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“Mr Selfridge” recap (2.3): Changing the Locks

Previously on Mr Selfridge, a returned Henri was hairy and bitter, Rose continued to be smitten with Delphine Day, Mr. Grove started to lose his shit, Agnes came close to losing her shit, and Lady Mae’s husband confirmed that he himself is a piece of shit. While this last fact stays true throughout this week’s episode, the rest begins to shift, sometimes in satisfying ways, and sometimes not.

The heart of the storyline this week revolves around Selfridge’s big “Don’t Worry About War; Keep Shopping!” promotional push, Empire Week. Because this is the early 20th century, and the sun never sets on the British Empire. They alternatively could’ve called it “Cultural Annihilation Week,” but I guess that didn’t sound as snappy. Anyway, one of the lands they’re so proud to have brutish control over is India, and the episode starts with Agnes Towler working through the night on a display of stylish white people in the jungle, including an opening shot of a terrifying looking tiger accompanied by creepy background music. Geez Louise, Ms. Towler. Some recappers have weak hearts.

Of course, all of her effort is for naught, as the next morning when she goes to show Mr. Selfridge the scary India exhibit, Prickly Dick in fashion has removed the entire thing and replaced it with his own flashy version. This Thackeray guy is nowhere near Lord Loxley in creepiness levels, but man, is he still a jerk. Agnes takes the jungle motif to the restaurant instead, but even Victor gives her a hard time about the details, because Victor is still hurt about the whole Agnes abandoning him for two years in Paris thing. The atmosphere between them in these first few episodes of the season is beyond uncomfortable, so listen up, Victor and Agnes: just have a good sit down and work through your feelings already, okay?

Franco wanders over to Victor after Agnes walks away to say, “Hey, mate, I know love is hard, but go tell her you’re sorry because you’re kind of being a meanie.” Victor replies, “You’re so right, Franco. I’m so glad you traveled back in time from Skins to help an Italian brother out,” and then he goes to get his girl. Except his girl has already become distracted. Because when Agnes retreats downstairs, she discovers the Selfridge’s shock of the day: Henri is back. And he’s shaved. And Agnes’s face once again shines with the light of flowers blooming in spring, the first time it’s been so all season. Her falling into his arms feels like one of those moments when you didn’t realize how much you’d missed something until it’s in front of your face again, and colors seem brighter and you can feel your heart pumping blood into your veins again and your mind suddenly calms and clears.

Victor, of course, arrives just in time to view this scene, and his face falls as much as Agnes’s just lifted. Add on top of this the fact that talk of war has made anti-Italian talk rise sharply–Kitty warns him and Franco that they better not seem unpatriotic–and it’s a pretty crappy week for Victor.

When it comes to crappy times, though, Lady Mae is living them 24/7. As she continues to suffer through life with her mean little bug of a husband, her face registers varying beautiful shades of disappointment and disgust.

But listen here, Mr. Loxley. This is Lady Mae, goddammit, and she ain’t going to live like this forever. Sure, she may be locked in your prison, but she’ll at least make her prison somewhat bearable while she’s there. She has suspicions that the good Lord may be having some financial trouble, so she goes to the bank to deposit some of her valuable jewels in a secret safe deposit box. First rule of marrying a cruel lord: always have a secret safe deposit box. And wear velour and a dashing hat when you deposit stuff in it.

She then uses her foxiness to wheedle information about Loxley’s exact financial woes from one of the lowly bank workers. As any of us would, he succumbs to her spell and spills all the beans: Loxley is broke, up to his ears in gambling debts. Because some rich and foolish dudes be SO rich and foolish that they lose it all playing games they never think they can lose.

Speaking of ladies and big money, Miss Mardle is back from burying her dead brother. Yay! I mean, to her being back. Boo to the dead brother part! One of her first acts upon her return is asking her former lover Mr. Grove to meet her in front of a big fancy house, because she needs “a man’s opinion” about something.

And when she says she wants his advice, perhaps what she really means to say is, “Surprise! My brother was actually enormously wealthy and left me this gorgeous goldmine of a house AND enough money to live comfortably for all my days. Just wanted to share it with the man who left me for a woman he barely knew.”

My bones, they fill with regret.

Yet I still like Mr. Grove, even if he broke Miss Mardle’s heart, and back at the store, when Mr. Selfridge threatens him with termination if he doesn’t get his recently sloppy act together, I can’t help but feel for him a little. But with just a little compassion from Crabb, because Crabb is the best, Mr. Grove becomes inspired to actually start doing his job well again. This helps to secure his continued role as head of staff, but his new work ethic also results in some sobering news for Mr. Selfridge. After newly analyzing their staff members, Mr. Grove realizes this scary bit of reality: 80% of their male staff are of eligible age to be sent off to war.

