Mr Selfridge: The Long Fall

Previously on Mr Selfridge: Frank screwed up in the worst way anyone in a committed relationship can screw up, Grove proposed to Mardle, D’Ancona got tough on Harry, and the Dollys got so out of hand even Harry gave up on them.

Selfridge’s window smashing is actually front-page news the next morning. Riiight. Harry and D’Ancona meet at a club and Harry asks for a little extra time to pay his debt. D’Ancona gives him until Monday morning to pay the full amount, plus 50%. Ouch.

Harry stomps into his office and asks Crabb if he can arrange for Harry to borrow from the store. Crabb tells him about shutting down his access to the Chairman’s account. Harry’s screwed and clearly knows it.

Everyone’s a bit edgy after the attack on the store but it’s mostly business as usual. A police inspector questions Harry, asking him if he knows of anyone who might do this. Harry lies that he doesn’t. The inspector doesn’t believe him, so Harry says he just wants this to go away and dismisses the inspector. Once the man’s gone, Gordon asks what the heck is going on. Harry starts stressing about the provincial stores not doing as well as he’d hoped and Gordon tells him to stop lashing out. Harry calms down and apologises.

Grove tells Crabb that he and Mardle are getting married that weekend. Crabb greets the news joyfully but notes that’s not much time to arrange things. Grove is pretty much like, ‘eh, terminal cancer, what are you gonna do? Will you be my best man?’ Of course Crabb will.

For some bizarre reason, Mae is doing the photoshoot for her line’s summer collection in the restaurant, and she’s disappointed that Lyons hasn’t made the bar area look less like a bar area. If you don’t want the shoot to take place in a bar, why are you shooting it there? There are loads of other places you could have gone. The roof garden at Selfridge’s, for one!

Victor arrives with some props and Mae tells him to stay.

Harry summons Jimmy and tells him about the debt. Jimmy apologises but says he can’t lend any money just then. Harry admits he needs to scare up £75000 by Monday. WOAH! Jesus, Harry! He’s in a serious pickle, because he has no owned assets and can’t borrow from the store. Jimmy offers to look at the Selfridge’s holdings and see if he can find some money they can move around.

Ok, so Mae is actually shooting it in the bar because she wants the girls to look like they’re in a bar. So, why did Lyons need to be involved at all? I don’t understand this show at all anymore. Victor has been talked into posing with the girls, and he and Mae have a rather sexy little moment where they bring up their affair from many years ago, which I admit I had totally forgotten about.

Grove gets measured for a new suit. His bride-to-be shows up and they act cute for a bit. She asks if he’s spoken to Harry and Grove promises to do so later that day.

Frank finds Kitty in the teashop and asks to join her. She tells him she doesn’t really care, then scolds him for having her give up the job of a lifetime when all he gave her in return was a cheap affair. His response? Men do foolish things. Seriously, that’s actually what he says, and her answering glare says, ‘uttering that line was, perhaps, the most foolish thing you’ve ever done, or ever will do.’ She tells him he’s let them down and she wants him out of the house. She goes to leave, passing Connie on the way, and Connie asks Frank what’s going on.

Meryl helps Mardle pick out a dress and is doing way better than before. Mardle finds a dress she likes but asks if she can have it in cream. Meryl promises to have it made up for her.

Harry joins Rosalie and Tatiana, who are watching the fashion shoot. Jimmy comes in and he and Mae just sort of wave to each other before he pulls Harry aside and tells him he should sell the provincial stores, because most of them are worth more for the buildings than they are for the businesses inside. Gordon’s gonna love this idea. Harry realises this is not going to go over well with his son, but as we’ve said, he’s desperate.

Gordon reads a piece in the paper that suggests the windows were smashed because of Harry’s gambling debts. As Harry heads into his office, Gordon asks if this is true. Harry brushes him off.

Apparently Frank came clean to Connie, who steams up to her sister and totally throws in on Kitty’s side, as she should. Kitty says she can’t ever trust her husband again and she simply won’t live like that.

Meryl goes downstairs to the workroom and asks the woman in charge if Matilda can make up the dress for Mardle. The Bitch Boss snips that she’s already a woman short and can’t let Matilda get behind on her work. Meryl mentions that her father would really appreciate it, pulls rank, and gets Matilda out of there.

Harry takes some time to go whine to Wynnstay about running that little bit in the paper about the windows being down to his debts. Wynnstay shrugs that Harry made himself fair game. Harry retaliates by pulling all of his ads.

Jimmy invites Mae to the opera later that week. She briskly agrees, then goes to tell Victor how great he is at posing for pictures.

Grove goes to tell Harry about his illness. Harry kindly asks if there’s anything he can do. Grove tells him no, he’s got his family around him, and he’s fine with that. He does ask Harry to give away the bride at the wedding. Harry readily agrees.

Rosalie and Tatiana join the photoshoot. Mae coaches them a bit (dear God, but Tatiana’s outfit is ugly) and Victor seems charmed by the sight. He flirts with Mae for a little bit.

Keene goes to Gordon’s house to have a word with him. He points out the article about the debts and says the organisation he represents want Gordon to put a stop to this bad publicity. He suggests it’s time for Harry to step aside. As he leaves, Gordon comments that it seems his father’s in very big trouble. You think?

Wynnstay summons his newspaper’s lawyer so he can talk about Harry.

Frank returns home and finds his suitcases already packed. Wow, Kitty’s efficient. He calls out for her but gets no answer. Kitty watches him through a window as he leaves, then reaches down and fingers one of his notebooks, crying.

