As the third episode of Hotel Portofino begins, Bella Ainsworth (Natascha McElhone) waits with Billy’s friend while it storms outside. Billy (Louis Healy) rushes to get Constance (Louisa Binder) who can help them. Lucian Ainsworth (Oliver Dench) has nightmares of his war days and people being killed around him. Billy runs out of the motel with Anish Sengupta (Assad Zaman) and rushes toward the outhouse. They hear Lucian scream inside as he wakes up Paola who is sleeping next to him. He has another nightmare and sits up in bed. Paola (Carolina Gonnelli) tries to comfort him. In the morning, Bella checks on the patient and Anish tells her that he is stable but weak and has lost a lot of blood. Although he is young and strong, there is a risk his sight will be damaged. Billy arrives with two men and a wagon of sorts. When Bella asks who they are, Billy thinks it is best not to tell her.

They take the injured man and put him on the wagon. Anish tells Bella that they need to make sure he sees a doctor. Once the men are gone, Bella tells Billy he needs to go get cleaned up and Constance needs to get dressed. She wants to see them in her office later. Bella makes sure Billy knows he has a lot of explaining to do. After Billy and Constance leave, Bella tells Anish that she only knows the boy was beaten was Mussolini’s thugs. She warns him they’re everywhere. In Bella’s office, Billy apologizes while admitting he let her down. She understands he did it with good intentions, but it cannot happen again. Billy promises it won’t. Before Billy leaves, he apologizes to his mother Betty (Elizabeth Carling) who says she can’t bear to look at him. Betty apologizes to Bella and reveals his brothers used to give him a clip behind the ear when he stepped out. It is harder for her to deal with him now.

Bella believes he just wants an adventure. Once she is alone with Constance, she tells her she’d like to express her gratitude to her. At Bella’s request, Constance agrees to be discreet about the matter. Alice Mays-Smith (Olivia Morris) asks Bella whether it is a good idea to have the tea party. Since Betty didn’t handle it well the other day, Constance offers to help her even if she isn’t in Betty’s league. Bella puts Alice in charge and tells her to ask Count Carlo Albani (Daniele Pecci) what they should serve. Outside, Lucian tells Rose (Claude Scott-Mitchell) she should visit the Palazzo Bianco while her mother, Julia (Lucy Akhurst), follows them. As they get on the carriage, Lucian tells them more about Genoa and its doge which is like an elected king. He reveals they licensed the Saint George’s cross from them to protect their ships although Julia doesn’t want to believe it. Lucian claims old Joe Green wrote an opera about one of Genoa’s most famous Doges. Julia says her husband keeps a box at Convent Garden and she has never heard of Joe Green.

Once the carriage takes an unimpressed Julia and her daughter away, Pelham Wingfield (Dominic Tighe) approaches Lucian to see if he can find him a bicycle. When Pelham’s wife Lizzie (Bethan Cullinane) interrupts, Lucian asks if he should look for a tandem bike. Pelham whispers no since he could use a couple of hours out of the firing line. Lucian decides to speak to Billy since he might know where to get a bicycle. Billy takes his money and says he believes he knows someone with a bike. Pelham watches as Bella puts a key in her desk drawer. He approaches and asks about letters, but there isn’t any waiting for him. Lizzie joins him seconds later and they leave. Lucian enters and retrieves the letters for himself and his father. He notices his mother isn’t wearing her ring so he asks about it. Then, he asks if everything is okay and whether she felt obligated to sell her ring. She says no and quickly makes up an excuse as to why she isn’t wearing it.

Lucian takes the letters to Cecil (Mark Umbers). Although Cecil thanks him, he makes sure he gets rid of Lucian quickly. Bella delivers a letter to Lady Latchmere (Anna Chancellor), Melissa (Imogen King), and Alice. Once Alice opens the letter, she is surprised to find it is from Lady Caroline. Melissa is so excited that she forces Alice to read the letter to her. Lady Caroline apologizes for her rudeness for not writing sooner. Alice continues reading the letter and reveals her mother is inviting them to a light supper. Lady Latchmere is told Lady Caroline is the Earl of Harborne’s daughter. The event will take place on Thursday the 21st. Melissa and Alice rush off to find out what they want to wear and nearly bump into Count Albani along the way. He approaches Bella who tells him about the invitation.

