“Hope for the best. Prepare for the worst.” Such was the mentality of wartime London in this episode. And of viewers who have sat patiently through this series thus far, waiting for it to take off.
Tonight was to be The Joe O’Hara Show. I came close to not buying this storyline, but by the winning monologue at the end – and thanks to some twinkly charm from Matt Ryan as O’Hara – it just about worked out. “These people are nuts!” Yes, but they’re becoming his people … And who better to make the Americans understand why they must help the war effort than martini-downing Joe? See how he pays testament to the unwavering loyalty of the Polish airman! Vodka condolence toasts all round.
This storyline was, if nothing else, proof that The Halcyon can serve as the acceptable face of historical propaganda in the Trump/Brexit era. Not to mention the oh-so-current line: “How were my numbers? They were going up, right?” This was all super-cheesy, and Mr O’Hara was never going to leave, if only because he has no way of settling his enormous bar bill. But who cares? It was some fine schmaltz. “They say you’d rather be spoonfed mindless entertainment. I say you’re better than that. Take care, America!” Contemporary echoes indeed.
I wasn’t sure about the strange tension between Emma and Mr O’Hara, or his sort-of proposal (“Think about being my assistant ... See the world.”) And then instead of taking him to the pub, she takes him to Nearly-Dead Stan? To make him feel bad about the war? Well, it worked as a conceit both for the plot and for his survival with the network, so good on her.
This episode grated far less than last week, although some odd promises were made and broken. There was a touching scene between Freddie and Emma that failed to twist into something more interesting. “Do you want my father to find out? Or your mother?” Is this going to be the driving narrative of the series? “They’d do all they could to keep us apart.” Or would they? In the end, the worst Mr Garland could find to say was: “You can’t watch that door for ever.”
Finally, a bit more use was made of Kara Tointon as Betsy, alongside her mother Gloria as the Bet Lynch of the 1940s. As with last week, here was more character build-up just to say goodbye at the end of the episode. However, small scenes that could have been inconsequential were wrought into something sweet and interesting by Tointon. Why can’t we see more of her and Sonny, plus Emma and Freddie, instead of all these peripheral characters moving in and out of the frame? And, yes, we do realise that Toby is gay, although with the 21st-century attitudes on display in this hotel, it’s hard to imagine that will be much of a scandal.
Top use of movies of the time to give this some context. The Wizard of Oz opened in November 1939 and Gone with the Wind in April 1940. I loved Her Ladyship going to the picture house, all feathered hat, opera glasses and Norma Desmond-esque horror at being shown up by the plebs. And the scene with the tea? This is what we need so much more of. Olivia Williams (Lady Hamilton) excels at terrifying snobbery and deserves to drop her observations into more scenes.
Overall verdict? There’s life in the wartime hotel yet. Frankly, my dear, I do just about still give enough of a fig.
Diamante brooch for best supporting costume
Seriously. How many frocks does Betsy (Kara Tointon) have? And her hair. It’s so fabulous; it must take hours. The tangerine dress was superlative. I’m tempted to give the brooch to the strapless black number, but instead I will award it to the dog-eared coat of Betsy’s mother which had a starring role throughout this episode.
Inevitable Downton Abbey flashback moment
I’m sure below the line people will spot more clunking anachronisms, as plenty were reported here last week. Surely the idea of “there’s a line...” and “sorry if I crossed it” is a modern one? But, those moments aside, The Halcyon does seem to be moving (pleasingly) out of a Downton groove and into a rhythm of its own. Downton was always cursed with too-short scenes and stranger plotlines that went nowhere. The Halcyon at least seems to have a sense about itself, even if it is taking a while to find its feet.
Show-stopping lines
“If anyone told me he didn’t give a damn, I’d frankly clip him round the earhole.” Betsy, any man who didn’t give a damn about you would need his eyes tested.
“If rumour reached you that I had dined with a man, what would you think?” “I’d assume he was a friend of my father’s offering consolation on your loss.” “GREAT!” A throwaway moment from Lady Hamilton and Toby which Olivia Williams spun into something lovely.
“You know I never went to a pub.” “I don’t think you’d like them. They don’t serve martinis.” Emma, are you flirting with Mr O’Hara? If not, I don’t follow. But if you are, what about Freddie? Confusing.
“That’s a lovely accent. Where are you from? Edinburgh? The Athens of the North!” Superb Dame Maggie territory here. More, please.
