Blessings of St. Coccyx – As the second episode of The Artful Dodger begins, a young Jack assists with an injured sailor. Jack admits he never had a mother to teach him how to sew. He is told the man will likely die before they’re halfway through. In the present, Jack “Dodger” Dawkins (Thomas Brodie-Sangster) runs and hides from someone. Lady Belle Fox (Maia Mitchell) gets directions to the operating room from Hetty Baggett (Vivienne Awosoga). Hetty tells her that women aren’t allowed in there. Darius Cracksworth (Tim Minchin) and his men catch Dodger. Darius wants to take his right hand. Dodger is given until Wednesday.

Tim shows Norbert Fagin (David Thewlis) that he is making a mechanic hand of sorts. Dodger enters and asks Fagin if he managed to flog the rubies yet. He reminds Fagin that he is relying on him. Belle imagines working in the operating theater. Belle visits Dodger because she wants to train. Dodger says Hetty will introduce her to the other nurses and issue her a uniform. Belle wants to train as a surgeon though. Dodger doubts Professor McGregor (Kim Gyngell) will ever accept her. He tells her that she’ll start where everyone else starts. Belle is forced to handle human excrement before she calls the place horrendous. She says she refuses to work in there. Dodger tells her to leave. Belle asks for proper supplies. Meanwhile, McGregor complains about the locals with Father Cruikshanks (Huw Higginson) and another man.

Fagin tries to sell the jewelry only to be reminded everyone knows they belong to Darius’s wife. Rotty can’t help him unless he brings gold, rum, tobacco, or shovels. Dodger watches as Belle tries to get the surgery in tip-top shape. Fagin listens to Cruikshanks and the others talk. Father Cruikshanks complains that the country only has destitute criminals demanding absolution. Dodger follows Belle outside where he tells her he is aware of medical discoveries overseas but the head surgeon is not. He believes McGregor will turn everything back to normal in a few days. She’ll need a map of the human body. Dodger says it is about looking at the face of a child knowing they’re going to die, but Belle says there is life and hope in medicine.

Doger explains he doesn’t get paid anything although he gets free food and accommodation. He makes money playing cards but got cheated last time and could lose his hand. Later, Fagin asks Dodger what he knows about Catholics. He says there may be something of a holy conflation between money, bones, and Catholics. Hetty interrupts to say a sailor drank some whitewash. Fagin follows her outside to ask her about her journey of faith. She shows him a coccyx. McGregor and his pal talk about women who they don’t see as equals. Tinkler Duckett (Justin Smith) gets hurt and is taken to the hospital. McGregor complains about Belle being there before turning his attention to Tinkler. He prepares for the surgery. Father Cruikshanks finds Fagin in his church.

McGregor’s surgery goes awry. Fagin pretends to be a priest. He mentions something about a holy relic that catches Cruikshanks’s attention. Belle urges Dodger to do something because Tinkler will die otherwise. Fagin shows the priest the fake relic he made with the coccyx. Belle knocks McGregor out using chloroform before telling Dodger to take over. He begins working to repair the man’s bowel. Once they finish, they wake up McGregor and tell him he was extraordinary. Outside, Dodger admits it was remarkable that Tinkler survived the operation. He says she was good, but a good surgeon doesn’t get dizzy at the sight of blood. Dodger calls what they did today extraordinary. Later, Fagin tells Dodger he has access to bees and honey.

He explains that he loaned the rubies temporary storage until he can find a real buyer. In return, he gets the returns of five collection plates. Dodger says the micks don’t have any money. He is adamant that he is not going back to thieving. Dodger says Fagin has never done anything for him and he suspects he is taking more than five collection plates. Dodger warns him that he isn’t going to burn alone this time. Governor Edmund Fox (Damien Garvey) and Jane (Susie Porter) are entertained. Fanny (Lucy-Rose Leonard) plays for them. Jane asks Belle what she has done to herself. As Fanny shows them what they’ve done, Jane tells Belle there is blood on her shoe. When she is asked if she is okay, Belle says she is extraordinary.

