Harry (Jeremy Piven) stomps from the lift with his staff in tow and demands Miss Bunting (Pippa Haywood) lifts her skirt, well okay Miss Mardle (Amanda Abbingdon) must check her hems as she's smuggling out lace and silks from the store. She's caught redhanded, but who gave her away? Also how did she get all that into the hem of her skirt without anyone noticing all this time. Harry is angry since you don't "steal from your work family." In which case, wonder what he'll do when he finds out what's happening in the loading bay. Miss Bunting is fired and she is despondent since she has her mother to look after and won't get another job without a reference. Would've thought Groves (Tom Goodman-Hill) would have obliged her with one without Harry knowing. But no one goes behind his back or they'll suffer his wrath. Harry ignores the rest of Ellen's (Zoe Tapper) notes and throws them unread into the drawer.
Anna Pavlova (Natalia Kremen) is in town, the famous ballerina and Harry arranges Rosalie (Poppy Lee Friar) and Rose (Frances O' Connor) to watch her perform at Lady Mae's (Katherine Kelly) whilst Ellen Love waits for Harry to come see her. Would've thought she'd be singing, "I'm just wild about Harry..." by now, but that'd be too cliched, especially since all of London knows about Harry and Ellen. Lady Mae still teaches Rosalie a thing or two about etiquette, such as how to clap like a lady, whilst Rose tells her maybe it's cos she's an American that she likes to show her appreciation by clapping properly. Harry watches Rose throughout the performance and is pleased he's done something right by Rose. As he later tells her about how enchanted she looked when watching Anna.
Rose comments every woman should have her moment with Anna Pavlova thus the idea Harry gets to invite her to the store, think of the publicity. He even wants Anna to have tea with Rose and Lady Mae, who is now enjoying Rose's company. Miss Irene Ravillous (Anna Madeley) cycles to work as the new Head of Fashion and promptly proceeds to throw her weight around by asking for lace from the Accessories department. Kitty (Amy Beth Hayes) refuses but has to give in and says she needs to ask permission from Miss Mardle before taking anything else.
Irene is introduced to the rest of the staff at a meeting and she used to work at Liberty, which Harry calls their loss. Fashion will be a big thing and she's brash enough to ask Harry if he's telling her that or asking. Miss Mardle notices the length of her skirt and she has it high for cycling. Also telling Miss Mardle that corsets will be obsolete, she prefers exercise to keep her figure trim. Harry wants his staff to come up with ideas as to how they can accommodate Anna Pavlova and at the same time make customers want to buy. Business is about keeping them happy. Agnes (Aisling Loftus) didn't have any bright ideas this time round, maybe cos she's too preoccupied with her father and Henri (Gregory Fitoussi).
Irene comes up with an idea about placing large pieces of lace type piping as collars around their store capes in honour of Anna Pavlova's tutu. At least it seemed that way. Harry is impressed with the idea and Irene's plans to have ready made dresses available for women immediately, so they don't have to have a seamstress and try them on. Crabb (Ron Cook) is put at ease by his difficult question of "shapes and sizes," as they will cater for all. he's always given the women's questions to worry about for some reason. Last time it was the make-up uncertainties. Miss Mardle is disappointed no one had any ideas and she doesn't want Irene taking anything from Accessories anymore. She even says as much to Groves, whom she thinks no longer likes her as he turns down tickets to Drury Lane, as he has to keep an eye on the nurses at home.
Agnes and George (Calum Callaghan) have troubles of their own with Reg (Nick Moran) still around, as he tries to get into their flat, but they've changed the locks. Victor (Trystan Gravelle) still watches Agnes at work and how Henri interrupts them when talking. He warns Agnes about George and what he's doing since he's still loading and unloading the blue vans with stock.
Rose spends time with Roddy (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) and she wants her portrait he's painting for her husband. He convinces her to come to the Chelsea Art club even though she's got to be at the store for Anna Pavlova and she doesn't get out of it. Roddy finally reveals he's going to the store to see Anna Pavlova and Rose must come clean about really being Mrs Selfridge. He then makes a flippant comment about how Ellen Love and Harry are the talk of the town. Rose already knows and confesses she and Harry have a bond and she loves him. Also that if she's honest with Roddy, she was tempted by him. Tony (Will Payne) listens to everything they talk about. Thus opening up the possibility of blabbing to Harry when next they play poker.
Lady Mae finds the chicken in the restaurant bland and is in fear of turning into one herself as she clucks. Victor spices up her food but she hardly eats anything. She's saving herself for tea. She prefers anticipation, whilst Victor prefers to eat when he's hungry. Oh the innuendos. Anna Pavlova looked like she was milking the store for everything she could get, as well as the fee Harry was paying her. She even got a Sable out of it. Ellen gatecrashes the photo opp and insists on a photo with Anna. Since Ellen is the 'Spirit of Selfridge.' Harry is clearly angry since his family is here. He wants Frank (Samuel West) to take Ellen home and ends her contract with the store.
Reg also crashes the do and after an altercation with Agnes, gets pushed into a glass display case. Victor takes him down and punches him. Reg hopes Agnes has lost her job over this. Victor now realizes why Agnes wouldn't let him come over and promises to look after her. But she tells him he's got his own family to support. Harry offers Anna the ultimate gift, her very own window, which turns out to have a display of a ballerina. Harry was instrumental with Henri in coming up with the display and this was it.
Harry kind of looks like he's into a downward spiral now all cos of Rose and even seems to be jealous she wasn't at the store when she makes excuses of being unwell and is avoiding him. But he can't have it both ways, in this case have his Pavlova and eat it too, okay had to get that one in! Seems Rose is finally showing Harry that she wants a life too and that she's put up with enough from him, wonder if she'll follow through with it. Agnes doesn't seem to be interested in Victor either, irrespective of Reg and being ashamed and is more in awe of Henri still, as he ropes her in to help him fashion flowers from ribbon for the occasion. Kitty's also jealous at not being asked to help instead of Agnes.
Seems every week Harry comes up with a new innovative way to impress the press and the crowds but this one caused a bit of an uproar with Ellen turning up and Reg too, but not that anyone hardly noticed. Ellen has a foolish notion that Harry will leave his wife and be hers which Frank notices the full extent of, as well as her drug abuse. Agnes is humiliated but it doesn't appear that Harry would fire her for Reg turning up drunk, it's not something she could have handled herself anyway. As Groves said to Miss Bunting (odd name for someone in Fashion, ha) if she had come to them they would have helped and especially Harry. Which is what Victor said to Agnes, that she should go see him.
Finally it seems as if things are hotting up and getting interesting after four weeks of easing and teasing us into the characters and how they fit into the scheme of things in and out of the store. Wonder if we'll get an episode opening where Harry isn't filmed coming out of the lift with his entourage (pun intended) in tow? As you know he means serious business everytime that happens!
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