As this episode of Anatomy of a Scandal begins, Sophie Whitehouse (Sienna Miller) has a nightmare about Holly (Nancy Farino) entering her bedroom in the middle of the night. She walks over to James (Rupert Friend) and bashes him in the head before Sophia abruptly awakens. Kate Woodcroft (Michelle Dockery) tells Richard (Jonathan Firth) that she can’t stop thinking about the case and Angela scored some points. She confesses that Olivia is the one who is haunting her because she doesn’t want her to feel like a pawn. When Kate mentions the possibility of failing her, Richard says that is impossible. He believes they should just enjoy getting to spend the whole night together.

Kate just can’t do it so she asks Richard to leave even though it is late. As Richard gets dressed, he suggests Kate is taking this rather personally. He wonders if she is wrong and James is just your garden-variety philanderer. She says he is a rapist and a philanderer since he is a married man. Richard reminds her that he is married too although she thinks it is different. She says Olivia worked for him so there was a power imbalance baked into their relationship. Richard was once her pupil master and she keeps talking about the balance of power. He questions whether there is something she isn’t saying.

Kate argues that their power imbalance is in the past. They agree to talk tomorrow if Richard can. Sophie goes downstairs where she begins thinking about Holly. She learns that Holly has already finished the notes although she hasn’t finished her Woolf notes year. Sophie is surprised that Holly is busy packing her stuff. She also sees emergency contraception pills nearby. Sophie asks her whether something happened and whether she is leaving, but Holly just wants her to go away. She curses at Sophie while throwing something in her direction. Back in the present, Krystyna (Violet Verigo) enters when she hears the kettle whistling.

She tries to leave in a hurry, but Sophie stops her to apologize for being mean earlier. Sophie knows she has been sucked into their whole mess and forced to lie on their behalf. She was brought up to control her emotions. She begins breaking down as she says she has suddenly lost all her skills. Sophie asks whether she thinks James is a good man since she wouldn’t stay there otherwise. Krystyna says he is not a brute. After Sophie says he is a good man, Krystyna responds by saying he is a man. Chris Clarke (Joshua McGuire) Facetimes James to ask what he said to Tom. He thinks James said something because Tom was ready to say something only to choose to remain silent now.

James claims he only told Tom he’d weather the no-confidence storm and always have his full support. He maintains his innocence. Chris hopes tom’s support for James doesn’t bring down his government. Chris and Sophie argue briefly before she reveals she isn’t coming to court today. After the call ends, James admits he is disappointed that she won’t be there. Sophie reveals she is taking the children to the country to see his parents. They need a break since Finn is back to wetting the bed and Emily is biting her cuticles again. Sophie won’t mind missing the testimony of the friend who is going to reinforce Olivia’s words.

James is confident that he will make this up to her. Sophie agrees before saying she had a dream about Holly who was accusing him. He asks whether he is going to have to defend himself from her dreams now. Sophie confirms they’re only going to be gone for the day. She promises to be there for James when he gives evidence tomorrow. Angela Regan (Josette Simon) catches up with Kate to suggest she is responsible for the Oxford police making inquiries about her client. Kate has no idea what she is talking about and doesn’t think it’d be admissible at this stage either. Angela reveals it was a report about an assault at uni in the 90s. When they tried to track down the complainant, her mother said she had moved to Australia and they’d lost touch.

Kate doesn’t want anything to interfere with this trial. Angela asks if she thinks about the population of the woodwork and how there are so many crazy people stuffed in there. Maggie (Kudzai Sitima) talks to Brian (Richard McCabe) about the jury analysis she conducted based on observation. Ms. Long Curly Hair in the front row stares at him for hours like a starstruck teenager. While she would like to acquit him, Maggie believes the guy in the grey shirt is on their side. Kate pulls Maggie aside to ask whether she discussed checking into James’s Oxford years. Maggie promises she didn’t and always follows her instructions. Kate apologizes and leaves because there is something she forgot to do.

