‘Miss Scarlet and the Duke’ 4×02 Review: “Six Feet Under”

Period detective series rarely come as entertaining as Miss Scarlet and the Duke on PBS Masterpiece. Season 3 was a struggle for fans at many moments but season 4 began with a strong episode last week. Miss Scarlet and the Duke 4×02 continues that success. It features an emotional mystery and meaningful plotting in the relationship between our two leads.

Eliza Scarlet (Kate Phillips) has always been a woman fighting against the constraints of her time. She never shies away from a challenge, and her decision to take the job of running the London office of Nash and Sons was one example of that. The Victorian era is not kind to a female private detective, however. Eliza doesn’t let any struggle defeat her, though, which is one of the things that makes her a great character. William Wellington (Stuart Martin) is also a character who earns the audience’s attention. He is a man’s man, a capable officer on the force at Scotland Yard. And, just like Eliza, he is also a genuinely good person. They are also both stubborn, which has always impacted their will-they-or-won’t-they dynamic.

Miss Scarlet and the Duke 4×02 carefully progresses Eliza and William’s interactions while also allowing enjoyable time with the appealing supporting characters. It’s an episode that looks great in many ways, too, in styling and cinematography.

“Nothing is more important than protocol.”

One recurring character fans have known since the first season is Mr. Potts (Simon Ludders). He’s the administrator of London’s city morgue and he often helps with vital information. Well, he has always helped Eliza grudgingly, believing it’s not proper for a woman to be in the morgue. Potts is in Eliza’s life a lot because he began dating Ivy (Cathy Belton), Eliza’s housekeeper, during the second season, and the two are now engaged. Ivy is like a mother to Eliza, so she and Potts are sort of stuck with each other. Eliza gets her chance to prove her abilities when Potts’ friend is murdered. Scotland Yard is still understaffed so Potts reluctantly hires Eliza.

Potts’ friend Turner was an undertaker, and the investigation proves this to be a surprisingly competitive profession. Another undertaker, Hardcastle, had been buying up a lot of smaller businesses and was pressuring Turner to sell his. The type of pressure that includes breaking his windows. More than that, Hardcastle’s business practices also amount to scamming grieving families. It’s no wonder they didn’t like each other. Turner stipulating in his will that his sister can’t sell his business to Hardcastle makes a lot of sense. However, the resolution of this case is not based on a motive of simple professional competition. It turns out to be one of the saddest cases Eliza has worked on.

“In every household, there is at least one resourceful woman.”

Despite how somber this case is, the visuals it lends to this episode are wonderful. There is something about Victorian mourning imagery that photographs well. Snowy cemeteries, black flowing cloaks, religious iconography– it all adds up to striking images throughout this episode. There is even a scene in the dead undertaker’s shop where those things are utilized to create a truly effective, tense atmosphere. It’s a memorable moment. And it shows that this episode stands out in the realm of cinematography. What could have been too overdone or macabre just comes across as aesthetically strong.

I want to single out the costuming in this episode as well. Period dramas are always a reliable source of beautiful clothing, of course, and this show is no different. I recall a memorable blue gown with diagonal black piping on Eliza in the first two seasons. This episode excels at styling the characters. William and Eliza always look great but the supporting and episodic characters deserve attention this time around, too. I don’t think we’ve ever seen Ivy without her apron so often. It’s a pleasing feature of this episode. I love that Ivy and Mr. Potts wear similar colors in a couple of scenes because it connects them as a couple.

“I’ll never be comfortable with that.”

William and Eliza have worn coordinating outfits before, and they do so in this episode as well. It’s one small detail that illustrates that they are a partnership, even if they haven’t acknowledged it yet. The two continue to advance toward a romantic relationship. The plot points of this episode are quite overt about that. First, William must break the news to Eliza that Scotland Yard won’t hire her anymore because of budget cutbacks. There is usually friction between them so the empathy he shows her here is remarkable. It’s also a step in the right direction for fans who want this slow-burn trope to move faster. William gently squeezes Eliza’s shoulder as he apologizes for the situation and we melt.

Later, we do more than that. We swoon when William suggests they go to dinner on a night other than their usual monthly meal. Eliza agrees and we know it means something significant. Eliza does too, or at least she seems to. She has a cautious little smile when she says yes, and then she wears the same dress for the dinner that she was wearing when William told her she looked beautiful in the previous episode. Things are happening. Fans may wish they were happening faster, but they are. Even the gut punch at the end of this episode, when William is shot in the line of duty, is not enough to stop fate. We do not accept any other outcome. Miss Scarlet and the Duke 4×02 makes us feel all the emotions when it comes to the lead characters and their possible romance–and we wouldn’t have it any other way.

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

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