As this episode begins, Phileas Fogg (David Tennant) complains that Abigail (Leonie Benesch) wrote an article claiming the railroad was completed to India although that hasn’t been the case. She calls Passepartout (Ibrahim Koma) a glass-half-empty person and Fogg quickly agrees since he has changed. Once they begin looking for the supposed village, Fogg is attacked by flies and ends up smacking himself in the face to fight them off. Passepartout recommends going back to Bombay, but Fogg isn’t willing to turn back now. They see a little boy in front of them so Fogg asks him about the village of Narupani. They follow him before seeing the village in the distance. Before long, the little boy guides them through the village as Phileas says hello to the locals.

The little boy, Noori (Reeya Gangen), takes them back to Aouda (Shivaani Ghai) who learns about the Englishman and his friends. Aouda tells Fogg they’re preparing the village for a wedding. He assured her that they won’t be imposing. They’re introduced to the bride and Aouda’s daughter Samanaz (Rizelle Januk) and the groom Arjan (Kiroshan Naidoo). Phileas quickly explains they need to get to Allahabad immediately, but Aouda wants them to be special guests for the wedding. She offers to give them her guide in the morning, but Fogg wants them now. Everyone in the village will attend the wedding so there will be no exceptions for Phileas and his crew. After the intro, Aouda takes them to a room where they’re going to spend the night although Phileas has no interest. Phileas likes the fact the room has a couch for Passepartout.

Meanwhile, Fix is taken to a different room where Samanaz shows her where she can write for her newspaper. Passepartout contemplates Thomas Kneedling’s offer while arguing with Fogg about leaving now or later. When Fogg mentions Abigail, Passepartout says she hasn’t written anything since she found out about her father’s lies. As Fogg asks for his tea, Passepartout remembers Thomas (Anthony Flanagan) telling him the substance would knock Fogg out for a week. He remembers the man he killed and quickly sticks it back in his pocket. He turns around and nearly trips resulting in Fogg telling him to be more careful. Passepartout gets angry and argues in French that Phileas is not careful and only cares about the bet. Fogg doesn’t think he is being unreasonable since this is his job. However, Passepartout argues it wasn’t his job to nearly die in France, Italy, or the desert.

He is worried he is going to die in India for a silly bet. Abigail overhears Passepartout saying he just wants to look after himself because nobody else will before he rushes from the room. As Fogg is left to make his own tea, he admits he is beginning to miss Grayson. Abigail tells Samanaz she used to imagine her father reading every wrote she wrote because she lived to impress him. She intends to change that. Samanaz tells her to get undressed since she can’t dress her in that uncomfortable corset. She learns a portion of her stomach will be exposed. Passepartout continues contemplating his options before Samanaz shuts the curtains to prevent him from spying on Abigail. He promises he wasn’t looking. Later, Fogg sits with Arjan and asks how long these ceremonies usually take. Arjan doesn’t know and instead says he is surprised Samanaz picked him since he is poor and has no work.

Regardless, she says he has a genuine heart. When Fogg says she’ll make him a fine wife, Passepartout doesn’t believe Phileas has enough knowledge to say one way or the other. After Arjan asks Fogg if he is married, Passe begins laughing loudly. A woman has prepared her favorite dish for Fogg which turns out to be Khatte Chole. He learns he’ll have to eat it using his fingers like they do. Phileas pretends to like it although his facial expression says otherwise. The ladies arrive as Aouda says both of them are beautiful. Noori notices soldiers being led by Lieutenant Bathurst (Charlie Hamblett) in the distance. During the ceremony, Aouda sits with Fogg and asks why he is trying to travel around the world in 80 days. Although he says it’ll prove it is possible, she only thinks it’ll prove that he can travel the world and return to the same place.

She suspects he has taken this journey without knowing why. Lieutenant Bathurst orders the soldiers to find the man they’re looking for. Phileas tells Aouda that the British have a long history of exploring new frontiers, but she says they’re looking for new places to grow their tea. Fogg believes Britain has more than repaid India for the tea. When she asks what they were repaid with, Fogg says universities although they had them for 2,000 years. Then, he says railways despite being there trying to borrow her guide. When the soldiers arrive, Arjan tries to run and hide. As Samanaz goes after him, Aouda blesses Fogg on his journey using the tripundra. He gives her permission to do it as she explains the three lines represent will, knowledge, and action. The soldiers arrive and begin calling for Arjan. They approach the soldiers while Abigail claims they’re behaving better than them.

