Eliza and William Reach an Emotional Impasse in the 'Miss Scarlet & the Duke' Season 2 Premiere

It's been almost two years since Miss Scarlet & the Duke was last on our screens, which has more than likely left many viewers curious about what the show would be like when it finally returned. Thankfully, Miss Scarlet is as strong in its Season 2 premiere as it's ever been, spinning a pleasantly twisty mystery that's more important because of the way it impacts Eliza Scarlet's (Kate Phillips) and William Wellington's (Stuart Martin's) relationship than in the specifics of the story it tells.

But that's part of the appeal of this show, isn't it? Eliza's cases are generally...fine, particularly in how they illuminate the uncomfortable sexism and misogyny that was so pervasive in a time of such supposed progress and enlightenment. And most of them tend to focus specifically on female characters and problems, telling stories beyond simply having a woman appear as a dead body as so many other mystery series do.

However, as great as all that is, let's not kid ourselves. We're here for the relationship between Eliza and her Duke, and this premiere is full of even more emotional highs and lows than usual on that score. The pair admit they have feelings for one another! (Sort of.) They decide they can't act on them. (Again!) And both are (obviously) tortured by walking away from the nebulously defined future together they both so clearly want. How are our hearts supposed to take this for another season?