The Forsytes Season 1 Episode 6 Review

The Forsytes is a saga about family, but what happens when that family starts to fall apart? We find out on The Forsytes Season 1 Episode 6, the season finale.

Although viewers familiar with the books may have prepared for this inevitability, the season started with hopeful promise. There was plenty of romance and young love, along with the petty squabbles and maneuvering.

By the end of the season, however, there doesn’t seem to be one family member left without some sort of secret or unhappiness or betrayal. Jolyon and Soames, although completely different in temperament, are both architects of the family’s ruin.

If you were rooting for Jo and Louisa, you get your wish. After much angst, Jo finally realizes his loyalties aren’t with the firm or even his own family after he gets into a very public skirmish with Soames at the company.

No amount of scheming from Frances or his father could stop him from following his heart, but Jo can no longer play the good guy card. He did the right thing by providing for his children, and you can’t blame him for quitting the firm, but abandoning his wife is a pretty big deal.

The speech that Anne gives at the end about how the Forsytes value family and loyalty makes it pretty clear Jo will no longer be welcome.

The ones left behind don’t fare much better. Frances’ pride is hurt and June’s own relationship looks to be on fragile ground as Phillip takes an interest in Irene.

Grandmother Anne drops the bombshell to Jolyon Sr. that the client she’s taken so much interest in, Harry Faulkner, is her grandson. She doesn’t say which son is the father, but it appears there is an unaccounted for Forsyte roaming out there.

Switching back to Soames, he’s fully in his villain arc. Jo’s reminder than Soames is the reason Irene’s estate was bankrupted in the first place emphasizes that Soames has always put himself first.

Millie Gibson’s performance as Irene is heartbreaking as she tries to plead her case to Soames, playing her final card of reminding him he promised when they got engaged that if they were not happy he would let her go. His response denying ever having said it is chilling.

Again we’re reminded of the story Irene tells of the caged bird as Soames schemes to isolate her further by commissioning a country estate from Phillip. Of course, he doesn’t realize Phillip has taken an interest in Irene since watching her dance.

Phillip being willing to sabotage his commission, and his marriage to June, for Irene should be a big red flag for June but unfortunately she’s still quite young and naive. Again, there is pretty much no one not suffering in some way by the end of the series because even Jo’s happy ending comes with the cost of being disowned.

The Forsytes reaches peak mess by the end of its first season, and you are left wanting to see where everything goes from here. Which is good, because it’s already been renewed, phew.

What did you think of this episode of The Forsytes? Share your thoughts in the comments below, and don’t forget to leave your own rating!

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The Forsytes airs Sundays at 9/8c on PBS.

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