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While Lord and Lady Holland receive some news that could make their home even more complete than they ever could have hoped, their attempts to introduce Lady Persie into society become even more troubled than they could have anticipated when she decides to get involved in politics. Meanwhile, the arrival of a new housemaid from Germany has far-reaching consequences for more members of the household than could ever have been anticipated.
‘The Ladybird’ was considerably more up and down than the first episode: certain parts undoubtedly dragged, but when they got it right, it hit even higher notes than ‘The Fledgling’ managed. The conflicts between the beliefs and behaviour of different members of the household were even more pronounced here, but the tensions that they created didn’t always make for particularly interesting viewing.
One thing that really didn’t work at all was Lord Holland’s diplomatic machinations: they weren’t fully developed enough to be engaging, yet enough time was spent on them for the scenes to drag. The young wife versus overbearing mother-in-law storyline, while providing some nice moments, has been done too many times before in too similar ways to this to provide any real interest. The most intriguing scenes between Agnes and Maud have been their moments of accord, such as the passing on of the diamonds in the first episode, but even that was undermined here by Maud using them to usurp Agnes.
The volatile politics and shifting relationships of the late 1930s were much more effectively and subtly portrayed in the storyline involving Lady Persie and Spargo, and in the rather touching friendship that developed between Mr Amanjit and Rachel. It’s unfortunate that Downton Abbey also had a rebellious socialite getting drawn into politics by a socialist chauffeur, but I have to say that I found this take on the story much more interesting. Thanks to some deft writing and the general vulnerability and charm of Claire Foy, Lady Persie is a much more believable character than the saintly Lady Sybill, and the fact that her political instinct is so obviously wrong makes the plot much more compelling, while the obvious attraction between the two characters adds a rather welcome layer of intrigue.
But the real heart of the episode lay in the tragic plight of new maid Rachel. The slow unravelling of her story showed the humanity behind the turbulent European politics more clearly than any speeches from Lord Holland could. The friendship that she struck up with Mr Amanjit allowed Art Malik to really shine, as he radiated warmth and understanding, while Helen Bradbury’s portrayal of a woman forced into exile and secrecy was nicely understated. Her increasing defiance throughout the episode, culminating in her joining the protest against the walkers, gave a real sense of the pain of her situation, while Mr Amanjit’s reaction to her unexpected death was exceptionally touching.
‘The Ladybird’ was by no means perfect, but it did have some absolutely glorious moments and set up some intriguing storylines for the final episode.
The concluding episode of Upstairs Downstairs airs tonight at 9pm on BBC1.
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