Bleak House Episodes 4 & 5 (episode 2 of the PBS broadcast)

[winterspel]

Episodes 1-3 can be found here.




From the BBC website: List of Characters | Character/Actor Information

Episode 4: Summary

• Episode 3 opens with Richard Carstone going to study with Mr. Kenge of Kenge and Carboy's (Mr. Guppy's place of employment), and Richard's growing obsession with the Jarndyce & Jarndyce case manifests as the first thing he requests to see at the law offices are the J&J papers. Richard has no idea how vast the case is, as he discovers to his discomfiture.
  

• Meanwhile, Ada, Esther and Mr. John Jarndyce have gone for a visit to Mr. Boythorn in countryside, the neighbors of Sir Leicester and Lady Dedlock. The somewhat comical feud between Mr. Boythorn and Sir Leicester is made evident as we meet the jovial Mr. Boythorn (who I find very charming - and I love how he calls Sir Leicester "Sir Arrogant Numbskull" - hee!). Ada manages to discover that Esther has saved Mr. Woodcourt's flowers that he left her on his departure, which Mr. Jarndyce overhears - he is a bit disquieted to hear that Esther does indeed harbor feelings for the doctor, despite her lack of hope.
  

• Later, when Esther finds him brooding outside, she learns from him a little of her background and how Mr. Jarndyce took an interest in her, when he was asked by her aunt to care for her upon the aunt's death. Esther unwittingly wounds Mr. Jarndyce when she tells him that she is grateful and that while she would like to know who her mother was, Mr. Jarndyce has been "the best father that [she] could have wished for." Poor Mr. Jarndyce!
  

• There is another, strange lingering exchange of looks as Lady Dedlock and Esther lay eyes on each other at Sunday church, that reminds us of Nemo staring at Esther in London. Hmmm...
  

• Skimpole is an ass:Skimpole: Take an extreme case...take the case of the slaves on the American plantations. I daresay they are worked hard. I daresay they don't altogether like it. But you know, they, they people the landscape for me - they give it a poetry - perhaps that is one of the pleasanter objects of their existence!
  Boythorn: Skimpole, you're a damn fool.
  
  I could have hugged Mr. Boythorn for saying this - Skimpole needs to be told this on a regular basis, along with a kick in the pants!
  
  
• When Jarndyce and the girls get caught in the downpour, I love the shot of Ada and Esther running single file, with their shawls and skirts flying, and Ada's glee as she twirls in the rain when they find shelter. I also love Lady Dedlock's beautiful red hooded cloak. Lady Dedlock is very gracious when she greets all of them, and she makes sure to determine Esther's unknown parentage - that the girl is indeed an orphan. Lady Dedlock also dismisses her French maid, Hortense, who is rude and presumptuous to her Ladyship. Hortense takes it badly and stomps out into the rain.
  
  
• Richard is already feeling rather overwhelmed by the Jarndyce & Jarndyce case, so Guppy helpfully tries to explain the difficulties a little more, but when he mentions how he "works" Mr. Krook (Nemo and Miss Flite's landlord), Richard scoffs at him. What Guppy tells him is very telling though:Guppy: You haven't got a very inquiring mind, have you, Mr. Carstone. You won't get far in the law like that.
  
• Poor Jo, the crossing-sweeper boy, gets dragged in by the police for possessing a sovereign, and Mr. Snagsby is brought to vouch for him - Jo confesses that a veiled Lady gave him the money for showing around to Nemo's former lodgings; Guppy who happens to be there and hears all this, derives a clue to Esther's background from Snagsby's guests: that Esther was once cared for by a woman named Miss Barbary, who was hard with the girl. Guppy learns that Esther's name was "Esther Hawden" at one time...he takes this information to Krook to see if Krook knows anything. Guppy senses that there is a connection between Nemo and Esther and the mysterious lady...
  
  
• Snagsby tells Tulkinghorn about Jo and the lady, because he knew that Tulkinghorn was interested in Nemo. Tulkinghorn, of course, leaps on this and brings in Mr. Bucket, a slimy detective officer. Bucket takes Mr. Snagsby to search for Jo so that Bucket can question him further. The episode concludes with Tulkinghorn and Bucket asking Jo to identify the lady he saw, and when a dark veiled woman walks into the room, Jo immediately recognizes her from her clothing.
  

Episode 5: Summary

• Episode 5 picks up right where 4 left off, with Jo being asked to identify the mysterious veiled lady, and poor terrified Jo complies; they pay the boy and send him on his way. The mysterious veiled lady is revealed to be Lady Dedlock's dismissed French maid, Hortense - and Tulkinghorn and Bucket come to the same conclusion: that Lady Dedlock had gone to the boy, Jo, dressed in her maid's clothes. I can't help but shake my fist at the blasted Tulkinghorn for prying into these matters. We also learn that Bucket is pursusing Mr. Gridley (Miss Flite's friend) on behalf of Mr. Tulkinghorn, as per Mr. Tulkinghorn's wishes in episode three.
  

