The trial is set for Wickham (Matthew Goode) and Fitzwilliam (Tom Ward) can't see why Darcy (Matthew Rhys) had to hire Henry Alveston (James Norton) to defend him. Lizzie (Anna Maxwell Martin) gets Louisa (Nichola Burley) to come clean about the baby and her meeting with Denny (Tom Canton) and the woman in the bonnet. She met with her to hand over little Georgie but had a change of mind thinking the woman was too overly excited to have the boy and Denny put his foot in it by handing over the thirty pounds. William Bidwell (Lewis Rainer) tells Louisa to tell the truth and she confesses Fitzwilliam was also at the abbey. Lizzie tries to tell Darcy of this and he will not believe his cousin is such a man, capable of doing such things. Still thinking Georgiana (Eleanor Tomlinson) has found a good match in him. Indeed Fitzwilliam proposes to Georgiana and she has to accept him. Though he says his pride and brotherly feelings are turning to love for her.
Lady Catherine de Bourge (Penelope Keith) calls on Lizzie with the intention of staying here and sees that Darcy attending the trial is dangerous to his reputation and he shouldn't be there. Lizzie has also called Lydia (Jenna Coleman) back to Pemberley so Jane can have some rest from her but also cos of the trial. She arrives shouting and being loud as usual and how the women in the shop shunned her when they found out she was Lizzie's sister.
A good portrayal of trials back then and how justice had very little do with it. Darcy tells Wickham he should place his desk by the window in his cell, but Wickham is loathed of the view, the gallows being constructed outside. He plans to leave for America when all this is over, trying to convince himself he won't be found guilty. Hardcastle (Trevor Eve) talks with Mrs Piggott (Teresa Churcher) the inn keeper's wife who tells him she overheard the argument between Denny and Wickham and repeats what she said. She's to testify at the trial in Derby and needs a new hat. Alveston later asks why she didn't come forward at the inquest and she states that she was on the privy and people would have laughed at her, as they do now. She doesn't think Denny would have been afraid of Wickham since he had his gun and they wouldn't have been violent in front of Lydia.
Alveston, trying to set a precedence here on how to cross examine witnesses and raise objections doesn't really succeed when he's shot down by the judge time and again. Darcy testifies he heard Wickham say he was responsible for his friend's death but wasn't a confession. Instead he was distraught and if he hadn't argued then his friend wouldn't have been here, but he still stands by Wickham's innocence. Darcy spots the bonnet woman at the trail and knows her as Mrs Younge (Mariah Gale). She was the one who informed him of where Lydia and Wickham were when he searched for them, for a high price. She tells him she's Wickham's sister and they have strong feelings for one another. That's whys he met with Fitzwilliam in the inn and was talking about her brother. Darcy is angry that he could do such a thing and doesn't want him coming to Pemberley anymore and calls off the engagement. He tells Georgiana she should marry for love and stand by her heart's desire and always trust the one she loves. Finally taking a leaf out of his own book and admitting Lizzie was right. Thus they spend a night of passion together.
Darcy feels Lizzie should tell Lydia the truth about Wickham as it will be easier to hear from her sister, but Lydia refuses to listen, leaving it to the gossips so she can treat them with contempt. Hardcastle is called to testify but omits the part about Wickham's affair with Louisa and the baby. Which comes as a shock to Darcy. He later tells him he knew Wickham was to be hanged so he didn't want to ruin Darcy's reputation further. No matter what people think Hardcastle's not his father. SO the jury returns a verdict of guilty as to be expected and Mrs Younge couldn't take the news, running out and the sight of the gallows leading her to run in front of a horse and carriage. It was death by carriage here.
Lydia is distraught but stands by him still knowing he didn't kill Denny. Wickham telling her he's, "lead her a merry dance." But they've had fun she tells him, cos that's what it's all about and no doubt Darcy will pay for their going to America. He wants her to remember him by his brightest memory. Wickham is to hang in two days.
Lizzie at church speaks with the Reverend who mentions William's illness and how it was serious after the murder and how he hasn't been to see him since, nobody has. Giving Lizzie an idea of going about solving the killing. Of course, William was the only one left who could have possibly done the deed whilst defending his sister's honour. He saw Denny and confused him for Wickham. He hit him with his stick and ran after him but he headed towards the gully and fell, hitting his head on great grandfather Darcy's headstone in the woods. Showing he was still causing mischief from beyond. Wickham arrived and shot at William so he ran away. Lizzie gets him to sign a confession and his father wants forgiveness for not being here for him. William dies and Lizzie must rush the confession to the judge, with Bidwell taking her.
It was a sight seeing Wickham being lead to the gallows, he was to be hanged with the common riff-raff and it has to be said his reputation as a soldier that kept him in stead as he didn't falter at all, not until the last moment. Lizzie gets to the judge and at the last moment the hanging is stopped, with Wickham falling to his knees. He and Lydia head to America with Lydia showing off Wickham as they leave.
Alveston proposes to Georgiana and Lizzie tells Darcy she's expecting a baby but can't promise it will be a girl. He thinks Louisa should keep her baby and Pemberley should take care of its own. So ends the saga and it's happy families for all. Not much of a murder mystery since there weren't that many suspects left and William all but gave himself away when he said Louisa should tell Lizzie the truth about seeing Fitzwilliam at the abbey, trying to avert blame onto him. He conveniently dies so doesn't have to face the hangman's noose. Thought Matthew Goode would have made a good Sidney Carton in an adaptation of A Tale of Two Cities, you know stiff upper lip and all that.
All 'n' all though this could have been much better and seemed everything was solved and resolved within the last five minutes of the three episodes and still no ball! We was robbed! It was fine as murder mysteries went, but wasn't that big a mystery and would have been more interesting had it not contained characters from one of our fave serials. Fitzwilliam's secret wasn't that huge either since he was paying off Wickham and Louisa to protect Darcy. Which is why Darcy was angry since he doesn't need protecting. Fitzwilliam still maintaining even if Wickham is hanged he will still take Georgiana since no one else will.
Tom Ward was in the 1995 adaptation of Pride and Prejudice as Captain Chamberlayne in one episode.
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