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Sunday 16 February 2014

Mr Selfridge Series 2 Episode 5 Review

Ms Mardle (Amanda Abbington) has invited a refugee to stay at her house by the name of Florian Dupont (Oliver Farnworth) and is surprised when he turns out to be a young man who has lost his home in Belgium.  He was a violinist and he couldn't get his violin back since his village was bombed.  Ms Mardle tells Agnes (Aisling Loftus) he can't stay cos they're two women on their own and it isn't right.  Agnes misses George and gets a letter from him showing he's "chipper" which has been censored/blacked out and Agnes wonders why that is.  Obviously not knowing at the time that they can't give away locations during wartime.

Crabb (Ron Cook) and Grove (Tom Goodman-Hill)  watch the women in the loading docks and how some of them are struggling with the crates and also with their clothes which he draws to Harry's (Jeremy Piven) attention.  Harry also finds that Crabb is worried cos it's his birthday as Grove tells him and he feels left out of the war and the war effort, being too old to serve.  He was happy when he got to organize the parade of men last episode, so Harry finds him a project.  He asks him to come up with some sort of training programme for the staff and Crabb thinks rifle shooting, so they can feel they're defending themselves whilst the men are away.

Harry agrees to have dinner with Rose (Frances O'Connor) alone but he won't be able to make it since Delphine (Polly Walker) comes up with a card game and for Harry to meet some government men on the military procurement committee as she thinks there might be a position open for him.  He tries to put her off but even after she finds out it's dinner with Rose, she tells him she's already invited people.  Rose sees her outside and she doesn't tell her about the card game and rushes off, not being able to join her for lunch with Harry.  That sly look on her face, can't wait to see what her game is.

Loxley (Aidan McArdle) wants Lady Mae (Katherine Kelly) to buy a whole new wardrobe since he wants her to be seen out with him and get involved in more charities to make the Loxley name more public.  She sees him take money out of his locked drawer to pay the butcher.  She does go on a spree but alas is bored with the fashions which all seem old to her.  Henri (Gregory Fitoussi) listens to her tell Thackeray (Cal MacAninch) how dissatisfied she is.  She also tells Harry about this and he's not happy since she's their best customer and "the customer is always right," as he tells him.  Thackeray thinking Henri has been complaining behind his back.  Faced with this, Thackeray bumps into Henri's man he has been paying off and tells him he's on the wrong floor for him.  Following him to the right floor, he overhears the man provide Henri with an address and he follows Henri there.  He pays off the woman who tells him Henri's been looking for a woman who was last seen in Germany.  Thackeray jumping to conclusions as he thinks Henri is hiding something dark, like being a spy no doubt.  He tells Agnes his suspicions about Henri keeping secrets; look another lift scene.

Agnes asks Henri if he's okay but he's abrupt with her and shouts at her.  She's not prying but is concerned. Agnes tells Victor (Trystan Gravelle) how he's upset her.  Victor has inherited the restaurant from his uncle and he wants to talk to her about it.  She invites him to dinner at Ms Mardle's.  Ms Mardle buys a violin for Florian and Grove sees her in the lift with it, see yet another lift scene.  He wishes he was "on the receiving end" of something like that since it's rather expensive.  Well he would have been if he had stuck by her and not gone for Doris!

Harry promotes Gordon (Greg Austin) to junior assistant in the tea emporium and he must learn all about teas.  He's not happy with this but he's missing the men and so Harry must take his mind off them.  Gordan also signs up for rifle training as does Rose.  She also has an idea for the women's new working clothes, which Grove was a tad nervous about talking to Harry about.  But she understands their needs and gets the women to sign up for rifle training too.

Henri tells Thackeray not to interfere in his private or work business and says the same to Agnes. At dinner Victor asks about Agnes and Henri and she's no longer close to him.  He's decided to take on the restaurant, even if its hard work and she and Victor kiss.  Ms Mardle is taken with Florian and after hearing him play the violin, she doesn't have the heart to send him packing.  Agnes saying that everything's unconventional in war and she hopes there's someone out there for George like her if he was ever in that position.

The rifle training proves to be a success with Rose showing off her shooting skills to Gordon's surprise.  Also Crabb is given a diamond tipped pen for his birthday by Harry who thinks he may be put out to pasture.  But Harry tells him he has a job for life.  Kitty (Amy Beth Hayes) meanwhile pursues Frank (Samuel West) especially when she finds out there may be another woman involved and kisses him when she leaves.  Frank almost has a whole page in the paper now.

Harry attends the card game and meets Miles Edgerton (Raymond Coulthard) who thinks he could be on the committee, but Loxley fails to vouch for him.  Harry only now realizes Loxley's true colours and that he gave him those contact lists out of haste.  Bill Summertime (Jay Villiers) also arrives and Delphine introduces him to everyone, apparently he's meant to be some bigwig.  Harry wins at the game, knew he had a full house, much to Loxley's chagrin, so much for beating the Yank! Ha and must leave straightaway to hide his shame. Well that's Loxley's ill gotten gains lost.  Harry returns home triumphant and this includes spending the night with Rose.

Plenty to keep us going in this episode, with yet more mystery surrounding Henri and what he was up to for 5 years and doesn't appear to have been in America as he's told Agnes and everyone else.  It appears he's in search of some woman who could turn out to be a relative or even Valerie Maurel herself, the woman he left Agnes for. What's the betting the man Henri paid off is a private detective and not someone who's into shady dealings. As for Thackeray being concerned about Henri not serving his country, what about Thackeray fighting for his? He doesn't seem to be that old.

Wonder if Agnes and Victor will make a go of it as I said they should last episode review, especially since Gabriella has returned to Italy for good and is out of the picture.  Ms Mardle has her heart aflutter and love is in the air, even if he's young for her, she deserves some happiness in her life after wasting all those years waiting for Grove.  Let's hope Rose finds out how good a friend Delphine really isn't and the way she didn't tell her about the card game herself was not on.  What's her problem, I said she was only using Rose to get to Harry.  Halfway through the series and there's still a lot more to see, let's hope Loxley gets his just desserts at the end of it, along with Delphine, I'll be happy.

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