As the 5th episode begins, Phileas Fogg (David Tennant), Passepartout (Ibrahim Koma), and Abigail arrive at the Hong Kong bank. Fogg explains he’ll get some money from the bank, book a hotel, and purchase their onward tickets to Yokohama. Once Phileas hands his paperwork to the bank teller, he is told he has already seen the money order so he’ll get it taken care of promptly. Abigail ‘Fix’ Fortescue (Leonie Benesch) believes they’re going to love Hong Kong. She leaves to go powder her nose as the teller returns to tell Fogg there was no circular for him. Phileas can’t believe that since he sent a telegram from Calcutta to his bank in London. Passepartout is surprised when Thomas Kneedling (Anthony Flanagan) walks by. He gives him the seeds back while complaining they nearly killed Phileas. Thomas admits he wanted it done so he decided to do it himself.
In a flashback, we see how he gave a note to the bank manager pretending he was from the Metropolitan Police. He tells the manager not to give Phileas Fogg any money since he is a criminal. He claims he is getting a warrant so refusing Fogg money will ensure he can be arrested in Hong Kong. Once Thomas leaves the bank, Phileas asks the bank teller to lend him some money on account, but they can’t do that either. Phileas immediately tells Passepartout as Abigail returns and asks for a large bath so Fogg asks Passepartout if he wants to break the bad news to her. After the intro, Passepartout says he knows a place they can stay without money. As they step outside, Lady Clemency Rowbotham (Victoria Smurfit) spots Phileas and promptly introduces herself as his biggest admirer. He was already the talk of the colony, but something made him even bigger.
She tells them her husband, Sir Henry Rowbotham (Patrick Kennedy), is the Governor of Hong Kong. Since Phileas has never met a governor before, she takes them to her husband and calls them her new friends. Although he has a meeting at the jockey club, he agrees to speak with them for his wife. When introducing Fogg to Henry, she calls him an explorer and English lionheart. Abigail Fix is his chronicler and Passepartout is called his manservant. Henry asks what she is going to be doing. She explains she will be arranging the garden party. He knows nothing about a party and learns they’re going to throw one for Phileas. She says Whitehall will be delighted to hear that Henry has entertained England’s latest hero. Once Henry hears that, he agrees it is a wonderful idea. After that, Passepartout takes Phileas and Abigail to a hotel that his old friend runs in the area. Abigail wants to know more about Passepartout’s time in Hong Kong.
He was there on a ship that had to stop for repairs. Passepartout was a sailor when he arrived, but not when he left. As they arrive, a woman asks Passepartout in another language if he eloped with the woman and is hiding her here as a result. He tells her not to serve her snake soup because he’ll never hear the end of it. After they reach the room, they realize beggars cannot be choosers. Abigail asks about the second room and learns they’re going to have a curtain separating them. Phileas decides to return to the bank to hound the teller until he gives him his money. Passepartout leaves next after telling Abigail to say because she’ll be safe here. Before long, Passepartout catches Abigail following him. When she is asked why, she claims interesting things happen when she follows him. As she follows him, she finds a newspaper stand and learns her father printed and syndicated her article.
Passepartout sits down to read the article before Abigail asks for his honest opinion unless he hated it. He says it is thought-provoking, engaging, and it makes him see Phileas Fogg in a different, more complex way. Passepartout recommends destroying every copy in Hong Kong because Phileas is a private man and doesn’t want this stuff out there. Although she has only written the truth, Passepartout is concerned that Phileas will end up hating her for it. Fogg reaches the bank, waits in line, and pleads with the teller to let him withdraw his money. Eventually, the manager joins them and refuses to give him money until he gets the circular note. An upset Phileas says he will borrow the money from his friend the Governor and tell him exactly why his bank wouldn’t let him have his money.
Abigail believes they can get Phileas out of Hong Kong as soon as they get money so he doesn’t see the article. Passepartout agrees and that is why he is going to talk to his old friend in private. Before he meets with his friend, he makes it clear that Abigail cannot write anything about the meeting or his friend in the newspaper. While she waits, she wonders if things will turn out differently, Phileas will finally be lauded, and she’ll thank him. Passepartout meets with Jiang Liei (Thomas Chaanhing) and admits he should’ve paid his respects as soon as he arrived. Jiang knows about his journey with Phileas. Passepartout reveals they’ve been delayed because they don’t have any money. He only wants a loan so they can pay for passage to Yokohama and promises it could be repaid in a matter of days. Jiang begins telling Passepartout about the White Dragon which is being worn by the Governor’s wife.