Aouda tells Bathurst there is no one here by that name. Arjan insists they’ll court-martial him if they find him. Samanaz thought Arjan had received approval to leave for their wedding, but this wasn’t the case. They burst in and take him captive seconds later. He is arrested for deserting the Indian Army. Once he is brought in front of Bathurst, they learn that Bathurst is his commanding officer and he never gave him permission to leave. Phileas speaks up and claims there must be a mistake, but Bathurst suggests otherwise because Arjan is in fact a deserter. If Arjan is found guilty, he will be transported overseas to Malacca. As Samanaz cries and Arjan is taken away, Fogg begins removing the red marks from his forehead. He returns to their room and tells Passepartout to pack everything because they should be leaving earlier than expected. Phileas explains they can release the guard so they can make the 7 AM from Allahabad after all.

When Passepartout reminds him what happened, Phileas tells him not to be so soppy and French. He believes this is why they don’t have an Empire. Fogg admits this is only about a bet and there are no ulterior motives. He believes her heart is going to remain broken regardless because Arjan broke it. As Passepartout goes to make them tea, Aouda arrives to ask Phileas whether he told her guide to get ready. She reminds him that he’ll have to pay and she wants him to talk to Lieutenant Bathurst on Arjan’s behalf. If Phileas doesn’t get Arjan released, he won’t be allowed to have Aouda’s guide and he won’t travel around the world in 80 days. Passepartout spikes his drink by the time she leaves. Phileas grabs the drink while saying you can fall out of love with a country. He knows he’ll have to talk to Bathurst who looked like he was 12.

He apologizes for looking callous although he doesn’t believe they should get embroiled in this. As he drinks the tea, he tells Passepartout to get Bathurst to visit so he can speak to him and they can move on. Meanwhile, Abigail talks to Samanaz who can’t believe Arjan would do this to her. Abigail wonders if Arjan lied about getting approval because his request was denied and he wanted to see her anyway. She wants to see Arjan even though he is being held by the army. Another soldier visits Arjan and gives him a drink the boys wanted him to have. He promises they’ll look after Samanaz if things end up bad for him. Phileas prepares Patum Peperium or the Gentleman’s Relish for Bathurst. He admits he has been saving it for a special occasion before learning Bathurst has been in India for six months. Bathurst is asked about love so he tells Phileas he has a fiancée back in England. He shows Phileas a picture of her. Since Phileas has been drugged by Passepartout, he begins laughing at everything including the picture.

Phileas asks him to drop the charges against Arjan just this once, but Bathurst can’t believe he is asking a British officer in the Indian Army to look the other way. When Bathurst says no, Phileas begins laughing loudly. Passepartout tries to get him to go to bed, but he refuses saying he feels tiptop. Abigail helps Samanaz sneak to the tent where Arjan is being held so she can talk to him. She doesn’t care about being arrested and only wants to know why he decided to lie to her. He asked the Lieutenant to marry her. When he refused, he came to marry her anyway because he just wanted to see her. He is worried they’re going to send him to Malacca to work in the tin miles. He won’t say for how long.

She slices the tent open so she can see his face before telling him she loves him. He says the same. Samanaz believes Phileas will know what to say to Bathurst to convince him to let Arjan go. Meanwhile, Fogg suggests the Lieutenant has never overseen a court martial. Bathurst says that is immaterial because Arjan will get a fair trial regardless. Phileas asks how his mother would want him to act if she was here only to learn his mother died when he was five. He begins laughing again. Bathurst calls him a disgrace before storming out of the room. Phileas asks Passepartout why he would laugh. Passe tries to get him to go to sleep again, but Fogg punches him in the face and leaves. Next, Roberts (Leon Clingman) asks Bernard Fortescue (Jason Watkins) if he wants him to get a cab. Bernard says no while pouring himself another drink and explaining it is a fine thing to be loved by your own child.

He refers to himself as a liar and a fraud before saying he was loved by a child once. By the time Fix and Passepartout find Fogg, he is busy talking to a cow. Passepartout says nothing about drugging him. Samanaz agrees to get Aouda because she’ll know what do to. Phileas gets loud and begins singing to the cow while Passe and Fix try to figure out what to do. Before long, Phileas begins convulsing on a bed. Aouda admits she can’t help if she doesn’t know what is wrong with him. Abigail and Samanaz sit with Fogg while Passepartout tells Aouda that he gave him datura seeds because he took a bribe and was going to slow him down. When Aouda finds out how much Fogg was given, she tells Passe he better hope it doesn’t put him to sleep forever. She instructs him to keep Phileas cool and awake since he may never wake up if he falls asleep. Aouda leaves with Samanaz so they can make the medicine needed to save Fogg.

