It’s no surprise to anyone that I’m a book series junkie. I love to follow the same characters through multiple twists and turns over the course of several books, both as a writer and as a reader. So, it’s probably no surprise that I am a tv series junkie, too. A couple years ago, I stumbled across a show on PBS Masterpiece called MISS SCARLET AND THE DUKE. I really loved this show about 19th century London’s first female detective and the gruff Scotland Yard inspector who balances his frustration with her against his reluctant admiration–and attraction.
BUT….
****WARNING***** This rest of this post contains HUGE SPOILERS about Season 4 of MISS SCARLET AND THE DUKE that affects the REST OF THE SERIES******
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****Okay, you’ve been warned!****
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I just finished watching Season 4. As soon as I did, I Googled the show since I had such a “WTF?” response to how the season ended. Now, with my worst fears confirmed, I am SO mad. So, this is a rant with lots of all-caps words, and yes, I do get this worked up over the small things in life, heh. As I said–story addict.
Look, showrunners, PBS Masterpiece, network, and whoever else made this decision, don’t string me and other viewers along for four seasons and then pretend that the Duke (a.k.a. Inspector Wellington), who’s one of the MAIN TITLE CHARACTERS, isn’t necessary anymore. Worse, some of the explanations seem to pretend that viewers who are upset by the Duke’s abrupt character departure shouldn’t be because actually, they misunderstood the show’s real point this whole time.
WHAT?! That is such gaslighting bullsh-t.
Here’s apparently what happened: the actor had a scheduling conflict, so he exited the show. I’m assuming there was no contract violation, so he would’ve been, essentially, a free agent. Free agents leave. It happens.
But, if one of the two main leads leaves, then the show should either RECAST THE ROLE (if its intending to continue), or end the series with a resolution that lives up to the show’s initial billing. Now, both options suck, I freely admit that. With option one, there probably would have been fan backlash to a recasting of the Duke’s character. Still, it seems the lesser of two evils than what happened, which is the show pretending that a foundational character with a four-season will-they-or-won’t-they relationship arc isn’t necessary anymore.
And what REALLY fries my bacon is the “Eh, you shouldn’t have cared so much about the relationship anyway” vibe that is given in response to people’s anger over the Duke being written out.
People, you sold viewers a feisty, friends-to-adversaries-to-maybe-more relationship set against the trials and tribulations of a woman battling 19th century sexism in pursuit of a detective career. You know you did. Don’t try to now say that it’s the viewers’ fault for being upset about the Duke’s exit because they shouldn’t have been so invested in that relationship. Again, I call bullsh-t.
Honestly, for myself, I would’ve preferred that they’d just ended the series in season 4 and left the characters in a a semi-happy place rather than this, which negates everything the first three seasons built up to.
Apparently, they’re changing Season 5’s name to just MISS SCARLET, which is truth in advertising, at least. And honestly, if that’s what the show would’ve been named from the start, I would have been less pissed. Then, the claim that “Well, this was really just a show about Eliza Scarlet the whole time” would’ve had far more truth to it.
But that isn’t what the show was called. It was MISS SCARLET AND THE DUKE, giving viewers every reason to expect that BOTH those main characters would be in the show until its conclusion.
In short, I’m not watching Season 5, which is sad because the actress playing Eliza is great, plus I love the show’s quirky side characters. But this bait-and-switch after four seasons is unacceptable for me. There are too many other shows to watch that won’t screw me and other viewers over like this.
End rant.
So, am I alone here, anyone who’s watched the show? Or, have their been other shows that made you this mad when something pivotal changed from the inception to the end?
Sheryl R. Hayes says
My mother and I were big fans of the show, until the announcement of the fact that the actor playing The Duke wasn’t returning. I talked it over with some friends and we all came to the same conclusion – the show creators are breaking the fundamental promise of the story we were told we’d be getting. And none of us were happy about it.
In the beginning, I still would have been interested in the show even if it had not gone so heavy into focusing on the Scarlett/William relationship. But now that has been dismissed, along with the fan’s protests as us not understanding what the show was about, I’m not going to be watching it.
Jeaniene says
Yep. All of this.
L. Tillage says
I agree – Masterpiece needs to pay these actors more money. Same thing happened on Sanderton when Sidney left. That show was never the same after season one. So I probably wouldn’t watch season five of “Miss Scarlett”.
T says
Oh, it’s actually great that someone is as mad as I am about Duke being off the show! Admittedly, the actor who played the Duke was amazing in the role so maybe difficult to recast, but come on, this is Masterpiece! Really good actors would love to take on this part! What about the actor who played the younger Duke? He nailed it!! So, I’m out and feel totally cheated by the show’s switch to only Miss Scarlet. And the gaslighting didn’t help.