Jimmy has taken it upon himself to sound out investors about selling the provincial stores. Several of them have signed letters of intent. Harry is still hesitant and says he can’t, because there are too many other people involved. Jimmy urges him to take this solution, because it’s the only one. Harry still refuses. Jimmy asks what he plans to do, because he doesn’t have much time left.

George finds Frank at the teashop and tells him he’d really like to punch him in the face. Frank, who apparently summoned George to meet him, invites him to go ahead. George tells him that Kitty’s proud, so if Frank wants her back, he’ll have to humble himself. Frank admits he doesn’t know what to do.

Crabbe and Harry are sad together about Grove, then move on to the bad news that none of the finance houses in the city are willing to give Harry a loan.

Mardle’s dress is fitted. It’s nice. She loves it. She asks Meryl to be her bridesmaid and Meryl agrees, saying that means a lot to her.

Matilda returns to the workroom and gets a load of extra work and plenty of attitude. She hangs up Mardle’s dress at the side.

The Dollys are in the shop, helping themselves to merchandise. Crabb catches them and tells them the free ride is over. Rosie smirks that they’ll just have a word with Harry and Crabb practically goes to make popcorn and secure his front-row seat.

The Dollys are not pleased to learn that Harry has cut them off. Harry says they crossed the line and they need to leave now. Rosie gets a little desperate and tries to get a rise out of him, but Harry says what they do is no longer his concern. Rosie leaves in a snit, and Jenny tells Harry not to let anyone grind him down.

George, being George, has invited Frank to stay with him and Connie, and his wife, as you can imagine, is not pleased. Frank tells George he’s really sorry about all this.

Mae and Jimmy go to Victor’s after the opera, even though she’s totally not in the mood. Jimmy gets a bit douchy and tells her to stick with him and she’ll be the toast of London again. She looks kind of grossed out. Jimmy starts talking business, so she goes and hangs out with Victor. When he’s called away, Jimmy tries to piss on his territory and tells Mae it’s time for them to go. She informs him she’s not ready yet, so he leaves on his own, pouting. Later, when she’s actually ready to leave, Mae goes to Victor’s office to say goodbye and tells him she and Jimmy are pretty much over. He suggests they give it another go and invites her to dinner that Monday night. She agrees.

Connie angrily serves breakfast and a contrite Frank thanks her, clearly waiting for her to just stab him in the face with a fork. She snaps that she’s lost her appetite and stomps out, but not before telling Frank how great her sister is and how badly he’s screwed up here. George asks if Frank’s apologised and Frank tells him about the ‘men can be foolish’ nonsense. George’s answering WTF is wrong with you? look is a thing of beauty. Frank admits that he was jealous of Kitty’s great job offer and it made him petty and stupid.

It’s the day of the wedding and the Grove offspring are making things hellish. Grove sends them all to their rooms and apologises to Mardle, telling her she shouldn’t have to take on this craziness. She tells him they need to be together, because they complete each other. Aww.

Everyone manages to get to the church. Mardle looks really lovely in her dress, but her redheaded soon-to-be stepdaughters really should have reconsidered the pink dresses they’re wearing. Grove and Mardle get married and everyone applauds. Yay!

Matilda is hard at work in the otherwise empty workroom.

Frank goes to his and Kitty’s house to try and apologise, but she already knows what he’s going to say and tells him to save it. She’s crying but manages to keep her voice steady as she tells him to leave. He urges her to call Elizabeth Arden and see if the job is still available. If it is, he hopes New York will be kinder to her than he’s been. Kitty opens the door, but he’s already gone.

Grove and Mardle leave for their honeymoon.

Plunkett reports to Harry that she’s been trying to reach D’Ancona, but his office has told her that his agreement with Harry terminated at nine, and it’s past nine now. Oooh.

Rosalie is reading a story to Tatiana when the butler comes in, followed by D’Ancona and a gang of thugs. The butler says that these guys insist that Harry was supposed to meet with them. I can’t believe this man actually bought that. These guys clearly mean no good. The men start helping themselves to Harry’s things and tell her to go ahead and call her dad and get an explanation.

Rosalie does so, and Harry rushes home and finds his daughter a mess, along with the house. She asks how Harry could let this happen to them and he admits he doesn’t know. She tells him she doesn’t feel safe with him anymore.

Kitty spots Frank coming into the store and tells him that the job with Elizabeth Arden’s still open and she’s taking it. He says he’s happy for her. She comments that it looks like he does know her after all, then continues on her way.

Harry summons Gordon to the house and tells him that he’s flat broke. Gordon can’t believe what he’s hearing. He tells Harry he’d help, but he reinvested all he had in the provincial stores. He then realises Harry’s going to sell the stores and Harry apologises, saying this was the only way. Jimmy’s already working on the deal. Harry says he’s sorry again and Gordon does the family thing and tells Harry to do what he needs to do. Harry promises to make this right.

He goes to D’Ancona and gives him the money, yelling at him for terrifying Harry’s daughter and granddaughter. D’Ancona is unrepentant.

Victor has shut down the club especially for his dinner with Mae. As he’s looking over the preparations, Jimmy shows up to be a dick and tell Victor to stay away from Mae. Victor tells Jimmy to get lost and they start to tussle. In the struggle, Jimmy accidentally throws Victor off the balcony they’re standing on, killing him. Wow, I didn’t see that coming.