S03.E07: Season 3, Episode 7

[nodorothyparker]

Airdate 2019.08.21

Quote

When Elizabeth’s past finally catches up with her, will Lucy end up paying the price? Meanwhile, as Hal’s anger with the Well’s family grows, Emily tries to broker peace before the Wells-Pincher feud spirals out of control.

[kieyra]

As usual in this action-packed season, there was way too much going on to keep track of. But they’ve set up for the finale and made me worry that basically everyone is going to die.

Well, I’m not worried about Hal or Blayne, they can die.

Swapping out Kate for Charlotte as the show’s hooker with a heart of gold, AND making us care about her, was quite the trick, and the show has managed it. At least for me.

The show is so much livelier with Margaret gone, even when everyone is running around trying not to be murdered.

I’m increasingly obsessed with the actress who plays Cherry but I can’t find much about her. She seems to mostly have stage work:

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3957824/bio#mini_bio

Hoping to see more of her on my screen.

I very rarely see this show mentioned anywhere, even in relatively niche TV media, so I’m steeling myself for not getting a fourth season. It’s too bad, this show has been such an enjoyable fling. 

[PinkRibbons]

I could watch Nancy Birch whacking Blayne in the face on a loop for days. Just when I thought it couldn't be better than Isabella just walking out of his house with his child, they give me one of the most satisfying moments I have ever seen on TV.

I keep expecting Emily to get murdered and from the look on her face she keeps expecting it too.

Lucy's choice to go into prison with her pride was an interesting callback to Margaret doing the same, only Margaret had a good reason. Fredo and Bess are not a good reason. I really wanted to smack Fredo most of this episode. Even before he went and jeopardized the life of the man he loves, he goes and calls Lucy lazy? Uh, she didn't have to pay for her part with a mountain of debt, she actually earned her wealth. Her mistake was not getting into the books sooner to see how insanely bad Bess was with money.

I wonder that Sophia is in London and hasn't tried to visit her mother. I can't think of anything Isabella would have said to her to make her think she wouldn't be welcomed back with open arms. At least to come home and show she's safe, you'd think.

Blayne is a small man who is barely starting to understand how very small he is. Quigley has nothing to gain from helping him; Kate's in the prince's house. Quigley doesn't need Blayne anymore. He may consider not committing murder a mistake, but I could kind of see Quigley thinking, "Okay, letting this fucker live: MISTAKE" as she left.

The Spartan stuff coming back to haunt Blayne is really making the absence of any mention of Amelia really glaring. She was a direct victim of the Spartans, and presumably she's a respectably married woman by now. They have got to address what happened to her, her mother and Justice Hunt. And for all we know Violet got snatched like Jack and Nell.

[Jlina]

2 hours ago, PinkRibbons said:

Quigley has nothing to gain from helping him

My thoughts as well.  And I hope she keeps her "secret!"

Lucy looked adorable dressed for cricket.  This was an outstanding episode.  I agree it's a huge shame more people don't talk about how excellent this show is.

[nodorothyparker]

Both of the previous two seasons ended months before we got a renewal announcement and with the show's world feeling like it's expanding rather than contracting to any kind of wrapup, I'm feeling good about a possible fourth season until I'm told otherwise.

There was a theme in this one of the women having very good reason to be wary of the powerful men in their orbits and what they do to try to stay safe: Harriet of Lord Leadsom, whose obsession with her has gone the stalker route and has very likely snatched the man he saw as his rival and then Hal, who's moving to take advantage of her already being victimized to also get his cut, Lydia of Blayne outright threatening to break hers or Kate's necks unless she procures another victim, Emily, who's coming off less and less convincing each time she has to tell Hal that no, of course she still loves him and is not at all afraid of him or worried that he may kill her, and Kate of both Blayne and the prince that no, she doesn't need to be "tamed" or cowed even as she's perfectly aware of the huge power imbalance there. I'm not sure what Kate hopes to get out of also keeping Knox on the line but telling him she doesn't need a rescuer because "I am the rescuer" felt a little more on the nose modern girl power than this show usually gets.  

Speaking of Knox, he seems nice enough and probably really does mean well, but his accent was all over this place this episode.

