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alchemicinkHalfway through season 5 now, I'm enjoying it so far, and I really do think Inspector Blake is growing on me. The second best part of this episode was watching Eliza yet again worm her way into working a case together with him.
The best part of the episode was, of course, Ivy, but I'll get back to that later.
I like that we can already see how Inspector Blake is thawing out to Eliza's persistence. They had a lot of little fun interactions, like when Blake complains about rude people after the bank interview, and Eliza points out that he was kinda rude when they first met. And then, he kept saying he could tell when she was lying, and she said he couldn't. They're kinda flirting but it's very understated so I think it's cute.
And they have a serious moment too. I think Eliza really won him over when she explained that, for her, solving cases is like scratching an itch. She loves solving puzzles. It's a passion she has, not just a mere job.
I was skeptical at the beginning of the season about how bringing in someone new would work, but I've been pleasantly surprised so far. I'm curious to see how the last three episodes shake out.
Anyway, now back to Ivy!
I've really enjoyed her storyline these past two episodes. In the past seasons, she's been a very undeveloped side character, who's mostly just there to give Eliza some guidance. So I love to see her finally get a storyline of her own (mostly outside of Eliza and Mr. Potts). Now that she has a job outside of being a housemaid, she gets to experience all facets of the outside working world. This week specifically it's "loves new job so much that she starts overworking herself." Relatable.
My favorite scene was when she's walking through the halls and saying her hellos, and everyone keeps piling on more folders to the stack in her hands. It could have been overwhelming, but she holds steady. And after Blake compliments her, you can see the pride on her face as she steps back into the hallway. It's just so sweet to see her be so happy.
By the end of the episode, however, it's clear that she's taking on way too much work, and she needs to find a balance. But thankfully, her hard work hasn't gone unnoticed, so Blake offers her the role of his clerical assistant instead. So she'll be working more manageable hours. I'm hoping to see this storyline continue through the rest of the season, but that was also a pretty satisfying endpoint too. So I don't mind if it falls to the wayside for other storylines.
As a sidenote to what Ivy's doing, I liked how her absence made Eliza and Mr. Potts interact a bit more. They don't get along much -- though it's more of a reluctant truce these days -- but they're forced to deal with more things together around the house when Ivy is working. My particular favorite scene was when Mr. Potts teaches Eliza some cooking basics. It was an unexpected moment, but quite fun to watch. (I almost felt inspired to write some fic about it!)
My biggest qualm with this episode was just the lack of our other regular characters. Clarence had an in-universe excuse for being absent, and Patrick's still in prison. But where's Fitzroy and Phelps? Both of them have been underutilized so far this season, and I'm kinda disappointed about that. (I'm not sure if this is due to the scriptwriting or actor availability though.)
At least Patrick will be back next week!! According to the episode preview, at least. So I'm looking forward to that.
I don't have anything nice to say about the journalism aspect of this week's episode, so it's best if I don't touch on that at all 🙃 I'm choosing to focus on the parts of the episode I enjoyed instead. Overall, it was a nice hour of tv.
One final note: Eliza's outfits and hats continue to be lovely.
The best part of the episode was, of course, Ivy, but I'll get back to that later.
I like that we can already see how Inspector Blake is thawing out to Eliza's persistence. They had a lot of little fun interactions, like when Blake complains about rude people after the bank interview, and Eliza points out that he was kinda rude when they first met. And then, he kept saying he could tell when she was lying, and she said he couldn't. They're kinda flirting but it's very understated so I think it's cute.
And they have a serious moment too. I think Eliza really won him over when she explained that, for her, solving cases is like scratching an itch. She loves solving puzzles. It's a passion she has, not just a mere job.
I was skeptical at the beginning of the season about how bringing in someone new would work, but I've been pleasantly surprised so far. I'm curious to see how the last three episodes shake out.
Anyway, now back to Ivy!
I've really enjoyed her storyline these past two episodes. In the past seasons, she's been a very undeveloped side character, who's mostly just there to give Eliza some guidance. So I love to see her finally get a storyline of her own (mostly outside of Eliza and Mr. Potts). Now that she has a job outside of being a housemaid, she gets to experience all facets of the outside working world. This week specifically it's "loves new job so much that she starts overworking herself." Relatable.
My favorite scene was when she's walking through the halls and saying her hellos, and everyone keeps piling on more folders to the stack in her hands. It could have been overwhelming, but she holds steady. And after Blake compliments her, you can see the pride on her face as she steps back into the hallway. It's just so sweet to see her be so happy.
By the end of the episode, however, it's clear that she's taking on way too much work, and she needs to find a balance. But thankfully, her hard work hasn't gone unnoticed, so Blake offers her the role of his clerical assistant instead. So she'll be working more manageable hours. I'm hoping to see this storyline continue through the rest of the season, but that was also a pretty satisfying endpoint too. So I don't mind if it falls to the wayside for other storylines.
As a sidenote to what Ivy's doing, I liked how her absence made Eliza and Mr. Potts interact a bit more. They don't get along much -- though it's more of a reluctant truce these days -- but they're forced to deal with more things together around the house when Ivy is working. My particular favorite scene was when Mr. Potts teaches Eliza some cooking basics. It was an unexpected moment, but quite fun to watch. (I almost felt inspired to write some fic about it!)
My biggest qualm with this episode was just the lack of our other regular characters. Clarence had an in-universe excuse for being absent, and Patrick's still in prison. But where's Fitzroy and Phelps? Both of them have been underutilized so far this season, and I'm kinda disappointed about that. (I'm not sure if this is due to the scriptwriting or actor availability though.)
At least Patrick will be back next week!! According to the episode preview, at least. So I'm looking forward to that.
I don't have anything nice to say about the journalism aspect of this week's episode, so it's best if I don't touch on that at all 🙃 I'm choosing to focus on the parts of the episode I enjoyed instead. Overall, it was a nice hour of tv.
One final note: Eliza's outfits and hats continue to be lovely.
