‘Fleabag’s Hot Priest Andrew Scott Will Seduce You Again in ‘The Pursuit of Love’

The Pursuit of Love is the story of two best friends and the friction that huge life choices causes between them. Lily James is Linda Radlett, an overly emotional socialite who is constantly throwing caution (and norms) out the window to chase passionate thrills, and Emily Beecham is Fanny Logan, Linda’s steady and sensible cousin. The Pursuit of Love is a seductive trip through Linda’s scandalous life and Fanny’s witty view of things, and yet, neither James nor Beecham steal the show quite like co-star Andrew Scott. The Fleabag and Sherlock alum has established himself as one of the most magnetic performers of his generation. In The Pursuit of Love, Scott seduces us all again as the eccentric Lord Merlin…

Amazon’s The Pursuit of Love is told from the point of view of smart and sensible Fanny Logan. Abandoned by her capricious mother, nicknamed “The Bolter” (and played by The Pursuit of Love’s writer and director Emily Mortimer), Fanny has been raised by her equally sensible Aunt Emily (Annabel Mullion). However another side of her aristocratic family, the Radletts, who captivate the most interest. Fanny has grown up visiting the Radlett estate each Christmas and is best friends with the second eldest daughter, Linda. Linda is is everything Fanny is not: wildly moody, deeply horny, passionate for life, and willing to do anything to find true love. (And we mean anything.)

When we first meet Linda, she is despondent over the fact that she is still too young to enter society. She has been trapped on her family’s estate her whole life and longs to see the world and live. Mostly, she wants to meet dashing young men who will carry her away. So she’s despondent that the first dance party she’s allowed to attend — her elder sister’s coming out — is full of sleepy old conservative men. That is, until neighbor Lord Merlin arrives…

Lord Merlin’s introduction is a record-scratch moment. The black tie world of the Ratlett home is blown up by the pajama-clad Merlin and his band of costumed Bright Young Things. Lord Merlin even goes so far to give the room the middle finger as means of a greeting as the anachronistic “Dandy in the Underworld” plays. Fanny explains Lord Merlin is a unique character in his own right, dressing his dogs in diamonds and entertaining Langston Hughes for kicks. Linda is immediately bowled over, just as the audience should be.

The magic of Lord Merlin is that Andrew Scott follows up that raucous introduction with a truly fascinating bit of character work. Merlin becomes a sort of reluctant mentor for Linda. He sees potential in the charismatic young girl and wants her to be protected and happy. That’s why whenever Linda runs off with a terrible suitor, Lord Merlin comes running to Fanny for insight and support. He bemoans Linda’s choices like a man who either is truly in love with the girl, or at least in love with her spirit.

It’s actually these scattered scenes where Scott shines even brighter as Lord Merlin. Sure, he can play the dandy with oodles of roguish charm, but he’s incandescent as a friend lamenting Linda’s poor choices. His frustration stems from hopes dashed and his stalwart support of the girl is truly heroic. He is, as Fanny states, a patron of the young.

Andrew Scott has always been a magnificent scene stealer, and he does it again in Amazon’s The Pursuit of Love.

Where to stream The Pursuit of Love