Another episode opens with everyone preparing for another day's opening of the store and Henry Selfridge (Jeremy Piven) expressing yet more enthusiasm for the day. In jovial mood, he greets his staff on the shop floor and asks what's missing? With everyone looking puzzled he replies, "Customers!" That gave them all a fright and didn't last long when Selfridge upstages his window designer, Henri (Gregory Fitoussi) when Ellen Love (Zoe Tapper) complains about the photos for her role as "The Spirit of Selfridge's" and Henri's current designs. Which leaves Henri angry as his photos are torn up. Selfridge smitten (more like in lust with) with Ellen will do anything for her and later Henri hands in his resignation since Selfridge doesn't appreciate his "genius" and doesn't pay him any compliments. Grove (Tom Goodman-Hill) manages to talk him out of it by saying he should think on it cos he doesn't want to lose him, he should do it for Groves as his friend and his 'genius' colleague.
A man walks into the store, rather dishevelled looking and Kitty (Amy Beth Hayes) immediately steps in to serve him as he asks her what he should get for his lady friend, something within his means. Agnes (Aisling Lofters) notices him and takes over, telling him he should leave. Obviously he won't until she tells him to meet her at the coffee place on Duke Street during her break. Turns out this ruffian is none other than her and George's Calum Callaghan) father, Reg (Nick Moran). He's got a job and needs a place to stay as he's under probation in his job. Reluctantly Agnes agrees, only if he stays sober which he says he is and he promises there won't be any physical abuse of them. That won't last long then.
Beforehand, Agnes approaches Grove about a job for George and he thinks she's asking under him duress, i.e blackmailing cos she saw him with Ms Mardle (Amanda Abbington). Obviously Agnes hadn't even thought of that, cos she's not that sort of girl, but in return for a position in the delivery bay, she must agree to being discreet. She replies of course they want things kept private, like the fact she's got a drunk for a father. Grove reminding her that "discretion is the word of the day."
Lady Mae (Katherine Kelly) pays a call on Rose (Frances O'Connor) of course it was to see Selfridge's wife cos he wouldn't be around. She's on her way out and Lady Mae manages to tells her about Ellen and the "spirit of Selfridge's" and how her husband is taken by her. She's surprised Rose is venturing to the Tate gallery since it will be crawling with commoners and even shocked when Rose takes the underground. There she meets a painter, Temple who compliments her on her beauty and they talk art. The cliched 'come home and I'll show you my etchings' rears its head as she does exactly that. He's more of a romantic painter. Whilst at his studio he plants a kiss on Rose and she leaves telling him, at last, that she's married. She didn't do that before since she introduces herself with her maiden name, no doubt. Have to ask why she does that since she was flirting with him, otherwise she would have told him outright.
Selfridge hears about the Channel crossing made by Frenchman Louis Bleriot (Orlando Seale) which gives him another idea to promote the store. He heads out there with his newspaper friend Frank Edwards (Timothy Spall) and impresses Bleriot with his uncontained excitement over the flight he had. How he was "flying blind." Bleriot agrees to Selfridge displaying his plane at the store and makes an appearance there too. Henri agrees to stay after Selfridge compliments him, but only cos Grove told him to.
Victor (Trystan Gravelle) is told by his boss, Perez (Timothy Watson) that he got this job also cos of his good looks, not just his references, which will impress many a woman, in all shapes and sizes and he is to oblige their every whim since they want their customers to return. One such woman does pay him attention and invites him round to her house to wait on a party she's throwing, yeah party for two that is. She later sends him chocolates and he tells Perez he doesn't know what she means by that invitation. Perez must spell it out to him and tells him to go, "you're only young once." Victor gives the chocs to Agnes and Kitty and Doris (Lauren Crace) both think he's a charmer. He asks Agnes out. Agnes has her hands full with her father who drinks once again and makes light of George and the work they do. George challenges him to a fight and he obliges, but then jokes he didn't really mean it.
George meanwhile has a bit of a tough first day with Alf (Christian Patterson) who plays a joke on him by making him carry a large sack and putting his weight on it. He then tells him about the blue trucks which are "special delivery" thus anything he says is "special" must be loaded into those trucks. Looks like Alf is skimming from the store.
The plane draws huge crowds and Lady Mae openly flirts with Selfridge in front of Rose, asking him if he likes boating, where the man rows and the lady takes the tiller, also reminding him he's still indebted to her. What with that and Ellen perched on top of the plane and Selfridge unable to take his eyes off her, Rose feigns tiredness and wants to leave. Selfridge begs her to stay as he can't do this without her. Later he meets Rose in secret in her dressing room and can't keep his hands off her, being interrupted by her friend. He even buys Ellen her own house in St John's Wood, "the posh part." Victor turns down the meeting with the woman.
Well we all know where this is headed, what with Rose meeting Temple and getting a few tips from her husband's behaviour, she'll probably engage in an affair of her own. Funny she doesn't look the type. As we already begin to see how and why Selfridge died penniless with his lavishing houses on his mistresses and here spending obscene amounts of money on Ellen. She was after all peeved when he talks of modernity and then leaves her at the cafe when he gets an idea to draw in the punters, er I mean, customers.
Though this episode kept up the fast pace and flare of the opening episode, it just didn't capture the excitement of it all and seemed a little dull in places. Aside from Jeremy Piven keeping the aplomb and enthusiasm going, this really wasn't all that exciting and needs to pick up the storylines. Or maybe I'm just having withdrawals from The Paradise!
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