Review: Miss Scarlet and the Duke, Season 1, Episode 1: Inheritance

 I love cozy mysteries. That's why I was over the moon when I saw that Miss Scarlet and the Duke, a British television drama (seriously, all the best shows come from the UK), was coming to PBS. The show follows a young, Victorian lady named Eliza Scarlet who decides to take over her father's private detective business after he dies of a heart attack. 

I was initially drawn to the show because the premise reminded me of Sherry Thomas' Lady Sherlock book series. However, after watching the first episode, I am pleased to report that Miss Scarlet and the Duke takes an original look at the Victorian, lady detective motif. 

In the first episode, the viewer is introduced to Eliza Scarlet, a young woman who is interested in solving crime but is constrained by the mores of her time. While struggling to be taken seriously as a potential detective, Miss Scarlet learns that her fathers has died, and decides to take over his private detective business in order to support herself and pay her father's debts. She is aided (and sometimes impeded) by her friend William Wellington, who is nicknamed The Duke.

My guess is that the Duke is eventually going to become a love interest for Miss Scarlet (I mean, his name is in the title of the show). And, after all, what is a TV drama without a slow burn love story? However, for the moment, it seems that they're just going to be friends and perhaps colleagues. I like the Duke myself. He's just the sort of rough-edges with a heart-of-gold character that makes these sorts of shows so entertaining.

I also like Miss Scarlet. She's an appealing character, and I like that she's not too perfect.  Many television shows have a tendency to make the main character appear infallible or otherwise extraordinary. It is true that Miss Scarlet is clearly smarter than average and is certainly tenacious. However, she certainly makes mistakes.

The mystery in this episode was basically one big mistake on Miss Scarlet's part. However, I enjoyed the twists and turns. I was glad to see Clara freed in the end, and I thought the way Eliza entrapped her "husband" was particularly clever. 

All and all, I think this was a good premiere for the show. As first episodes go, it accomplished everything that it needed to do: introduce the characters, set the scene, and prepare the viewers for the overarching plot. Although the first episode was only about forty minutes long, I already feel well-acquainted with the characters, their personalities, and their motivations, which seems like pretty good story telling to me. I'm definitely looking forward to the next episode, and I can't wait to see what Miss Scarlet investigates next. 

Rating: 8/10

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