One of the best trends in recent pop culture has been trusting the audience to jump into a story with the world (and/or relationships) already established. Superman did it to exceptional results. The Fantastic Four: First Steps did it effectively, too. And now, Miss Scarlet is doing the same in its latest season, with the newfound relationship between Eliza Scarlet and Inspector Alexander Blake.
When Season 6 picks up, we join Eliza and Alexander with their romantic relationship in full swing. Surprising? Yes. But the way it plays out is utterly delightful, offering a clear vision for what the next chapter of Eliza’s story can (and should) be.
A Reveal Before the Opening Credits Roll
We say that Season 6 wastes no time, and we mean it literally. After a cold open of Eliza tracking down a case, she arrives home in the morning to find Blake outside her door. He’s stern and exasperated; she’s breezy. Their dynamic is what we expect: there’s tension, but they’re comfortable with each other. Eliza suggests they continue the conversation inside, presumably to not draw attention to the questionably-legal actions they’re discussing.
But then. BUT THEN! After Eliza apologizes for not informing him of her plan, he says he doesn’t forgive her. And that’s when the penny drops — they’re flirting! If that weren’t clear enough, Alexander leans in to kiss her (a Bill Pullman-worthy lean? It’s pretty close!) and shuts the door in response to her insistence on discretion. Cut to credits, just as Eliza melts fully into the kiss!
When we rejoin them, Eliza is tugging Alexander by the hand, leading him into her drawing room, where they can kiss and banter in private. Eliza Scarlet, giggling while a man teases her and kisses her cheek and neck? Who knew!! And all of a sudden, everything we knew about Eliza and Alexander gets a new context. They’re still them; they still banter with fond irritation and butt heads on cases. But now they’re also trying something even scarier: being vulnerable and allowing themselves to be happy. And that’s some very compelling television.
Eliza and Alexander Avoid Repeating the Past
Some shows relish the slow burn. Miss Scarlet itself, in fact, was one of them. While it may seem hurried, jumping ahead to Eliza and Alexander’s relationship in full swing helps Miss Scarlet avoid retreading old ground. The risk with introducing Alexander was always that he would come across as just William-lite. Sure, would it have been fun to see their “firsts” and learn how they crossed that line? Absolutely. And I hope some of it gets covered in flashback at some point.
But to spend much time on that will-they-won’t-they pining also would have risked feeling — to audiences — like a repeat. We’ve already seen Eliza question whether she can fall for a trusted colleague. We’ve seen the “work or love” angst.” We spent four seasons on it with minimal payoff. To stretch out Eliza and Alexander before getting together, even though it’s a different relationship, could have felt stale. Instead, we get a different kind of conflict: what Eliza looks like in a relationship.
Instead of being defined by what-ifs that drag on, Miss Scarlet lets Eliza and Alexander be defined by what is. There’s no doubt that they love both their work and each other, and that they’re trying to figure out that balance. They’re both cautious people when it comes to matters of the heart. We understand implicitly that it has taken them a lot of effort to get to this point of stolen kisses, fond gazes, and tender touches.
But that makes it so interesting! We’ve never seen either of them this happy and light. And isn’t that what makes romance so appealing? Isn’t that what it should be? Miss Scarlet certainly seems to think so, and I couldn’t be more excited to see where it goes next.
First Featured Image Credit: ©PBS