As the third episode of The Confessions of Frannie Langton begins, Frannie (Karla-Simone Spence) says people claim it was all in her because a woman like Madame Marguerite Benham could never love her. They say it never happened because they couldn’t believe it could. Frannie says they were just two women when they were alone together. George Benham (Stephen Campbell Moore) tells Marguerite (Sophie Cookson) that it is good to see her well again. A man expects to see a sighting of his wife from time to time. George gets upset and yells at her to eat. He picks it up off the floor and forces Marguerite to eat it.

Later Frannie tells Marguerite that they should just leave. She questions why Marguerite makes such a fuss about Laudanum. Marguerite tells her to try it herself. She insists it takes everything away. Frannie says they were surrounded by people who would want them punished if they knew the whole truth. When Frannie turns down more Laudanum, Marguerite questions why. She tells Frannie that they should please themselves. Marguerite says they should leave and run away. Hep Elliot (Jodhi May) catches Marguerite in the rain and forces her to come inside. Frannie says Hep came to stay. In private, Hep talks to Marguerite about using the drug again.

Hep says she is worried and this is the only way she can see Meg anymore. She says they used to be so close because of what they shared. Meg argues that they shared nothing. Hep wishes it was different, but Meg isn’t giving them any choice. Later, Frannie enters Meg’s room and complains that Hep has been in there all day. She is shocked to find that Meg is burning her manuscript. Frannie questions whether Hep said something to make her act like this. Meg admits Hep is staying there at her husband’s pleasure and she’ll be under her supervision at all times. Frannie agrees to help her when asked. She listens to Hep tell George that she has gotten in touch with an excellent doctor recently.

Hep suggests sending for him, but George doesn’t think they should depart from their normal arrangement. He just wants to keep Marguerite inside. Hep continues pushing in hopes of changing his mind. George asks if the doctor is discreet. Hep says he is competent and that is more important. George tells her to get on with it. Hep insists he is lucky Percy lets him keep hold of the family’s purse strings. Frannie returns to Meg to tell her they’re bringing in a doctor. Later, Frannie urges Meg to tell them no only to learn it isn’t that easy. If Meg doesn’t comply, George will threaten to send her to the asylum. Instead, she’ll need to convince him she is calm again. Dr. Pears (Jake Curran) arrives and recommends bloodletting since he believes it is a case of hysteria.

Meg begins crying and yelling that she doesn’t want it. Frannie tries to take up for her, but Hep tells her to go away. In a flashback, John Langton tells Frannie they’re in a good place to take the lead on something in the West Indies. Hep brings Frannie back to the present before telling her to see the doctor out. Moments later, Hep scolds Frannie for not cleaning up enough. Hep tries to get rid of her. When Meg wakes up, Hep tells her that she and Frannie are always searching each other out. Hep insists Frannie will be sleeping in the attic again because Meg won’t need two nurses. She takes the Laudanum from Meg as well.

Hep promises to hold onto it and measure it out for her from now on. Pru (Lydia Page) tells Frannie that everything will go back to normal when Meg is right. Frannie argues that what is going on isn’t right. At one point, Marguerite manages to sneak away and tell Frannie that she has no choice but to do what she is told. She also asked Frannie to deliver another message to Laddie. Frannie did as she was told. Once she arrives, Laddie (Patrick Martins) tells her she has five minutes. He takes the letter. Laddie suggests Meg has her well-trained and on the Laudanum. In the letter, Meg says she can see the truth although her husband cannot.

She recommends Laddie write to the newspapers before her husband’s proposals go to parliament. Meg offers to help although Laddie isn’t sure she can. He goes on to say Frannie could help but remains silent. Once Frannie asks if there is a reply, Laddie asks her to tell Meg no. After Frannie leaves, Laddie begins writing a letter to Meg. Frannie tells Marguerite who thinks she should write to him again. Frannie is tired of being her errand girl and her secret. Marguerite isn’t sure there can be any other way. Frannie tells Meg how she feels. Hep sees Frannie walking away from Meg. Late one night, Marguerite comes to Frannie’s bedroom.

