As the fourth episode of Joan begins, Benny Boisie (Frank Dillane) takes Joan Hannington (Sophie Turner) out to get an engagement ring. They talk about the expensive ring and the fact that Kelly is supposed to be there soon. Outside, they’re approached by DS Harris (Mark Field) who asks if they know anything about an art theft in Sussex. Boisie agrees to let them look inside his shop. Boisie and Joan wait for them to finish and leave. Once they leave, Boisie and Joan argue about whether they can sell the painting now. She can’t fight Kelly’s adoption with the police sniffing around. Joan thinks they should go straight. Kelly (Mia Millichamp-Long) visits them at home. Mrs. May (Dorothy Atkinson) drops her off and leaves. Joan tells Kelly that Nancy (Kirsty J. Curtis) has a big treat for her.

They go to the salon where they hang out with Nancy. Joan keeps telling Boisie that they need to go straight. Joan tells Kelly that they’re going to get married and be a proper family. Later, Boisie speaks to Albie (Gershwyn Eustache Jnr) about finding a buyer for the Stubbs painting. Albie mentions the Irish. Boisie doesn’t want to deal with the IRA. Albie asks if it’s a yes or a no. Later, Boisie and Joan work at the shop. Joan thinks they should turn the shop into a jewelers. Boisie visits Albie and Val (Laura Aikman). Albie believes Boisie is going soft. They talk about the possibility of going straight. Nancy tells Joan it’s a bit quick to get married. Albie tells Boisie that they’ll need an expert to tell the Irish that the painting is legitimate. Boisie was thinking about Hugo at Abney’s. He trusts Hugo enough. Joan gives Nancy a gift.

Nancy wishes she had invited mom and dad so they could see how well she’s doing. Joan doesn’t want that man anywhere near her daughter. Boisie and Joan hang out with friends. Joan dances with Albie during the party. Before long, Nancy and Joan get into an argument about Boisie. They talk about their father. Joan reminds Nancy she was a runaway and she knows why. Joan wants Kelly to grow up knowing that it’s not okay for a man to behave like that. She claims Nancy and her mom are as bad as each other. Boisie comes over and tries to convince Nancy to take Kelly back to the Ashburys. Next, Joan attends a seminar about jewelry. Joan learns that a flawless uncut diamond is fake. Boisie talks to Hugo Saxton (Edward Bennett) about saying the painting is genuine. Hugo urges him to find someone else. Boisie can do that, but he wants Hugo to get them plotted in there. Hugo will also need to tell them everything there is to know about George Stubbs.

Hugo wants to make sure this doesn’t come back on him. Joan learns as much as she can from Professor Elizabeth Tremayne (Stephanie Street). Later, she asks Boisie if he’s going to tell her what’s up. Boisie says he’s found a buyer for the Stubbs painting. She isn’t happy about that. Joan doesn’t think Boisie cares if she gets Kelly back or not. Tom (Jack Greenlees) visits Joan at the shop. He takes her out. Tom knows she really wants Kelly back. He shows her a photo of a suspect in a robbery in Sussex. It looks a lot like her. Tom warns her that Harris will see it and arrest her for aggravated burglary. Tom claims he can make sure that doesn’t happen. He just wants Joan to work for him. Joan refuses. Boisie sees her getting out of a vehicle and giving money to a homeless man. He asks her about speaking to the cop.

Joan shows him the photo of the robbery from the Stubbs case. Boisie insists it’ll never stick because the witness is a drunk. In the middle of the night, Joan leaves in the van. Boisie catches her trying to destroy the painting. He tells her he’s selling it to the Irish. Boisie insists he needs help. Joan says she might do this because they have no choice. Next, Joan visits Hugo while calling herself Jessica Cunningham. She tries to learn as much as she can about Stubbs and his works. She receives a call from someone who hangs up. It’s likely the Irish confirming she is part of Abney’s. Then, Joan meets with Boisie and the Irish. She speaks to Sean (Liam McMahon) and Michael (Brian McMahon) about the painting. They make arrangements for Joan to assess the painting. Joan goes to the motel room with Sean to check the painting.

Boisie waits with Michael. Sean tries to make sure Joan is who she claims to be. Joan explains that the thing about fakes is that they’re completely perfect. Michael takes a call. He thanks Boisie for the Stubbs and tells him to be on his way. Boisie says he wants his money. Michael tells him his deal is screwed. Sean tells Joan they use the paintings as collateral to buy arms for the struggle. Police burst into the room and arrest them. Joan soon learns that Tom has been following her the whole time. From jail, Joan tries to call Kelly. Sue says it’s better for her not to speak to Kelly while she’s in her current environment.

 

Joan Review

The fourth episode of Joan was pretty much just more of the same. The series really had all the potential in the world with an interesting backstory, a fun time period, and a strong cast. Unfortunately, the script has been dismal through four episodes. The show is going through the motions and telling us what happened without any purpose or emotion.

It didn’t give us the chance to really connect to Joan Hannington because the backstory isn’t here. The series is really trying to convince us that Joan was desperate to get Kelly back, but it hasn’t felt like that throughout. Obviously, the moment she said she wanted to go clean was the moment she was going to get busted.

The episode felt like it was a bunch of scenes thrown together without any real purpose for those scenes. The cast is really let down by the heartless script and it certainly doesn’t do the real people any favors. It’s too shallow, a little preachy, and far too modern for what it is. The episode scores a 4 out of 10.

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