Miss Scarlet Season 4 Episode 4 Review: The Diamond Feather

Change is in the air at the Scarlet household in the aftermath of that close call, and it makes for an interesting emotional story on Miss Scarlet and The Duke Season 4 Episode 4, “The Diamond Feather.”

After two weeks in the Scarlet Household, William is growing hilariously weary of Ivy fussing over him. The opening is charmingly domestic and extremely sweet as the banter, the teasing, and the trio’s comfort level with each other is on display. It feels like family, and it warms your heart.

That little bubble of cheerfulness bursts quickly the minute Eliza walks into Nash & Sons to find that Patrick Nash himself has returned. Their reunion is less fun and much harsher as he breaks the news that he’s staying in London until things are set straight.

The shock of all shock, Clarence’s “progress reports” to Nash landed them in this position. Just when I thought Clarence was warming up to him…

Eliza’s chance to show that Nash’s doubts are misplaced comes from a potentially lucrative pair of clients, The Carters. A wealthy couple new to London society after hosting a charity ball and found their artifact, The Diamond Feather, goes missing. Double the standard fee.

The case takes a turn when the mob comes into play, with Mr. Carter being part of a mob family from up north.

The fact that Nash’s men send letters detailing what happened with Eliza and that he’s inclined to believe their story and not hers feels incredibly frustrating and upsetting.

Despite the case making the right twists and turns to be a solid case of the week, down to the mob family, the heist-turned attempted escape from a horrible marriage, it just doesn’t beat out the emotional B story.

William and Eliza’s kitchen table conversation is one of the more significant emotional moments throughout the hour. Now, with the context viewers were given on “Origins,” I love that he mentions their first meeting while they talk about his job at Scotland Yard.

Eliza: That job is everything to you.

William: Not everything.

With this near-death experience, it seems like he’s looking to the future and specifically his future—with Eliza, if this conversation and those looks are any indication.

There’s a hesitancy in Eliza that persists despite it being abundantly clear that the feeling is extremely mutual. Their moment is interrupted by Ivy’s arrival and, much to William’s dismay and Eliza’s delight, her mother’s gout.

Fitzroy and Ivy watching William doze are equal parts hilarious and adorable in their own distinct way. I also appreciate seeing Fitzroy further deepen his bond with William and see their mutual respect on display. In turn, seeing William console the young detective after he shares with William and Ivy is a fantastic way of seeing that kind of emotional growth on his part and seeing the softer side to the character besides in his moments with Eliza.

William’s recovery in the Scarlet household also allows time for Ivy to impart some wisdom to the inspector, much like she does with Eliza. Ivy lays it all out for him without stating the obvious, connecting the dots to get him to be honest with himself and Eliza. It’s not a dynamic we see often, so it’s nice that they offer a glimpse of it in the hour.

All that downtime leaves William with plenty of time to think and a blank page he needs to fill. William agonizing over what to write to Eliza about where things stand between them is such a great scene. The extreme close-up of his “I love you” writing is perfect. The way he seems lighter after committing it all to paper is heartwarming.

William tries so hard to tell Eliza, but the timing is off every time, and dear lord, does it hurt that much more as the memory of what Arabella tells him about any possibility of a future with Eliza will turn out for him? You can’t help but feel for him in that moment.

The secondment story has loomed over the season and culminates in a narratively logical yet heartbreaking shift as the hour ends with a big scene. The scene simultaneously gives viewers (and me) the moment they have been waiting for since the Season 1 finale while paying off something lingering over the pair since the Season 2 finale, delivering a big mess of feelings.

William: It’s a rare occurrence that I cause you to be speechless. Perhaps I should tell you that I love you more often.

Eliza: Well, you love me, and you’re leaving?

William: Something has to change, Eliza. Perhaps for you. Perhaps for me. This will give us the time to consider our options…If we are to be together, then I cannot remain at Scotland Yard with you as a private detective. Nor can I be around you anymore without being with you.

While something does have to change, I’ve been writing about that for some time now. The question now becomes, what will change with William going to New York for a year? 

Random Thoughts:

• I love that Fitzroy visits William daily and updates him about the precinct and cases he’s working on.
• I know the period’s attitudes towards women in traditionally male-dominated industries, but can I pitch a late Victorian husband and wife private detective agency, solving cases together (think Victorian The Thin Man or Castle)?
• William’s level of emotional intelligence is admirable, and how he navigates the precarious balance that his and Eliza’s relationship strikes is solid.
• With Eliza’s tether to Scotland Yard effectively cut off and an ocean away for the next year, I hope that doesn’t mean we get less of her interactions with Fitzroy. Because I imagine he and Eliza must be dealing with two different sides of the same feelings.

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 MASTERPIECE on PBS.

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