We’ve made it to the second to last episode of season two! If you need a refresher before getting into this recap, you can get the scoop on episode six here. That being said, let’s get into it!
Mr. Washington pays a visit to the Priestleys, yes Ann’s ridiculous and awful cousins who I love to hate. It turns out that they’re being personally victimized by the tenant evictions. They’re flabbergasted by both the removal and the news that Ann has requested a formal itemized division of the estate. How dare she take ownership of her own property when they have worked so hard to keep her meek and victimized? Yes, I’m smirking as I write this.
Ann and Anne have hired a lawyer to take over the task of the estate’s division. He will now be dealing with Captain Sutherland (Ann’s brother in law) himself. Legal papers are drawn up giving Anne rights to Ann’s estate in the event of her death — which has been their plan all along. It’s a beautiful thing to see them forging this type of marriage bond legality, against all order of things set by society around them. Don’t you dare try to tell me that lesbians aren’t tough as nails because this is the stuff legends are made of. Selfishly motivated or not, two women – together – claiming what belongs to them is progressive.
An architect has been found for Anne’s hotel vision and she is deliriously excited about it. Ann has joined in on the excitement and seems equally thrilled for the venture. It feels like Anne and Ann have settled into a new honeymoon phase cohabitating together at Shibden Hall.
Captain Sutherland is blaming Anne for this wanted expedition of the estate’s division, because of course he’s fuming that this is actually happening. He’d nearly gotten away with stealing the entire estate. He remarks on Anne’s influence on Ann’s demeanor. Elizabeth (Ann’s sister) agrees saying, “Perhaps her influence is rubbing off on Anne… yes it is. I agree with you. I can feel it in her letters and it’s no bad thing, surely. I was rather pleased with the tone of that. She always sounds so much happier and healthier these days. Getting on with her life and engaging with the world around her rather than hiding away and obsessing about herself.” Of course, Sutherland looks completely displeased with this — good.
The letter Captain Sutherland writes to Ann, bypassing the lawyer that he’s supposed to go through because he’s incorrigible, blames her for the estate’s division delay. This assertion is preposterous, of course. Upon receiving the letter, Ann is boiling over. She’s legitimately angry and I love to see her so fiery. Eager to write back to Sutherland, she asks for Anne’s help in crafting her response. The letter is on point, thanks to Anne’s assertive efforts, but I hate to see Captain Sutherland (as he receives and reads the reply,) take his frustrations out on Elizabeth. You know, just men being abusive and so weak they need to hide behind and badger women.
Anne meets with the chosen architect for the hotel who absolutely loves Shibden Hall. He coos, after Anne casually suggests moving from Shibden in the future, “Oh, don’t ever leave Shibden, Ms. Lister. Your better friends’ houses may be less drafty and more convenient but this has true character and that’s priceless. And it suits you!” Yes, I see the nod he’s just given to Anne here — noting the pricelessness of her own character.
The new price of the hotel, et al., endeavor is going to be much more expensive than initially anticipated. Anne wants to sell her navigation shares for the excess project funding. She’s certainly a visionary — I’ll give her that.
Ann and Anne have both stepped up to assist in teaching Sunday school. After the Mrs. Priestley eviction debacle relocated her students, they’ve become without a teacher. Nothing that Ann and Anne can’t solve, I suppose. They’re just two unstoppable gal pals, right? Mr. Washington joins in as well, teaching the boy’s classroom. Ann monotonously reads the bible to her group of girls while Anne takes the opportunity to teach her classroom about math. When questioned by a student, “What’s all that got to do with Jesus though?” Anne tells the girls that everything, everything in creation, comes back to math. “The thoroughness of God’s planning!” declares Anne. All of the little faces look completely enraptured.
As the girls take all this information in, as well as taking in Anne Lister’s whole persona in front of them, Eliza (the girl who witnessed the wives kissing in Crow Nest) decides this is the time to let her secret out. “Me and Henry Hardcastle once saw her snogging Ms. Walker,” she whispers to another girl. She’d been eyeing Anne in complete admiration throughout the teachings, so I can’t imagine her choice to disclose this information now was malicious. Dare I say she now finds the event to be a neat, almost admirable, eccentricity of Anne Lister?
Anne’s father thinks she’s going to ruin them with her grand hotel and casino plans. From what I’ve seen of his personality, he’d much rather play it safe. That notion simply doesn’t exist to Anne.
I’m happy to see Ann and Anne are very in sync this episode. There aren’t any remnants of discord from episode six when it seemed they might fall apart entirely. Ann recommitting to the life she has chosen with Anne was the healing elixir they needed, I suppose. It’s nice to see them truly enjoying each other again, in and out of the bedroom.
No one will buy Anne’s navigation shares at the price she wanted. She decides to sell anyway, for the price offered. She wants this hotel, period. She’ll do anything to make it happen. This is a huge risk and she wants to take it.
Ann is not going to let Captain Sutherland delay the division of the estate any further. Ergo, Sutherland is losing it and trying to figure out how to keep playing his game. Meanwhile, Mr. Parker, the financial advisor, works for both Sutherland and the Lister family. This is becoming a problematic conflict of interests and dual loyalty. The tension remains as the estate division is still unsettled.
