‘Victoria’ Season 2: “Comfort and Joy” Recap

Previously on Victoria: The Princess Royal’s illness worries Victoria and Albert, and disagreements over her care ultimately result in Lehzen getting sent back to Germany. Sir Robert Peel risks his position as Prime Minister in the name of repealing the British Corn Laws. And Drummond is sadly killed by a bullet meant for his boss, on his way to a meaningful dinner with Lord Alfred. If you need them, more details can be found in our full recap of “The Luxury of Conscience.”

While this episode serves as the Season 2 finale in America, most viewers will were probably able to tell that “Comfort and Joy” was originally a Christmas special. If its slightly padded runtime weren’t an immediate tell, there’s holiday cheer, festive decorations, lots of romance and, of course, a happy ending all around. It’s possibly an overly saccharine note to end the season on, to be honest, but after so much emotional upheaval, there’s something to be said for a solid hour that leaves us feeling hopeful about the future of almost every character. (It’s what Christmas is for, after all, isn’t it?

The bulk of “Comfort and Joy” revolves around Albert’s obsession with introducing England to his idea of a proper, magical holiday experience. He’s obviously very successful in this endeavor in the end, since many of our own modern day Christmas traditions stem from the Victorian era. (See also: Christmas trees, greeting cards, ornaments and more.) But seriously, Albert is obsessed with Christmas. He throws himself into it with a glee that rivals my initial discovery of Benedict Cumberbatch’s professional catalogue. He has to find an absolutely perfect tree, he has to cover the palace in oranges, he has to leave extremely specific decorations instructions for the servants – and basically fully ignore anything else that might be going on, all in the name of holiday cheer.