The second episode of The Buccaneers had us reeling with feelings. It was just a series of situations that we recognized because their prevalence hasn’t dimmed in the present day. But we could not make up our minds if something was wrong or right. It was all incredibly shady, and we would feel better without the stereotypes dominating the narrative. It feels like they are not allowing the real story to peek through, and it is probably a disservice to what is turning out to be a decently engaging fare. Let us see that through the recap.
Spoiler Alert
What happens to Conchita?
Conchita is what we were talking about when we said the above lines. Her not being accepted due to her American upbringing is just a little too stretched out. English people may be more restrained in their manners, but are we to assume that they actually don’t have any zest for life? It is one thing to occasionally make fun of accents or differences in manners, but completely another to let these be the cause of actual lifelong hostility. A better excuse would have been race or even economic background, or perhaps a country more alien-like France or Germany rather than simply America. But again, these are the words of someone who belongs to neither country, so we could be wrong.
It has been a month since Conchita gave birth, and she is in Runnymede, partying it up with the girls. Her husband arrives there with a few other men, and they are all swimming, eating, and generally making merry. Conchita tells Nan that she wants to have this time before she goes back to a house and a life where her Americanness completely alienates her and resigns her to a life of loneliness. This is the only time she may get for a long time, and it is precious to her, which is why Nan refrains from telling her about what Jinny has said. Conchita has a good time with Richard, and the couple seems to reignite their love over that evening. But the next day, Conchita overhears him, saying that she would never fit into the English way of life. He also says that he will always love her, but Conchita doesn’t hear that. However, Richard’s distinction between ‘women and wives’ means that he will continue his awful treatment of her. He loves her but would always want her to change, and we don’t think that he will ever stand up for her. Conchita hearing his confession of love would not have made a difference, other than giving her some more false hopes. She says that she loves him, but she is already heartbroken and is advising Nan to lower her expectations for her future husband.
What happens between Seadown and Lizzy?
Honoria was clear when she said that Seadown was a monster. But she should have told this to the right people. But then again, most men’s wrongs are only spoken about in hushed tones, and they only reach the right ears when it is almost always too late. Jinny has been vying for Seadown’s attention right from the moment she arrived in London, but he has mostly been cold. When she tries to flirt with him, he brushes her off rather rudely and starts dancing with Lizzy instead. Lizzy herself is not very intelligent, and she starts dreaming of a future with him, not realizing that there is something wrong with a man who has been leading on her friend, only to approach a different woman so abruptly. We must agree that Jinny handles this with some grace, and she doesn’t say much to Lizzy. However, Lizzy turns it into a bit of a competition, only to find that she got something way worse than what she bargained for. Seadown makes her lay down on the bed, unclothed, for hours. It is a degrading act, and Lizzy feels the sting of it. The next day, he proposes to Jinny for her hand in marriage. We came to know that Jinny had pulled some stunt with him, and we are yet to know what it was. But what struck us is that Lizzy doesn’t tell Jinny what happened, and we are positive that the reason is not shame or embarrassment. It is her way of getting things even by pushing Jinny into this life as a way of coping with what happened to her. Jinny may be a little insecure and uptight, but she does not deserve this.
Does Nan agree to marry Theo?
Nan is not having the best time in Runnymede. She is unable to make up with her sister because she can’t understand her intentions in telling her the way in which she did. Then, there is also a new struggle with identity that has overtaken Nan, as she doesn’t know who she is, but she doesn’t want to be Amy Fairchild, who was a girl from her childhood who was made fun of for being illegitimate. Nan is quite happy when she meets Guy, and he tells her that Conchita forced him to come, though the reality is that he had begged for an invitation. Guy is quite generous with his compliments, and he often tells Conchita how much he likes her. Essentially, he has made a declaration of his feelings without using the word ‘love.’ But the moment Nan tells him about her parentage, something changes. Nan doesn’t notice it, but whatever agenda Guy has, it has to do with who Nan was rather than the kind of person she was.
At the end of The Buccaneers episode 2, Nan finds Theo in the garden. He had previously met a woman for matchmaking purposes and found that he was only thinking of Nan while the girl and her mother spoke about prickly hedgehogs. Therefore, he jumps into the sea, probably to clear his head, and then comes to a decision. He had come to Runnymede for the purpose of meeting Nan, and he wasted no time in asking to marry her. Nan is surprised, and she is certainly smiling at him. Theo had said that he suspected Nan also had feelings for him. We were doubtful about that, but we were sure that when Guy was telling her how he felt, she did not share his enthusiasm. Nan may not say yes to Theo, but we believe that she will want to get to know him more. After all, she simply can’t say yes to him while knowing absolutely nothing about him.
Final Thoughts
The Buccaneers has risen above the gravity of everyday emotions and has a foot in the thriller genre. Jinny will be particularly jealous of her sister, and Guy is up to no good. Seadown will start wrecking havoc any second, so this is a show to watch out for.
