Miss Scarlet and The Duke Season 4 Episode 2 Review: Six Feet Under

An undertaker is murdered, and Eliza and William are actually on the same side of the case. Still, the final act’s unexpected development will leave viewers feeling A LOT on another entertaining Miss Scarlet and The Duke Season 4 Episode 2, “Six Feet Under.”

Eliza tries getting information from Barnabas before joining William on a case but is quickly rebuffed. Barnabas’s plans get thwarted quickly by a bloody hand at the door of his friend, Theobold’s, shop. Thus begins a new mystery for the hour.

A Scotland Yard budgetary crunch sees William breaking the news to Eliza that they can no longer hire private investigators, meaning that her promised case is no longer. Though it initially devolves into their usual bickering, it becomes a consoling moment as William understands what this means for her.

But Eliza doesn’t have to wait long for another case, when after a week with no leads in Turner’s case, Barnabas—with a bit of a push from Ivy – turns to Eliza to help crack the case.

Though Phelps and a newbie, Detective Black, the former is reassigned to a much-mentioned but sparsely explained Haymarket case, and the latter resigns after a rocky crime scene assignment. That leaves William with the case and Fitzroy to join in.

Meanwhile, Eliza goes undercover as “Miss Manners” at Hardcastle’s shop and quickly comes up against the obstacle as William and Fitzroy walk mid-conversation with the potential suspect. It’s a small gesture, but the fact that William goes along with it shows an amount of growth and understanding there that he wouldn’t have otherwise, even a season ago.

Unfortunately, and hilariously, the same can’t be said for Fitzroy, who gleefully greets her.

It’s funny as the pair just instinctively look at each other. Fitzroy is as happy and oblivious as he’s ever been in moments like this. It plays well into the trio’s dynamic, and I will never tire of seeing moments like them.

Moments like this make Fitzroy’s conversation with William about the one-year secondment in New York troubling. He’s been a fun and terrific addition to the cast over the last two seasons.

Paired with Moses being away for an indeterminate amount of time, I am concerned about the prospect of a further shrinking of the inner circle slash ensemble that we have grown to love over the seasons.

Eliza soon finds herself under threat when she begins her investigation. Though a little on the nose with the messaging, it still gets the point across that her job involves some danger. That threat leads to an intriguing moment between Eliza and William in the latter half of the hour.

I genuinely love moments when we see Eliza and William on the same side of the case. It allows for more insight into their dynamic and a chance to see how well they work together.

It also doesn’t hurt that we get some of our best moments from these partnerships.

William voices his concerns about the threat against Eliza. Despite her assurances (using the frequency with which she receives threats to brush off his concerns), William’s response places a heavier meaning on their conversation.

William: I don’t like the idea that someone is threatening you.

Eliza: I get threatened all the time, William. Indeed, I’ve been doing this job long enough for you to be comfortable with it.

William: I will never be comfortable with that.

But back to the case of the week, between the connections each witness and suspect had in Theobold’s case, there are plenty of twists and turns of their own to make for a compelling family drama to play out.

The revelation of Theobold’s estranged sister having a child after falling in love with John Hardcastle, a family member who has been at odds with the Turners for generations, ends in tragedy for all involved.

Hearing about Albert’s life as he is in the interrogation room is heartbreaking, and the fact that he feels that he’s broken his mother’s heart after being the only good man in her life makes you feel for the fractured family.

Even after the case is solved and the suspect is booked, there is an alarming amount of time left in the hour. And despite sharing another adorable moment as William asks Eliza to dinner, despite just having gone for their monthly dinner, the topic of Haymarket comes up, interrupting their moment.

After seeing The Duke’s decision to go in despite being vastly outmanned and lacking the resources needed to make a successful bust, nothing good is likely to come of it.

The last scene is confirmation of it as a disheveled and out-of-sorts Fitzroy shows up at Eliza’s home to deliver some extraordinarily distressing news, leaving viewers with a visual of a blood stain on Fitzroy’s shirt and the news that William’s been shot, and he is in surgery.

Despite the harrowing cliffhanger, the hour does an excellent job of distracting viewers with a tragic case of the week, the small, sweet moments between Eliza and William, and the solid comedic timing by the cast to make the final scene that impactful.

Will William make it despite the doctor’s horrific odds on his survival? How will Eliza take this news?

Random Thoughts

• I must appreciate the way Eliza made the murder board a touch fancier with a frame that she has in her office.
• Ivy and Eliza ganging up on Barnabus after she solves the case is admittedly very funny and feels very much like what a family does. I really appreciate that we get to see these moments.

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 Sunday at 8/7c on MASTERPIECE on PBS.

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