Miss Scarlet and the Duke is now called Miss Scarlet. Without the Duke. The Duke from the previous seasons is still allowed to send a letter announcing his permanent stay in New York, but otherwise, he's completely disappeared from the show. This proves to be a bitter pill for Eliza Scarlet (Kate Philips). However, that empty feeling quickly dissipates. Not only because she has several more cases to deal with, but also because the new Inspector Alexander Blake (Tom Durant Pritchard) demands her attention.
The dynamic of Miss Scarlet remains the same as before. Blake isn't keen on private detectives solving his cases. He's had negative experiences with them. However, Eliza, as always, remains steadfast and ensures her added value is recognized. Even by the clever Blake, who clearly knows how to handle things independently. Opposites attract, and this is precisely the case between Scarlet and Blake. However, they do find common ground in solving various crimes, and a mutual respect gradually grows.
The atmosphere of the past through rose-colored glasses.
Miss Scarlet and the Duke has always been more about the stories surrounding the crimes. This season, housekeeper Ivy (Cathy Belton) plays a larger role than ever before. Her relationship with the stuttering and rather insecure-looking Mr. Potts (Simon Ludders) is given more prominence. That relationship has its ups and downs. Eliza becomes increasingly involved, especially when the duo wants to get married and comes up with a great idea. Eliza tries to resist, but her loyalty to Ivy is too strong to say no.
Old friend Patrick Nash (Felix Scott) also plays a larger role this season. This helps ensure that Miss Scarlett, without her Duke, still feels pleasantly relatable. Moreover, more familiar characters return this season. It makes for a successful fifth season.
It quickly becomes clear that the dynamic between the disarming Eliza Scarlet and the tough Duke is easily replaceable. Alexander Blake, however, is in a slightly different league. Just as smart as the Duke, but Blake is clearly more of a family man. This makes the rapidly blossoming romantic tension between Scarlet and Blake likely to have a different ending than the drama with the Duke.
It quickly becomes clear that the dynamic between the disarming Eliza Scarlet and the tough Duke is easily replaceable.
Miss Scarlett and the Duke remains a delightful feel-good television series. The atmosphere of the past through rose-colored glasses. While there's a focus on the darker side of that era, the prevailing feeling of "everything used to be better" prevails. This makes the series the perfect opportunity to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Dream away for a moment, without all the sorrows of the world weighing on you. As long as it's delivered with this quality, drive, and enthusiasm, Miss Scarlet will remain a delightful series to watch.
About the writer, Karzal
Mike (1995) has been a member of MySeries since 2016 and is mainly active on the English version of the site. Since 2018, he has been actively translating news articles, columns, reviews and basically everything that ends up on the Dutch site. The original articles, columns and reviews were actually written by others. During the week Mike can be found at IKEA, where he is a national systems specialist and occasionally also in the classroom to teach an English lesson. In addition, Mike logically enjoys watching series and has actually been spoon-fed this from an early age. The genre doesn't matter, there is a place for everything in the otherwise busy life.
