Britain’s latest Victorian drama is a 3rd-time adaptation of “The Forsyte Saga,” this time clearly aimed at impressing a Gen Z audience by casting some names who have recently appeared in shows and movies that could be popular amongst them. From what I’ve read on the trusted Reddit community, this version of the show is wholly unfaithful to the original classic, so if you’re a fan, then you might end up becoming very disappointed, very fast. If you go by the search engine overview of the show, you’d expect sex, money, and power to be central elements of this show, but they aren’t at all. It’s very much PG-13 in its depiction, and generally focuses more on the multi-generational family’s relationship with “family” itself. While the show doesn’t necessarily bring anything new to the table, it is actually quite entertaining, and I can see it getting more seasons. So with that said, let’s dive into everything that happens in the ending of The Forsytes season 1.
Spoiler Alert
Is There Something Brewing Between Irene And Philip?
Irene and Soames’ romance feels unnecessarily fast and just plain unrealistic at the start. It doesn’t even seem like she’s really interested in marrying until Soames suddenly shows up and offers to help her live her dream. Here’s where everything goes wrong. Soames is a selfish man, and he apparently only comes to realize this when he sees the women of the ballet dance with their dance partners and realizes that he could never let his wife do something like that. The way he turns on Irene should be studied, because he never gives her a real explanation, becomes avoidant when she realizes the truth, and even lies to her that his dad is dying, which is why he needs to go back home. Everyone knows Mr. Jack Davenport, i.e., James, is perfectly well, and this is all a ruse to get Irene to go back to London with him. The thing that really gets on my nerves here is that Soames can never leave Irene, because he chose her, but she is entirely different from him in every way possible.
More importantly, her family became destitute after her father died (which almost coincides with his ruin, thanks to Soames), and Irene being forced into marrying Soames in the hope that she would actually get to go to Paris and live out her dancing dreams. Of course, this man is just making false promises. Later, Soames uses June’s fiancé, Phil, to commission a house for the two of them. Phil is so quick to catch onto the fact that he’s basically being asked to design a prison for Irene, away from the family, with no means for escape. She’s quick to make friends and quick to attach herself to people, whereas Soames is the exact opposite, so the only way he can imagine she’ll be “under his control” is if they have a home separate from everybody’s watchful eyes. Also, was Grandma Ann admitting as much that she was trapped in a loveless marriage too, and that the jewelry she was given never really helped in any way? Perhaps.
Anyway, by the end of 6 episodes, we can already see the cogs turning in Phil and Irene’s heads about an escape plan. What poor June can’t notice, though, is that the duo have clearly fallen for each other. I don’t know why the show had to spoon-feed this to us, because when June introduced them to each other and held both their hands, it became so clear that this was going to turn into a doomed love triangle. It is quite sad that June won’t get the happy ending she wants with Philip, and if she does end up reacting as I’d expect, I have an awful feeling that will villainize her, and I just don’t want to see that. Couldn’t Phil have been a decent man with no interest in Irene? Does it really have to be love? Maybe I’m reading too deeply into it.
Does Soames Become The New Chairman?
Throughout the show, there is a debate between the two brothers, Ann’s children, about which grandson will become the chair of their precious company. Ironically, both grandsons are actually uninterested in this position to begin with, but somehow, by the end of the series, they’re fighting for it. Under Soames’ leadership, there’s a huge blunder, which causes a man named Harry Falconer to become penniless. When Ann hears about this, she becomes very alarmed and insists that the family pay him back. But this is something both her sons can’t seem to understand. It is only in the final episode that she reveals to her elder son, Jolyon Sr., that Harry is actually her grandson (whoops). To be fair, this doesn’t really make him a Forsyte, and Ann’s very clear about what the family stands for: loyalty, respectability, etc. She’s always lived up to the duty she has to the family, but perhaps that’s why she’s okay with giving her grandchildren more freedom than she got. Anyway, ultimately, Ann doesn’t let her two sons hand the company down to the next gen. It’s not time yet.
Does Jo leave Francis?
In The Forsytes’ ending, Jo finally chooses his own children and ex-lover over his wife and stepdaughter, June. Now, this could make him look evil, but the problem here is that Francis didn’t give him a choice, because she wanted Louisa out of their lives, which would require Jo to cut ties with his children. I suppose, like his grandmother, he could’ve chosen his duty over his own desires, but ultimately, he’s “different,” so he decides to move away with Louisa and their two children. While this is great for Louisa and her kids, this whole situation puts June’s life in jeopardy, something Francis literally didn’t even care about. She’s so busy only thinking about her reputation and life that she forgot how important her husband is to her daughter. I really, really don’t want to see everything go down for this girl, because she showed signs of maturity, and she really seems like she’s not naive but learning. However, with things turning out like this, I have a feeling she might end up becoming the big bad wolf.
What Can We Expect From Season 2?
It’s already confirmed that there’s going to be a second season for The Forsytes, which means that we’ll be able to see how things change for the Forsyte family in the near future. For one, Jo and Louisa can’t just exit London society. Frances has promised there will be no divorce, which means Jo’s children will never be legitimized, and this brings a whole new set of problems. Additionally, this means he can’t be heir to his family fortune either, which would mean what exactly? Will he become an artist and support his family while Louisa continues to work as a dressmaker? But where? And how will they survive? On the other hand, I believe we’ll be seeing Irene and Phil working together on an escape plan. I guess we’ll see a romance flourish between them, too, and that’ll leave June all alone and pining. To be honest, I’m hoping they do something different and give June a savior arc rather than a villain arc. I hope she becomes so dear to Irene that she helps her escape, and Phil realizes he does, in fact, love the girl. Meanwhile, the whole Ann drama also has to unfold, and the business is in a disastrous position. So let’s see how everything goes.