She wonders if he is responsible, but he says she should be thanking Lady Caroline. Latchmere asks them how far it is because she can’t be expected to travel any distance after dark. Albani asks if he can ride with her and offer his personal protection. When Albani steps away, Latchmere asks Bella if she can trust him since he is an Italian. She says they’re notorious but won’t say what for. Bella promises he has always been very proper and he is a widower. Meanwhile, Cecil reads a letter revealing he has to pay his debt in seven days or action will be taken against him. He curses and screams for Paola. As Constance walks outside, she finds Lucian setting up a tennis net and Lottie playing with a racquet. She doesn’t know much about tennis. Lucian isn’t sure whether he should believe her so she swears on her life. He says there might be something they can teach her then. Lucian plays with Lottie for a bit before telling Constance it is her turn. They continue playing while Melissa helps Alice pick out a dress for the light supper with Lady Caroline.

They also discuss what they should say to Lady Caroline. Alice hears laughing outside so she looks out of the window and sees Lucian playing tennis with Lottie and Constance. Pelhman goes for a bike ride and nearly runs into two women walking. While he is gone, Lizzie sits on the beach with Claudine (Lily Frazer). They talk about getting sunburnt as Claudine admits everyone gets darker in the sun. Lizzie goes for a drink while Claudine stays behind to keep an eye on Roberto (Lorenzo Richelmy) who is diving into the water in front of her. She wins out to introduce herself to Roberto. He admits his English needs work although she says they don’t need to talk. As she flirts with him, he asks if she likes it. She admits she does before they dive into the water. They swim to a secluded spot where they begin making out. Meanwhile, Lucian and Anish leave a building as Lucian admits he might as well have been speaking Chinese. They walk past a guard who tells his friends they’re arrogant young men.

They ask what they’re staring at before one of them calls Anish darkie. While Lucian tries to approach them, Anish warns him not to do that. The men begin following them. Anish tells Lucian to keep walking because they don’t want to make things worse. They run away and hide around the corner. A man sitting nearby motions that they went in the other direction to protect them. Once they’re gone, the man offers to assist them and says they will only humiliate them in daylight but won’t harm them. He tells which direction to travel to reach the hotel while arguing everyone knows where the English stay. He tells Anish that his friends met him at the motel this morning and the beaten boy will be lucky to see again. Then, he says the doctors are not for people like them since they’re the ones who fight. The man hands Anish an anti-fascist pamphlet as Anish says they know the horrors that come when men fight. The man asks what they’ll do when they come for them although Lucian says there are no fascists in England.

He refutes that while claiming they’re everywhere and they just haven’t put on a shirt yet. The conversation ends after that. Back at Hotel Portofino, Lucian listens to Constance read. He helps her with some of the harder words, but promises she is doing really well. Anish interrupts to see if Lucian can tell him where the L’Ancora tavern is located. Lucian reads it and says they’re fighting to protect the fatherland, build a new Italy, and defend social justice. He isn’t impressed with the anti-fascism movement so he is surprised Anish is considering going. Anish complains he is mocking him for wanting to inform himself. He asks Lucian whether he thinks Mussolini is a joke. Lucian believes all politicians are contemptible regardless of stripe. Anish apologizes. He admits it isn’t worth falling out over although he doesn’t think it’d hurt to learn a little more.

