Victoria and why sub plots do actually matter to the audience
contains huge spoilers…. Here are the things you would never know if you had only started watching Victoria in season 3
Prince Albert has a brother - yes i know right? Prince Ernest who spent so much time in series 1 and 2 at the English court he practically lived there is now barely mentioned even though one of the major story arcs for series 1 and 2 was his doomed love for Harriet Sutherland who was mistress of the robes in season 1 and one of Victoria’s inner circle. Harriet too has also fallen victim to the Bermuda Triangle lurking at the heart of Buckingham Palace as she too has disappeared completely never to be mentioned again. It has also swallowed up the Duchess of Bucchleuch, Victoria’s stereotypical vinegar tongued posh old lady with a secretly kind heart (oh spare me that trope forever please) who was Victoria’s mistress of the robes after Harriet. Alfred is gay - yep, series 1 (quietly gay in the background) series 2 (massively gay in the foreground with his beloved Drummond) is now well frankly just doing reaction faces in the background and the gay is clearly never to be mentioned again he’s also apparently married - again if you had just happened on season 3 you’d think he was a single guy about court
but then that’s because Miss Coke has also fallen into the Bermuda Triangle at court aka is apparently in the country having had baby Paget which you’d only know if you’ d listened to the podcast as it wasnt mentioned in the show. Now while I am hugely glad to have been spared Alfred going full het, its pretty galling that after breaking our hearts with Drumfred and then the tone deaf proposal to Wils (who amongst us hasnt proposed whilst holding a locket containing our dead lovers hair we’d been given 30 seconds earlier amirite?) Daisy cared so little about the ship she had created she couldnt be bothered to see it through. I mean at least break my heart for something that lasted beyond the next 15 minutes Daisy! and talking of heartbreak, Mrs Skerrett is dead. Yes after again 2 series and 3 episodes of building the Skerrett Francatelli romance, Nancy is dead about 5 minutes after finally getting married and Mr Francatelli it seems will not feature much or at all in the show again.
Instead we’re meant to emotionally invest in shipping the duchess and the footman, 2 characters we’ve known for about 30 seconds. Could be possible….maybe…..but you know why on earth would we? what we know is that Victoria is basically Game of Thrones aka everyone dies or disappears except Vicbert. So we might be tempted to care about Sophie and Joseph but why would we make the effort when we know full well given daisy’s track record that one or both of them will die or disappear never to be mentioned again.
It doesnt matter how strong the central relationship is between Victoria and Albert, the audience have to care about the people around them too. If Daisy as a writer cares so little about her minor characters, why should we? and once that happens people start to think, why should I watch? and that’s when ratings tumble….
