Wet Lettuce – As the seventh episode of The Artful Dodger begins, Dr. Jack Dawkins (Thomas Brodie-Sangster) follows Norbert Fagin (David Thewlis) through the streets. The Dodger catches up with him and asks what kind of game this is. Fagin claims he outfoxed the old fox. Ned Monks (Ezekiel Simat) comes out and joins them seconds later. They fight briefly until Monks pulls out a knife. They talk about how Monks tried to kill his own brother. Fagin says Oliver Twist was his half-brother and he was an insufferable little prat. Monks explains they aren’t allowed to hang him twice.

He believes it’d be a big problem for Dodger if they found out he was an escaped convict. Fagin admits he has been rummaging up a gambit. Dodger wants to make sure he doesn’t see Monks again. If he sees Monks again, he’ll kill him. Once they’re alone, Monks tells Fagin the explosives are stuck in customs because Darius is in prison. Fagin thinks it might be time to change that. Darius Cracksworth (Tim Minchin) tells Father Cruikshanks (Huw Higgins) that he is facing Judge Micawber. Cruikshanks tells him what’ll happen when he is hung. They pray that it’ll be a quick death. Fagin tries to put in a good word for Darius with Judge Micawber. He asks the Judge if he knows anything about the value of precious rubies.

Lady Fanny Fox (Lucy-Rose Leonard) believes Belle (Maia Mitchell) is going to the hospital to see her paramour. They talk about kissing. Fanny reveals a man from the Bank of Great Britain is coming and she may marry him. Belle says she’ll know if he is the one when he kisses her. Belle and Dodger almost get caught making out. Fagin is allowed to see Darius at the jail. Fagin tells him he was going to offer him a bit of hope. Belle tries to find out more about Dodger’s past relationships with women. He admits he has, but she isn’t just another one of many. Belle wanted to know if she was wasting her time and she believes she is. She says they won’t have sex unless they’re married. Dodger argues the world will never let them get married.

She believes he is misjudging her family. Dodger says she feels him with equal parts joy and dread. Belle says the same. At home, Belle talks to her mother, Lady Jane Fox (Susie Porter), about Jack. Governor Fox (Damien Garvey) interrupts to say Fanny wants to arrange a dinner for the chap from the Bank of Great Britain. Jane says it would seem their daughters have their eyes on personable men. Red catches Fagin and Aputi with a contraption. She doesn’t think it’ll work because the rope isn’t strong enough. She is lowered into the church to get the jewels back. Father Cruikshanks hears something nearby while with a lady. He sees Red lifted upward. The Father tells Captain Gaines (Damon Herrimen) that he is sharing a vision most splendid with him.

He believes God spoke to him and he saw an angel. When asked if there was a witness, the father says he was giving comfort to Molly Crutchley at the time. Gaines wonders why St. Coccyx wanted his relic back at 5 AM. Gaines learns about the rubies. He asks the father to describe the angel. Fagin gives the rubies to Micawber to get Darius out of jail. Fagin negotiates peace between Rotty and Darius. Fagin admits Darius is in his debt. Gaines wants to speak to Belle about the child she helped deliver the other night. Belle says she failed to deliver a baby girl so the mother and child passed. Jane goes to the hospital where she tells Dodger her daughter is greatly taken by his surgical skills. Jane will support him in his role at the hospital.

However, it is a different matter for someone of his station and background to spend time with her daughter. She goes on to say they’re pursuing a suitable partner for Belle. Jane says Lady Belle will stay away from the hospital and marry someone of status and wealth. She threatens to make him lose his job if he mentions this to Belle. Jane tells him to encourage Belle to leave when she comes to the hospital. Fagin tells Darius that he needs him to be the government’s Customs Officer. He needs the explosive matter sitting on the wharf. In two weeks’ time, HMS Fortitude will set sail. Fagin needs him to arrange another vessel to take him away from this place at the same time. Dodger is standoffish with Belle at the theater. He asks Hetty to show her out.