While Phileas begins crawling on the ground, Abigail tries to find out what happened since Phileas was fine when she left. Fogg begins complaining about it being too hot so Passe tears his shirt open. He goes for water while leaving Fix to stay and keep him awake. Aouda reminds her daughter she told her not to fall in love with a man in the British Army, but her daughter says she just fell in love with a man. As Abigail tries to keep Phileas awake, he begins calling her Estella. He believes his darling Estella has come back just like he always hoped. He says he is going to tell her everything now that she is here. Phileas begins talking about traveling the world like they planned. He tells Estella he just wanted her to be proud of him once. He confesses she was right to leave him because he could’ve never been good enough for her. He finally says he thinks they both knew that. Passepartout rushes in with the water and screams for Abigail to wake him up. He splashes the water in Fogg’s face.

They move him over to the bed by the time Aouda arrives with the medicine that he needs to drink. She wants him to drink all of it before he is allowed to sleep. Abigail asks Passepartout if he has ever mentioned someone named Estella, but he hasn’t. She believes this was real because the emotion in his eyes was powerful and he looked at her with such love and adoration. She theorizes that Estella was supposed to travel the world with Phileas until she left him. She can’t imagine Fogg being with a woman and suggests they’re here because Fogg once loved a woman called Estella. Passepartout says they’re here risking their lives because he took a stupid wager. Abigail isn’t sure about that though and suggests they’re here because a woman broke Fogg’s heart. Arjan is shown with his hands still shackled together while Bathurst looks at the picture of his fiancée.

When Phileas wakes up in the morning, he mentions Estella. He walks outside and gets a hug from Noori before Abigail comes out and hugs him too. Once Passepartout joins them, Phileas tries to find out what happened last night. Aouda agrees to send for their best guide, but Fogg says he has other business to attend to first. He wants to speak to the Lieutenant even though he already did and laughed at his fiancée. Arjan is told he is up and all the boys are rooting for him. As they rush to the court martial, Phileas says he only remembers drinking tea. He only remembers very vivid dreams and Abigail pretends he didn’t say anything. When the court martial begins, Arjan immediately pleads guilty to the charge. He begins reading something he wrote to the ground. They argue about him disobeying his Lieutenant’s orders. Arjan says he didn’t disobey them lightly and only did so to avoid living a life of unhappiness.

He believes he is of good character and has several distinctions including his bravery during the floods in Maharashtra. He is told his statement has been noted although he committed one of the most serious offenses. When Fogg arrives, he has to get permission to speak on Arjan’s behalf. Bathurst agrees to let him do so although Fogg isn’t sure what to say. Fogg quickly tries to apologize for the night before since he wasn’t himself. Abigail encourages him to tell the Lieutenant that no one should be punished for falling in love. Bathurst tells Arjan he isn’t a hero. Instead, he is a deserter and a coward. That word triggers Fogg who objects and says Arjan risked everything to be with the woman he loved. He asks Bathurst whether he has experienced action yet. When he does and hears the screams of his comrades, it will be the thought of seeing the ones you love pushing you on. Fogg says Arjan might as well have been faced with death since he was going to lose the woman he loves.

He believes love is the best possible reason to become a deserter. Abigail begins writing as Phileas continues. Once you’ve found real love, life will have no purpose without it. He goes on to say you’ll do everything you must to hold onto it. If you don’t, you’re a coward. When Bathurst mentions the Queen, Phileas says she’d agree since she knows what it is like to have loved and lost. He asks Bathurst whether he would’ve behaved differently if it had been Penelope. Bathurst listens to Phileas and agrees to dishonorably discharge Arjan while forfeiting all privileges and pay. Everyone cheers. Phileas shakes the Lieutenant’s hand and tells him she is a very beautiful woman who he’ll marry. Before long, they leave town and continue on their journey. Samanaz gives Abigail a dress as she writes about lost love and Phileas Fogg. Before they go, Fogg thanks Aouda for saving his life.

She hopes he’ll find what he is looking for. Bellamy (Peter Sullivan) gets a message from Kneedling letting him know where Fogg is headed and that he won’t leave Hong Kong.

 

Around The World In 80 Days Review

At times, Around The World In 80 Days looks like it is going to turn the tide and transform into a heartfelt drama, but it always reverts back to its silly abusive nature. Even after four episodes, it has been difficult to develop a rapport with the main characters because they’ve been so cartoonish so far.

When they’re not outlandish, they’re being portrayed as idiots or being ridiculed by locals or traveling companions. As for the secondary characters, they’re not introduced effectively so it doesn’t feel like their fates matter either. If this had a different name, a lot of viewers might’ve been more inclined to accept it.

Those involved believed they could take the essence of Around The World In 80 Days and make it better than the original while blatantly copying the name and characters. Unfortunately, the show isn’t going to recreate the magic of the novel. If viewers can get past that, they might find a few satisfying moments during the first four episodes.

They’re few and far in between and often overshadowed the character’s stupidity, the dumb dialogue, and the constant abuse, but they are there. I question whether it’ll feel like a worthwhile adventure after all episodes have been consumed. This once scores a 6 out of 10. Recaps of Around The World In 80 Days can be found here.