He also apologizes for ruining Constance’s lesson by arguing over nothing although it didn’t sound like nothing to her. Constance’s brother, Arthur, claims there is a Fascist lurking in everyone. Anish says he sounds like a wise man, but she refutes that since he emigrated to Canada and can’t stand the cold. She doesn’t have a big family anymore. It is only her mother and little Tommy at home now. Constance asks about Anish’s family. He admits he hasn’t seen them for the better part of ten years. Lucian says his father packed him off to be educated like an Englishman. Constance asks how long that’ll take. Anish jokes that he’ll let her know when he finds out. When Constance returns to work, Alice is upset that she had to ring the bell so many times before getting assistance. She is asked to take some towels up to Mrs. Turner’s room. After she enters the room, Claudine asks if she can help clean the sand off her back. While cleaning Claudine’s back, she is told there is no law against looking.

Claudine doubts she has seen skin like hers before. Constance responds by saying she imagines Helen of Troy would’ve looked a lot like her. She explains Helen is the woman from her book and men started wars over her. Claudine promises not to start another. Anish puts on a record for Lucian. While Bella lights candles around the motel, she finds Latchmere sitting alone and tells her this song always makes her smile. They begin talking about opera before Latchmere tells Bella about her youngest son Ernest. She reveals he trod on a landmine somewhere called Mount Sorrel. He died nine years ago tomorrow. Ernest had only been there a short time before his death. Bella tells her a poem about death and gives her a book by Emily Dickinson who wrote it. Latchmere thanks her for listening and for the book. Anish finds Billy and asks about his friend, but Billy says he promised Mrs. Ainsworth that he’d stay out of it. Anish pushes until he learns that Billy got word this afternoon that his friend could lose his eye.

Alice interrupts and pulls Billy to the side. Once Anish is alone, he looks at the anti-fascism pamphlet. Constance tells Claudine she’ll send Francesco up later to fetch everything. Claudine offers her a gift although Constance says she couldn’t. She tries to give her makeup. When Constance says she wouldn’t know what to do with it, Claudine puts lipstick on for her. Once she finishes, Claudine claims Constance has everything she needs to start her own dang war. Constance insists nobody noticed her, but Claudine thinks that is because she is hiding. She encourages Constance not to be afraid to show them what she has. Constance says Alice won’t like it although Claudine says they’re not trying to please her. When Billy runs into her downstairs, he quickly compliments her appearance and moves on. Others begin noticing her appearance too with Anish saying there is something different about her. Julia gives her a dirty glare when she serves Lucian.

By the time she goes outside, she has changed clothes and removed the makeup. Cecil asks about her and learns she is Constance the nanny before he notices a vehicle arrive. He excuses himself to go check on the painting that has finally arrived. As he goes inside, he runs into Jack Turner (Adam James) and promises to show it to him later. Pelham watches from upstairs and seems to notice something odd is going on. The deliverymen make Cecil give them a tip before they go. Vincenzo Danioni (Pasquale Esposito) approaches and asks Cecil about his delivery from England. Cecil doesn’t think it is any of his business, but Danioni says everything here is the business of the Consiglio Comunale. Cecil promises there is nothing to concern him. Constance goes back to the kitchen to tell Betty they’re all gone and Count Albani had at least seven of them.

Betty believes the Count has been setting his sights on Alice Mays-Smith despite being twice his age. Constance asks what happened to Lottie’s father. Betty says the same as what happened to the rest of them. That leads Constance to believe it had something to do with the war. Betty confirms it by saying it had half his face blown off and it was a blessing he didn’t survive. They rush back outside with the dishes. Bella excuses herself when she sees Danioni snooping around. She approaches him to ask whether he is looking for something else to steal. He thinks they should be friends, but Bella says friends don’t blackmail each other. Danioni says she has given him a gift for his wife and he has given her customers for her hotel. He believes this is how things work between friends and tells Bella he’ll see her around. Pelham tries to find out what was delivered to Cecil earlier. He has to run and hide when he hears someone approaching the room.