• Richard and Ada are resolved to insist that Mr. Jarndyce recognize their engagement, and Richard drops another bombshell on their guardian: that he's leaving his study of the law, and he wants to join the army. The two exchange harsh words, especially after Richard reminds Mr. Jarndyce of the court case, and both Richard and Mr. Jarndyce fly off the handle:Richard: You say that every penny that I have of certainty has been laid out, but what I have of certainty is not all that I have.
  Jarndyce: Rick, Rick, for the love of God, don't found your hope on that wretched court case! Better to borrow, better to beg, better to die! [he tries to compose himself, while they are all taken aback by his outburst] I know these are strong words, Ada, but I've seen how that case destroys men's lives. How it drove my great-uncle to blow out his own brains!
  [Richard paces angrily and Mr. Jarndyce rubs his forehead to calm himself]
  Jarndyce: As to your proposed engagement. When we spoke of it before, I advised you that you were both too young to make such a committment. Now what has happened since then has confirmed and strengthened me in that view. It will be better for both of you, if you remain cousins and nothing but cousins for the foreseeable future.
  Richard: [furious] Why don't you just come straight out and say you have no confidence in me, and you advise Ada not to have any either!
  Jarndyce: I don't say that, because I don't mean that!
  Richard: But you think I've begun badly--
  Jarndyce: But you've hardly begun at all! [they stare at each other briefly] When you have something to offer Ada, that will the time to think of an engagement.
  Richard: You're very hard with us, sir.
  Jarndyce: Well, you have the remedy in your own hands. Come, Rick, you know it's time to knuckle down and make something of yourself. Let's shake hands on it.
  [Rick very reluctantly shakes his hand, and then angrily walks away, slamming the door behind him]
  I feel so sorry for all of them - for Mr. Jarndyce who has been such a generous benefactor and only wants the best for Richard, and also for Richard and Ada, who only want to be together. Richard has mucked things up a bit, which can be excused by youth, but he really can't afford to keep changing his mind, and it's a pity that he's beginning to pin so much of his hopes on his possible inheritance rather than on making something of himself.
  

• Mr. Gridley comes to Miss Flite for aid when he is very ill and down on his luck as he tries to evade Mr. Bucket - Miss Flite sends him to her friend General George, who runs a school for weapons training. I like General George - he's a good chap, as you will see.
  

General George

• Tulkinghorn's assistant, Clamb, uncovers evidence that Nemo pawned some military medals the day he died that were inscribed "Captain Hawden" and Clamb knows that the moneylender, Smallweed, was looking for Hawden who had defaulted on loans. The pieces are beginning to fit now, right? Nemo - Lady Dedlock - Esther Summerson - it's all beginning to make sense. When interviewed, Smallweed tells Mr. Tulkinghorn that while Captain Hawden had disappeared, he does know of an old associate of Captain Hawden: General George. When Smallweed goes to have a chat with General George, I noticed a line that I'd missed the first time:Smallweed: That reminds me - a young gentleman that comes here, name of Carstone. I was thinking of buying some of his debts cheap. What do you think? They say he has good friends and a chance in a lawsuit.
  Smallweed, an invalid who must be borne about in a chair, is one of the most malicious characters we've met yet, second perhaps only to Tulkinghorn. But General George takes offense when Smallweed insults Hawden, and tells him: "He was a gallant officer and the best friend a man ever had." General George also tells Smallweed that Hawden is dead.
  

Smallweed

• Richard, who is studying weapons with General George, attends Chancery court and exchanges words with Mr. Kenge, the lawyer who is working on his case. They both exchange some cutting words, and we can see Richard's growing frustration and also his ignorance, unfortunately.
  
  
• Mr. Jarndyce provides Esther with a ladies' maid in the form of young Charlie, the oldest daughter of the debt collector who died in episode 3; Esther is almost angry at first, because she really doesn't understand Mr. Jarndyce's generosity and she certainly doesn't know what she, a humble orphan, would do with a maid. She doesn't understand that Mr. Jarndyce is slowly trying to groom her to be more of an equal for him to marry.
  

Esther's new maid, young Charlie

• Mr. Jarndyce and the girls visit London to check in on Richard, and they split up - Esther goes to visit her friend Caddy so that Esther can lend her moral support while Caddy's beau, Prince, announces their engagement to his father. I have to say Mr. Turveydrop (I first wrote "Turkeydrop" which is even funnier) is one of the most amusing characters in the often dark landscape of this drama - his costuming, hair and deportment are entirely giggle-worthy! What a silly drama queen he is with his mincing steps and ridiculous airs! Fortunately, though, he gives his consent to Prince and Caddy's engagement, and Esther can at least see Caddy's happiness improving.
  

Mr. Turveydrop

• Meanwhile, Ada and Mr. Jarndyce have gone to speak with General George, and I'm afraid his report on Richard is less than stellar - Richard doesn't appear to be giving his weapons studies his full attention, and doesn't appear to be showing up to his classes very often at all, the implication being that he's spending more time looking in on the Chancery case. There is a distinct awkwardness between Mr. Jarndyce and Richard when they finally meet. Sadly, Mr. Bucket has followed Miss Flite and Richard to General George's to arrest poor sick Mr. Gridley, who is in a very bad way by this point. Tragically, he dies before them, and Gridley becomes yet another casualty to the Jarndyce & Jarndyce case; Richard is too blind to see or understand what faces him if he continues to rest his hopes in the wretched case.
  

All images are by lilycup.
P.S. I can't actually see any of the images I've posted for episode 5 so I hope they showed up all right...