I have a feeling there aren’t many happy times ahead for Selfridge’s.

But enough of this talk of men! There’s one storyline so far this series that has really sizzled our senses, and this is the one storyline that seems to be seriously lacking in this episode: we go through the whole thing without seeing a peek of Rose Selfridge with Delphine Day. In fact, the closest we get to Rose having Sapphic senses is her dreamily talking about having a good night out–we can only assume with Delphine–and when she picks up some of her son Gordon’s naughty pictures from the floor.

Gordon! You know the rules. SHARE your lady photos!

Harry Selfridge, meanwhile, continues to play his newly dutiful husband card, attempting to patch things up between them, even bringing her breakfast in bed one morning and expressing his worry about her staying in Britain if war comes to their shores. She’s still resisting his wooing ways for the most part, but appears to be giving in a little. She tells Gordon that she still loves Harry, during a weird breakfast conversation wherein Gordon essentially tells her that she and Dad need to start having sex again. Gordon, you are stupid. Anyway, Rose does look soft and warm and lovely when Harry brings her breakfast in bed, and I like her bare arms. I just want Delphine to be accompanying her in those silky sheets and plump pillows instead.

It should be noted, however, that Rose refuses Harry’s pressures to return to the US. She doesn’t want to appear like a weakling to the public, running away from danger. But she also implies that that isn’t the only reason. Harry takes this as a hopeful sign, that these “other reasons” are her wanting to repair their marriage, too. But she never actually SAYS that, does she? Maybe the real reasons she’s so reluctant to leave London have more to do with something that rhymes with Schmelphine Schmay. But who’s to say?

At the store, Henri has helped Agnes get a handle on all of the displays for Empire Week, and Mr. Selfridge is pleased as punch at the colonial grandeur. And oh, I don’t know, Henri and Agnes just MAY also be a smidge pleased with each other.

Skeezeball Loxley has also arranged for Winston Churchill to come to the store for the opening of Empire Week, no big deal. Of course, he’s only arranged this in a bit of sweet talking of Selfridge, in exchange for information about the best leather suppliers in London, presumably so that Loxley can make money off of the making of soldiers’ boots. Selfridge does have a Skeezeball Meter inside his head, though, so he reserves suspicions until he talks to Lady Mae. Lady Mae assures him of Loxley’s trustworthiness. Which seems strange, as Mae certainly hasn’t hidden her disdain of her husband in front of Selfridge in the past.

But soon, Lady Mae’s plan is clear. When Loxley arrives home that night, she’s changed the locks to her bedroom, and tells Loxley loud and clear through the door: she’ll talk up his business and good character throughout the town. But in exchange, he will never touch her or come near her again. If he threatens non-compliance in any way, she’ll shout out news of his bankruptcy over the rooftops. And for once, Lord Loxley has no reply. She sighs on the other side of the door as he walks away. It’s a small, painful type of victory. Like all smart women, Lady Mae is doing what she can to preserve herself.

When everyone at the store waits anxiously for the arrival of Winston Churchill, reporters included, we begin to wonder if Lord Loxley was full of shit and hasn’t arranged for Churchill’s appearance at all. Mr. Selfridge soon receives a call, though, and it turns out Churchill’s missing presence has nothing to do with Loxley. It instead has to do with the small thing of Germany declaring war on France. And invading Belgium. The Great War has begun.

With this heavy news in mind, Harry invites Henri to get a drink at Delphine’s club, where he also tries to convince Henri to stay on at Selfridge’s again for good. Henri continues to refuse, although he’s cagey about why–some “other business” he has to take care of in London. This is also the only time we get to see Delphine this whole episode, and the only person it appears she’s getting chummier with is Harry. They vow to start their friendship again, after their first attempt went sour last week. Harry also seems pleased when Delphine shares that she’s refused Rose’s money.

You see, Rose has continually told Delphine that she wants to help invest in her club. Delphine warned her last week that friendship and business don’t mix. Yet when she tells Harry of her refusal to take Rose’s money here, there’s something else hiding behind her eyes when she says it, something that implies there are more complicated reasons than just friendship. Friendship and business can sometimes work. But love and business, that’s another matter entirely.

The episode ends with Delphine grandly announcing the official news from Buckingham Palace to her patrons: Great Britain is going to war. She and the others in the club–with the exception of Harry and Henri, who accept this news more somberly–do a rather joyous little dance and song, “Rule Brittania” to be exact, in the painfully naively and hopeful way that comes along with nationalistic fervor.

What does the war hold for the future of Selfridge’s and its employees? What are your thoughts on where the Delphine and Rose storyline is headed?

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