As soon as the episode begins, Sir Howard’s body is found near the lake. At the brothel, Lucy (Eloise Smyth) asks Margaret (Samantha Morton) where she is headed. Lucy learns that Pa and Jacob (Jordan A. Nash) have disappeared. Despite her mother’s wishes, Lucy tags along. Charlotte (Jessica Brown Findlay) wakes up with Daniel (Rory Fleck Byrne). Charlotte makes it clear she plans to visit her mother. Daniel suggests otherwise. He is worried that Charlotte will end up with a noose around her neck. Instead, he offers to go in her place. Meanwhile, Emily Lacey (Holli Dempsey) finds herself tied up in a dark room. Lydia (Lesley Manville) enters and sits down in a nearby chair. Emily pleads with Lydia to free her. Lydia cites Charlie’s overdose and confirms she has no intention of letting Emily go.

Before leaving, Lydia ties a rag around Emily’s mouth so her screams will be muffled. Harriet (Pippa Bennett-Warner) asks the other girls about Margaret and Lucy. Marie (Poppy Corby-Tuech) complains that even Lydia wouldn’t murder the gentleman. Howard’s body is transported to his home, where Haxby (Edward Hogg) identifies it. Margaret speaks with Nancy (Kate Fleetwood), while Lucy is ordered to wait outside. Margaret explains she had little choice and killed Howard for Lucy’s sake. Nancy suggests her friend has allowed greed to corrupt her morals. Outside, Lucy hears Violet (Rosalind Eleazar) and Betsey (Alexa Davies) chatting about Howard. Lucy interrupts their conversation. The two women scold Lucy’s mother for handing Emily over to Lydia.

Lucy defends her mother by suggesting she does nothing without good cause. Haxby begins to spin a tale. He pretends to have caught Charlotte and Daniel trying to steal from Howard’s house. He also claims they were covered in dirt and blood. He agrees to repeat the story to the magistrate. Charles asks his mother where she was the previous night. Lydia insists she was out hunting for Emily. She admits her actions have caused Charles to be soft. Robert Oswald (Steven Robertson) tells Justice Cunliffe (Richard McCabe) about the missing girl. The justice doesn’t care in the least, while suggesting Howard’s murder is far more important. Charlotte defies Daniel’s wishes and leaves his property. Margaret returns home and tells her harlots about Howard’s visit and his death. She pretends to know nothing about the murder. Harriet asks about Mr. North, but doesn’t get a clear answer to his whereabouts.

Harriet tries to speak with Margaret in private, but she doesn’t get the chance before her master rushes upstairs. Margaret finds Charlotte with Lucy. Charlotte ponders why they didn’t make Howard disappear. She also suggests she will now become a prime suspect, since they were spotted fighting two nights ago. Margaret and Charlotte agree that she much flee immediately. Before she can, guards storm the house and take Charlotte into custody. Florence Scanwell (Dorothy Atkinson) pays a visit to Lydia. She tells Lydia and Charles about the arrest of Charlotte. During this time, Charlotte is thrown into the dungeon. Fanny (Bronwyn James) tries to service Mr. Armitage (Gerard Monaco). She winds up breaking down and telling him about her pregnancy.

Harriet finally confronts Margaret in the hallway. She tells her boss about Mr. North agreeing to get her children back. Again, Harriet pleads for more money to pay for her children. Daniel arrives at the door. He learns about Charlotte’s arrest, before trying to place the blame on Margaret. As Mr. Armitage leaves, Lucy tells him where he can find a wanted man. Margaret tries to pleads with the Justice to save her daughter. Instead, she learns that justice will be swift. Daniel is arrested in the streets. He is put in a cell with Charlotte and immediately blames Margaret for his arrest. Daniel suggests they could’ve been free, if Charlotte would have remained in her room. Amelia (Jordon Stevens) receives a visit from Violet. Amelia admits they should probably end their meetings, so her mother doesn’t find out. Violet has other plans. She explains that they’ll just need to hide themselves better.

As Violet leaves, Prince Rasselas (Josef Altin) approaches and asks for Amelia’s help. They find Prince’s lover sick. Amelia suggests getting a physician, but the Prince will first need to get money. Lydia speaks with Cunliffe about Howard’s murder. Robert watches their conversation from a distance. Nancy visits Charlie Quigley. Nancy tells the boy about his mother being a people thief. She also tries to get Charlie to lead her to Emily Lacey. However, he plays stupid. Margaret visits Haxby with the intention of speaking on Charlotte’s behalf. Margaret is shown Howard’s body and told Charlotte deserves nothing less than death. Cunliffe tries to get Charlotte to flip on Daniel. When Margaret returns home, she finds Florence waiting for her. Florence admits they’re fighting against the same demon, Lydia Quigley.

Florence pleads with Margaret to stop Lydia from harming Amelia. Margaret refuses and admits she has far bigger concerns. Next, Cunliffe tries to flip Daniel against Charlotte. He fails. Later that night, Margaret succumbs and gives Harriet her last bit of money. Fanny’s water breaks. Harriet visits the Lennox house only to discover that they’re already left. She rushes towards the dock. Robert visits Betsey and tells her about Cunliffe. Lydia cleans and prepares Emily Lacey. Next, Cunliffe finds Lacey tied up. Charles enters and explains his mother wants him to guard her. Nancy arrives seconds later and the couple help Emily escape, but not before Emily gets revenge. Cunliffe meets with Lord Fallon. He is told to punish Wells severely. Cunliffe makes it clear he wants to meet with the Spartans in exchange for the girl. Fallon admits the group will never agree to a meeting.

That night, Lucy tells her mother she intends to confess to the magistrates. Margaret tells her to do ahead and they can both hang together. She eventually becomes enraged with her daughter and screams for her to leave. Prince Rasselas promises Finn he will do everything possible to save him. He meets with Lydia and asks her for money. When he gets what he wants, he tells her that he saw Howard leaving Margaret’s brothel, before his death. The girls care for Fanny, while Daniel comforts Charlotte.

 

Harlots Review

As we quickly approach the season finale, Harlots has taken a turn towards the grim. Charlotte and Daniel have found themselves locked in prison for the murder of Sir Howard. While Lucy and Margaret are eager to right that wrong, they have no sound strategy for doing so. Mr. North and Jacob have disappeared. Have they fled the country or are they on a mission to reclaim Harriet’s children? Charles and Nancy managed to secure Emily’s freedom.

How will Lydia react when she discovers the betrayal? And finally, Prince Rasselas sold out Margaret to save his lover. Will his confession put Margaret in jeopardy as well? The next episode should be explosive. The 7th episode scores a 7.5 out of 10. Make sure you catch up with our previous recaps of Harlots now!