Britain's most scandalous sisters hit our screens this month in a series titled Outrageous, because that's what they are: simply scandalous. The series, based on a novel, tells the story of the six Mitford sisters (make no mistake, they have a brother named Tom) and their lives before World War II. The controversial story is intriguing from the start.
Narrated by the eldest sister, Nancy, a spinster of almost 29 years old who is still seeking to marry her lover of five years. The first two episodes focus on introducing the sisters and their current ideology, but we soon understand why some of them were considered so controversial back then. The second episode introduces us to British fascist leader Oswald Mosley and his relationship with Diana, the only sister who was already established and had two children in the family. The story has only just begun, but I can't wait to see what the future holds in Outrageous. That said, let's jump straight into episodes 1 and 2.
Stars: Bessie Carter, James Purefoy, Anna Chancellor
The series begins in September 1931, and the Mitford family is cutting corners to manage their finances at the onset of the Great Depression. Having lived in luxury all their lives, the Mitford sisters are determined to keep their allowance and remain wealthy, but life has other plans in store for them. Nancy, the eldest, is our narrator and introduces us to all the sisters and the only brother: Nancy, Diana, Pamela, Unity, Jessica, Deborah, and, of course, Tom.
In episode 1, Diana is married to Bryan Guinness, an aristocrat, and the couple is a sight to behold. They also have two beautiful children. The younger sisters are what would be considered rough-around-the-edges for the time, while Nancy is the one the family has abandoned because she remains single, despite being the eldest. David, the father, announces at breakfast, where no one is allowed to be late, that he's cutting the older sisters' allowances in half and, among other things, that they're going to rent out one of his houses. We soon discover that he's quite the patriarch, but he also seems to care quite a bit about his children. Still, I suppose tradition always comes before nurturing.
It's the year Unity is due to make her debut into society, and Diana offers to host her. Unity clearly doesn't seem to mind being a "lady," but she's forced to do it anyway because that's how women live. The girls also don't receive an education because someone tried to do it with one of them and got her expelled from school. While Bryan isn't keen on social gatherings where politics is discussed, Diana is drawn to the new talk of the town, Oswald Mosley, leader of the British Union of Fascists. But she's not the only Mitford sister smitten with him. While in her case it's a romantic attraction, for Unity, it's more about ideology and saving the great nation (whew!).
In 1933, Diana realizes she's in love with Mosley, but she also knows he won't leave his wife for her. In a way, she accepts it and would rather be free from Bryan's yoke, because it seems she no longer loves him. Mosley is a known womanizer, but Diana doesn't mind being the secret lover because she believes his wife is fine with it too. It turns out not to be, but Diana discovers this too late. The divorce leads to Diana being rejected by her father, but the sisters continue to visit her in secret. When Mosley's wife dies, Diana becomes the public enemy, because it is presented as if Mosley's wife had given up on life upon learning of the affair. To top it all off, Mosley goes on a "relaxing" vacation with his wife's sister without even considering Diana's feelings.
At that moment, Diana asks Unity, who has begun to believe in the fascist movement, to accompany her to Germany. Now that she's a free woman, Diana wants to make use of that freedom. Unity is thrilled to go to the land of the Nazis, of course, and they both attend the infamous rally in Nuremberg, Germany. Unity decides to join the fascist party in her country because she wants to recruit people and become the voice of the party. Meanwhile, Jessica is totally against the fascist movement and is a communist herself. She often tries to talk to Unity about it, but it's a waste of time. Nancy also thinks the fascists are not the way forward for Britain. Eventually, Mosley returns, asks Diana about the rally she attended, and tells her he misses her. They finally seem inseparable now, but I wonder if she'll ever become his wife.
At the end of Outrageous Episode 2, a drunk Peter walks into the house Nancy just prepared for him the day before the wedding and tells her he's quit his job. He also doesn't care if she dumps him and tells her she's the third person he's proposed to that week. Nancy somehow sticks it out, and the next day, after asking her dad if he likes Peter, she decides to hold her head high and walk down the aisle. Whatever her plan is, I hope Peter has to pay. But she's not one to give up easily. But this will be the last celebration for the Mitford siblings for a while. We'll have to wait and see why.
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