‘Belgravia’ Episode 2: Only Tamsin Greig’s Anne Trenchard merits rooting for in a sea of unlikable characters
If anyone has fantasies of living in Victorian England, they should watch 'Belgravia'. Has there ever been a more unlikeable group of characters assembled for a period drama? And yet, the whole narrative has a ring of truth to it -- the family fights over money and inheritance, the cruelty of class arrogance, the servants smuggling food and wine out for private profit, the womanizing and gambling habits of the rich and idle, and above all, the stifling, claustrophobic nature of upper-class life.
This is exactly what a stultified, class-bound society would look like where everyone is scheming to get on the rung higher than them, with money and benefits defining all relationships. Ironically, episode 2 starts off with an act of kindness by Anne Trenchard played by Tamsin Greig. After meeting Lady Brockenhurst at "afternoon tea", she is unable to get her sad face out of her mind.
Like her, Lady Brockenhurst has never seen her grandson. Sitting in bed, while her husband snores next to her, Anne remembers the tragic night Sophia died giving birth. She remembers how she had held her grandson only once before he was whisked away to be raised as a clergyman's son and named "Charles Pope".
Hoping that the knowledge that she has a grandson will ease her pain, Anne decides to tell Lady Brockenhurst the secret of Sophia and Viscount Edmund Bellasis' love child, despite her husband, James Trenchard's express orders not to. But Lady Brockenhurst's reception is the opposite of what she expects.
While Lady Brockenhurst is visibly excited about having a grandson, she is disappointed about him being "business-minded". As she sips her tea, she launches the first of her class barbs -- "blood will out I suppose", adding that Sophia had to be pitied "for losing her reason". Anne, her voice quaking with anger, tells her of how her beloved son tricked Sophia with a sham marriage, even bringing up how Edmund got the idea to do it -- from his godfather "Lord Barclay" who had pulled something similar.
This then has Lady Brockenhurst pull off the gloves. She calls Sophia a "slut" and brands her as someone who schemed, with her parent's blessing, to ensnare an earl's son. Though she does promise Anne to keep Charles Pope's parentage a secret, she all but reveals it at a party by publically showering her attentions on Charles and investing in his cotton mill business. When she ignores "four dukes" for him at a party at her house, tongues start wagging.
When Anne confronts Lady Brockenhurst about it, saying, "you want them to guess!", Lady Brockenhurst simply smirks and excuses herself. Her unladylike behavior is driven by the fact that her class and privilege protect her and she has nothing to lose, while the Trenchards stand to lose everything if the secret becomes common knowledge.
Thus Anne's kindness is repaid by cruelty. She goes into further shock when she realizes that her husband has been interacting continuously with Charles, helping him set up his business while keeping Anne away from him.
Anne's daughter-in-law Susan is also shown to be a ruthless social climber, pushing Anne to get her and Oliver invited to Lady Brockenhurst's party where she flirts with Lord John Bellasis, Lady Brockenhurst's nephew and the official, next-in-line heir to the family's fortune. It is obvious that she married Oliver, Anne's son, for the money he will eventually inherit and has no problems jumping ship if a richer prospect comes along.
Lord John Bellasis is shown to be a womanizer who has plans to cheat on Lady Maria Grey as soon as they are married. He and his father, a clergyman with no interest in God, are shown to be money-grubbing relatives who can't stop getting "loans" against their inheritance, that they then spend recklessly gambling and living a too lavish life.
Even the housekeeper and butler steal from the Trenchard's kitchen without remorse. It is as if Anne is the lone good soul, surrounded by wolves.
Charles Pope and Lady Maria Grey are introduced in this episode too and sparks fly between them. They seem likable enough though a bit boring and the episode spends too little time on them to really flesh out their characters. For now, 'Belgravia' comes too close to depicting the classist realities of Victorian England to be an enjoyable, escapist period drama.
'Belgravia' airs on Sundays at 9/8c on Epix.