It was made during the Shang Dynasty when the British were still living in huts. They stole it from their ancestors’ grave even though it was wrapped around their fingers. Jiang wants him to steal it back for him. He knows Passepartout is a great thief and Chinese entrepreneurs aren’t invited to the Government House so he can’t steal it himself. When Passepartout says he won’t steal it, Jiang says he is no longer of use to him. They hear a racket outside before Abigail enters and introduces herself to Jiang who calls her a celebrated journalist. Passepartout tries to get her out of there as quickly as possible. Bernard Fortescue (Jason Watkins) listens to Nyle Bellamy (Peter Sullivan) talk about Phileas keeping a candle burning for that woman for more than 20 years. He is surprised Bernard decided to print it since it doesn’t have any facts or figured, but Fortescue believes it could be a new way of writing.
Samuel Fellentin (David Sherwood) says he thinks she wrote a good article causing Nyle to ridicule him. Bellamy reads a line about Phileas and Estella before warning Bernard that Fogg will blow his brains out with embarrassment when he reads it. Meanwhile, Passepartout tries to remove the wrinkles from Fogg’s clothes. Phileas believes it is of paramount importance because the English upper class won’t give you money if you look like a man who needs money. Then, they find out that Abigail is going to wear the outfit she got from Samanaz in the previous episode. As they arrive, Phileas admits Abigail’s articles get them into the best places, but he still wants to leave quickly. Lady Clemency notices they’re there and tells everyone. She also knows about the saris Abigail got from the Indian village. Phileas wonders how she knew about that, but Henry interrupts before he gets an answer.
Henry arrives and introduces Phileas to Peter Donaldson (Bart Fouche) with the Hong Kong Police and Chief Magistrate Lord Crossley (Walter van Dyke). Lady Clemency admits Phileas will have to talk to the men first although the women will get their chance later. Once Passepartout grabs a drink, Abigail rushes up to say Clemency has read the article so she is doomed. She thanks Passepartout after he agrees to get the money and get Fogg out of there before he can read it. Abigail listens to Clemency talk about the article and Phileas’s journey which is supposedly about love. She found it astonishing that Phileas entrusted Abigail to tell his story to the world. Phileas tells the men about his future stops before returning to London. Crossley hopes he does it so he can see the faces of the French and Germans when they know a Briton accomplished the feat first. When Phileas watches Passepartout pour drinks, he finally remembers he was a waiter from the reform club.
The conversation turns to where Fogg is staying in Hong Kong. He admits it is a long story and begins telling them about the problems at the bank. Phileas admits they’re staying in some place called Tai Ping Shan which Henry compares to spending a night in Bethnal Green. Abigail is relieved when she hears Henry telling Fogg he’ll lend him the money. He asks Anderson (Nick Rebelo) to fetch a money order. Clemency believes it is time to rescue Fogg from her husband who doesn’t have a romantic bone in his body. The money order arrives and Henry prepares to fill it out, but Clemency interrupts before he gets a chance to complete it. As Phileas walks with Clemency and the others, she shows him the White Dragon necklace she has.
She says they found it in a grave when they were digging the foundations for this house. When they opened the grave, they found a skeleton of a man and woman holding hands. She asks him to put it on. As he does, she says even that puts his fidelity into perspective. Peter picks up the newspaper while Abigail encourages Henry to sign the money order so they can get out of his hair. Clem tells Fogg every woman here would love to be her because she is walking arm in arm with a man who knows the power of love. Peter reads Abigail’s article to Henry and the others. Henry asks to see it while Clem says they know Fogg’s heart will always be with Estella. Phileas is taken aback by that and Abigail realizes she is lost. Passepartout asks Henry to sign the money order only to be told to go away. Clemency reveals she read Abigail’s article like everyone else. Abigail promises she was going to tell him while Passepartout tries to downplay it.
Henry reads the article out loud and tells everyone about Estella. Fogg asks if he can read it as Peter says she stitched him up like a kipper. When he reads it, he agrees and says Miss Fix is quite right about there being a lot they have to do before they sail to Yokohama. Phileas quickly tries to leave although Clemency doesn’t want him to leave like this. As they ride back, Abigail tries to explain herself. She says every word is true, but he counters that every word was private. Phileas thought they were friends after everything they have been through in Yemen and India. He believes Bernard, Bellamy, and the others will have a jolly good laugh about this too. Fogg tells her not to look at him or speak to him before rushing off. She wonders where Passepartout might be. We return to the Government House and see that Passepartout is hiding under Henry and Clemency’s bed. As they go to sleep, he climbs out and tries to steal the White Dragon.
When he tries to open the safe, Henry begins talking to Gwen in his sleep. Once the safe is open, he discovers that the White Dragon isn’t in there. Instead, he spots it on Clemency’s neck. He carefully removes it and tries to escape using the stairs but can’t because a man is walking in his direction. Instead, he climbs out of the window. Although there are two guards out there, he manages to escape by jumping from the balcony. He rushes to Jiang to give him the White Dragon. Once Passepartout is paid, he gives Jiang the White Dragon and quickly leaves. Before he goes, Jiang recommends he leave Hong Kong. The next day, the bank manager tells Henry that Phileas is a criminal and thief. Henry doesn’t believe Fogg got any money out of his until he learns that the White Dragon is missing. Phileas prepares to return to the bank while arguing with Abigail about the article.
