Eliza and Blake end up working together once more in Miss Scarlet season 5, episode 5. It's clear there are also feelings blossoming between them.
Caution: This post contains SPOILERS for Miss Scarlet season 5, episode 5.
Eliza has spent a lot of time proving her worth to Blake as a private detective. She continues that in the new episode, but it looks like there is more than just a professional relationship blossoming between them.
We head into Blake's home once again, seeing his relationship with his daughter. Well, she looks up to Eliza, and that's sure to change Blake's perspective of the female private detective.
A murder investigation involving a missing manuscript in Miss Scarlet season 5, episode 5
The episode itself was pretty tame in terms of mystery. I think it was all too easy to know that the business partner didn’t do it. There were a lot of clues that would point to the spouse of the victim.
Of course, she was having an affair. Of course, she knew all about the manuscript. This woman had motive and opportunity, and she could easily make it look like the man she was having the affair with. It took Eliza a little too long to see through it all, to be honest.
The bit that gave it away was the mention of the mirrors and covering them up. This was a custom in the day, but now, it’s more of a custom seen in the East. Naturally, it was a clue that Eliza should pay attention to the mirror. Too many people will unintentionally give away their secrets.
After already finding a mirror that was actually a safe in the office, was it all that surprising to find one in the home as well? Of course not!
Eliza helps Phelps in a moment of need in Miss Scarlet
One of the best parts of this episode was seeing Phelps turn to Eliza for help. He didn’t intentionally turn to her. In fact, he didn’t want to tell her anything that was going on. He was living in a rundown, almost halfway house type of lodgings. His wife has left him and taken the kids, and now he’s turned to drinking to help him cope.
Eliza sees the cry for help. While she could have focused on the case, she cares about Phelps. Yes, he’s a gruff man, but he is a good detective, and he can be a good man at times. He has fallen on hard times, and he just needs to know that there is something to live for. What is that? Well, nobody knows, but having someone listen and genuinely care helps.
Men tend to cover up their negative thoughts. They don’t want to share that they’re struggling because of the stigma, even in today’s world. We have to remember that this is the late 18th century, and at no point could a man share his more depressing thoughts. Having Eliza accept Phelps for who he is and listen to him is important, showing that mental health shouldn’t be a stigma.
Blake asks a favor of Eliza in Miss Scarlet season 5, episode 5
Once again, Blake doesn’t really want to work with Eliza, but he does realize that the two can do more good together than they do apart. Should Miss Scarlet be renewed for season 6, I’m looking forward to seeing how the two can continue this professional relationship.
This episode was on a little more of a personal level. Blake’s daughter, Sophia, hates school. She is being bullied, so it’s not surprising that she hates it. People don’t believe her that Eliza is real. I don’t get this with kids. Why would they not believe that Eliza Scarlet is real? Are they just being mean to Sophia or are their parents genuinely that dumb not to know of the business that has been running for so long?
Anyway, Sophia wants to know if Eliza liked school, so Blake asks her. She hated school. She went to a strict convent school where the nuns were what you would expect for the time. It’s the first time Blake has really asked Eliza a personal question, so it does throw her off a little at first.
At the end of the episode, Eliza does Blake a favor. She welcomes him and Sophia to her workplace to show Sophia around. I love that we have this young girl looking up to Eliza, and that we have Eliza encouraging the next generation of women. This is how change is made, and Eliza knows it. The best part is Blake fully supports it.
With a mention that Blake likes Eliza at one point in the episode, it’s clear that there is a personal relationship blossoming between the two of them. Blake would only end up with someone who is good with Sophia and who Sophia likes. That’s clear with the way he cares for Sophia and reads with her every night—and yes, I loved him reading Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, which Eliza had given him—so seeing how Sophia looks up to Eliza is going to give him the push he needs to see that there is something there.
Miss Scarlet airs on Sundays at 8/7c on PBS.
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