The Buccaneers season 2 has been quite the disappointment for a lot of us, specifically because of the Theo and Lizzy plotline. Added to that, we only got a tiny glimpse of Leighton Meester as Nan’s mom in the show, which I was personally hoping to see more of. But that aside, the way Nan seems to be making poor decision after poor decision, despite having been introduced as the smartest of the lot, feels especially disappointing. Meanwhile, the Theo and Lizzy plot came out of nowhere and seemed entirely contrived. But to make things worse, they’re not just infatuated but actually in love with each other, which means Lizzy’s life might be ruined forever. So that’s Theo ruining the lives of two women now, sigh. Oh, and things aren’t going great in Italy either; guess everyone’s just doing whatever they like at this point. So, without further ado, let’s jump into episode 5 of season 2.
Spoiler Alert
What Does Nan’s Return Mean?
The Buccaneers episode 5 begins with a montage of Lizzy and Theo going around the castle and having a grand time. I honestly thought it was a fever dream until Nan shows up and proves to us that this is actually happening. An undressed Theo pretends he needs to be dignified while talking to his wife, while Lizzy hides in her underwear behind one of his paintings until Nan leaves. She’s already crying because she knows this whole thing has been a huge mistake, and none of them deserves this. She runs out, half naked and crying, with Theo going after her, though I don’t know how Nan wouldn’t hear that. Also, the Dowager Duchess has seemingly disappeared into thin air, too, meaning Theo is now all by himself (except for Lizzy). Here’s the thing: Nan and Theo’s conversation makes it seem like they’ve both never been in love with each other and are over the other to the same degree. Nan admits she should’ve never married him, but Theo also knows that his mum gave her no choice, so she has no reason to feel guilty. Nan’s proposal is that she will stay with Theo until the bill’s passed, so when Jinny comes back, she’ll be safe in every way, but after that, they can both lead their separate lives.
Somehow, all Theo wants to do is tell Lizzy about this. When Lizzy gets back home, Mabel sees her and knows immediately that she’s not doing okay because of Theo. Lizzy tells her that their relationship feels like a fever burning inside of her. She tells her that she thought she would never feel alive again because of Seadown. She felt ashamed because of him, but Theo helped her get over that feeling. Mabel reminds her that Hector’s everything she ever dreamed of. Lizzy tells her that Nan’s back, and even though she knew that she wasn’t in love with Theo, and she told her she was never coming back, it still feels like a betrayal on Lizzy’s part. Meanwhile, Nan finds Lizzy’s earring at the castle, and seeing as they’ve been childhood friends, I think we can imagine she already knows it’s hers.
At what seems like the rehearsal dinner-esque party before the wedding, Theo finds Lizzy when she’s by herself and tells her to meet him at the park at 4. I’m not sure how such a public meeting is allowed, but okay. Also, Nan announces herself, and Lizzy has to act all surprised about her being back. At the park later, Lizzy shows up, and Theo tells her about Nan’s plan. He wants to confess to her, but Lizzy tells him she doesn’t want to listen to what he has to say. He asks her not to marry Hector.
What Happens Between Mabel and Honoria?
While her sister’s getting married, Mabel’s left wondering what she’s meant to do with her life moving forward. She has a conversation with Conchita about how she might not even want marriage and that she’s different from everybody else. It seems at the moment Conchita understands what Mabel is saying, and Mabel thanks her for it too, saying she’d go to her the second she thinks she needs a man, but not to her mom. Conchita tells her maybe someday a man might change her mind, but she also brings up how Honoria’s changed in the last few months and how she’s so much more confident in herself when earlier it seemed like she’d never want to meet anyone. Mabel and Honoria are deeply in love, it’s true, but they also have their entire lives ahead of them. For Mabel, her lesbianism has been a part of her identity for some time now, which means she’s been with a lot of women, and she knows what it’s like. Honoria, on the other hand, has only ever fallen for Mabel. All good things come to an end, and this love story seems to be on its closing pages at this point because Honoria might be getting a teaching job in France thanks to Hector’s dad, while Mabel has to stay back for obvious reasons. But this isn’t the end of the world for either of them; just as Mabel says in her speech for Lizzy, sometimes you have to let things go. Mabel considers going back home with her mum, seeing as she’s the only one left unmarried and now that Honoria’s found her calling, she’s got nothing left, but it’s surprisingly her mum who tells her not to give up on herself, because sometimes even if you’re missing home, you have to keep going because the world is beautiful and massive. The sister’s speech did make me cry.
What Happens in Italy?
Naive Jinny is under the impression that she feels like herself again now that James has come to visit her. She’s wearing the fancy gowns, and she’s grooming herself because she wants to show him her best self, but why? Well, I suppose it’s a cross between “I want to show him that I’m doing perfectly fine without him” and “I need to look pretty for him.” Now, we know that Jinny is clear about James doing her wrong, but she still does like him and likes the idea of a regular life with a husband and kids, so I guess she’s considering making it work. Especially when Freddie’s around, they look like one happy family, so she’s obviously in two minds.
On the other hand, Paloma confronts Guy about having seen him with another woman. Guy is already tired and upset since Nan left, so he tells her the truth and the fact that Jinny is not his wife, but that they’re in Italy because of her “brute” of a husband (loved that coming out of Guy’s mouth, honestly). They both panic, wondering where Jinny is, but she shows up after her second meeting with James, claiming she went on a walk and that she needs rest. Jinny is still in two minds, because James shows a bit of his true colors when he talks about how he could’ve chosen any other woman, but he chose her. She’s also worried about what people will think. She should know that she’ll be the one who gets all the hate. But to make matters worse, she overhears Paloma and Guy having a blast together, laughing and singing around. Apparently, in their drunken state, they’ve married each other, while they thought they were just having a bit of fun.
What Does Theo Tell Lizzy?
On the night before the wedding, the girls sleep over with Lizzy, making her feel loved and appreciated. But there’s something that’s still holding her back, of course. Meanwhile, Hector tells his dad that he’ll be sure that the two of them look out for each other, almost like he’s having second thoughts, too. This guy isn’t really in love with Lizzy; he’s just looking for convenience. But hey, the Dowager returns, and Hector’s father and she share a kiss because Nan is back, and she’ll take care of everything else, which means the Dowager Duchess is free of her duties. Hey, at least the elderly can get their love matches.
At the end of The Buccaneers episode 5, a beautiful Lizzy walks down the stairs in her wedding gown, while Theo contemplates his fate in the streets of London. He makes a run for it while the carriage is reaching the church, and just as Lizzy is about to enter after her girls, he stops her, and you have to see it to know how Theo’s avoided showing himself in front of Nan. Lizzy says she needs a moment and steps aside with Theo, possibly the love of her life. He uses the same word as her, fever, when he describes their love. But he isn’t telling her not to marry Hector, so she can choose him. He tells her that if they got together, they’d have to hide from the world, and he doesn’t want that for her. He tells her she deserves everything and a love that is pure and whole. Honestly, this dialogue reminded me of when Meredith Grey said, “Choose me, pick me,” and it changed culture forever. This time, Theo tells Lizzy not to choose him, but to choose herself. Lizzy’s crying when she leaves Theo and walks up to her girls, but will she marry Hector? I suppose Lizzy’s going to go with her heart because this is a TV show, eh?
