Gentleman Jack Review: Two Jacks Don’t Suit (Season 2 Episode 2)
The Ann(e)s begin their life together, and Miss Walker learns more about Miss Lister’s past on Gentleman Jack Season 2 Episode 2, “Two Jacks Don’t Suit.”
“Two Jacks Don’t Suit” is an episode of parallels and contrasts. In the way of parallels, we continue to see naysayers from both Miss Walker’s family and Miss Lister’s friend group making their opinions known to the couple.
In the case of Anne’s friends, it’s more concerned skepticism that, by comparison to the outright — and growing — hostility of Ann’s family, might not seem like a big deal.
Still, even if the concern comes from a well-intentioned desire to see Anne Lister happy, it has as much potential to play on Anne’s already lingering doubts and insecurities as the venom of Ann Walker’s family does for her.
For all her wonderful qualities, Anne Lister is a bit of a snob and elitist. In the very first episode of Season 1, she declares that the only thing she ever ran from was mediocrity. She already believes that Ann isn’t as smart or interesting as her.
It’s hard to imagine the opinions of others changing Anne Lister’s mind about anything. Still, even Anne Lister might not be immune to outside pressures when the opinions of people she views as peers echo thoughts she’s already inclined to have.
It’s especially dangerous as the impending love triangle with Mariana becomes more charged.
Also, I can’t be the only member of team “protect Ann Walker at all costs” who feels a little salty about Anne’s friends continuing to find ways to tell her that Miss Walker isn’t good enough for her, right?
Whatever comments Anne’s friends make, the characters that truly deserve viewers’ ire are still Ann Walker’s relatives. I certainly have some words for Eliza Priestly for suggesting that it would have been better if Ann had been successful when she cut her wrists.
I have lots of words for her, in fact, but none of them are appropriate for print, so I’ll skip it and get to the narrative contrast of this episode. On “Two Jacks Don’t Suit,” we see the Listers upset by town gossip and the opinions of others.
It’s been part of the motivation for the hostility that Ann Walker’s family spew, but we’ve never seen the Listers really talk about it before.
What makes the juxtaposition of these two families responding to disapproval from their community meaningful is how they react and why they are upset.
Marian and Aunt Anne aren’t upset that Anne is making them look bad in town or hurting their reputation. They are hurt because people are saying mean things about someone they love.
Their response is one of compassion, acceptance, and loyalty. If anything, the hostility from Ann Walker’s family only strengthens those feelings.
The scene in Aunt Anne’s room with Marian is deeply moving and affirming. There is a resonance and poignancy to Aunt Anne’s words that extend beyond the confines of the episode. It is a beautiful piece of writing delivered with empathy and care by two very talented actors.
The Lister’s response also underscores the cruelty of Ann’s family. Even setting aside the shockingly callous lament from Eliza, the disregard and dehumanizing way they treat her is infuriating.
Ann likely would have had mental health challenges regardless, but it’s hard not to wonder who she might have been if she had a family more like the Listers.
Despite her family, we already see that spirit and inner strength shine through. I can only imagine the fire that an Ann Walker unburdened by her family would have had.
If it isn’t abundantly clear from this review, I love Ann Walker. A big reason I’m such a fan is everything that Sophie Rundle brings to the character.
I adore Anne Lister and Suranne Jones’s performance as much as anyone. In my review of Gentleman Jack Season 2 Episode 1, “Faith is All,” I make that clear. But it’s also true that Gentleman Jack would not be nearly as tender or emotionally affecting without Rundle as Walker.
What’s remarkable about Rundle’s performance is how much she does between her lines. The nature of Ann Walker is such that — with notable exceptions — Rundle doesn’t get the same kinetic or elegant dialogue as Jones, or even as much.
Instead, Rundle brings incredible depth and complexity through her reactions and non-verbal choices. Even how she watches the world around her tells us so much about who she is and her relationship with Anne.
Some of my favorite scenes from the first two episodes of Season 2 are just of Ann observing the Lister household. Rundle doesn’t say anything, but she expresses such affection for her wife that it’s impossible not to feel it too.
In those scenes, you also get the sense that Ann sees things that others don’t. She might even understand Anne in ways she doesn’t understand herself. Rundle expertly expresses Walker’s empathy, intelligence, and heart without ever saying a word.
In another example from “Two Jack’s Don’t Suit,” we see Ann react to her aunt’s revelations that her cousin has moved in as her helper after Ann had offered to do that two years ago. The hurt that flashes across Rundle’s face is subtle but heartbreaking.
You can feel the gut punch and complicated emotions caused by her aunt’s words as you watch Rundle react. She doesn’t need to say anything. That simple flinch says it all.
There is one drag on “Two Jacks Don’t Suit” that keep it from being as good as the premiere. It’s the same critique I had for Gentleman Jack Season 1. I don’t understand the purpose of the whole business with Thomas and his family.
It seems pretty clear that Thomas is on his way to being a sober but perhaps even worse version of his father. There is something intriguing about that, but it feels out of place.
Thomas’s storyline feels so tangential that it becomes a distraction if there is too much focus on it on any particular episode.
Perhaps Thomas’s story will connect with Anne’s narratively or thematically by the end of the season. Right now, though, it’s hard to see how.
Thomas’s story is fine in small doses and usually doesn’t distract enough to elicit any significant critique. On “Two Jack’s Don’t Suit,” there is too of that story not to bog the episode down at least a little.
Without all the scenes about Thomas and his family, “Two Jack’s Don’t Suit” is an excellent episode. With them, it is still a pretty darn good one.
What did you think of this episode of Gentleman Jack? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Critic Rating:
User Rating:
Gentleman Jack airs Mondays at 10/9c on HBO.
Follow us on Twitter and on 
Instagram!
Want more from Tell-Tale TV? Subscribe to our newsletter here!
Sarah Fields
Sarah is an obsessive geek who likes to get into the weeds and over think things. She is passionate about Sci-Fi and comics and is a giant classic film nerd. Sarah cares deeply about media representation and the power of telling diverse stories. When she's not writing or watching her favorite shows she spends her days working in the non-profit world trying to make life a little better for those that need some extra help.