There will always be an audience for period dramas considering the extensive roadJane Austen’s storiespaved for slow-burn romances that feel earned. And like BBC, Masterpiece PBS has often been home to some of the best period pieces liketheDownton Abbeyfranchiseor theriveting dramaPoldark.The list of sensational TV series that include romance and intriguing narratives that focus on character-driven arcs is long and winding. In light ofshows likeBridgertontaking the world by storm last year, more and more people are intrigued by period dramas featuring romance and headstrong characters. In retrospect, it can be hard to find a series to watch when there’s so much out there.
Masterpiece PBS’Miss Scarlet and The Duke, which initially aired on Alibi, is a Victorian crime-drama developed by Rachael New, which not only features brilliant, complex characters, but the kind of riveting dynamics that are addictive. The series is going into its third season this coming January, and it’s also renewed for a fourth. It can be hard to invest in something these days when cancelations seem to happen more frequently than renewals, but for now,Miss Scarlet and The Dukeisn’t going anywhere but toward more riveting storylines that continue to center around the two titular characters.
Complex Characters at the Forefront
Miss Scarlet and The Dukecenters around Eliza Scarlet, played by Kate Phillips, and William Wellington, played by Stuart Martin — together, they’re known as Miss Scarlet and The Duke. William is a Scotland Yard detective who has known Eliza since childhood because her father, Henry Scarlet, taught him everything he knows about the field. Eliza wants to follow in her now-late father’s footsteps, but as a woman living in Victorian England without privileges, the goal proves immensely contesting as she tries to make her way in the world. As friends, the two consistently challenge each other, bicker, banter, and in desperate times, however begrudgingly, they save each other.
The characters in the series are multi-faceted, frustrating at times, and deeply human in how their mistakes and decisions pan out to test them as they attempt to make a way into the world. And while they’re the key players in the story, secondary characters also stand out exceptionally, like Eliza’s trusty friend and the Victorian-era equivalent of a CI (Confidential Informant), Moses (Ansu Kabia), who’s considered a bandit by many others. Additionally, Eliza’s housekeeper and essentially her second mother, Ivy (Cathy Belton), brings to our screens a refreshing kind of relationship that allows both women to grow into better versions of themselves constantly. There’s also Oliver Fitzroy (Evan McCabe), who’s introduced as a junior detective ill-equipped for the job, but, as the season progresses, proves himself in a way that we won’t dare to spoil. In the second season, viewers also meet another detective, Patrick Nash (Felix Scott), who poses various harmless threats but simultaneously showcases the differences in how people operated at the time.
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The Slow-Burn Romance is Deliciously Drawn Out
In more ways than one,Miss Scarlet and The Dukeis a love story. It’s about a partnership between two people who could not be more different, yet compassion and empathy toward one another burn stronger than their annoyances. In light of social norms, Eliza and William’s slow burn is the proper way to develop a romance in a series like this while keeping fans fully invested in the story. Writers work diligently with Stuart Martin and Kate Phillips' chemistry to showcase what it means for two people to find contentment with a partner who sincerely cares about them, even as they consistently rattle each other. At the end of Season 1, the couple goes on their first date, but in Season 2, Episode 1, “Pandora’s Box,” they decide to go their separate ways because for Eliza to make it as a detective, she needs to try growing on her own.
In aninterview with PBS, Kate Phillips commented on why these scenes work so well by stating: “I really enjoy the kind of silly, naughty, taunting bickering, perhaps a little bit more than the moments where they’re really torn apart, partly just because those are very fun scenes to play. Stuart’s a really good actor to play off, and it’s great when there’s a little twinkle in one another’s eyes.” The two will likely find their way back to one another, considering how strong their feelings are for one another. Still, their slow burn works to evolve them as individuals before digging into exhibiting what they’ll be like as a couple. This way, viewers get achingly tender moments of longing and jealousy that stir during unexpected moments, sheer vexation every time William has to bail Eliza out from something, and lingering hand flexes that period drama fans will attest as one of the best parts of the genre.
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The Mysteries Are Entertaining
Whodunits in the Victorian era hit differently when regarding cobblestone streets, horse-drawn carriages, and various people lurking about in the night. There’s a spooky ambiance in the period that modern times cannot replicate, perhaps because many fictional figures like Dracula were notable roamers then. And while various series also feature detective work as the primary plot matter, the cases aren’t always as riveting as they are here. OnMiss Scarlet and The Duke,Eliza and William solving eclectic crimes is part of the fun. While there’s so much more people can get away with in the 21st Century, the intricate webs that are spun back in the day make the content more entertaining.
Miss Scarlet and The Dukeis delightfully spooky at times, but never outright scary, and the set designs provide enough to keep our eyes peeled at every object in the room while we focus on what the characters are doing. There’s something about each of the people the detectives meet, how some reappear, the places they go, and the people they seek out to find out more information. While some cases are solved by the end of the episode, others are connected to an even bigger story arc, making the plot as entertaining as the character dynamics are.
