Why do all British period dramas sound like they are cut from the same exact cloth? The Forsytes, set in the Victorian period, definitely has the same kind of music we’ve heard a gazillion times before, but somehow Downton Abbey and Bridgerton actually stand out because of their memorable tunes. I don’t think I can say the same about The Forsytes which happens to have been adapted for the 3rd time. I wonder what draws people to the same characters and stories that have been on screen twice before for very different generations, and will it really stand the test of time if the story is completely reworked in its 2025 version? I’m not sure, but with that said, let’s dive straight into this recap of The Forsytes season 1.
Spoiler Alert
Who Is Louisa?
In The Forsytes, Jo is supposed to represent a man of duty. He’s loyal to his family, he’s followed whatever his parents expect from him, and his wife, who is clearly very different from him, was thrust upon him like all his other responsibilities. Somehow, his father chose a woman who already had a child of her own, probably because she was of noble descent, and that would help with the reputation of the family. But it’s thanks to Frances’ daughter, June, that Jo really becomes the man that he’s meant to be, taking on the role of a perfect stepfather. Throughout their marriage, Frances has done everything in her power to make Jo the ideal man to later take over the family business. She and his dad are particularly close and conspire together about how to “tame” him, etc. But Jo is too carefree for all that. Yes, he appreciates his privileges, but he’s also different from the rest of his family, and June finds a kindred spirit in him.
When June turns 18, 10 years after Jo marries Frances, things start to change. A grown-up June has everything she could wish for, but she herself is quite different from the rest of the Forsytes. The great-grandma she used to be afraid of is actually very fond of her now, and one can say that she really fits into the family. June gets a gown made for her debutante ball-type situation, not realizing that she’s opened Pandora’s box. Turns out, her dressmaker is actually her stepfather’s old flame. The thing is, Louisa left when she was young, and now she has two children, who happen to be Jo’s. She never told him because she read about his marriage in the papers, but what choice did she really have but to raise her kids as a single mother and make a living for herself?
But Jo turns up at her dress shop unannounced and learns that he’s a father to twins. This is a shocking turn of events for the whole family, but it’s important to note that Louisa isn’t his mistress; she’s the love of his life, who he thought had gone away forever. But through the rest of the show, it’s a back-and-forth for Jo between Louisa and his familial duties. Now, if Jo and Frances had had kids, I feel like things would’ve ended differently, but because they didn’t, Jo is certain he should look after his own kids at least financially. Frances tells Jo to cut ties with Louisa, even if that means he wants to help her in some way before going away, but this doesn’t happen.
Jo doesn’t want to give up on his kids, and even June can see why, but Frances can’t. She’s worked too hard for her life to be perfect, and Jo’s new “mistress” is simply ruining everything. Frances even tries to get Louisa evicted, but Jo gets her a home for the kids and her and even makes a beautiful painting on the wall, making it clear that he wants to be there for his kids. Ultimately, this family is torn apart because Frances doesn’t budge, and Jo really just wants to be there for his kids. But hey, I guess that’s a good excuse to get back with his love, Louisa, too.
How Was Soames Responsible For The Financial Ruin Of The Herons?
The Forsytes have been in the stockbroking business for generations, and they’ve had a tradition of passing the chairmanship of the board down from eldest son to eldest son. The trouble now is that Jolyon, son of Jolyon Sr., is too much of a softie in the eyes of the board to take over. He subscribes to ideals like compassion and sympathy, which have no place in the cutthroat world of the London Stock Exchange. His cousin, Soames, on the other hand, is ruthless and profit-minded, and we see this pretty early on when the question of the future of the Durham Mining Company comes up. The company’s fallen on some hard times, and Soames’ first instinct is to SELL SELL SELL and offload their shares in the company, protecting their investors from a loss. Jo insists the company can still be rescued, though, saying it just needs the Forsytes to show they still have faith in them; otherwise, they will never recover.
Soames and his father, James, disagree, and they decide to go behind Jo’s back to sell the stocks anyway. As Jo predicted, the resulting dip in their share price leads to a run on the Durham Mining Company, and they’re pushed out of business practically overnight. This infuriates Jo, and not just because his authority’s been challenged, but because the Durhams were close friends of the Forsytes. Unfortunately for Soames, the bankruptcy of the Durhams has a further knock-on effect he could never have anticipated. He’d recently been enchanted by a woman named Irene Heron, whose father passed away practically the day after they’d met. One thing led to another, and he agreed to Irene’s stepmother’s request to take a look through their financial holdings and give them a clear idea of where they stand. Imagine his shock when he found out that the bulk of Mr. Heron’s wealth had been tied up in Durham Mining Company shares, which meant Irene and her stepmother were now broke, though not out on the street.
Who Is June Engaged To?
As I mentioned earlier, June is “different” as a Forsyte, and it doesn’t come as a surprise to anybody when she proclaims that she herself proposed to Philip, an architect, except for her mother. Philip is a Fabian socialist, and you’d think June would just be influenced by the ideology he preaches, but instead, she decides it’s best to marry him. This is also when June is being bombarded by proposals, and she obviously doesn’t want to end up with someone she doesn’t know. Philip does say yes, but there’s an off-chance he doesn’t really love her? Maybe he thinks he will eventually. But anyway, Jo permits the engagement, because he genuinely cares for his daughter, and even though it leaves Frances very upset, she agrees to it too.
Why Is Irene Stuck In London?
When Soames first meets Irene, he’s instantly smitten, but we can’t imagine he already knew that she was destitute, or just about to be, because of his own mistake. But Irene falls for his charm and his sudden interest in her, even if it’s almost unexpected. So much so that she even agrees to marry him without really knowing him. I guess we could see the signs almost immediately when he introduced her to his family as his fiancée, even though he told her they would take it slow. But Soames promises Irene a life in Paris. She’s always dreamt of becoming a ballet dancer there. However, when he goes there with her, it becomes abundantly clear that they’re entirely different people. To be fair, if Soames were a different kind of person, he would’ve appreciated the fact that they’re so not alike, but he’s a toxic man who decides he’s going to trap his wife and never let her leave.
Soames has already written to his dad saying he plans on never returning from the honeymoon, but after seeing the sensual ballet, he decides there’s no way he’d allow his wife to do something like that with other men, and in front of other men, so he decides to bring her back. He lies to her that his father is very unwell and tells her not to leave the house. But Irene isn’t one for bounds, and she steps out of her own will, making friends with his staff and meeting up with his family. But this is when she learns that her father-in-law is perfectly well.
What’s worse is that Soames learns that June and Philip have seen Irene dance, and he asks the latter to design a house for him, away from the hustle and bustle of London. What Phil catches onto very fast is that this is a prison for Irene, and he offers the design at a very high cost. At first, Soames doesn’t agree, but when he realizes that his facade is cracking and Irene doesn’t want to stay with him any longer, he agrees to pay the price. But at the same time, Irene and Phil have started developing feelings for each other, unbeknownst to June.
Who Is Harry Falconer?
At the end of The Forsytes season 1, Ann, the matriarch of the family, reveals to her son, Jo Sr., that Harry Falconer, the guy who went broke because of her family, is actually her grandson. I suppose the rebellion is inherited, eh? She also tells everyone at the gala that the family stands strong, loyal, and respected, something that they’ll uphold the honor of forever, but she’s not ready for her sons to hand it down to the next gen just yet. Interestingly, by this time, Jo’s gone away to Louisa, and Soames’ wife is planning an escape, possibly with his niece’s partner (yikes).
