The BBC’s Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell series is now complete, revealing the endgame to those who may not have known it before. So what worked about this series and what didn’t? Well, the final episode maybe should have been stretched out—for starters.
(Spoilers for the book’s finale in addition to the series finale.)
We begin with an appeal from Sir Walter; mirrors of England are broken and the paths to other lands are now open. England is full of magic and it is all Jonathan Strange’s fault. Drawlight sends Strange’s letter to Lady Pole, which instructs her to remain asleep so she can keep an eye on Arabella in Lost-hope. He then meets with Lascelles to tells him what Strange said, and Lascelles demands all of Strange’s correspondence. He wrestles the box containing Lady Pole’s finger from Drawlight, destroys his letter, then shoots Drawlight. He goes to Norrell to tell him that Strange is returning, and Childermass discovers (through his cards) that Lascelles is keeping something that Strange intended for him. He gets the box from Lascelles, who cuts his face in retaliation and forces Norrell to make a choice between them. Childermass tell Norrell he’s made a mistake and leaves.
Strange comes to Hurtfew Abbey, locking Lacselles away and demanding that Norrell help him find the spells he needs to call on the Raven King and return Arabella to him. Meanwhile, Childermass goes to Mr Segundus with Lady Pole’s finger. They lock Stephen away when Sir Walter reads the letter from Strange to his wife that explains that Stephen has been helping the Gentleman. Mr Segundus attaches Lady Pole’s finger too early (since Lacelles destroyed the letter from Strange to Childermass giving those instructions), waking her and bringing the Gentleman for revenge. He releases Stephen and plans to kill Lady Pole using him as the means.
Strange and Norrell do a spell that does indeed call the Raven King to them, but he quickly disappears, reappearing where Vinculus was hanged. Childermass has cut the man down and the Raven King revives him, writing a new book on Vinculus’ skin. He then erases Childermass’ memory of the event and heals the cut on his face, leaving Childermass to herd Vinculus onto his horse and head back to Hurtfew. Having lost the Raven King, Norrell and Strange work to bring him back, calling for “the nameless slave” as the prophecy calls him. They offer him Norrell’s library, planning to infuse him with all the magic in England, but instead the spell calls Stephen and he receives the power. Lascelles breaks free of his confinement and shoots Stephen; the Gentleman sees this and kills him, then brings Stephen back to Lost-hope. Strange and Norrell follow, finding that the Darkness that has been following Strange does not follow them into Fairie. Norrell tells Stephen to use the magic he has been infused with, and Strange finds Arabella and tells her how to get back to their world. Stephen uses the magic at his disposal to kill the Gentleman and become the king. Arabella goes through a mirror and find herself in Venice with the Greysteels.
Strange tries to leave Hurtfew and go to Arabella, but finds he cannot leave and that the Darkness has not been reversed following the Gentleman’s death. Childermass arrives at Hurtfew just in time to see both men swept away to parts unknown. Vinculus tells him that they were the Raven King’s spell all along. Arabella goes to the place where Jonathan stayed in Venice and sees him reflected in a pool of water. He tells her that he is happy to see her safe and that he loves her, but that he can’t come back to her. He tells her that one day he’ll figure out a way to end the Darkness so he can return to her, and she tells him that she’ll find him herself if that doesn’t happen. Then he bids her goodbye, telling her that he doesn’t want her to be a widow, that he’d like her to be happy and to think of her that way. Childermass calls the Yorkshire Society of Magicians together and tell them that their contract with Norrell is void and that they may practice magic again—and so may anyone. He brings in Vinculus and tells them that translating the new book on his skin will be their task.
This all happens… very very quickly. To say the least.
Most of the deviations from the narrative in this series led to just the problems I was hoping it would avoid; the cause-and-effect of John Uskglass’ spell are fairly flimsy on explanation because they were not properly built up over the course of the past six episodes. Vinculus says that Strange and Norrell are the spell that the Raven King is working, but that is never paired down for our consumption. Anyone who hasn’t read the book will never understand that John Uskglass was overcome by the Gentleman With the Thistle-down Hair long ago, and this prophecy was basically his Get Out of Jail Free card. That Strange and Norrell are being manipulated to do things on his behalf, even though they think they are acting for themselves.