Jeaniene says
Agree with all of this!
Alana says
No one’s ever happy with a recast but you’re right – it is the lesser of two evils. Otherwise it changes everything and it’s just not right anymore. Also sorry not related but since I’m already here, will there be any books outside of Cat/Bones’s story / Bones POV in the future? Maybe about their adopted daughter or a new character? Or a different UF world? 🥹
Jeaniene says
I’m finishing up a book now that’s set in a brand new paranormal world. I would also like to write about Katie when she’s older, and of course, other books in my vampire world. So, yes, more coming!
Alana says
I’m so excited!!! 😭😭😭❤️❤️❤️
Alana says
After a million books, Bones is still my absolute favorite followed by Slade/Rip and Curran ~ I recommend Night Huntress in almost every thread and fb post around 🥹
Cecily O'Connor says
I stopped watching after episode 4 for the exact same reasons you point out. We were led to believe all along this was an important relationship and then it just was dropped! Now it appears there’s a new handsome Scotland Yard guy stepping into the Duke’s role which will have the same back and forth (will they won’t they) situation as before. Maybe to appease those of us who dropped out? I don’t think I will watch. It gets tiresome.
Erin says
I’m livid about Stuart leaving. I understand that actors get their “big breaks” by playing roles like this but when they leave without bringing their character to a sensible conclusion (i.e. built up the Dukes character to finally be with Eliza), is just heartbreaking to those who watched them and supported them so that they could get those “big breaks”. My heart is broke. Shame on you Stuart.
Lee says
Nowhere does it say he’s leaving for “bigger projects” or a different career path. Not a fan of people immediately jumping to that conclusion and blaming the actor when it hasn’t been stated anywhere. If you listen to the podcast(s) it sounds like creative differences were the reason for his decision to leave. Him being missing from four episodes for the past two seasons wasn’t likely due to scheduling conflicts either since he wasn’t shooting anything at the time (and really, they could have adjusted filming for a titular character if that were the case). It feels like his character got sidelined throughout the seasons so Eliza gets a chance to explore screen time with other characters (“to keep things fresh”) and that’s probably also why they had an easier time letting him go instead of trying to work it out. Many statements have been made that suggest that he didn’t really want to leave and that the writers were running out of ideas to explore his character any further (writers even said they’ve had a hard time coming up with excuses for the characters to work cases together…I mean???). He says that he felt like he had taken his role as far as he could and that he left for the longevity of the show so Eliza can grow. And considering how they handled his character lately and wrote him into a corner, it makes sense for him to come to that conclusion. He was a huge advocate for the William/Eliza relationship and made some things happen that we as fans, according to him, probably would have never gotten to see on the show otherwise (even if he had stayed). The writers never really seemed too keen on bringing the two leads together (any time soon or at all). They would have dragged the relationship on for another couple of seasons, and a HEA was never confirmed apparently. Now they are gaslighting the fans stating “it probably wouldn’t have worked out anyway”… There’s lots of other stuff that doesn’t add up, but the assumption that he left to further is career is in doubt.
Jeaniene says
I assumed the actor went on to “bigger and better” roles because I remember reading that there were scheduling conflicts. However, assumption isn’t fact, so I amended my post to take that sentence out. Even with in it, I never was blaming the actor, though. I consider it the showrunner’s failure not to secure his role for season 5. As I said in the post, if they couldn’t make it work with him, then recasting the role was the better choice (imo) than pretending that the Duke’s character wasn’t integral to the show. After four years, taking him out and changing the show’s name from “Miss Scarlet and the Duke” to merely “Miss Scarlet” felt very much like a bait-and-switch to me.
Mary says
Omg, I am horrified to learn he’s been written out!! Ugh! I thought it was just a plot device for this season to keep the tensions up. Blech 🤢
Tbh I’ve been getting more and more annoyed with the show season two and beyond. Eliza is becoming one-dimensional in her single-mindedness and what is quickly becoming emotional narrowness. The Duke has evolved much more than she has. He’s willing to open up and try and while I loved the show to start and especially their chemistry, their relationship has become stagnant. She’s also become sort of smug in a weird way, I think because the ends justify the means with her. She thinks she is a paragon of integrity and she’s not. She routinely and repeatedly uses and lies to the people in her life like the Duke when she wants something. I almost lost my s*** when she said to her business partner he was the only one who’d ever believed in her. Um, what?? That totally dismissed Ivy, Duke, even her father. I also really don’t like the tack that a “strong woman” is only one who puts her career above all else. Eliza’s inability to be emotionally vulnerable and love freely is a weakness, not a strength.