down a bit, not caring what anyone thinks. There was no such romantic joy for Emma, however, which led to a showdown between Mr Garland (did I mention that he is not really Mr Garland?) and Freddie. “If you come near her again, I will ignore my position and your status and I will make you pay.” What a fine reminder that Mr Not-Really-Mr-Garland has nerves of steel. Plus, we now know that he is a killer.
And regarding Freddie’s decision, this is all wrong. He’s only doing it because he loves her but he’s a coward. “We have to be honest with ourselves ... We’re both from different worlds ...” “If that’s what you want, Lord Hamilton.” Ah, isn’t it always the best thing to do? Stop someone you love from getting hurt by hurting them yourself in advance? Tally ho. Meanwhile, Mr O’Hara moves into pole position.
I do harbour a fondness for this concept and for some of the execution, as I think many viewers do. But the trouble is, the dramatic scenes, beautifully done this week, don’t quite work alongside the lighter plot lines. Perhaps that’s an accurate portrayal of wartime, but this is not supposed to be a documentary. It feels too much like a series about the Blitz in London rather than a character piece set in a hotel during wartime. And it is hitting us over the head with the idea that the second world war is about grievances and grief left over from the first world war. We get it!
But we shouldn’t grumble, as there are always some treats. I mean, just imagine Jamie Cullum as the guest singer at your wedding. That family must be so well connected. And Betsey and Sonny? Just get it on already. And finally: hats off to Freddie for the anti-Trump best man speech. “Love doesn’t change. It will last no matter what obstacles face us, because it is ours and ours alone. We are defined by those who love us and whom we choose to love in return.” Beautiful words, Freddie. But what are you going to do about it?
Diamante brooch for best supporting costume
Her Ladyship and Betsey really have the upper hand here. Her Ladyship’s claret sequinned headpiece was superb. And yet more outfits for Betsey, never seen in the same frock twice. This is getting a bit weird now – how much money are they paying her? At least she didn’t have the chance to get changed much this episode because she was stuck in the air-raid shelter. So I was going to hand the brooch to Betsey’s gorgeous shrug, but at the last minute it must go to her Ladyship’s red lacy nightgown. Racy!
Inevitable Downton flashback moment
Maybe it’s my cynical nature but I thought it was anachronistic that in 1940 anyone would return to a child while on their way out to the shops to say “I love you”. (Of course this signalled that the child was about to come into mortal danger.) And I know we need to have the gay storyline, but would he really be carrying on with the cocktail waiter in the booze store and in a hotel room that anyone could walk into at any time?
Show-stopping lines
“You’re so awkward around girls. And Theresa is great fun.” Oh dear. Her Ladyship does not know the thing everyone else knows.
“We all know your husband liked to run around with girls half his age.” Ouch. “We all felt so sorry for you.” Double ouch.
“Hell, even I think the man looks good in uniform.” Steady on, Mr O’Hara! That’s a Downton-style plot move that might not work here. Although you never know...
