Miss Scarlet and The Duke Season 2 Episode 5 Review: Quarter to Midnight

A series of murders imitating a scene in a best-selling novel, leaving the author as the prime suspect, William and Eliza pairing up on another fun Miss Scarlet and The Duke Season 2 Episode 5, “Quarter to Midnight.”

The hour also opens the door to a significant change for one of the pair, bringing some big decisions into sharp relief.

The week’s case centers on a famous author’s story, marking Samuel Bedborough as the prime suspect. Paired with Eliza finding her way into the topic with William, partnering up again, the case unravels in a fun, engaging way.

Incorporating the writing desk and the drafts of the manuscript into the final reveal is brilliant. I appreciate that we get the return of a sympathetic suspect, especially after being given a small glimpse at the plight of their life leading up to the moment they chose to set out on these murders.

The case, however, falls quickly into the background when William gets some news and breaks it to Eliza. Telling Eliza doesn’t go as well as William imagines, leading to a tense dynamic throughout the first two acts between the pair.

William gets a promotion to chief inspector. But it comes at a price –and relocation to Glasgow. The way the Superintendent delivers the news is a little grating giving him only until the end of the month to get his life in London to move and leave the country.

Stuart Martin plays William’s indecision and frustration well, making you feel for the man while also bringing up quite a few questions about the reasons for those feelings regarding the promotion.

This is not the first time he’s been offered a promotion, despite his desire to rise in the ranks, bringing up even more questions about William’s inner life that we rarely get a chance to see.

Detective Phelps’ badgering only compounds those feelings of frustration and indecision.

It’s as if he’s waiting for something to happen. William’s reaction to Eliza’s comments about his “routine” and “comfortable” life in London brings that feeling to the fore.

Eliza and William’s dynamic is fun to way throughout the hour. But it seems to fall back into their comfortable friendship in early season one in a way that feels like they are firmly putting them in the friendship camp, at least for now.

But for it to end with William left without a choice in the matter sets the interpersonal stakes up well for William and Eliza as we head into the finale.

Why does the commissioner hate William so much? Will the Glasgow job force them to finally decide on whether their future will include each other? Have they both grown to understand what they argued about on “Pandora’s Box”?

How many of these questions will get answered in next week’s finale?

Random Thoughts

• Moses and Eliza’s bickering is delightful.
• I really appreciate William and Eliza’s continued pairing up on these cases. Just let them start their own private detective agency, please!
• Eliza expands on her earlier comments to William, telling him that what he has in his life is not a lack of ambition but true contentment, which is a sweet way of putting it.
• I love William and Fitzroy’s relationship, and the dynamic when Eliza joins in on a case is so damn adorable.

What did you think of this episode of Miss Scarlet and The Duke? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Miss Scarlet and The Duke airs Sundays at 8/7c on PBS.

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