Mr. Selfridge: Digs and Ditches

I fear for the future of Mr. Selfridge. The storyline has ground to a halt, and I just can't imagine how the producers can squeeze a second season out of it.   I still watch it every week, but only because Call the Midwife airs right before it, and I'm already comfortable on the couch. That said, here's my Digs and Ditches for this week's episode: 

Frank Winfield Woolworth, circa 1911

Dig: Cameos by the great and powerful of the day: F.W. Woolworth was Walmart before there was Walmart. Fun stuff for a history buff like me!

Ditch: Sappy, moralistic plot twists, like F.W. abandoning his London business plans because time with his wife is more important.  Puh-leez! Like THAT would ever happen! I was looking forward to the competition between Selfridge and Woolworth.

*********

Dig: Mr. Grove actually asking Mr. Selfridge about a reference for Miss Bunting. That took guts.

Ditch: Mr. Grove. He is the most unappealing character on the show. Why Miss Mardle wants him is beyond me. Did he actually think giving poor Miss Bunting his dead wife's clothes was helpful?  At least she'll be stylish when she ends up in the Work House. 

********

Dig: Miss Ravellius.  She has so much untapped potential. We haven’t begun to see what she can do yet, good or bad. Get with it, writers!

Ditch: Ellen Love already.  What was that pathetic little scene at the Palm Court? She’s tired, her storyline is tired….tired, tired, tired!

********

Dig: Lady Mae’s clothes.

Ditch: Rose’s clothes.  What’s with the constant off-white? Her day clothes are off-white, her evening clothes are off-white, her sleeping clothes are off-white. Give her some color already! The overload of black everyone else wears is bad enough.

 ********

Dig: Victor. Bless his heart, you don’t have to hit him over the head with a brick. He’s got Lady Mae’s number, and is returning to his original strategy of intelligence and hard work. He’s someone you can root for.

Ditch: Miss Towler or at least the storyline with Frenchie. What a hussy she’s turned out to be! One gift of a scarf and she falls into bed with him? Her romance with Victor was way more appealing.

********

Dig: Jeremy Piven.  He’s the lone spark in an almost dead fire. Hang on, Jeremy. Everyone makes career mistakes.  You’ll survive this!

Ditch: The do-gooder, wistful Lady Mae. I want the conniving villainess back! No one slithers into a scene like Lady Mae.