This is more aggravating where Stephen’s story is concerned. To me, it feels as though he was reduced to a plot device in this telling, the man who was handily part of the prophecy so that he could be in the right place at the right time to kill the Gentleman. When he does so, it’s in a flurry of magical rage (with Strange and Norrell awkwardly about to slip him useless advice—seriously, their presence there is pointless, and clearly only added so that Jonathan could have a final moment with Arabella and essentially “kiss her goodbye”) that shows him laying waist to Lost-hope. This robs Stephen of his literal “crowing moment” in the story, the point where he returns to Lost-hope (since he was meant to kill the Gentleman in England, an act he performs to keep Lady Pole safe from the fairy) and takes his place on the throne, showing the people there that he will be a compassionate, wise ruler. He spends the first half of the episode helpless and locked away, then the second half full of magic juice, and the poignancy of his journey is utterly abandoned. I’m sad about it. Stephen deserves better.
Childermass and Vinculus play out as they’re supposed to, and Lady Pole is done right by for the most part. (If anything, she is afforded more power in this version, which I’m for generally, but they seem to have traded Stephen’s development for hers in places, which is less happy-making.) Lascelles’ story works out as it should until the very end—I understand that his endgame is perhaps too much extra information to shove in at the end of the television series, but shooting Stephen is a poor shorthand of his descent into murder that makes very little logical sense. In addition, Drawlight’s death is made far too plain without the interference of English magic. It’s a broader complaint I have with how this final episode treated magic in general. At the start, Sir Walter talks about how the mirrors of England are broken and the paths to fairie are open to everyone, but we never see any examples of that bleed through. Fine, they only had an hour—but then that’s a problem. A two-hour finale would have served their needs better, given them a real chance to flesh out the changes that have occurred as the result of this magical banter that Norrell and Strange have engaged in since their acquaintance.
The show moves quick to do all the emotional work between the titular magicians in this last episode. And the work they do is wonderful, particularly on Eddie Marsan’s end—Norrell’s promise that he will continue to search for Arabella even if Strange dies, his tearful insistence that he’s not afraid about what lies ahead for them—it’s endearing, absolutely. But both of these guys are being diminished for the sake of TV likability. Here, Norrell’s library vanishing becomes a choice he has to make, a moment where he has to decide not to be a miser and give up what he cherishes. That makes him more sympathetic. In addition, this idea of the Darkness being a draining sort of curse that is killing them both—but then vanishes when they enter Fairie—absolves Jonathan of his responsibility where Arabella is concerned. Oh, he can’t come back! He’d die! I love how they filmed their final meeting in the reflection of water, but it’s meant to be a tearful, romantic departure. This devoted couple is being torn apart. What a woeful shame.
But that isn’t the point. For me as a fan of the book, Strange’s goodbye to Arabella was pretty much my favorite point of the novel. Sure, he could make his way back to her, live in the Darkness, try to work out a way of ending it the curse, try to be a good husband. (Or at least an available one.) But he basically runs off with his pal Norrell to explore other worlds and do all the magic he’s ever dreamed of. That is who these men are. It’s not nice, it’s not responsible, it’s not noble. It’s bittersweet. It’s exciting. Jonathan Strange and Gilbert Norrell don’t have to be good, that is not their purpose as the leading men of this tale. They have to be magicians—the Raven King pretty much designed them that way.
So the ending of this series was altogether abrupt and unsatisfying for my tastes. But there are parts of it that I loved, and moments that it beautifully brought to life. The actors in particular get a tip of the hat, and John Childermass should still have his own series. (When Clarke puts out a sequel some day?) I’m still pleased that the BBC made a go of it, and that some version of this story exists on film. But maybe next time, let the finale take it slow and really go out with the wallop this story deserves.
Emmet Asher-Perrin is also confused as to why this episode didn’t have a title? You can bug her on Twitter and Tumblr, and read more of her work here and elsewhere.
Anyone who hasn’t read the book will never understand that John Uskglass was overcome by the Gentleman With the Thistle-down Hair long ago, and this prophecy was basically his Get Out of Jail Free card. That Strange and Norrell are being manipulated to do things on his behalf, even though they think they are acting for themselves.
That was something I couldn’t make my mind up about when reading the book 10 years ago. If the Gentleman was just a malicious character accidentally unleashed by Norrell or if he had a role in the disappearance of John Uskglass. Also between the book and the adaption, I thought the latter tended more towards the Gentleman being the Big Bad who wanted to install Stephen as a puppet ruler of England. Versus reading the book where it was more about his own narcissistic belief that he was simply rewarding Stephen and putting things right. But what makes for gripping viewing and watching can be two different things. I was mostly pleased with the choices – even if the climax at Lost Hope was a little too Doctor Who for my taste.