I was having a hard time following why the constables were banging down doors only looking for Lucy when it would seem like the debts of the house should at least equally belong to Elizabeth Harvey, but maybe I missed it.  I know we saw her incurring debts in earlier episodes when Mrs. Harvey was denied credit from local tradesmen, so maybe that's it?  Of course she and Fredo were about to skip town on the "promise" of raising funds elsewhere to get Lucy out of debtors prison.  If anything, the whole thing is a case study on why it's not a good idea to go into business with someone you met just that day and didn't set clear ironclad terms with.  I'm not always a huge Lucy fan, but she was upfront from the beginning that she intended to make the most amount of money from "the least amount of fucks" possible, so I don't know how Fredo missed that in bitching about her being lazy.  She did earn the money she invested in the house.   Where's all the money he's been making?  I did like that the show avoided the expected route of Mrs. Harvey blackmailing her well heeled clientele and instead letting them turn out to support the house as a kind of continued safe haven.

Isabella was coming off pretty full of herself and getting off on "I saved this child."  Sophia is too undeveloped a character to have any idea why she's slumming it in taverns with her drunkard footman husband beyond guessing that after being shut away at boarding school all her life she's enjoying her first taste of freedom and being scandalous and doesn't want to go home.  

[ElizaD]

5 hours ago, nodorothyparker said:

Both of the previous two seasons ended months before we got a renewal announcement and with the show's world feeling like it's expanding rather than contracting to any kind of wrapup, I'm feeling good about a possible fourth season until I'm told otherwise.

This was always a small show and after Charlotte's death I'm seeing even less chatter (and more anger in the little there is), but despite this season's missteps Harlots is special to me and I'd be thrilled to get a fourth season. This episode felt like setup for a potential fresh start. I'd bet that Lydia will finally decide that Blayne is too dangerous even for her (and her new relationship with Kate), so she could play a part in finishing him off and be less of a villain and more of a business antagonist in the future. The molly house is only dealing with debts, not the law and sodomy charges, so it might be saved for future plots despite all the clouds of doom. I would love to watch Lydia, Lucy, Fanny and Harriet all having their own houses and dealing with enemies less like murder club Blayne and more like Lord Leadsom (I've liked the use of historical context in this plot).

Those two guns that Emily got haven't been seen again. I predict that she'll end up choosing a side and shooting Hal when he tries to shoot Nancy. That would put her in charge of the Pincher business. So all the women have a potential "happy" ending with their own houses and money if the show is cancelled, but I think Harlots could be so good again when freed of all the need to tie up loose ends that has made this season wonky.

Lucy's wardrobe has been amazing this season. I can't describe how much I've loved her pink mix of femme fluffiness and crossdressing.

[nodorothyparker]

All of the wardrobes have been really scrumptious this season, to the point that I've honestly wondered if they hadn't been given a larger budget to work with, which may be why cancellation hasn't really crossed my mind.  I've commented before how much I enjoy the disconnect between Lydia as the show's darkest female character and her sugar plum fairy palette of delicate baby pinks and pastels.  The soft little girl pinks of Lucy's gorgeous gowns and crossdressing make the actress look like a fine china doll.  I love how garish Emily always looks in comparison with her bright yellows and oranges, even though her clothes don't look particularly cheap either.  People could be forgiven for not immediately realizing how indebted Elizabeth Harvey is because the canary yellow dress with black overlay from this episode was amazing too.

I'm really appreciating some of the historical and social context we're getting this season too: Bedlam, Lucy's descent into the notorious Fleet Street debtor's prison where people imprisoned for debt were then charged additionally for their food and lodging, connecting the dotted line between slavery in the colonies and where some of these fabulous fortunes are coming from, the dangers of slave gangs who snatched free people of color off the streets and the naval press gang in the Pinchers' tavern, Nancy's backstory of being plucked from a workhouse for sex work. 

[tennisgurl]

Blayne is such garbage, I cant wait for him to get what his coming to him. I could watch Nancy smack him in his stupid face a thousand times and never get sick of it. 

There are so many plots going  on right now I swear I need a flow chart to keep up with everyone! My heart hurt when Lucy ran into the house yelling for Charlotte, I miss her too Lucy! At least she looked super cute in her cricket outfit. 

Its interesting how many issues of the time are being shown this season. Bedlam, black people being kidnapped and sold into slavery, press ganging,debtor's prison (where you get more debt while in prison and cant pay it off because your in prison!, it really is just always something for the lower classes and people who are outside "polite" society.

