Miss Scarlet and The Duke Season 3 Episode 5 Review: The Heir

A search for an heir and a murderer sees Eliza and William crossing paths and dealing with some developments on another entertaining Miss Scarlet and The Duke Season 3 Episode 5, “The Heir.”

Eliza’s latest case is one that promises a life changing fortune but when she’s about to cash in by aiding the heir to claim his inheritance, he goes missing. What follows is a wild series of twists leaving an answer that only leaves heartbreak for those involved.

This is another one of those cases where there is no real sense of justice, and no one really wins when you have a woman having to deal with the prospect of raising her child alone, a father who could never face his son because of what it reminds him of.

I do appreciate the nesting doll of a reveal that begins to come out towards the end of the hour.

Elsewhere, Eliza’s first run in with William since Phelps decided to drop that bomb during “Bloodline” is fraught with tension, even if it is initially one sided. With every pointed word, you can tell that William is a bit at a loss for Eliza’s behavior.

William’s off his game, leading to a hilarious bit with Fitzroy as Fitzroy animatedly tells him about a new case William’s distracted by Eliza’s curt manor and evasive behavior around him.

It’s equal parts funny and endearing in its own way.

Speaking of endearing, also absolutely love the dynamic we are getting to see grow. They’re all so familiar with each other that Moses could stop in and Ivy makes him lunch as the pair of them tease Eliza about her sour mood.

It really shows how that relationship has grown and it’s beautiful. I also enjoyed the fact that we get to see Eliza needle Moses about his last name.

But as much as she wants to avoid William, they inevitably must work together when the heir she tracks down goes missing and the money that Eliza was counting on for the job turns out to be counterfeit.

The tension is palpable and the anger is practically emanating off Eliza for the first half of the episode.

The moment William confirms the “relationship has developed” feels like something of a door closing on the possibility of anything more between them, initially. But the fact that we see hints of the banter we got during Season 2, rather than the kind of guarded interactions during this season is very telling.

I love that Eliza goes out drinking with Moses to complain about William. While William ends up spending a night in with Arabella, but still manages to have Eliza become the central topic of conversation.

While he complains, she seems less than amused about their antics and their dynamic and how frequently they work together.

That realization seems to set up the final scene of the hour. As the spirit of a truce tentatively hangs in the air between the women for the sake of William, with Eliza extending an olive branch and visiting Arabella, it’s clear to see that Arabella’s motives are less than amiable.

It comes off as a classic mean girl move, seemingly proving Eliza’s initial impressions of her former school nemesis true.

With only one episode left, I do wonder how that will play out for this incongruous triangle.

Random Thoughts:

• Eliza’s definitely getting better at putting on a front in front of a potential suspect.
• I never in a million years imagined it would be Valentine!

What did you think of this episode of Miss Scarlet and The Duke? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Miss Scarlet and The Duke airs Sundays at 8/7c on PBS.

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