I watched Belgravia: The Next Chapter (2024) and this is what I had to say about it.
A Review & Thoughts (No Spoilers) on the newest Belgravia series. Following the next generation of the Trenchard family, it tells the story of the upper class, set in London, Victorian times.
Dear Readers,
For those who didn’t watch the first series, it may be a good idea to watch it before watching Belgravia: The Next Chapter. It is a continuation of the Trenchard family, who were posted left, right, and centre in the first series, and the dramas that the latest Lord Trenchard faces, so you can expect this one to be much of the same. These are my thoughts on the programme discussing it without spoilers. Even though The Period Drama Journal is loyal to old period dramas, new ones also have their positive points. So without further ado, we shall get into the plot.
The Plot
Running for a total of eight episodes, it mainly follows the lives of two families that live in Belgrave Square, London which is quite similar to the first Belgravia which aired on ITV in 2018. Though this time the story starts some 25 years after the first series so the story is now set in the Victorian era. It surrounds the Trenchard’s son: Lord Fredrick Trenchard (Ben Wainwright) and his establishment in London high society. There are also a few new characters such as a Lord and Lady Rochester (Miles Jupp and Sophie Winkleman) who have a close relationship with Lord Trenchard. Its main focus is the dramatic home life of these aristocratic characters and the business ventures that Lord Trenchard is involved in. The series follows family drama, the mystery tension in a brotherly relationship, and plenty more family drama from other secondary characters such as Lord and Lady Rochester.
The Characters
Miss Clara Dunn (Harriet Slater) is amongst the first female characters that we meet in the series. The first episode starts with our main characters getting ready for a house party at the Duke and Duchess of Rochester’s house in Belgrave square. Miss Dunn and her family are invited and this is where she meets Lord Trenchard. Clara impresses and captures his eye when she sings at the pianoforte. She is a very headstrong character who takes an interest in the man’s world of business. Though perhaps, during the first half of the show, she is particularly naive as it appears that when we first see her, she is having her first season in London and is in complete awe of the splendour that Belgrave Square offers.
Clara has a sister Emily (Hannah Onslow) with whom she gets along with tolerably. Emily has her own storyline as she gets involved with the Trenchard family. So, plenty of drama there. Emily is also a very determined character who is also quite pushy to get what she wants with a caring and compassionate personality.
Clara and Emily’s obnoxious and chatty mother, Mrs Dunn (Sophie Thompson) is quite entertaining to watch as she supports her two daughters somewhat. However, she reminds me of Miss Bates - Sophie Thompson did play Miss Bates in 1996 Emma adaptation with Gweneth Paltrow in the titular role.
Throughout the series, we also catch a glimpse of flashbacks from Lord Trenchard’s past that have come back to haunt him. So we get flashback scenes with his parents, Susan and Oliver Trenchard (Alice Eve and Richard Goulding) and a young Fredrick and his younger brother, James (Toby Regbo) whom we also meet as an adult.
Adding to the aristocratic names to the list of characters, we have the Duke and Duchess of Rochester’s children. As one of their children has an illness, they have the constant doctor who advises them on these matters. A Dr Ellerby (Edward Bluemel) is the figure of medical advice. He also advises Clara on her ailments and through him, she meets several of his artist friends who open up her restricted and sheltered world into more opportunity.
Belgravia: The Next Chapter, is also about Lord Trenchard’s business ventures as well. The Marquise d’Etagnac (Claude Perron) is potential business partner, she is a French aristocratic business woman that all of London society is impressed by when she enters the London scene. The Marquise is a mysterious character and provides some of the drama that brings some colour to the show. She takes a liking for Clara and has an impact on the outcome of the story.
No period drama written by Julian Fellowes is complete without an extensive ‘downstairs’ staff cast. For those familiar with Fellowes’ other period dramas, will know the drama extends to the ‘downstairs’ staff too. Often, they have their own romantic interests and conflicts between themselves to resolve. They are perhaps not as memorable as the ones in Downton Abbey, though the loyal and steadfast butler of the Trenchards: Enright (Gerard Horan) is one of the most memorable of all of the Downstairs staff. Lady Trenchard’s lady’s maid, Davison (Elaine Cassidy) who is content to follow her mistress like a shadow, is also an honourable exception.