[chaifan]

Great episode!  I will admit I didn't miss Margaret or Charlotte at all.  The fact that the cast can hold their own with two of the original "big" cast members gone says a lot.  I really hope there's a season 4.  No reason not to.

Totally agree with the above post re: Cherry.  I think she's fascinating.  I love how she's not treated as a freak show character, while still recognizing her differences.  She's Lydia's right hand, but also her foil at the same time (refusing to sell out Lucy). 

Love the Lords vs. Whores cricket game.  Too bad they didn't have team t-shirts back then! 

[kieyra]

I’m just letting Harlots run constantly on mute on my Hulu account to get those streaming numbers up. 

[xls]

I fkin love this show! never want it to end !

[Scarlett45]

Okay- when did Kate and the Investigator happen?!!

[aradia22]

Ooh, questionably Scottish magistrate has a modern gym body. This reminds me that there hasn't been a lot of nudity this season. It's a lot of people having simulated sex with all of their clothes on.

I have trouble feeling bad for Sophia if she allowed this schmuck to lead her astray. Zero charm, barely decent looking... I don't get it. Couldn't they have at least hired some stud to play the evil footman? Give him better lines to spout? Also, someone needs to take that baby away from Blayne.

ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME? ISAAC DID NOT LOVE CHARLOTTE. Why are all of the characters perpetuating the delusion that Isaac was some innocent lovesick puppy when he was a violent, abusive misogynist? If Charlotte had ever stopped (inexplicably) tupping him, he would have turned violent incel. That's not love. Why do the writers expect us to ignore how he behaved every time he was around Fanny and Emily? A man who doesn't respect women and doesn't respect sex workers isn't magically going to be in love with the one sex worker that he happens to be having sex with. THAT'S NOT HOW IT WORKS.

Does it make any sense that the servants would just let Isabella walk out with the baby? No. 

UGH, Rosamunde. Why do TV writers keep thinking I want the frustration of watching good for nothing blackmailers profit?

Honestly, I just want someone to be truly reckless and just stab Blayne. Or shoot him. Is that so much to ask???

Lucy in debtor's prison is mildly interesting. But it feels like a repeat of Bedlam to some degree. And with 1 episode left, it's not going to go anywhere.

AHHH!!! Isabella and Nancy! Please, can we keep it??

OK, I HATE the contrivance of Lydia happening to be present for important secret conversations. What in the hell, writers?

"Don't make me feel like this. Don't make me do this." Classic abuser language.

Ugh, Blayne is so lame. 

[Roseanna]

On 7/14/2020 at 10:54 AM, aradia22 said:

ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME? ISAAC DID NOT LOVE CHARLOTTE. Why are all of the characters perpetuating the delusion that Isaac was some innocent lovesick puppy when he was a violent, abusive misogynist? If Charlotte had ever stopped (inexplicably) tupping him, he would have turned violent incel. That's not love. Why do the writers expect us to ignore how he behaved every time he was around Fanny and Emily? A man who doesn't respect women and doesn't respect sex workers isn't magically going to be in love with the one sex worker that he happens to be having sex with. THAT'S NOT HOW IT WORKS.

I agree. That Isaac continues to have sex with Charlotte, doesn't prove that he loves her. First Isaac and then Charlotte used sex in order to betray the other. Evidently they enjoy sex with another, but once they have had sex, they have nothing to say to each other. Even Lucy and Fallon had feelings for each other, much I hated Lucy that she fell for the killer. 

[Roseanna]

On 7/14/2020 at 10:54 AM, aradia22 said:

I have trouble feeling bad for Sophia if she allowed this schmuck to lead her astray. Zero charm, barely decent looking... I don't get it. Couldn't they have at least hired some stud to play the evil footman? Give him better lines to spout?

Sophia was an inexperienced and gullible girl straight from the school. The point was just that she would have fallen for *any* young man who showed interest in her. She also believed Blaine over her mother whom she hadn't met before. Because she was led to believe that her father had been her mum's servant, she probably thought that loving a servant was "romantic" (or alternatively she wanted to revenge on her mum).

 

[Roseanna]

On 7/14/2020 at 10:54 AM, aradia22 said:

Why do the writers expect us to ignore how he behaved every time he was around Fanny and Emily?

A very good insight! A person can be best estimated on the basis how he treats "others", not his loved ones. Not that Isaac treated even Charlotte well. She was his obsession.