Review: The Way We Live Now (2001) (Episodes 3 & 4)

Review of the first two episodes here.

Episode two ended with Roger seeing Paul with Mrs. Hurtle. Episode three starts with Marie on a train, going to elope with Felix, while Felix is busy gambling with his friends.

I lost all sympathy for Paul when he agreed to spend the night with Mrs. Hurtle. He's said repeatedly that he loves Hetta and doesn't love Mrs. Hurtle, and then he goes and betrays Hetta 😠

Marie is arrested for stealing her father's cheque and taken back to her father's. Melmotte is a villain and a scumbag, but I have to agree with him when he tells Marie that Felix doesn't love her. Melmotte, meanwhile, is planning to run for Parliament.

Marie's arrest. (Well, technically it's not an arrest. More like bringing her home under threat of being arrested.)

Roger goes to see Mrs. Hurtle. He asks if there is anything between her and Paul. She tells him there is. Then Roger sees Ruby, and tells John, the man she was supposed to marry, where she is. One of Felix's friends suggests he goes abroad, so he goes to Ruby and offers to take her with him. But first he has to get money.

Paul arrives in Mexico and learns that none of Melmotte's money has reached the railway works. Meanwhile, Melmotte is still trying to get into Parliament. And Mr. Brehgert is starting to fall in love with Georgiana. Terrible idea.

Mr. Brehgert and Georgiana

Ruby's aunt and Mrs. Hurtle find out about Felix's plan to take her abroad, and they order him to marry her. Of course Felix has no intention of marrying her. Marie, unaware of all this, still wants to marry him. I see a lot of misery ahead for her.

Paul decides to expose Melmotte as a fraud. He goes to Mr. Alf, who owns a newspaper, and tells him everything. Well, at least he's doing the right thing in this case. Meanwhile, Hetta goes to Marie and tells her the truth about Felix. I don't know who I feel sorrier for: Marie, for having to hear the man she loves only wants her money, or Hetta, for having to give Marie such news 😢 Then Hetta says she's sure Paul never lies to her, and ouch, the cruel irony 😭

Mr. Brehgert and Georgiana get engaged. Her father is infuriated to learn his daughter is engaged to a Jewish man who's much older than her. Georgiana refuses to break off the engagement. Good for her, but considering how arrogant and money-mad she's shown herself to be, I'm not sure this will be a happy marriage.

Episode three ends with Paul returning and proposing to Hetta. Felix refuses his consent and tells her about Mrs. Hurtle. Episode four begins with Melmotte being elected to Parliament, and Hetta breaking her engagement with Paul. I agree completely with Hetta. Paul's behaviour has been underhanded and immoral, and she's much better off without him.

Melmotte in Parliament

Hetta breaking off the engagement

Just when I thought Felix couldn't possibly get any worse, he tries to rape Ruby. John arrives in time to save her and gives Felix a good hiding. Serves the bastard right!

Melmotte's financial scams, past and present, are now well-known and in many papers. I cheered when Mr. Alf gave Melmotte a piece of his mind. "The only thing you move is money, from the pockets of other men into your own!"

Hetta goes to see Mrs. Hurtle, who tells her about spending the night with Paul. Really, Hetta, it's time you gave up on him. He's not worthy of you.

Melmotte owes Mr. Brehgert money that he refuses to pay. Georgiana is furious to learn that Mr. Brehgert has very little money, and after an argument he decides to break the engagement off. I feel sorry for both of them -- more for him than for her, because she's a mercenary little brat -- but this is probably the best decision under the circumstances. That marriage would have been a disaster.

😔

Melmotte tries to pay some of his debts with money he gave to Marie. She refuses to give him any of her money. She gives her father a piece of her mind. Neither of them is likeable, but I side with Marie in this.

Mrs. Hurtle decides to give up on Paul, and tells Hetta so. Now she says that Paul didn't spend the night with her, even when all the evidence suggests he did.

Is this the only dress Mrs. Hurtle owns? She's spent most of the series wearing it.

The Melmottes are ruined and exposed as frauds. Melmotte is faced with total disgrace and an angry mob, so he commits suicide. This is an incredibly creepy scene, with the shots of his empty house while his maniacal laughter is heard in the distance.

Paul's business partner Mr. Fisker comes to tell Paul that the railway will be built anyway, in spite of Melmotte's fraud. Paul and Hetta get married, which is a real disappointment. Nothing he's done in the whole series shows he's good enough for her. She would have been much better off without him.

That final scene of Felix (who didn't get nearly enough comeuppance) is a very disappointing end to the series. It shows that he really didn't suffer much for his actions at all, and that he's still the scum of the earth. It would have been much better if they'd cut that scene and ended the series with Marie Melmotte closing the doors. That was much more dramatic and sombre.

So, what's my overall opinion? The Way We Live Now is one of the forgotten period dramas. You won't see many people talk about it unless they're die-hard fans of period drama. I can see why. It isn't atrocious like Pride and Prejudice (2005). It isn't outstanding like Bleak House (2005). It's just mediocre.

Is it available online?: Yes, on Dailymotion. The link goes to episode one, but all the episodes are available there.

Rating of these episodes: 5/10.

Overall rating: 5/10.