Belle finds him outside and tries to figure out what is going on. Dodger says he realizes he is more comfortable being unattached. Later, Jane finds Belle taking down portraits because she is tired of looking at the heads of stupid men on the walls. Fagin learns that Dodger will be a partner now. He tells Dodger that a sealed chest is making its way there from the gold fields of Ballarat. They’re going to steal the gold shipment. Fagin admits he has been planning this for well over a year now. His dream is to make them richer than all the toffs who made their lives such a misery. Belle ignores Dodger at the hospital and asks Hetty what she’d think about a ward solely for women.

She wants to use the South Ward which is Dodger’s. Dodger interrupts to try to explain to Belle. He tells her to speak to her mother, but Belle isn’t willing to listen to him. Monks notices Fagin seems scared when he sees someone in a carriage. Fagin runs over to Dodger to ask who the Bank of Great Britain decided to bring over. Dodger is concerned when he finds out it is Oliver Twist. The Governor and Jane welcome Oliver Twist who is taken aback by Fanny’s beauty. He quickly learns that Fagin is there working for Jack Dawkins. Oliver asks if they can invite Jack to the dinner. Meanwhile, Fagin and Jack wonder if Oliver will remember them. Monks believes he’ll remember his half-brother tried to kill him.

Jack thinks they should stay out of sight and make sure they’re not spotted. Oliver tells the Governor the bank has given him two keys. He’ll wear one around his neck and the other will hang around the Governor’s neck. Jack tells Fagin he has been invited to the Governor’s house for dinner so Oliver spotted him. Fagin thinks this is a good opportunity. He explains that Jack will go and avoid drawing attention to himself. During the dinner, Oliver is asked how he came to know Jack. Oliver claims Jack took him in and saved his life during a moment of peril. When Belle has a fit, she won’t let Dawkins help her. Instead, Sneed takes her away. Fagin tells Jack he will replace the keys with replicas he had made.

They arrange a diversion of sorts. Flashbang offers to set off fireworks. It’ll go on for 25 minutes so Fagin believes that’ll be enough time for Dodger. Oliver gets up and tries to propose to Fanny who says yes before he can. Flashbang sets off the fireworks too soon. Jack manages to steal the Governor’s key during the chaos. Red says there is no one guarding Governor House. Jack goes back for Oliver’s key. He pretends to clean his key while replacing it. Oliver tells Dodger that he regards him with the affection of a brother. The others catch up with Dodger at Governor House. Gaines realizes they’ve fallen for a rouse. When they open the crate, Jack and Fagin find out it is full of sand.

They quickly flee. Dodger tells Fagin to go while he goes back inside. He asks Belle to come away with him. Fagin gets caught by Gaines. Jack tells Belle what her mother said. Belle feels the same way about him, but she isn’t sure they can flee. Jack says they live happily on the Pacific Islands. She lets him listen to her heart before asking if she is dying.

 

The Artful Dodger Review

The seventh episode of The Artful Dodger was okay because it had a lot more action, but it was also overloaded with clichés. Pretty much everything in this episode has been done multiple times in other shows to the point this felt like a copy-and-paste of other projects. It started with Jane threatening Dodger and making him shun Belle.

It continued with Dodger telling her the truth only to find out she is sick. The latter half has been obvious from way earlier in the series. There is no real struggle for any of the characters and minimal risks. Fagin already had perfect replicas of the keys. Despite getting caught by Father Cruikshanks, he was too stupid to realize his church was robbed.

We can already see what is going to happen in the finale because there will be a happy ending and no one is going to face any repercussions for what just happened. Because of that and the lack of purpose here, it is hard to see The Artful Dodger as anything other than brainless viewing with a couple of decent performances.

Once the final credits roll though, everything that happened will quickly be forgotten. This episode scores a 5 out of 10. Recaps of The Artful Dodger can be found on Reel Mockery here. Find out how to support our independent work at this site. Learn more about advertising on Reel Mockery here. Discuss this show and others at the Reel Mockery Forum.