The Pursuit of Love – Episode Three Review

The Pursuit of Love has concluded with Linda in Paris just as the threat of war looms ever greater.

Episode Three picks up where Episode Two left off with Linda (Lily James) meeting a handsome Frenchman, Fabrice de Sauveterre (Assaad Bouab). Linda stays in the French capital with Sauveterre acting as her benefactor, giving her a large apartment and allowing her to get a high-end wardrobe. But when the war starts Linda must return to England, pregnant with her second child.

The final episode of The Pursuit of Love sadly ended the series on a whimper. The first episode was an energetic introduction that was like a Wes Anderson film and the second was story-driven because of Linda’s romances and her growing conflict with Fanny (Emily Beecham). The final episode lacked the style and narrative drive of the previous two episodes.

What this episode lacked in style and story it made up with glamour. The first half of the episode was set in Paris and Lily James got to wear lots of outfits during this portion of the episode. Fans of fashion and 1930s style will love the montages. Linda got a French Bulldog as a gift and she was really cute.

The episode was also strong at showing the sense of dread the war caused. As Fanny described it like an iron cloud coming ever closer. Linda was in Paris just as war was about to break out and France would be the background. Sauveterre and Alfred (Shazad Latif) both had to serve in their nations’ armies, even though Sauveterre was a rich duke and Alfred was an intellectual. On the Homefront the threat was felt because London was being bombed, including Linda’s apartment building, and at the Radlett family home, the family patriarch (Dominic West) was preparing everyone to defend themselves against an invasion. Despite the family’s wealth the Radletts had to experience rationing and many of the characters questioned what would happen during the war. For history nerds there was a lot to sink their teeth into.

Whilst these big historical issues were interesting, at least to me, the character drama was lacking. One of most interesting aspects of the second episode was the growing divide between Linda and Fanny because Linda was foregoing her responsibilities. The tension wasn’t as high in the finale. Their biggest argument was regarding how Linda treated her daughter and Linda stated that she was going to raise her second child right. That was a vile way for Linda to view things. But their interactions lacked drama, especially after the last episode where Fanny compared Linda to the Bolter.

The final episode still managed to have some humour. Dominic West was the winner on this front because his eagerness for the war and his xenophobia. It helped lift the episode.

The final episode of The Pursuit of Love disappointed when compared to the first two episodes. There were still some aspects that compelled and delighted but not as much as the previous efforts.