James’s taxi driver tells him that she is rooting for him. Then, she asks what they’re going to do about bloody Uber because they’re massacring them. Kate uses a payphone to call Ali (Liz White) because she is getting worried, but Kate won’t say what it is. She only says she needed to hear a familiar voice. When Ali asks if she should talk to the judge or something, Kate insists she is fine. While James goes into the courthouse alone, Sophie arrives at his parents’ house with the kids. While the kids play outside, Tuppence (Phoebe Nicholls) asks Sophie how she is doing. Sophie says they’re getting on. Tuppence confesses she gets angry in the middle of the night when she thinks of that girl’s vicious lies.

She thinks the girl is trying to exploit his good nature. Tuppence says he was always successful at everything that he tried. He knew it too. Tuppence wonders if that complete self-belief is a male thing. James was like that even when he was a little boy. They believe Sophie is good for James and he is lucky to have her. Sophie asks why they raised their son to think it is okay to cheat at Monopoly and other things. She argues it only allowed him to hone his lying abilities although Tuppence says a certain ability is required for politics. Sophie doesn’t think he should have to lie to her though. Tuppence knows it looks insurmountable to her right now, but they will get through this.

Sophie sometimes believes she is partly to blame because she let little things slide when she shouldn’t have. Tuppence calls her a model wife and mother. The fact that she survived a broken home as a child has made her more determined to keep her own family together. Tuppence calls it inexcusable what this girl is doing to James. Sophie reminds her that Olivia is of a different generation. Things were different when Sophie was at uni because of the blurriness of consent. Men were guilty of selfish exuberance and they were guilty of failing to communicate. Sophie wonders if they were complicit since it was often easier to acquiesce. Tuppence asks whether she has been assaulted and thanks God when she says no.

She has never seen Sophie like this. Tuppence is confident that her son will be proven innocent and everything can go back to the way it was. In the courtroom, Kitty Ledger (Kathryn Wilder) is asked about the events that led her here. Kitty says Olivia told her about the events the next day. She was normally blasé about things, but she was upset. Olivia confided in her previously because she knew she would be discreet. Kate asks what she thought about her friend’s involvement with the minister. Kitty confesses she thought it was a mistake. Kate knows she has messed up with that question and sees Angela hastily writing notes nearby. The judge has to get her back on track.

Kate asks what Miss Lytton told her the next day about what happened in the lift. Kitty says she blamed herself for the fact that James raped her. She described the events in horrifying detail. When Kitty learned about the ripped underwear, she questioned whether it was rape. She also mentioned the bruise and what James had called her. After Kitty heard that, she asked Olivia if she knew what James had done to hew. Olivia responded with a nod and convulsive crying although she wouldn’t say the world. Kitty suggested she told him repeatedly that she didn’t want it, but he ignored her. Once Kitty called that rape, Olivia couldn’t speak for a long time. It was hyperventilating breaths and crying that Kitty hadn’t seen since childhood.

Once she regained her composure, Kitty recommended going to the police. Olivia was very reluctant to go to the police, but eventually did after two weeks. She needed to admit to herself what had happened before she reported that her boss had raped her. When Angela takes over, she asks Kitty if she is a no-nonsense person. Kitty would like to think so. She also likes clarity and prefers white is white and black is black. Kitty was worried about Olivia and feels affairs are wrong. Angela wants to know if she would view any sex between a woman and a married man as wrong, but Kitty says they’re not here for that. Angela alleges that her views on infidelity led her to hound Olivia to go to the police.

Kate interrupts and gets the judge involved. Regan asks whether Kitty wanted Olivia to speak to the police because she disapproved of her relationship with her boss. Kitty is adamant that she told her friend to go to the police because James raped her. Angela finishes as the judge tells the jury they will adjourn until tomorrow. When Kate and Maggie return to the office, Kate complains that she was off her game. However, they agree that Kitty was great and unshakeable. Once Kate goes into her office, Maggie admits it was a bit true that she was off her game. Brian contemplates checking on Kate but doesn’t. When James returns home, he is harassed by journalists. Krystyna tells him that they’re not home yet.

