At the beginning of the episode, Eliza Scarlet (Kate Phillips) and Ivy (Cathy Belton) get a visit from Rupert Parker (Andrew Gower). Eliza is excited to check the paper because she believes the publicity is going to help her business flourish. However, she soon finds out that she isn’t mentioned at all and that the paper only focuses on William ‘The Duke’ Wellington (Stuart Martin). After the intro, Superintendent Stirling (Nick Dunning) tells William that a journalist has come to visit and he is going to be following him for the day. Stirling wants Wellington to put in a good word for him and that will help William get the promotion they promised.

When William returns to his office, Eliza is there waiting for him and she is not happy. Eliza explains she needed that publicity because many clients are turning away when they see her behind the desk and not her father. William reminds her that he is an officer with Scotland Yard and says it would be bad if their arrangement was plastered across a newspaper. He says he will do his best to make sure she gets credit next time but Eliza isn’t satisfied with that. When Eliza returns to her office, she is stopped by Herr Hildegard (Richard Evans) who introduces her to his niece Tilly (Amy McAllister). Herr wants Eliza to give his niece advice about the latest fashions and society gossip. Eliza tries to get away from them but changes her mind when Herr says he has a case for her.

He asks her what she knows about death photography. Then, we jump over and watch as James Henderson (Hugh O’Conor) snaps pictures of two dead people. Amelia (Roisin Murphy) helps before the picture is taken. Eliza sticks around and speaks with James about his business before he tells her about the disturbing correspondence he has been receiving. He informed the police but they haven’t done anything. He says the photographs arrive in plain envelopes and the pictures feature the image of his deceased wife. She died last year and James suspects someone is trying to terrify him. Meanwhile, Jacob Bunce (Kevin Eldon) hangs out with William and asks him questions about his career. Jacob makes it clear that he is a big fan of William and his work.

William puts in a good word for his superintendent hoping it’ll get him the promotion. Then, they look through the cases from the previous night. Eliza looks at the pictures until Herr enters and lets her use his best magnifying glasses. She checks the envelope and notices a red spot in the corner. She suspects it might be dried blood. Herr says Catherine was a troubled soul and she took her life. A bit later, Eliza speaks with Amelia who was hired by Catherine to be governess to their daughter Violet. Amelia and James have become very close and they’re now engaged. The photograph arrived shortly after James proposed so Amelia believes she is punishing them. She tells Eliza that she can prove it. They visit Edith Evans (Marion O’Dwyer) who says she can communicate with the dead.

She works her magic on a young man but Eliza remains skeptical. Edith tells Eliza that Catherine is vengeful towards her daughter and that she is sending the photos from the grave. Eliza speaks with Edith in private and says she is hurting her daughter. Edith says she is telling the truth before telling Eliza things about her father. Meanwhile, William and Bunce attend an autopsy but Bunce doesn’t seem interested. He wants a crime that is a little weirder. DS Frank Jenkins (Danny Midwinter) and says it was the business partner and that it was about an unpaid loan. Mr. Potts (Simon Ludders) enters and pleads with William to stop Eliza because she is trying to force her way inside. That interests Bunce before William says Eliza is his cousin.

William goes outside and tells Eliza that he isn’t going to help her but he will let Frank get her the background check she needs. With Frank’s help, Eliza is able to look through the files but she finds out that there are no records of Edith having any criminal convictions. Eliza tries to get access to more files but Frank doesn’t cooperate with her. She attempts to change his mind but Frank isn’t having it. She visits James and he tells her about his relationship with Amelia. Eliza admits she believes Amelia’s mother is involved in this. James cannot believe that Amelia would be involved. He pleads with Eliza to stay around Amelia while he is away from home. She is hesitant but agrees to do so.

Amelia tells Eliza that James wants to move away so they can have a fresh start. Eliza tells her that she doesn’t have to get married but Amelia says she wants that more than anything. Eventually, Amelia admits that she was with James while Catherine was alive and she knew. Catherine said she was going to get revenge on them. William drinks with Frank who says some unsavory things about Eliza. William tells him to never say things like that or he will hit him. William says Eliza’s father did a lot for him as if he was his flesh and blood. Meanwhile, Eliza hears a scream and rushes to Amelia’s side to find her scared. Eliza offers her warm milk and brandy but Amelia turns down both. Then, they find another photo in Amelia’s bed. Eliza tries to figure out how the photo got inside first thing in the morning.

