Violence Intrudes on Emma’s Success in ‘A Woman of Substance’
... my desire is destruction and I’ll never stop, not ever, until I’ve ruined you and everyone in your spineless and privileged family.
We’ve reached Episode 6 of A Woman of Substance, with only two more episodes left in the season, and our older Emma Harte is at a low ebb. She’s had a heart attack and is in hospital, with faithful right-hand man Jerry Sloane (Tyrone Huntley) on guard. With Emma out of the way, the forbidden romance between her favorite granddaughter Paula Amory and journalist Jim Fairley continues. But they don’t have long; Emma’s itching to get out, planning an early escape from her “business trip.” Jerry advises her to slow down and rest, but this is Emma Harte who slows down for nobody.
Some fifty years earlier, it’s the day before Christmas, and a line of excited customers forms outside the brand-new Harte’s Emporium. Emma’s grocery store is packed with delicious holiday food; snow and a brass band playing carols add to the festive atmosphere. Inside, the shop is hopping, with David Kallinski helping out. Emma invites him to her home for Christmas dinner, but he declines; he can’t be a regular friend of the family, and he may not be available to help in the shop in future. He softens the blow by offering to close up the shop that evening, joking that he intends to help himself to the cheese.
While Emma returns from the shop, Joe and their toddler daughter Edwina (Everly Miller) decorate the Christmas tree. We see a new facet of Emma, the perfectionist who wants everything done her way. Joe has handed over the management of their three shops to Emma, while he stays home with his books, the garden, and the children. (They now have a second baby.) Although he adores his family and is massively proud of Emma’s achievements, he’s not altogether happy with this arrangement, especially since Emma wants the shops to use her (maiden) name. She then works all night, cooking and filling holiday stockings, only for the chocolate yule log to get dropped. Emma leaves for the shop to find a replacement, and also figure out what to do with a surplus of meat and potato pies.