They begin making out. George makes it home where he asks Hep if she is playing man of the house. Hep tells him that Meg has been carrying on with Frannie right under his nose. George can’t believe she has kept that secret since Long Reach. Hep says he would’ve noticed if he wasn’t too busy sneaking around doing God knows what. Hep argues that they should allies in this. She tells George about the books hidden under the girl’s bed. They were taken from George’s library so they could claim that she was stealing. George says not a word of this will leave the house. If it does, Hep will lose her allowance and the world will learn something about her too.

He tells her to rouse the servants and fetch Frances. Once Frannie approaches him, George dismisses her. George doesn’t care where she goes and refers to her as a thief. Frannie says Marguerite let her borrow the books, but George admits he doesn’t care about the books. There will be no tender goodbyes with her mistress either. Frannie pleads with him not to do this before calling for Madame. George threatens to call the watchman. Hep warns Marguerite that George knows about her and the girl. She claims that Frannie told him. Marguerite doesn’t believe that so she wants to speak to Frannie.

Hep says she did what she needed to be done because Frannie has only caused her trouble. Meg gets upset and storms out. George finds her running down the stairs so he asks her if she is going somewhere. She says no before breaking down in tears. Frannie is told Meg was just like the rest of them considering she didn’t stop them from throwing her out. Sal argues that Frannie couldn’t see and couldn’t leave those people alone. She is upset because Frannie is going on about love while she is the only one trying to help her. Frannie didn’t know what to do once she was thrown out because she had never been outside without a destination selected by someone else.

Frannie was on the street for days until she met Sal (Amarah-Jae St. Aubyn) who took her home and put her to bed. When Frannie gets up in the morning, she finds a man being whipped in another room. Frannie thanks Sal and asks if this place is what she believes. Sal tells her that white coves can’t get enough of Mulattas and flogging. Frannie admits they used her time at the school house against her at the trial. Whipping men was the first work she ever got paid for. It started feeling like home. Frannie started working on a manuscript about her own confessions.

Sal curses George Benham when she learns Frannie used to work for him. She says Benham doesn’t take no for an answer. He crippled a girl once when he went too far and wouldn’t stop. Benham or his brother managed to pay him out of trouble. Fran receives a visit from John Langton who thought he was going to have to argue to take back what is his. John explains he can’t find any decent help. Fran asks Martha to see him out. Seeing John again brought back all of the things Frannie couldn’t think about. Sal tries to get her to open up about what happened. Frannie thinks about the boy named Phibbah and what happened that night.

Sal tells her that she’ll have to forgive herself. Later, Sal tells her to stop moping and live her life. One day, Frannie receives a letter from Meg saying she is unwell. Meg asks her to come back. Sal tells her she is a fool. Frannie insists she’ll come back when Meg is well, but Sal says the type of illness she has will never heal. Sal reminds her they’ll be right there when she does come back. Frannie thanks her for everything before leaving. Once she arrives, Linux tells Frannie that the master says they have to tolerate her return. Frannie goes inside and reaches Meg’s bedroom.

When Meg throws up, Frannie tells her she needs to stop taking that poison. Meg admits it isn’t the drug before revealing she is pregnant. She needed something so she went to see him one night. Frannie asks who. Marguerite says Olaudah was a friend to her once. She asks Frannie to forgive her. Frannie questions why she is there.

 

The Confessions Of Frannie Langton Review

This was an okay episode of The Confessions Of Frannie Langton that slowly pushed the story forward to its conclusion. There isn’t much that will surprise viewers through three episodes since the plot is so straightforward. Even Marguerite sleeping with Olaudah was easy to see. The series isn’t bad overall though, but it may not be memorable once it ends.

Some of the performances are topnotch with Sophie Cookson standing out and Karla-Simone Spence holding her own. The costumes are fine and the camerawork is good. Some viewers will probably enjoy the story more than I have though. For me personally, the show has been a good time killer although I haven’t been blown away at any point.

This episode of The Confessions of Frannie Langton scores a 6 out of 10. Recaps of The Confessions of Frannie Langton can be found on Reel Mockery here. Find out how to support our independent site at this link. Learn more about advertising on Reel Mockery here.