The maid, Ruth, has a key and nobody got in through the window. Eliza leaves and follows Ruth as she goes to the store. She followers her to the White Rabbit Messaging Service. Ruth (Emer Hedderman) leaves so Eliza goes inside and tries to get the clerk (Darragh Byrne) to help her. The clerk doesn’t want to help her. She leaves and runs into William who says Stirling is now interested in the case. Eliza realizes that William doesn’t have any information about the case but he wants to help anyway. At Eliza’s request, William gets mean with the clerk and convinces him to hand over the message. The boy begins crying and Eliza believes William might’ve been too rough with him. One they have the note, William confronts Edith and asks her if she has altered the pictures.

Eliza finds that Edith has records of hundreds of people and that is how she knows so much about her clients. Mr. Henderson had dinner with Herr Hildegard and he told James about Eliza and her pet frog. That is how Edith found out about it. Edith denies sending the pictures and says she wouldn’t want to punish her daughter. She admits she made it sound like the photos came from Catherine though. William wonders if she’ll change her mind after a night in a cell. Eliza asks him if he believes in ghosts before she admitting she feels her father’s presence and speaks with him. Frank arrives and tells William that the journalist wants to see him because he wants to get a sketch of the spiritualist. Eliza overhears this and realizes William is using the case to impress the journalist.

She is concerned he wants to take all of the credit for himself. She visits Amelia and finds her arguing with James. She tells James that Edith has been arrested for sending the photographs but James doesn’t believe she was responsible. He says they found another photo so it can’t be her. Then, she tries to speak with Amelia who wants to leave. Eliza can’t calm her. Then, she begins looking for James only to run into Violet (Amelie Metcalfe). She hears Violet speaking from behind a sofa. She watches as Violet pokes her finger and rubs the blood onto the cheeks of her doll. She checks the envelope and notices the red blood on the corner. Then, Eliza asks Violet where the photographs are. Violet admits her mother told her not to say where she kept the photos.

Eliza goes to James and tells him that Catherine knew about him and Amelia being together. Before she died, she told Violet about a game she wanted to play. So, Violet has been hanging out the photographs and getting revenge for her mother. James is not angry with his daughter. Later that night, Eliza tells Rupert about the case and her conversation with William. Rupert is distracted and too busy worrying about Herr and his niece. They chat about Rupert’s mother and her wish for him to be wed. He wonders if they could come to some arrangement since they both live unconventional lives. William speaks with the superintendent about the article. He reveals it is going to press tonight and the serialization will begin in the morning.

He also made to tell them about Stirling and the efficiency of the department. Stirling tells him good work but he says nothing about the promotion so William asks about it. Stirling says he gave the job to Hudson and he wishes William better luck next time. William isn’t happy since Hudson has only been with the division for three months. Nothing William says will change the superintendent’s mind. The following day, Eliza runs into Herr and Tilly and learns that her friend is taking them for a ride through the park. It turns out to be Rupert Parker. Eliza returns to her office and finds the door open. William is inside. He says he left her a note and a present because he owes her an apology. The police newspaper tells of a female detective cracking the case.

William says he got there just before the press was about to roll. Her role in solving the case is addressed in full and it includes the address to her office. Eliza tells William he can keep the spare key just in case. A picture falls from the wall and Eliza finds a hole with a book inside it. She grabs it and begins looking through the notebook. Something seems to surprise her before the episode ends.

 

Miss Scarlet And The Duke Review

I think Miss Scarlet and The Duke is getting better as it goes on. This episode was different than anything I have seen in a while and I can appreciate the relationship development between William and Eliza. The only thing I find a bit odd and slightly annoying is Kate Phillips’s high-pitched voice. It sounds like she is screeching sometimes and I can’t recall her sounding like this in anything else. That is a bit obnoxious but the show isn’t bad at all. In fact, I think most people will enjoy Miss Scarlet and The Duke. This episode scores a 7.5 out of 10. Previous recaps of Miss Scarlet and The Duke can be found on Reel Mockery.