Upstairs Downstairs Series Review (The Guardian)

Upstairs Downstairs: Episode Six

The series finale was complex, classy and brilliantly executed – one of the best costume drama episodes for many a year.

 

Upon my word. I don't know what to say. I don't want it to end! The last 10 minutes of this episode may well be one of the best things seen in costume drama for many a year. Possibly ever. We had Lady Persie's last Sobranie, blood on the tiles of the hall of 165 Eaton Place, the chilling radio clip announcing "This country is at war with Germany." The runup to this episode's extraordinary climax was complex, classy and brilliantly executed. Downton who?

Oh the irony. I loved the lingering scene of debauchery at the top of this episode – a shoe on the table! Beryl in bed with Spargo! And what's this? At first it looked like Mr Landry was back big time – in fact Mr Landry only does big time. But that was a red herring flashback. Then it was Lady Agnes's turn to be all butter-wouldn't-melt while Hallam and Persie slowly sweated it out. 

Of course Hallam was always going to have enough of silly, conniving Persie at some point, and her turning out to be a spy for the Germans was just the excuse he'd been looking for. Handy, that. We finally had a moment of empathy for Hallam: he's knocking off his sister-in-law, convinced that his wife is cheating on him with a dishy American hosiery tycoon, his butler's drunk – and he has to take a bloody urgent phone call from the foreign secretary about the war. What sort of life is that?

It seems Persie has been dilly-dallying with Admiral Acronym. Or has she? Hallam shopped her any way just in case. "You don't have to trust me, Hallam ...". It's a bit late for that. There was a brief reprieve while Pritchard's drunken lunacy brought the lord and lady of the house back together.

Poor Pritchard. We thought he had everything so tidy in his mind – and now it turns out it was the demon drink that ended his career at Cunard. "In the days when I was in my current condition rather more often than of late, I used to find that black coffee had but limited effect." Just as Claire Foy does a mean villainess, Adrian Scarborough does a wonderful hangover. (Truly Scarborough and Foy have been the stars of this series.)
Despite the wedding/America plans, it initially looked as though Beryl was going to ruin everything for herself by spilling the beans to Lady Agnes: "It's not up to me to tell you, m'lady". I think you may have already said a bit too much, missy! But in the end it was a combination of dry cleaning and Lady Persie's skanky pillow that gave the game away. The scenes that followed that moment of discovery were unspeakably superb. True brilliance from an elegantly undone Keeley Hawes, and super-chic neurosis from Foy.
Game over for Persie meant the most enormous denouement and writer Heidi Thomas did not disappoint. Clutching her Berlin-era pistol, Persie grapples with Spargo, managing to accidentally shoot Beryl who has come in search of the pinking shears. Persie's suicide was brilliantly underplayed. There was much gasping and weeping in the Groskop household.
Beryl is not dead, however. She's just got her arm in a sling. It doesn't look like they'll be going to America now but Spargo is just glad she's alive. Hallam and Agnes close the series with the most upper-class line ever uttered: "Do you want a divorce?" "I think this whole thing has been quite sordid enough."

Special mention goes to Blanche, who's back and saving Europe from a phone box on a country lane. Sod your embalming jars, British Museum, we're at war. There was some beautifully humble acting from Alex Kingston who has excelled in this role, which was surely written just for her. We will overlook the Sapphic business with The Golden Blaze. She has no vanity, that woman, all dumpy frocks and speccy academic, and it makes her all the more gorgeous to watch. (Oh dear. I'm sounding like something out of The Golden Blaze now.)
Even more special mention, one with sequins on and a side order of pastrami bagel, goes to Mr Landry. Never mind the nylons – who'd say no to a bit of Landry Caress, Fully Fashioned? Equally adorable has been Blake Ritson as the Duke of Kent.

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--Overnight Viewing Figures for Episode 6 = 4.45 million.