In regards to maybe diminishing the storyline for Stephen to enhance Lady Pole was also what was lost in changing Flora Greysteel. While she’s still the one friend who’s loyal and helps him when things really go bad, it becomes Lady Pole (who turns into one of the characters in Inception) who really becomes Arabella’s protector. Personally I liked the relationship between Flora and Strange in the last act of the book, which is pretty bittersweet. And to go with the overlooked/voiceless characters in that society. She basically saves Strange by making him give up the madness tincture and then serves as Arabella’s rescuer/protector. At least it is something of a happy ending knowing that the newly emancipated Lady Pole is traveling to Venice to meet up with Arabella and Flora.
On a side note, I kind of want to get the soundtrack because different bits and pieces have been earworms in my head for the past month.
They did botch Stephen’s story line and arc, which is perhaps the biggest misstep of the series. He was never as sympathetic as he was in the book and, yes, we should have seen him crowned in Lost Hope.
This series has had a “tell, don’t show” problem- “Magic’s flooded into England,” but we don’t see any of the common people who start randomly doing. “North Englanders are rebelling”- but we don’t actually see them do this. And in the previous episode it was nice to hear Stephen Black talk about the racism he faces, but we never got to really see anyone be racist to him.
And the appearance of the Raven King was, sadly, underwhelming and too quick.
But overall it was pretty dang good adaptation, and the cast deserves huge credit. Eddie Marsan and Bertie Carvel have both been magnificent in their roles and their reconciliation was very touching. And Enzio Cilenti stole all the scenes he was in as Childermass, my favorite character in the book, and I do love that they give him both the first and last words in this series. And while they did muck around with the ending quite a bit, at least they did not give the Hollywood happy ending to Jonathan and Arabella.
Oh my! I hadn’t even entertained that risk as a possibility! Despite working in favour towards making Strange and Norrell as likeable as possible, an unsurprising flaw for a family show – that’s what this TV adaptation is, after all – I felt it never pulled its punches when it came to twists, so it had never occurred to me that they might reunite Jonathan and Arabella!
What really diminished Drawlight´s death for me was the simple fact that he was such a cartoonish character in this adaption. Not that he was not funny or played badly but I half-expected him to spring back to life and complain about how “tis only a flesh wound”.
I suspect there was no title because Seven is one of those numbers with a weight of magic and finality. Tends to come up in old faerie tales as an indicator of a complete set (7 days in creation, 7 sons, etc.). I expect they used “Chapter Seven” as the title for this episode as a nod to that tradition.
The title of Episode Seven was “Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell”, which is an awkward title for reviewers and recappers.
I suspect Lascelles did not die after he was porcelainised, but only shattered, like Goldie Hawn and Meryl Streep in Death Becomes Her. I suspected the same of the Neapolitans after they were burned to ashes: that they were not destroyed, only put beyond the power to upset people.
Anyone who hasn’t read the book will never understand that John Uskglass was overcome by the Gentleman With the Thistle-down Hair long ago, and this prophecy was basically his Get Out of Jail Free card.
I never saw any sign of this in the book, and I must have read it a dozen times or more by now. My interpretation was always that Uskglass had tired of being the Raven King and had gone on to other things, disregarding his old alliances, and that the Gentleman had come across the loose threads of those alliances and gathered them up. I see no evidence that Uskglass was in any sense imprisoned: his appearance at the end of the book, to me, has more the air of someone much more interested in other things, taking a few minutes to clear up an old problem. (He even has his ravens oversee the Strange/Norrell “spell”, so is not, it seems, hugely personally invested even in that: he makes an appearance to rewrite Vinculus but not to oversee Strange and Norrell at all.)
For that matter, I never got the sense that the Gentleman was a major player in any real sense. Lost-hope seems to be less a major estate and more a tumbledown house with a large guest list: an estate is, at most, all it is. Uskglass had three kingdoms, won by sheer force of personal magnetism (or whatever it is you need to get lots of faeries and the animist spirits of England to follow you) and (correspondingly?) overwhelming magical ability. There’s a description of his employing the entire kingdom in its dreams to construct unclear defences, perhaps in his kingdom in Hell, so he clearly retained enormous resources late into his reign, and when those resources are passed to Stephen Black for a few minutes it’s sufficient time to defeat and kill the Gentleman for ever.
It is possible that the Gentleman and his lands were more impressive in the past — the land is explicitly stated to respond to the king — but as it is, the Gentleman defeating Uskglass, let alone imprisoning him, seems about as likely as a small-time landlord with a single house suddenly buying the Crown Estate out of that house’s rental income.
@Nix, Thank you so much for that reassurance. I just finished rereading the book a few days before this episode aired and when I read this review I thought, “How on earth did I miss that?!?” I’ve been puzzling over it for days and came to the same conclusion you did. I just don’t think the Gentleman, let alone any user of magic in the world Clarke has conceived of, could manage such a feat.