What I found to be most agreeable
I was glad to find many of the main characters were likeable and relatable. Lady and Lord Trenchard, the Duke and Duchess of Rochester were all likeable characters which is a good start considering it is an emotional story all about family. So, as the viewer, when they have those emotional scenes, you do sympathise with them. Many of the events were punctuated by social occasions, balls, and teas. Not featuring very heavily throughout, Mrs Dunn was portrayed very delightfully by Sophie Thompson and was similar to the Miss Bates character whom she had played before. Her flustering behaviour stole each scene she was in.
John Lunn’s signature theme song puts the viewer in the mood to watch a scandalous and drama filled series with colourful characters at every turn. The upbeat tempo and minor melodies really put the viewer in the zone of a period piece on the privileged upper class of the Victorian period.
The show dealt with issues such as mental health and infidelity commendably. In a time where those who had mental health issues were taken away from society and shunned, the show puts them forward with many of the characters being quite open with discussing the mental health issues that they suffer. The unvieling of infidelity in the way that they did was interesting and treated the issue with some delicacy.
This series might be just the one you are looking for if you fancy watching something with a sweet mother and child relationship. For more on mother and child relationships in period dramas read my previous Substack on that subject written especially for Mother’s Day celebrating the mothers in our lives. The Duchess of Rochester and her first born son have a sweet relationship, but there are added complications which make it very hard for her to devote as much time and care to him as she would do with her other children. The Duchess is joined by a bubbly and jolly Duke who is quite awkward in front of his own children, but is very carefree and enthused when he is with Fredrick whom he treats like a son giving him plenty of advice. As he is also great friends with Fredrick, he tries to hold his best interests at heart which ultimately hold some weight at the end of the story.
Many of the costumes were on the whole quite accurate to the time period. Even though I am not an authority on this, I can safely say the dresses and suits fit quite well for the time period. However, there was a lack in interesting bonnets and hairstyles. This was the period where wealth women could afford to spend ages on their toilette as they called it. It remained to be seen in this series that care and attention taken with hair and bonnets.
What I found to be most disagreeable
It is disappointing to say, the drama in this series fell flat in comparison to the first where there was much more action happening. Where the first series was almost akin to an Austen novel, this series is closer to being an adaptation of the modern view when it comes to sensitive topics with the addition of ‘old world’ language. It makes for quite an uncharming period drama as it just seems the characters have that modern feel.
A part of the story where it should have been a bit more intriguing became bland. Lord Trenchard becomes involved with the Marquise who is famed for her successful business ventures, nothing fishy there. However, when it comes to light that there is something underhand about her, it just seems to be a fact that all of the other characters seem to accept. Eventually everything is explained, however, her role in the story did not seem to be doing anything. The fact that there was something fishy about her appeared to go only skin deep into the whole impact on the story. In fact I was questioning what the purpose was of having her in the story - maybe it was another attempt to warm to modern sensibilities that prefer a ‘strong business woman?’ Either way, having her character and that added plot in the story was not impactful and did not warm to me as it did not seem she had a motive.
The Dunn family also seemed quite missplaced in the story overall. Considering that Mrs Dunn is a widow so she is a single mother trying to co-ordinate the potential suitors for her two daughters, is quite risky as from the way that her character is, she would be sooner alienated from polite society. It seems like there was very little known about them and for Clara to meet Fredrick at the Duchess of Rochester’s house is questionable. For a single mother who is neither wealthy nor have high connections or an aristocratic name to be associating with people of high birth and noble name does not seem realistic for the time period. These things probably did happen, though if they did, they were few and far between with social mobility being restricted, even in today’s established modern society.
The relationship between Clara and Lord Trenchard seemed quite superfical and not entirely believable. It was an important facet to the story and to be questioning if a pair of characters should be togther when the whole point of the story was to have to togther is not ideal. I thought that they became married far too quickly and there wasn’t a reason for why they should be married.
Is it worth watching?
The answer is, yes if you enjoyed the first series, but prepare to be disappointed as the story is not the most exciting and has been something that has been done over and over again in period drama. For the flashback scenes alone, which weave this series with the first one, bring it all into perspective and make it more worthwhile. However, without the backstory, it is not engaging enough to be rooting for any characters. If you are looking for anything more, you will find yourself disappointed about this series. It is forgettable, but maybe, if you are totally invested in the story, it may take you to the Victorian period. Belgravia: the next chapter offers a cast of characters who are complicated, but don’t require much to understand them. It might be just the period drama you are looking for to fill the void.
Charm’o rating - score out of 5
Duration - 5
Storyline - 2.59
Period drama experience - 3
Characterisation - 2
Romantic Storyline - 2
Scandalous Affairs - 3.5
Music - 4
Plot twists - 1
