Review: "Garrow’s Law", Series 3, Episode 4: "The Baby in the Basket"
Police brutality and election rigging - such fascinating subjects, especially in the week before the elections in Russia. But what we really want to know is: will there be a happy end for Mr. Garrow and Lady Sarah? Will baby Samuel return to his mother? Can George fill his uncle’s splendid shoes? And will there be a fourth series of “Garrow’s Law”?
Don’t worry, I’ll tell you.
It’s election day in London, and there’s no love lost between the supporters of Charles James Fox (Blake Ritson) and Sir Cecil Wray, and Sir Sampson Wright’s (Richard Cordery) Bow Street constables make free use of their clubs on the Fox supporters, which leaves an innocent man bludgeoned to death.
Of course the constable responsible for the murder is not charged. Why would he, if it can be blamed on an innocent bystander?
Luckily for the very dashing Mr. Nicholson (Nyasha Hatendi), George Pinnock (Harry Melling) can convince the grieving Mr. Garrow (Andrew Buchan) to take up his case. The sadly deceased Mr. Southouse (Alun Armstrong) had set it aside, as “a nonsense you might enjoy”.
Mr. Garrow quickly dissects the (bought) witnesses of the prosecution, and thanks to George’s detective work, he finds the real murderer among the ranks of the Bow Street constables. Sir Sampson Wright is spinning a web of lies and intrigues, but while that is, of course, very damnable, comparing him to Nero is a bit harsh, Mr. Garrow. Still, we can agree that he’s a particularly slimy and unpleasant individual.
Without giving too much away I can say that, while justice is once again not done, at least Mr. Nicholson is acquitted and Mr. Casson’s daughter (Sophie Rundle) learns who really murdered her father - constable Richard Lucas (Cal Macaninch).
As for Mr. Lucas - well, let’s just say he moves out of Judge Buller’s jurisdiction…
Elsewhere, Sir Arthur Hill (Rupert Graves) is suffering serious insults and mocking from Lord Melville (Stephen Boxer); the scandal and the process with his wife have left his reputation seriously tarnished and his career in ruins, and he has to flee the Admiralty under the laughter of Lord Melville and his cronies. One could almost feel sorry for the poor bloke. Almost.
But the central themes of this last episode were grief and loss, and how to cope with them. Mr. Garrow has lost both his best friend and the love of his life; and no matter where he turns to, he finds reminders of the people he loved and who have left.
It’s almost too much to bear for one man, so he can really count himself lucky that George, in true Holmesian manner, manages to track down Lady Sarah (Lyndsey Marshal) and baby Samuel in a small cottage in the country.
It goes without saying that Mr. Garrow takes the next coach heading Sarahwards. He finds her in the garden, hanging the washing out to dry. Moo-eyes and cuddles a-plenty!
Ehr… Mr. Garrow? I think you should have a bit of a closer look here… I see something you don’t see.
I’m sure Lyndsey Marshal had a lot of fun with all the beautiful gowns she got to wear on Garrow’s Law (ok, maybe not on a hot summer’s day!), but I think she looks her best when Lady Sarah is dressed plainly. She has that perfect sweet face for period drama.
Yes, George is truly the hero of this episode. “Can he replace Mr. Southouse?” was a question which moved many of us, but luckily, the writers didn’t try to replace the old solicitor with a young one. George is his own character, eager to learn, very clever, yet with that wonderful careless attitude and self-confidence of youth. With Mr. Garrow now being the mentor, there’s a new dynamic to the series, and I think it works wonderfully well. Not that Mr. Southouse wasn’t sorely missed, though. I admit repeated sobbing.
But back to the case of the murdered voter. Sir Sampson Wright is not happy with Mr. Garrow’s intervention and his citizen arrest of Mr. Lucas, and orders to have him beaten up very thoroughly. Later, the ruffians are thrown in the Thames by a group of very angry Garrow-fangirls and pelted with off-all, but that happens off-camera.
When Mr. Garrow awakes, he finds Lady Sarah by his side, moping his fevered brow and tending to his wounds. *insert strings and harps here* Ah, what a treat for the hurt/comfort crowd!
Yes, Lady Sarah is back, and she’s fed up with courts and law. She takes her fate and the future of her son in her own hands, and though George is helping her with this task, it’s her who manages to wrestle Samuel free from Sir Arthur’s grip in the end. She finds evidence for Lord Melville’s dubious business undertakings in Trinidad, and this knowledge is offered to Sir Arthur in exchange for Samuel.
