What will Ivy's new job mean for her engagement in Miss Scarlet?

Ivy managed to land a new job in Miss Scarlet season 5, episode 2. What does this mean for her engagement to Mr. Potts?

MASTERPIECE
“Miss Scarlet & The Duke”

Episode Two
Sunday, January 24, 2021; 8 - 9pm ET on PBS
A man is caught with a bloodied knife at a murder scene. Eliza is hired to
prove his innocence, even though he has confessed. Also, she is about to be
evicted.

Shown: Kate Phillips as Eliza Scarlet

For editorial use only.

Courtesy of MASTERPIECE
MASTERPIECE “Miss Scarlet & The Duke” Episode Two Sunday, January 24, 2021; 8 - 9pm ET on PBS A man is caught with a bloodied knife at a murder scene. Eliza is hired to prove his innocence, even though he has confessed. Also, she is about to be evicted. Shown: Kate Phillips as Eliza Scarlet For editorial use only. Courtesy of MASTERPIECE

Ivy has always been the woman Eliza could rely on, but things started to take a turn in Miss Scarlet season 5, episode 2. It was clear that Ivy wasn’t happy with the life that she was living.

The time period that Ivy is in meant that she had to settle down quickly and find a husband. She ended up becoming the housemaid to the Scarlets, although she has been a motherly figure to Eliza throughout her time. We did eventually see her engaged to Mr. Potts, but it’s clear that she isn’t quite happy with this.

Ivy wants more in life in Miss Scarlet

Throughout the second episode of the season, Ivy realizes that she wants more. She was seeing these younger women gain in the world. Up to this point, she has supported Eliza in running her father’s private detective business. She wanted to see Eliza make a name for herself, especially considering the financial situation Eliza’s father left her in.

That doesn’t mean she isn’t a little jealous. Ivy looked in the mirror after leaving the secretary pool interviews, and it was clear that she worried that she had wasted her life.

Fortunately, Eliza could see what was going on. At the end of Miss Scarlet season 5, episode 2, we saw that Ivy was one of the new secretaries for Scotland Yard.

Will Mr. Potts support Ivy in Miss Scarlet?

What does this mean for her engagement to Mr. Potts, though? He is a traditional man, and it’s clear that money is all he ever thinks about. He is stuck in his ways, and he’s probably not going to be happy with the idea of Ivy working outside of the home. That is not her place, right?

It is going to be interesting to see how this plays out. Ivy isn’t happy in her engagement to Mr. Potts. That was made clear in the most recent episode. She doesn’t like that he is constantly worried about money, and she doesn’t like that he has no respect for her or her time. This is sure to come to a head as Ivy starts working and isn’t available to Mr. Potts when he wants.

In a way, I want to see her end the engagement. It would be a scandal for the time, but it would be great to see Ivy realize that maybe Eliza has been right this whole time. The old ways aren’t necessarily the right ones.

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

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