Things were hotting up this week as Becky Sharp (Olivia Cooke) wanted to be with Rawdon (Tom Bateman) and drove away in the carriage after kissing. No guesses where they were headed, though in true TV drama fashion this wasn't shown until later. No, until then Becky continued to be the friend for Matilda (Frances de la Tour) reading to her and at her beck'n'call. Making friends with Matilda's own companion, Miss Arabella Briggs (Felicity Montagu) who was delighted to have another friend in Becky as she felt Matilda no longer wanted her company. Of course Becky made her believe otherwise, the sharp (no pun) manipulator she is. As Matilda couldn't eat another piece of meat and wanted some "sweetmeat" instead; thus retiring early leaving the coast clear for Becky to ply Arabella with wine and ensure they were on each other's side. It was kind of charming for Arabella to find someone she thought was like her, but she was rather gullible. More glancing at the camera from Becky this episode and her pulling faces when she's clearly disapproving of someone, such as Mr Raggles (Peter Wight) who grew up at Queens Crawley and will be becoming a landlord. At least he made his fortune honestly!
Pitt (Martin Clunes) opens the paper to read that Napoleon has escaped Elba and thus war looms. However, Lady Crawley (Madeleine Hyland) was away in her own little world and not interested. George (Charlie Rowe) reads this too and they know they will be sent away any minute. As Mr Osborne (Robert Pugh) tells him to find someone else and he should give up the Sedley girl once and for all. Of course Mr Sedley (Simon Russel Beale) also tells this to Amelia (Claudia Jessie) that she should call of the engagement. Becky visits with Amelia, taking Rawdon and Matilda with her, as George also turns up. Matilda having a racist and snooty view of Sam (Richie Campbell) as she refuses to take any refreshment and asks Mrs Sedley (Claire Skinner) how she can leave him around with the silver. Of course Sam is more put out by there not being any wine to serve as Becky wanted since Sedley sold the wine seller. However it did not get him out of debt. George advises Rawdon to be careful of the "wild flirt."
Lady Crawley has an accident tripping over her dress and falling down the stairs and expiring. Thus leaving the road clear for Pitt to remarry. As he heads to London and a beeline for Becky. That smirk on his face said it all and he couldn't wait to be free again. He proposes to Becky as he fears he's in dire need of a wife, someone to sort out his finances too and she can be mistress of the manor or anything else she wishes. Becky having to confess that she is already married but not to tell anyone of this. Arabella rightly guesses that an affair of the heart may have led Becky to reject Pitt's proposal.
That proposal made Matilda get out of bed quick smart, putting on a turn whenever the fancy caught her but not now. She would have approved of Becky marrying Pitt but not Rawdon. As she finally reveals this to her and to us. Showing that she was wearing white and they indeed rode in the carriage to church and to get married. However there is no easy way to tell Matilda and she sends a letter to Arabella for her to break the news to her. That her beloved Rawdon is now her Rawdon too. Leaving Matilda in another tizzy! Shrieks of "treasure hunter! Vixen!" Vowing that she's nothing but a gold digger and she will leave him nothing or give him more money! But then prithee tell who would've been a suitable match for Rawdon since he was clearly besotted and did the right thing in marrying her. Though of course Becky would have the last word in that too since she thought she'd be set up for life!
Rawdon also tells Gorge and the other men of his nuptials since he asks if the men wouldn't marry someone they loved, money be damned. Whereby George receives a letter from Amelia calling off their engagement. There is a bankruptcy sale at the Sedley's and Becky meant to be nosey and spend Rawdon's money on the painting with the elephant and also the piano, as she never had one. However Dobbin (Johnny Flynn) outbids her and walks out ignoring them. The piano is delivered to Amelia and she thinks George bought it for her. Yeah skinflint George who scarce sent a penny on her and yet claims he wants to do the right thing by her, with some prompting by Dobbin.
Osborne organizes a dinner and introduces George to a woman who has an allowance a month and is from Miss Pinkerton's school also. A native of the Bahamas. She's here to learn English and George rejects her claiming he's in love with Amelia and they are engaged. Sedley is angry and George says he will marry Amelia. As he accompanies Dobbin to her house, he sees a sight he never thought he would, Amelia washing clothes. Dobbin tells Sedley that Osborne was his friend and he should let them marry, but not the way Sedley sees it as Osborne treated him appallingly in calling in his debts. Wonder if George got the notion she was just a gold digger too after learning she was also at the Pinkerton school.
Amelia spends the night at Becky's in preparation for the big day and she speaks of how she loves George. That they are to be wives now and throughout it all, Becky never once says that she loves Rawdon. Who has attempted to see Matilda but was prevented from doing so by Martha (Sian Clifford) who had been called to take over the house and Rawdon suggest she's been withholding their letters. Shutting the door on Becky's face. Pitt has a screaming fit when he finds out Becky married Rawdon and proceeds to break the frame with his picture in it. More like he was angry she didn't marry him!
Becky attempts for Rawdon to write to Matilda and meet with her as she dictates a letter from him which doesn't sound like Rawdon at all, since he wouldn't use words such as "beseech" with two 'e's. Obviously she has an extremely low opinion of Rawdon and he later tells her that. Arabella meets with them in the hopes they may find a way to convince Matilda to see him. She brings her to the park but she drives straight past them and Becky encourages him to run after and get into the carriage. Matilda tells him to meet her lawyer the next day.
The day of the wedding, which goes without a hitch and Becky remarks to Dobbin how he managed to do the right thing for Amelia even if he didn't want to. Rawdon tells her he got £20 from Matilda and told to keep away. Becky saying they couldn't even pay the rent, so she decides they should go to war with their husbands as other wives do! A bad idea!
Yes Becky does think so poorly of Rawdon and he was just a rich meal ticket to be kept in luxury. And boy did fortune backfire for her and become misfortune. Especially when discovering that Matilda is just as stuck up and judgemental as Pitt and all the wealthy in society. Just wanting another servant by her side, someone to keep her company and even if her mother was more than an opera girl or someone far worse as Martha tells Matilda before being sent packing. Look at Matilda's treatment of Sam as well, who will be the one doing okay out of all the fiasco, much better than the so-called better off. Becky also being snooty when she tells George that he could have done better if he married someone with a background like her. Perhaps someone should've used Abba's Waterloo as a song in the end credits, a tad uncalled for in this episode, but with war looming around the corner, it'd be a bit apt when you think about it. After all "...at Waterloo Napoleon did surrender..." Perhaps also defeat lies awaiting for Becky too.
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