If that’s not a reason to celebrate, then what is?
“I’m pregnant!” OK, that, too.
Ruining Lord Melville or keeping the baby? Ah, life is full of easy decisions… Sir Arthur has his big moment when he gets Lord Melville arrested for misappropriation of treasury funds in Trinidad, and boy, does he ever enjoy it!
Sir Arthur, on top of the world, keeps his word, and returns Samuel to his mother. Cot and baby move into Mr. Garrow’s home, and finally, finally, the family is complete. Angels are singing, unicorns are grazing on the lawn outside, and Samuel needs a new nappy. Huzzah!
And Mr. Garrow? He’s caught the attention of the very handsome and very creepy Mr. Fox, and we can assume that he’ll be up to his neck in politics very soon. Mr. Fox didn’t look that dashing in reality, but I shan’t complain.
So, what will the future hold for our beloved and bewigged hero? Hopefully a fourth series!
Some viewers noted with no small worry that the last episode of series 3 had a rather definite “last episode, ever” touch to it. I hope the BBC is not under the mistaken impression that we are not interested in the characters beyond the happy end. We are! There are so many cases in the files of the Old Bailey’s to explore! What will family life be for Mr. Garrow and Lady Sarah? What will George be up to? Will Sir Arthur hold his peace, and will Lady Henrietta put up with his antics? And what about Mr. Southouse’s thypusian handshake? Will we ever get to meet Mrs. Silvester?
“Garrow’s Law” is one of the best series the BBC has produced in years, and I’m hoping very much for a fourth series. I’d like to thank everybody in front and behind the camera for their amazing work and providing such wonderful entertainment. Special thanks also to Mark Pallis for his research and the fascinating background information.
Oh, and just in case somebody from the BBC should be reading this: within an hour after the end of episode four, 789 people were visiting this blog looking for “garrow’s law series 4″, “will there be a 4 series of garrow’s law” and “series 4 garrow’s law confirmed?” - plus the other couple of hundreds who were looking for Mr. Garrow, Lady Sarah, Mr. Southouse and Sir Arthur.
And George, of course. He seems to be very popular with the ladies (“george pinnock married?” “george garrows law girlfriend”) - heh!
To series 4!
WATCH THIS EPISODE ON THE BBC’S iPLAYER!
Inspirations for this episode
by Mark Pallis
Don’t worry, I’ll tell you.
It’s election day in London, and there’s no love lost between the supporters of Charles James Fox (Blake Ritson) and Sir Cecil Wray, and Sir Sampson Wright’s (Richard Cordery) Bow Street constables make free use of their clubs on the Fox supporters, which leaves an innocent man bludgeoned to death.
Of course the constable responsible for the murder is not charged. Why would he, if it can be blamed on an innocent bystander?
Luckily for the very dashing Mr. Nicholson (Nyasha Hatendi), George Pinnock (Harry Melling) can convince the grieving Mr. Garrow (Andrew Buchan) to take up his case. The sadly deceased Mr. Southouse (Alun Armstrong) had set it aside, as “a nonsense you might enjoy”.
Mr. Garrow quickly dissects the (bought) witnesses of the prosecution, and thanks to George’s detective work, he finds the real murderer among the ranks of the Bow Street constables. Sir Sampson Wright is spinning a web of lies and intrigues, but while that is, of course, very damnable, comparing him to Nero is a bit harsh, Mr. Garrow. Still, we can agree that he’s a particularly slimy and unpleasant individual.
Without giving too much away I can say that, while justice is once again not done, at least Mr. Nicholson is acquitted and Mr. Casson’s daughter (Sophie Rundle) learns who really murdered her father - constable Richard Lucas (Cal Macaninch).
As for Mr. Lucas - well, let’s just say he moves out of Judge Buller’s jurisdiction…
Elsewhere, Sir Arthur Hill (Rupert Graves) is suffering serious insults and mocking from Lord Melville (Stephen Boxer); the scandal and the process with his wife have left his reputation seriously tarnished and his career in ruins, and he has to flee the Admiralty under the laughter of Lord Melville and his cronies. One could almost feel sorry for the poor bloke. Almost.
But the central themes of this last episode were grief and loss, and how to cope with them. Mr. Garrow has lost both his best friend and the love of his life; and no matter where he turns to, he finds reminders of the people he loved and who have left.
