At the beginning of the episode, we see John Beecham (Tom Bateman) out on the road. He finds a carriage stopped by bandits. John gets involved and saves the couple but he is shot in the upper chest area. After the intro, we jump three years forward. John rides towards his new home. The servants prepare for his arrival and attempt to learn more about John Beecham. Soon, we learn that we’re in Delhi in 1795. Finally, the new Saheb arrives at the mansion. Some of the servants are surprised that John is English. Baadal (Viveik Kalra) introduces himself to John a short time later. John tells them about Ram Lal who is a trusted servant. A woman gets off the carriage with a baby.

John tells Baadal that he will learn he is a private man. Baadal tells John that they’ve prepared the finest quarters for him but John insists they should be used by the child and his attendant. John checks the room and declares that it will make a fine nursery. He wants Maya and Chanchal to sleep there and Ram Lal will attend to them. John wakes up alone before Baadal shows him the garden. He spots one area that he wants to turn into an English chapel for his mother. He tells Baadal that he has not seen his mother in 12 years but she had invited herself to his place. Moments later, John receives an invitation from General Castillion (Gregory Fitoussi).

Baadal lets John know that the General is not a good man. They pass by a wrestling match before John is introduced to Castillion. The general believes that John is still associated with the East India Company but John tries to convince him otherwise. John explains that he wants to trade without the company. To do that, he will need to get a license from the emperor. The general promises to introduce John to the emperor at a later time. After John leaves Castillion tells the victorious wrestler that John is an agent of the company. Later that night, intruders attempt to get into John’s house. They’re scared away and Baadal admits they’ve never had intruders before.

Later, John checks on August and he is allowed to hold the baby. He is told that they’ve been given a new beginning so they must forget the past. John’s lady friend overhears the servants talking about her so she decides that they should begin preparing other food for their meals. Baadal tells Chanchal (Shriya Pilgaonkar) that they will obey her commands. When she leaves, the chef says that Chanchal will have to learn that they cannot keep secrets in a house like this. John is found outside cutting down the brush so the intruders do not have a place to hide. Some of the servants begin helping him. Moments later, he gets a visit from his neighbor Murad Beg (Adil Ray).

Murad offers to have his guards watch the property for John and he invites John to the party he is hosting that night. When Murad leaves, Baadal lets John know that Murad will be a good friend for him. We jump forward to the party. During the party, John Beecham spots Margaret Osborne (Dakota Blue Richards) who is English too. Murad introduces John to her a few moments later. John tells Osborne that she should visit his house so his chef can cook her food from her hometown of Devon. Before too long, General Castillion shows up and has an interest in Osborne too. Osborne is escorted away before being told that she should experiment with both of her suitors.

Murad offers to introduce John to the Emperor (Roshan Seth). They visit the Emperor’s Palace and John speaks with the Emperor for the first time. It appears that John has managed to win points with the Emperor since he knows his poetry but Castillion shows up and ruins things for him. The Emperor tells John that he should seek out the best gift for the Empress’s birthday. Once John leaves, the general pleads with the emperor not to give John a license. He is told that India gave the world chess. He believes that refusing John Beecham now will mean that the company will move forward with their plans in secret. The chef shows off his new food but Chanchal is not happy that he is inviting an English woman over.

Osborne arrives and John speaks with her. They enjoy some of the English food before going out to the English chapel. At this point, John asks Osborne to take care of his mother when she arrives and Margaret agrees to do so. Before too long, Henrietta Beecham (Lesley Nicol) arrives in Delhi and she has brought friends with her. John doesn’t seem too thrilled to see Violet (Bessie Carter) but he is glad his old comrade, Samuel Parker (Marc Warren), is there. We learn that John’s mom wants to hook him up with Violet. They return to the Beecham house and Henrietta is very impressed. Osborne joins them but she is not accepted kindly by Henrietta and Violet.

They treat her badly. Samuel tells John that the company was never the same after he designed and disappeared. The East India Company was taken to trial but acquitted. John is not surprised and calls the trial a charade. Samuel reveals that he received an honorable discharge and now the company is trying to ruin his reputation. Later, Henrietta tells Violet that Osborne will be no competition for her. Samuel lost all of his money in an investment. He hopes that he can restart in Delhi. Soon, everyone learns about John’s baby. He comes downstairs with the baby and introduces him as August Beecham. John’s mother and everyone else seems stunned by the revelation. Violet reminds her that there is a baby but no wife.

His mother is still convinced that John will be a good match for Violet. Henrietta changes her attitude and begins complaining about Delhi and the heat. Then, their attention turns to Daniel Beecham (Leo Suter) and his possible whereabouts. We learn that Daniel is still serving the East India Company. John agrees to write to him again now that his mother has arrived. In private, Samuel tells John that he heard reports that Daniel was on a company expedition in Kannauj. They check a map and learn that the area is only a ride away from Delhi and it would be a good position for the company to mount an attack. John is told that General Castillion will not look on it favorably if he learns about Daniel working with the company. He would inform the emperor and John would love his chance of getting a license.

With that, the two men ride away from Delhi in hopes of tracking down Daniel. At the end of the episode, we see Daniel smoking something with women around him.

 

Beecham House Review

This television show is giving me Indian Summers vibes. I noticed that Beecham House has very low scores on IMDB and elsewhere. I am not sure it is as bad as they portray. I haven’t finished the season yet but I enjoyed the first episode. I didn’t think it was horrible by any means. The acting was great and I loved the scenery. The main storyline is fairly interesting so far. John Beecham has many secrets and I am eager to find out what he is hiding.

I am interested in seeing if he manages to get that trade license too. The episode was a tad too slow but I didn’t mind it. I can’t brag about the quality but I didn’t mind the opening episode. I would give it a 7 out of 10.