Hetty asks Dodger if he’ll ever spend a whole night with her. He tells her to go back to sleep before stepping outside. The next day, Father Cruikshanks asks Fagin how long it’ll take before the blessings of Saint Coccyx begin to work. Fagin takes his money. Captain Lucien Gaines (Damon Herriman) goes to the confession to confess to his sins. He admits he gets enraged by the way men look at Peggy. Fagin learns that he will be leaving Peggy for three days with 100 soldiers arriving for their monthly pay. Moments later, Fagin tells Dodger they can get the money from the military barracks. Dodger doesn’t believe him. Fagin reminds him he used to squeal with delight after a heist. Fagin buys a chemical that he uses to poison the drinks at the church. Then, he tries to break into the barracks with Dodger.

A guard lets them inside because most of them are ill. Dodger learns what Fagin gave them and worries they might’ve ingested too much. While they hide inside, Dodger notices someone’s feet but they soon disappear. Before long, they find out that the money is locked in a safe and neither of them do safes. Dodger is surprised to find it unlocked but the safe is empty. Someone hit it before them so Dodger decides to go above. They have to hide and end up listening to Darius and Peggy have sex. Once they fall asleep, Fagin and Dodger come out of hiding. Fagin steals a pocket watch. Back at home, Fagin tells Dodger this is not the London he knew. Fagin gives him the watch although Dodger doubts it’ll even save him a finger.

Fagin suggests they can blackmail Darius. Even with the money from the collection plate, they’re 23 pounds short. Tim tells them that he made something for Darius that had to go under his Benjamin. Dodger asks Fagin if he could make their money look like a 26 pound roll. Fagin believes he can make it look like two rolls with artfulness. Dodger asks Tim how his apparatus works. Fagin goes to the confessional to say he has done so much terrible stuff. He tells God he knows what he might have to do to Jack in the future. Fagin asks God to watch over Jack tonight. Once he takes the money to Dodger, Dodger doesn’t think they’ll notice it is bandage. Darius tells Dodger that Aputi brought his axe along. Dodger tries to convince him to play for the money.

Once Darius agrees to play, Fagin and Dodger begin talking about Captain Gaines and Peggy. Dodger outsmarts Darius with Fagin’s help. Once they leave, Dodger admits to Fagin that tonight was fun. Fagin believes they’re a team again, but Dodger says that was his last caper. Dodger checks on the patient. Belle is there and suspects he is dying. She questions what they can do. He tells her to hold his hand and see him into the next life. Fagin meets a man who says they need to focus on the task again. Fagin reminds him they need Dodger for that. He promises that he’ll have him but he needs to win back the boy’s favor. The man asks when they can have him and make a move on the ochre. Fagin informs the man they’ll have him when he says.

 

The Artful Dodger Review

The second episode of The Artful Dodger fell in line with the first while suffering from the same problems. This was never going to be completely original because it is loosely based on the Dickens’s novel. Surprisingly, the series has more in common with many other recent shows than the Dickens’s original.

Everything about the story has been done before and it has been done better so many times. The series is progressively focusing more and more on Lady Belle Fox and less on Dodger. The problem with that is the character is probably the least interesting, least likable, and least realistic of all, but the eventual tryst could be predicted by a drooling imbecile.

There is no authentic risk for Dodger or Fagin so their actions fly under the radar and have no weight. It lacks any emotion or charm and instead feels completely lifeless. The series could have more purpose but it is truly difficult to genuinely care about the characters or the story through two episodes.

Calling this a dud would be an understatement. The second episode scores a 4 out of 10. Recaps of The Artful Dodger are available on Reel Mockery here. Find out how to support our independent site at this link. Learn more about advertising on Reel Mockery here. Discuss this series and more at the Reel Mockery Forum.