It’s almost too much to bear for one man, so he can really count himself lucky that George, in true Holmesian manner, manages to track down Lady Sarah (Lyndsey Marshal) and baby Samuel in a small cottage in the country.
It goes without saying that Mr. Garrow takes the next coach heading Sarahwards. He finds her in the garden, hanging the washing out to dry. Moo-eyes and cuddles a-plenty!
Ehr… Mr. Garrow? I think you should have a bit of a closer look here… I see something you don’t see.
I’m sure Lyndsey Marshal had a lot of fun with all the beautiful gowns she got to wear on Garrow’s Law (ok, maybe not on a hot summer’s day!), but I think she looks her best when Lady Sarah is dressed plainly. She has that perfect sweet face for period drama.
Yes, George is truly the hero of this episode. “Can he replace Mr. Southouse?” was a question which moved many of us, but luckily, the writers didn’t try to replace the old solicitor with a young one. George is his own character, eager to learn, very clever, yet with that wonderful careless attitude and self-confidence of youth. With Mr. Garrow now being the mentor, there’s a new dynamic to the series, and I think it works wonderfully well. Not that Mr. Southouse wasn’t sorely missed, though. I admit repeated sobbing.
But back to the case of the murdered voter. Sir Sampson Wright is not happy with Mr. Garrow’s intervention and his citizen arrest of Mr. Lucas, and orders to have him beaten up very thoroughly. Later, the ruffians are thrown in the Thames by a group of very angry Garrow-fangirls and pelted with off-all, but that happens off-camera.
When Mr. Garrow awakes, he finds Lady Sarah by his side, moping his fevered brow and tending to his wounds. *insert strings and harps here* Ah, what a treat for the hurt/comfort crowd!
Yes, Lady Sarah is back, and she’s fed up with courts and law. She takes her fate and the future of her son in her own hands, and though George is helping her with this task, it’s her who manages to wrestle Samuel free from Sir Arthur’s grip in the end. She finds evidence for Lord Melville’s dubious business undertakings in Trinidad, and this knowledge is offered to Sir Arthur in exchange for Samuel.
If that’s not a reason to celebrate, then what is?
“I’m pregnant!” OK, that, too.
Ruining Lord Melville or keeping the baby? Ah, life is full of easy decisions… Sir Arthur has his big moment when he gets Lord Melville arrested for misappropriation of treasury funds in Trinidad, and boy, does he ever enjoy it!
Sir Arthur, on top of the world, keeps his word, and returns Samuel to his mother. Cot and baby move into Mr. Garrow’s home, and finally, finally, the family is complete. Angels are singing, unicorns are grazing on the lawn outside, and Samuel needs a new nappy. Huzzah!
And Mr. Garrow? He’s caught the attention of the very handsome and very creepy Mr. Fox, and we can assume that he’ll be up to his neck in politics very soon. Mr. Fox didn’t look that dashing in reality, but I shan’t complain.
So, what will the future hold for our beloved and bewigged hero? Hopefully a fourth series!
Some viewers noted with no small worry that the last episode of series 3 had a rather definite “last episode, ever” touch to it. I hope the BBC is not under the mistaken impression that we are not interested in the characters beyond the happy end. We are! There are so many cases in the files of the Old Bailey’s to explore! What will family life be for Mr. Garrow and Lady Sarah? What will George be up to? Will Sir Arthur hold his peace, and will Lady Henrietta put up with his antics? And what about Mr. Southouse’s thypusian handshake? Will we ever get to meet Mrs. Silvester?
“Garrow’s Law” is one of the best series the BBC has produced in years, and I’m hoping very much for a fourth series. I’d like to thank everybody in front and behind the camera for their amazing work and providing such wonderful entertainment. Special thanks also to Mark Pallis for his research and the fascinating background information.
Oh, and just in case somebody from the BBC should be reading this: within an hour after the end of episode four, 789 people were visiting this blog looking for “garrow’s law series 4″, “will there be a 4 series of garrow’s law” and “series 4 garrow’s law confirmed?” - plus the other couple of hundreds who were looking for Mr. Garrow, Lady Sarah, Mr. Southouse and Sir Arthur.
And George, of course. He seems to be very popular with the ladies (“george pinnock married?” “george garrows law girlfriend”) - heh!
To series 4!
WATCH THIS EPISODE ON THE BBC’S iPLAYER!
Inspirations for this episode
by Mark Pallis