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halfamoon day 7 for the prompt "passion." No fic this time, just some musing on a character:
I wanted to talk about Eliza Scarlet from Miss Scarlet and the Duke and her passion for solving mysteries. (This is just a general overview, so it's spoiler-free!)
The series, which takes place in 1880s London, stars Kate Phillips as Eliza Scarlet and Stuart Martin as Inspector William Wellington (nicknamed "The Duke"). Eliza works as a private detective, sometimes consulting on cases with her longtime friend at Scotland Yard, William. Being a woman in a "man's" job, however, Eliza has to deal with a lot of hassle in her line of work (on top of the usual dangers of investigating murders).
The plot of the show kicks off in episode one with the death of Eliza's father, Henry Scarlet, who was also a private detective. While he indulged Eliza's interest in his work when she was growing up, he always discouraged her from pursuing it as a career too, saying that the society of the day just wasn't ready for a woman detective.
After his death, however, she chooses to take over the business anyway. And it's clear immediately that she's quite a shrewd investigator. She's not afraid to do whatever she needs to in order to pursue a suspect or get a good look at the crime scene. (And, yes, on occasion, she has broken into the city morgue!)
I admire her character because she's so tenacious and determined. Everyone is always telling her "no, you shouldn't do this" or just failing to even accept the possibility of a woman detective. But Eliza just charges ahead anyway, in spite of it all. Is that always the best course of action? No, but it is very interesting to watch.
Things are not always easy, of course. Her headstrong focus on her detective work often clashes with her personal relationship with William, but I've enjoyed watching their dynamic play out over the past four seasons. (I'm hoping this show gets renewed for season five.)
I'd love to see how far Eliza's passion for mysteries can take her in the professional world and in her private life too.
halfamoon day 7 for the prompt "passion." No fic this time, just some musing on a character:I wanted to talk about Eliza Scarlet from Miss Scarlet and the Duke and her passion for solving mysteries. (This is just a general overview, so it's spoiler-free!)
The series, which takes place in 1880s London, stars Kate Phillips as Eliza Scarlet and Stuart Martin as Inspector William Wellington (nicknamed "The Duke"). Eliza works as a private detective, sometimes consulting on cases with her longtime friend at Scotland Yard, William. Being a woman in a "man's" job, however, Eliza has to deal with a lot of hassle in her line of work (on top of the usual dangers of investigating murders).
The plot of the show kicks off in episode one with the death of Eliza's father, Henry Scarlet, who was also a private detective. While he indulged Eliza's interest in his work when she was growing up, he always discouraged her from pursuing it as a career too, saying that the society of the day just wasn't ready for a woman detective.
After his death, however, she chooses to take over the business anyway. And it's clear immediately that she's quite a shrewd investigator. She's not afraid to do whatever she needs to in order to pursue a suspect or get a good look at the crime scene. (And, yes, on occasion, she has broken into the city morgue!)
I admire her character because she's so tenacious and determined. Everyone is always telling her "no, you shouldn't do this" or just failing to even accept the possibility of a woman detective. But Eliza just charges ahead anyway, in spite of it all. Is that always the best course of action? No, but it is very interesting to watch.
Things are not always easy, of course. Her headstrong focus on her detective work often clashes with her personal relationship with William, but I've enjoyed watching their dynamic play out over the past four seasons. (I'm hoping this show gets renewed for season five.)
I'd love to see how far Eliza's passion for mysteries can take her in the professional world and in her private life too.
