Cheesy American Voiceover Man set a puzzling tone for this episode with the line “before things get better, they’re going to get a lot worse...” Is he doing it tongue-in-cheek or not? That question sums up this series so far: sometimes it’s hard to figure out exactly where The Halcyon is pitched. I don’t really care, though. Because of the ambition of the thing and the sheer, breathtaking elegance of it, I am loving it – and with only occasional reservations.
There are moments where I like to think it’s tongue-in-cheek, almost like Woody Allen’s Bullets Over Broadway. At other times it’s more like a straight, quality drama. And sometimes it crosses over into self-parody. Still, it’s only episode two. It has time to steady itself.
Series creator Charlotte Jones is intriguing. She’s a playwright with a massive list of theatre credits whose last TV creation was the 2011 mini-series Without You. ITV has also pulled in directors who have worked on Harry Potter and Mr Selfridge. They’re not messing about. And it can’t be a coincidence that costume designer Anna Robbins (doing a fabulous job here) worked on two series of Downton Abbey.
What matters, though, is whether we fall in love with the characters. We went straight to the heart of things as her Ladyship attempted to oust Mr Garland. Freddy: “I’ve been instructed to let you go.” Oh dear me, no. Mr Garland is the best thing about this whole series. Don’t let him go. There’ll be nothing left – unless he gets a job at a rival hotel... But no. “There won’t be a job for you here. She’s aristocracy. You’re management.”
There is so much riding on Mr Garland and her Ladyship. Without these two performances, this whole thing could sink. Luckily Steven Mackintosh and Olivia Williams are well cast and have a brilliant, understated chemistry. The penultimate scene with his grieving speech was excellent. Clearly there’s history here. Or if there isn’t, the actors have the good sense to play it as if there is.
As Freddy says of his father and Mr Garland: “I don’t know what secrets he had on you.” This has been hinted at a few times, and will surely will be the key. I was surprised, though, to learn that Mr Garland has only been working at the hotel for “nearly 10 years.” He behaves as if he was born there.
Which is why I wasn’t sure about the idea of him moving in with the badger. This compromises his status; he’s the hotel manager, not a doorman. He’s virtually family. And I wasn’t sure he would be a drinker and a gambler either, even if he is a world war one survivor. Or that one of his staff would follow him to the casino to spell out just at the right moment that he shouldn’t risk it all.
But never mind; it’s all part of the bedding in. Hopefully soon we will be done with the melodrama and the semaphoring. Have they thrown away the “tension between the brothers” plot line too early? Possibly. Do we want to see more of Betsy (Kara Tointon)? Probably. Do we want a special plot line for the Unfeasibly Large Dog? Of course we do! In other news, I loved the bit with the wobbly teapot and the olden days bus with the “Wrigley’s” advert on it.
Diamante brooch for best supporting costume
It’s tempting to award the brooch to Kara Tointon (Betsy) again because her look steals every scene. Her Ladyship’s mourning weeds were also wonderful. And her Bloomsbury blouse game? Fierce. As for the costumes in the Cafe de Paris scene – extraordinary. But the brooch must go to this episode’s obvious winner: Beverley Knight, guest-starring as the Cafe de Paris singer Ruby. That dress! Oscar-worthy.
Inevitable Downton Abbey flashback moment
This is the part where we look at anachronisms, inconsistencies and unlikelihoods – the hallmarks of the all-conquering Downton brand. “Got my eye on you, Fritz ...” “I was going to invite you to the Cafe de Paris, chef. But with that attitude ...” Betsy attempts some Remoaniac sympathising in solidarity with Refugee Kitchen Man. But would anyone really be bothered about a bit of casual German bashing in May 1940? Doubtful.
I am also trying not to overanalyse the relationship between Freddy (the new Lord Hamilton) and Emma, presented here as a post-feminist icon. Would they really be allowed to be so close without his mother intervening? And would someone in the family not stand in the way of a young woman being made Assistant Manager of the hotel, especially when she’s the daughter of the Manager? As I say, best not to overanalyse...
Show-stopping lines
“I need you for once in your life to be a bloody son to me.” “A madam knows how to run a brothel. It’s not something to be proud of.” “All my life I’ve been dictated to by men. Why should my son be any different?” Her Ladyship’s zingers don’t come close to Cousin Violet’s in Downton, but she plays the bitch a treat. More Elizabeth Taylor-style nostril-flaring, please.
“Today is not the day to test me.” Mr Garland displays his hidden shallows – and an unexpectedly hot temper. He is not the mild-mannered hotel manager he seems.
“I escaped Austria to run from one angry little man. I’m not running from another.” I love Refugee Kitchen Man.