Passepartout offers to go get the money, but Fogg isn’t sure he can trust him since he lied when he said they had never met before. Peter Donaldson bursts in with a warrant for Fogg’s arrest and several police officers. Phileas threatens to tell the Governor and Abigail says she’ll write about it until the money is found under the mattress. Phileas is still adamant that he doesn’t have any money and doesn’t know what they’re talking about. As Fogg is led to the jail, he screams at Henry that he is not a thief. Thomas watches from a distance and is happy with everything that has happened. Abigail follows Passepartout who begins screaming that he wants to see Jiang Liei immediately. When they don’t let him in, Abigail demands to know what is going on and Fogg finds himself alone in a jail cell with many strangers.
Peter visits him and demands to know who he sold the White Dragon to, but Phileas denies taking it and says he last saw it around Lady Clemency’s neck. Peter makes it clear he is going to flog Phileas even though he is an Englishman and deserves a fair trial. Abigail criticizes Passepartout for stealing the White Dragon and letting Fogg go to prison for it. He admits he stole the pendant, gave it to Jiang to get enough money for the tickets, and thought they’d be gone before anyone found out. He reveals they’re not going to send Fogg to prison and instead intend to flog him at noon. Meanwhile, Fogg looks at Abigail’s article and wipes tears from his face. Abigail tries to find a way to resolve their problem so Passepartout agrees to tell Henry he stole the pendant. She doesn’t think that is a good idea because he’ll get a harsher punishment than just a few lashes. A prisoner who has been flogged is returned to the jail in front of Fogg.
Abigail and Passepartout go to Henry so she can try to convince him to drop the charges against Phileas. Henry tells her to get out until Clemency arrives and tells her to continue. She explains Fogg made a mistake many years ago when he followed duty and expectation when he should’ve followed love. He realized it was a mistake and undertook this journey to prove to himself that dreams can sometimes defeat expectations. When Henry says he still stole the White Dragon, Passepartout interrupts to tell him the truth. He confesses he stole it and sold it to the family that once owned it to ensure that Fogg’s dream did not end here. Henry wants to put Passepartout in prison. He knows Clem follows him around the world and he hasn’t had much in terms of words for her, but he had the White Dragon. She never felt comfortable wearing it because it wasn’t her love story. Clem recommends letting Phileas go.
Phileas is taken out of his cell for the flogging while Jiang returns the White Dragon to the grave containing his two ancestors. The flogging gets closer as Jiang places the pendant in the grave. Passepartout and Abigail arrive with a pardon from the Governor. Once the clock strikes 12, Phileas Fogg is lashed once. Then, Peter gets the pardon and stops him from being hit again. They release him as Passepartout grabs his clothes and says it is going to be okay. Once Phileas climbs on board the Carnatic, he says he is going to his cabin. He tells Passepartout and Abigail he wants to be on his own until further notice. Abigail knows she should’ve apologized and Passepartout should’ve told the truth after Fogg enters his cabin. Phileas says Estella isn’t so secret now before Thomas asks if he can join him. Thomas pulls out a gun and demands Phileas go on a walk with him.
Around The World In 80 Days Review
Around The World In 80 Days has been a roller coaster with decent episodes and not so great episodes. Unfortunately, this one would easily fit into the latter category for several reasons. The episode spotlighted almost everything wrong with this show.
First, it is becoming clear that each episode is being filled with self-induced problems created by one of the three main characters with a bit of Bellamy’s trickery sprinkled in along the way. The story provides many unique possibilities so there are endless problems for the characters to encounter and many would be far more interesting than what we’re getting. It’d be nice to see Phileas at least plan some of his journey around the world.
As for this episode in particular, it was a bit silly too many times. I keep wondering how in the world these people read Abigail’s articles and immediately pick Phileas Fogg out of a crowd. It is also difficult to believe Abigail’s articles would have such reach back then, but that is easy to overlook. Finally, it was odd to see Jiang put the White Dragon back into the grave with two severely decomposed corpses.
The world was their oyster yet the writers decided to squander those possibilities by creating an overly aggressive drama without any heart. Still, some will enjoy Around The World In 80 Days as long as they don’t take it too seriously or compare it to the novel. The episode scores a 6 out of 10. Recaps of Around The World In 80 Days can be found on Reel Mockery here.
Jay Skelton is a fan of all television shows and movies. He tries his best to keep up with the latest foreign television shows and movies. Jay loves skinny dipping in the dark too.
