MISS SCARLET AND THE DUKE (2020-)

S4E2: Six Feet Under

Miss Scarlet and the Duke "The diamond feather"

@monthly-challenge 2024 | Day #21: Free Day

Gimme just a little bit of hope

With a smile or a glance, gimme one more chance

Eliza: "Things haven't quite turned out how I'd hoped. Sometimes I do wonder..."

William: "If it's all worth it?"

[...]

William: "You're a good detective, Eliza, very good. And whatever happens from here, you'll find a way to make it work. You always do."

Miss Scarlet and The Duke (2020-)

A random thing that I just really wanted to mention, which is, um, just how amazing it was to see Eliza and Patrick literally sitting together at the end of 4x4 celebrating and LAUGHING TOGETHER about her being the one to crack the case. Eliza looked so happy being there with patrick, which in turn made my shipper heart for them absolutely crumble 🥺😩 ( I've honestly not seen Eliza be that happy before.... 👀). She was so in the moment that she actually forgot that William wanted to speak to her, lol. Also, I definitely caught that quick camera turn back to patrick with him, looking disappointed that she was leaving.

Miss Scarlet & The Duke 4x03

Okay I can't resist it thoughts on MSATD season four, episode 3 under the cut:

The first scene KILLED ME. Eliza talking to unconscious William and visiting him every day and lying to the nurses and pretending to be his wife so she could get in, and bEGGING HIM TO WAKE UP HELP

The flashbacks were absolutely MASTERFULLY done. The actors for young William and Eliza were INCREDIBLE-- she looked just like a younger Eliza, and sounded like her too!! I wasn't immediately sold on William's actor-- probably the lack of beard threw me off-- but that did NOT last. He sounded so much like him, and he really did a great job of William's expressions and his patented "Good Grief Eliza Why Do You Do This" sigh made MULTIPLE appearances

The S1 E5 reference with "tempus fugit" made me very emotional, as did all of the interactions with William and Henry

OH ALSO WE GOT TO SEE THE PARKERS AGAIN I MISSED THE PARKERS

I will never stop losing my mind over the fact that Eliza fell first but William fell harder

"do you always lie this much?" ENDED ME the way it-- and so many things in this episode-- set up their dynamic as we know them now is just *chef's kiss*

Also I love that Eliza solved the case

But I can also see how it must have felt SO unfair that William gets the job she's always dreamed of, I love and appreciate her for forging her own way

OKAY BUT THE FACT WE GOT THE KISS THEY'VE ALWAYS BEEN TALKING ABOUT FIRST OF ALL ELIZA. GIRL. THAT WAS IN NO WAYS JUST WILLIAM. SECOND OF ALL it cracked me up that teenage William's only idea for how to stop her from crying was to kiss her. Almost like you've been thinking about kissing her a lot huh

And then the ending scene where he woke up and she was so HAPPY and they were bantering a little and I just. AUGH I AM FEELING SOME EMOTIONS ABOUT THESE TWO OKAY THAT'S ALL FOR NOW

Miss Scarlet

So, I am sure by now that everyone has seen the news that Stuart Martin will not be returning for season five of MSATD. I know a lot of people are super disappointed that William is leaving the show, as am I, but honestly, I kind of feel that this could be a new opportunity for the show. It is obvious that the writers did not know that Stuart was leaving the show for good as they were writing last season, but with him being gone it makes the ending of season four almost better to me. Eliza is no longer working for Patrick, and while he is coming back and will likely not end up in prison (though who knows), I imagine Eliza won't go back to Nash & Sons. She was finally able to change the sign above her door to say "Miss Eliza Scarlet," something that seemed impossible to her in earlier seasons. Also, while Eliza is certainly fine at working with a few friends, she will never be the kind of manager that Patrick is as she's simply too independent and stubborn. It is for the better that she is at her own agency, able to do her thing without too much interference.

In a roundabout way, I think William's departure kind of brings everything together. Eliza is truly alone, without William or her father. Everything that she does now will be entirely up to her; she has no father or childhood friend to fall back on. I think that this, plus the name of the show changing to be just Miss Scarlet is a kind of bookend to how the show began. The producers and writers of the show have already hinted at this being the start of a shift in direction, and while the story was largely focused on the romance between William and Eliza during the first four seasons, I think that this gives the creators an opportunity to do more. By calling the show Miss Scarlet and the Duke, they were limited in what they could write. I know I have seen many people comment on how the show seemed to drag because of the drawn out will-they-won't-they between Eliza and William, something I noticed myself after the first couple of seasons.

Now, since it is apparent that they are no longer going to be the endgame couple, there is more freedom in the storyline and what the writers can do with the personal relationships. At the end of season four, it felt to me as though the show had sort of written itself into a corner concerning the title relationship of the show. In another recent post I even commented on how the relationship between the two would remain unchanged unless some drastic action by one of them, probably William. Obviously, I did not know that Stuart was planning on leaving the show, but I think my criticism still stands. Both Eliza and William cared too much about their jobs to ever be able to be truly happy together as we last saw them.

This is exactly the reason that William leaves for New York, and it could be very possibly that the way that they write him out of the show is with him deciding to stay in America. William had been considering quitting his position at Scotland Yard, but this was due to the conditions of his job at the time and how overworked he was, plus the draw of finally being able to be with Eliza. It feels very possible to me that he might change his mind upon entering a less stressful environment and decide not to come back to London. After all, William went months, if not a year, suspecting or knowing Eliza's feelings towards him and vice versa but he was still unwilling to give up his career to be with her. I don't fault William for this as Eliza does the same thing, but it does make his staying in New York a bit more believable.

So even though the show is not going to go in the direction we have all thought it would, I think that this could be a good thing. While we won't know if that is the case for likely a year, I am not going to call any judgements until season five is released. Though I think that the show has definitely benefitted from William's presence, it has always been about Eliza first and foremost and so I am excited to see what she gets up to next.

(Also here's to hoping that Ansu Kabia is included in later casting announcements as we have gone far too long without Moses)

The picture in her office concealing a hole in the wall with secrets -> Nash's office hiding not one but two safes with secrets

"That would be a sure way to never have any clients." -> her name plate in Nash's office, then putting her own name above her father's office finally

Eliza trying to make ends meet and getting laughed at for being a detective -> running her own agency ish! With one employee even!

Eliza pretending to be William's wife/ mistress to get into places -> Eliza pretending to be his wife to get in to see him when he's in a coma after being shot

William working so hard to get a promotion from the commissioner -> him taking a year off of work in London, and then Fitzroy turning down a promotion from his father, the commissioner

William and Eliza talking to Henry's ghost -> whole flashback episode of Henry being a parent to both of them

Arguing about the kiss -> THE KISS and then THE PRESENT DAY KISS

Also, because I love mess too: William and Eliza being mean best friends who are secretly in love with each other -> William telling her he loves her and then leaving for a year

MISS SCARLET AND THE DUKE (2020-)

S4E4: The Diamond Feather

Miss Scarlet and the Duke "Origins"

williza - different parallel

Me: " the only way that Eliza/Patrick can happen is if William would ever actually leave the show."

Also, Me: " There's no way the writers would actually write him out after the show and them have expressed multiple times how him and Eliza are endgame"

And then the news announcement about the show today reveals season 5 is happening and that William is legit leaving the show.

Me today: " So basically eliza/Patrick's chances of happening HAVE RISEN SO HIGH"

Seriously though, I feel like I'm dreaming. THE SCARNASH SHIPPERS HAVE WON.

PBS: "Dig in to these delicious moments from our winter dramas. 😋"

OVERSIZED COATS

S4 - BTS