‘Miss Scarlet and the Duke’ 3×06 Review: “The Jewel of the North”

The third season of Miss Scarlet and the Duke has been frequently frustrating, especially for shippers. But now we come to the season finale. This episode has work to do in order to finish this season and entertain fans enough to bring them back for season 4. Thankfully, Miss Scarlet and the Duke 3×06 is one of the best episodes of the season —maybe THE best.

The first season of this show aired just as the pandemic was taking hold in 2020, so fans had a long wait until they got to see Eliza Scarlet (Kate Phillips) blaze her trail again as Victorian London’s only female private detective. And to see Detective Inspector William Wellington (Stuart Martin) of Scotland Yard working with her, of course. Seasons 2 and 3 were filmed back-to-back, and then they aired fairly close together. Funnily enough, though, this episode ends with what feels like less of a storytelling pause than season 2 did. Many plotting choices in season 3 have felt tedious, and even the crime-solving in each episode was sometimes less engaging than this show usually accomplishes. However, a new focus sharpens this installment, which includes a case that is nicely tense and interesting.

Miss Scarlet and the Duke 3×06 is a season finale that improves on much of the season that came before. It also features many moments that will leave fans, and shippers, eager for season 4 to come as quickly as possible.

“It’s my experience the more you want, the less you get.”

How would it feel to open a package you got in the mail and find a bomb? Eliza faces just that situation to kick off this case. Luckily, the device is not set to explode. She finds out that William, Moses (Ansu Kabia), and Nash (Felix Scott) have all received similar packages. William’s came with something extra, though: a note in Irish Gaelic that says, “We’re watching you.” This leads Nash to deduce that Irish Nationalists are targeting them because of a recent train robbery they committed. William just got the case, and Nash convinced the rail company to hire him to investigate it, with Moses’ help. Nash also implied Eliza was working for him to get their business.

Our gang of investigators hits a snag, though. Scotland Yard puts Special Irish Branch in charge, and its chief, Hudson (Sam Hoare), is a fastidious jerk who puts William on leave and strips Eliza and Nash of their licenses. (Seriously, can we get ONE cop in charge other than William who is not an ass? Please?) Of course, the four of them solve the case on their own. One executive at the railroad company got greedy and organized the robbery, then framed the Irish Nationalists. It’s a thrill when these capable characters we love do what they do best and work to get each other out of danger.

“This is a different conversation.”

One of the few bright spots in this season has been the amount of screen time viewers have gotten with Moses. He’s a valuable supporting character, and this episode gives us a bit of his backstory. When Hudson begins looking into each of them, Moses knows his past is likely to catch up with him. He doesn’t tell Eliza everything, but he does admit that something happened in Jamaica to make him leave. He says people will come after him if they know where he is. Moses tells Eliza he is considering leaving England and that he may go to Paris, where Nash is going to open an office. I’m sure I’m joined by every fan when I say: DON’T GO, MOSES! This show won’t be the same without you!

As he makes his decision, Moses does have advice for Eliza. When Eliza says there are many things she wants, he suggests that she choose one thing. I am nervous about this advice because her love life is at a distinct low point with William courting Arabella (Sophie Robertson). Then, Nash repeats his job offer yet again in the final scene of the episode, and he’s even more persuasive, assuring her she can be in charge and putting her name on an office door. This situation will be very tempting for Eliza, but I hope she sticks to her goal of putting her name above her father’s business.

“Now is not the time to lose your temper.”

I also hope the show sticks to the Eliza and William endgame it has been cultivating from the beginning. This episode suggests that they are, and it’s a relief to shippers after most of this season. William may be essentially dating someone else, but this case causes him to spend so much time with Eliza that he is late for meeting Arabella more than once. William assures Arabella he has not lost interest in her (GAG ME), but we the audience know that actions speak louder than words.

And that is just the beginning. Shippers are treated to one of the most romantic scenes William and Eliza have ever had in this episode. And it is glorious. To track down one of the criminals involved in the train heist, they go undercover as an engaged couple at a jewelry store. They are talking to the owner, and Eliza prompts William to tell the story of how they got engaged. William makes up the sweetest response — it will have you swooning and drowning in feels. This scene is what the best ships are made of. Seriously, Arabella who?

I do have to give her credit, though. When William is late again because of the case, Arabella recognizes she’s in a no-win situation. She tells William point-blank that he is in love with Eliza “unless you can convince me otherwise”… and he can’t say anything. Arabella then wishes him luck because she says Eliza’s ambition will always come before her feelings for William. And with that, that relationship is over. This is important because not only is it a plot point that needed to happen, it’s also the first time anyone has explicitly confronted William about the feelings between him and Eliza.

All this means that Miss Scarlet and the Duke 3×06 sets the stage for season 4 with as much focus and thoughtfulness as fans — and shippers — could’ve hoped for. Season 3 hasn’t always been easy, but now season 4 can’t come quickly enough.

Miss Scarlet and the Duke airs Sundays at 8 PM on PBS.