Cecil enters with Jack as they finally get the chance to look at the painting. Jack looks at it and immediately says the painting is smaller than he expected. Although Jack isn’t the expert, he admits it looks like the painter’s style. Since he had a workshop that churned out hundreds of these, it is more likely from the school of Rubens instead of an actual Rubens. Once Jack says it could pass, they begin working out the price of ensuring it is authenticated. First, Jack asks for 40% if the painting goes for more than a hundred thousand, but he eventually settles for 30%. Cecil explains he is going to need a copy of the authentication letter and down payment. They shake on it before leaving. Pelham leaves once they’re gone. Julia checks on Rose to see if she is feeling better. Rose says she feels a little better, but not well enough to come because she’d only spoil it for Julia. She tells Rose she is disappointed in her since she told her not to stay in the sun for so long.

She warns her she’ll start looking like one of the locals. Claudine promises Jack that she doesn’t mind as he says Ainsworth claims Harborne has a massive pile back in London. Jack pleads with her not to be angry because he’d much rather be here with her. She complains that he has barely seen her and reminds him he needs to take care of her. Claudine suggests he doesn’t want to be seen with her, but he denies that. Since the Drummond-Ward girl has a migraine, there is only room for one more guest. He tells her he brought her there and she should be careful. While they’re gone, Claudine puts on a record and begins dancing. Anish hears them while trying to read and Rose hears them from her room. Lizzie talks to Claudine about her dancing. She says she is a professional and her name, Claudine Pascal, is in lights. She confesses she wasn’t going to make it as Louella Mae Dobbs in Paris so she picked a French name. Roberto asks her to dance.

Lucian agrees to dance with Lizzie since her husband has gone to bed and tends to be boring before a tournament. Rose joins them now that she feels much better. Claudine grabs her forcing her to come dance with them. Before long, they run out of champagne so Lucian goes to retrieve several more bottles. Claudine sings and dances for the others. Anish joins in on the fun seconds later. Paola looks in and sees Rose dancing with Lucian. Constance watches from another room as well. The group goes for more champagne while Constance tries to get Lottie to go to bed. When Bella and the others arrive home, they can hear the music from outside. Julia isn’t happy when she walks in on Rose dancing, but that doesn’t stop her. Anish joins Lucian outside and admits that was unfortunate timing. He reveals Bella told him it might be time for everyone to go to bed. Lucian and Anish are wired so they won’t be able to sleep now. Anish shows him the anti-fascist paper again before asking what he thinks.

Lucian argues it would be a long way to walk. Anish says they might not have to. They ride the bicycle together while singing loudly. Back at the hotel, Julia ridicules her daughter for behaving in a disgraceful manner. Rose listens with a smile on her face. Once Lucian and Anish arrive, they show a man the pamphlet. They are led inside where the man from earlier, Gianluca Bruzzone (Rocco Fasano), talks about their hateful rhetoric and how they’re the enemy within. He calls them the enemies of truth, justice, and civic responsibility. Bruzzone claims they seek to bind the Italian people in subservient flattery to the lies and mystical nonsense of the king and the Catholic church. The police arrive with Vincenzo as they begin beating people and screaming for them to open the door. As Anish and Lucian try to escape using another exit, they’re chased by the police officer. Vincenzo finds the bicycle with the Hotel Portofino towel on the back.

 

Hotel Portofino Review

Hotel Portofino has proven to be a worthwhile period drama with just enough intrigue to keep viewers returning for the next episode. The scenery is beautiful and the costumes are great. Some of the storylines are very good, especially those revolving around Lucian’s relationship with Rose, Cecil’s scheme, and Bella’s struggle to run the hotel despite numerous obstacles.

Still, it feels like there is something very important missing from Hotel Portofino. While it does many things well, it doesn’t do anything exceptionally well. The story is often dragged down to the point that it becomes a bit slow and tedious. There could be too many characters and too much cluttering the episodes without enough emphasis on any of the main characters.

I am not thrilled with the political aspect of the series because the inner workings of the hotel are more interesting. It just seems like another unnecessary cog in the machine that further complicates the story. Still, the series isn’t bad and I could easily see it getting better in the next episodes. This one scores a 7 out of 10. All recaps of Hotel Portofino will be found on Reel Mockery here. Find out how to support Reel Mockery by following this link.