In starting off this blog on the series, I mainly focused upon the exteriors, the actual places in Cricket St. Thomas, England, in which the episodes took place. But some readers may not be familiar with the series, and may never watch any of the episodes. So I thought I'd take a moment to summarize the episodes I've written about so far, and share with you why I like them.
In Episode 1: "Grantleigh," Richard Devere arrives at Grantleigh Manor estate. While he believes he will be shown the manor house, the estate agent, J. J. Anderson, is only offering him a tour of the small house, called The Old Lodge. As he intends to run his multinational grocery empire from his home, he needs a much bigger house. As he looks through the french doors at Grantleigh Manor, he is filled with admiration for the place. He's learned the the present owner, Martin fforbes-Hamilton, has just died. So he tells J. J. Anderson, "You're an estate agent: show me that house!" and marches across the fields.
Inside the manor, Audrey fforbes-Hamilton is holding the reception for her husband's funeral. In addition to hosting her friends, she also looks forward to addressing the estate's employees. She wants to assure them that the estate's grandeur is not in its past, but that she has bold plans for the future. Two key events end up disrupting her plans, however.
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| From left: Richard Devere, J. J. Anderson, Marjory Frobisher, and Audrey fforbes-Hamilton |
The first is Richard Devere. He presses J. J. Anderson to introduce him to Audrey, but she's so preoccupied that she doesn't give him much time. He shares with her that he's also recently lost his spouse, but she cuts him off, thinking that, as she doesn't recognize him, he must be involved with the company catering the event.
The second disruption is the family lawyer, Arnold Plunkett. He keeps pressing Audrey for a conversation, and when she finally grants him this, he tells her that the estate is bankrupt. She cannot press forward with any of her plans to maintain and update the estate in keeping with Grantleigh's history and traditions. Instead, her husband's creditors are insisting she sell Grantleigh immediately.
Audrey concocts a plan to save the manor. She contacts all family members, no matter how distant, and begs them to pledge money so she can buy Grantleigh back. With this, she, her friend Marjory, and Arnold attend the auction.
While Arnold Plunkett had believed that the money Audrey raised would prove sufficient, he had not reckoned with the determination of Richard Devere. The grocery empire owner demonstrates that, while history and tradition matter, what rules the world now is money. He easily ups the bidding each time, until finally, the auctioneer's hammer falls, and Richard is the new owner of the manor.
As Richard tells Audrey later, he had set his mind on Grantleigh, and determined that he would own it. The great estate, which had been in her family for four hundred years, is his now. He also has great plans for the place, but all will reflect his tastes, not hers. All the changes will address his current needs, regardless of how they sweep away history in the process. Marjory attempts to comfort Audrey after Richard leaves, by telling her, "At least he's English." But even that will turn out to be a lie in later episodes.
This episode highlights a number of themes, chief among them being the inevitability of change. It also introduces us to two highly driven people, in Richard and Audrey, who are perfect foils for each other. It shows us how suddenly our perceptions of the world, and our futures, can be overturned in an instant. Perhaps, most importantly, it reminds us that we are never alone: that other people out there love and care for us, and if approached properly, will help us out in times of need. For Audrey was not close to many of those who pledged her money to buy back Grantleigh. We'll meet one of those later in the series. But for now, that's my summary of Episode 1.
What are your thoughts on Episode 1? Did I miss any themes, or special scenes, that you feel deserve special attention?
Dragon Dave
P.S. To review the exterior filming locations for Episode 1, read:
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