She offers to make him something to eat although he turns down that offer. He sits down next to her with ice cream as Krystyna says she doesn’t understand marshmallows. James says they’re disgusting but sometimes compelling. He tries to thank her in Russia. When he asks whether that was Russian, Krystyna admits she doesn’t know what it was. He thanks her for taking such good care of the children since they trust her and feel safe with her. She confesses she is going to miss them when she goes back to Podolsk. She is going to study to be a civil engineer because she is interested in infrastructure. James thinks she’ll be great. Meanwhile, Kate drinks and tries to wrap her head around everything going on.

Sophie returns home with the kids and gets help from Krystyna. When she finds James asleep downstairs, Sophie goes for the wine in the refrigerator until he sneaks up behind her and scares her. They briefly talk about his mom and dad. Sophie says they’ve always been so lucky although James doesn’t want to call it luck. He would call it smart decisions and bloody hard work. Sophie still believes they were born and raised lucky, but she suggests their luck has deserted them now. She says they’re officially formally lucky. James thanks her for the vote of confidence the night before he gives evidence. Sophie begins talking about the two weeks they spent in Corsica and made love every night. That would’ve been in the middle of James’s affair.

He says it was near the end though. Sophie jokes his unit was getting a massive workout. James says he is going to bed if she is going to be nasty. After she says she can’t let it go, James hopes that will change in time. Sophie says she can’t let go of what the Oxford administrator said about Holly instead. She isn’t saying it is him. James asks why she is more worried about that than this trial and her husband’s life. They argue about her absence today. When James says he would’ve liked a break as well, she tells him not to have sex with an underling in a House of Commons lift. James says they had sex. Sophie is fine with that as long as it isn’t rape.

James insists that his only point is that she should’ve been in court today for everyone’s sake. Sophie says whatever happened would’ve taken place at the end of their first year since that is when Holly left, but James yells that he doesn’t give a crap. Sophie knows. However, she doesn’t know what she is going to do if she doesn’t get some order in her thoughts. They discuss the end of year parties and how it was difficult to tell one from the other. Sophie remembers a sense of urgency because James was about to graduate.

She remembers them dancing while she was wearing a brand-new little black dress and thought she looked so good. James had his flask and everything including Holly was there. James complains this was two decades ago and he can barely remember what happened last week. Sophie remembers telling James about Holly during the party. In the present, James asks if she still loves him. Sophie admits she does if he is still himself. She tells him she’ll be up in a minute. During the party, James tells Sophie he has to go meet with the Libertines. They walk past Holly and kiss before James leaves. Sophie parties for a while. As she prepares to leave, she passes by Holly who is drinking with a young man.

When Holly hears a song she loves, she rushes back to the dancefloor. She gets dizzy and tells her friend that she has to go. Soon, she runs into James outside. He thinks her name is Molly or Polly. She agrees it is the latter as James begins telling her she is pretty. Holly claims that isn’t true. James says otherwise and kisses her. He goes for her shirt and backside. Holly stops him to suggest she should go. She tries to walk away, but James playfully grabs her hand, pulls her back, and kisses her. He asks if that is better. Holly responds by saying much better. He pushes her against the wall and rips her pants. Holly asks him to wait only for him to tell her to stop being such a prick tease.

When James finishes, he realizes it was her first time and apologizes. He would’ve gone slower if he had known. James admits he hasn’t met many virgins. When he checks on her, Holly says of course she is fine. Holly begins freaking out as soon as James leaves. In the present, Kate tries to calm herself. She calls her mother as Holly kneels down next to her. When her mother answers, she says it is Holly.

 

Anatomy Of A Scandal Review

Although the courtroom drama was toned back in this episode, it was still revealing and gripping. Some will complain that the series is unrealistic since it is hard to believe that Kate and Holly are the same person. However, this could crank up the drama to a new level since we fully understand what Kate is dealing with when trying to prosecute James.

I have a few ideas as to how this could end, but I won’t share just yet since it could be a spoiler. I just don’t know though. Anything can happen in the next two episodes. My biggest complaint is how the flashbacks are handled and in particular the camera movements.

The story is compelling enough to keep me interested so I am at least eager to know how things are going to play out. The episode scores a 7 out of 10. Recaps of Anatomy of a Scandal can be found on Reel Mockery here. Find out how to support us at this link.