The Victorian-era private eye returns — minus her longtime partner in crime-solving

Since April 2020, fans of British period pieces and crime fiction have been delighting in the wit and whims of Victorian-era private investigator Eliza Scarlet (Kate Phillips) and her policing partner DI William Wellington (Stuart Martin). With four six-episode seasons already under its belt, PBS’s Miss Scarlet and The Duke has continued to captivate audiences over the past four-and-a-half years — particularly as a series of pandemic-related lockdowns kept audiences at home, and often glued to their televisions, in the early days of the show. Now back for a fifth season, Eliza — strong, independent woman that she is — continues to handle matters on her own, with our Duke nowhere to be seen.

Created by The Mallorca Files writer Rachael New, Miss Scarlet and The Duke — which, for this farewell season, has been retitled, simply, Miss Scarlet — began by following Eliza in the wake of her father’s death. A well-respected detective who ran his own agency, Eliza’s father’s sudden passing left her penniless and on the cusp of making a self-defining choice in the first episode of the series: either find herself a husband to depend on financially (it is Victorian-era England, after all) or take up dad’s mantel and assume the responsibilities of the detective agency against all odds and gossip (again: Victorian England). As she was already in the business and in no great rush to become a wife, Eliza soon called upon a longtime friend and Scotland Yard detective for help: William Wellington, a copper nicknamed “The Duke” — a not-so-clever reference to England’s famed Duke of Wellington.

Throughout the remaining 23 episodes to date, Eliza and Duke solved cases of all sizes and subject matters, from theft and blackmail to gang violence and murder. Having a police detective on her side meant that Eliza had many resources at her beck and call — not to mention someone she trusted to back her up in times of danger. But now, in season five, things have changed once again for Eliza, and she has to start back at ground zero with Scotland Yard. While audiences don’t know what is coming down the pike for this diligent detective, fans of the show will remember (spoilers!) that in episode four of season four, titled “The Diamond Feather,” Duke professed his love to Eliza and then promptly left for New York City, where a job with the local NYC police force awaited him. Claiming that his London-based job around Eliza made it too difficult to separate his romantic feelings from his work, that heartbreaking moment was the last audiences saw of their dear Duke. Despite some followers of the show craving the romantic coupling of the two characters, Duke’s departure — much like Eliza’s father’s death — gave the character some agency, albeit this time agency of a more political kind. Wellington’s decision to leave for America was his own, just as Stuart Martin, the actor portraying him, chose to leave. Interestingly enough, they reportedly both departed because of Eliza Scarlet. “It has been such an incredible joy to bring Duke to life through Rachael’s beautiful, brilliant writing and to get to play him for the past four years,” Martin said via a PBS news release after season four. “But it felt like the time was right for Scarlet to explore new stories and challenges for now, as the show continues to grow and evolve.” Although many fans had hoped to see Eliza in a healthy, happy and romantic relationship with her longtime friend and co-worker, many — including Martin — would prefer to watch the heroine thrive on her own and find success as a woman in a male-dominated world. “I will miss working with my amazing partner in crime Kate and the rest of our brilliant family and team,” Martin elaborated, “but I’m excited to continue following Eliza and her escapades as a huge fan and newly enrolled Scarleteer!”

Several other actors will be returning to their roles, however, including Felix Scott as rival private eye turned frenemy Patrick Nash, Cathy Belton as Ivy, Paul Bazely as Clarence, Simon Ludders as Mr. Potts, and Evan McCabe and Tim Chipping as detectives Fitzroy and Phelps, respectively.

More intriguingly, on the new recruit front, Tom Durant-Pritchard (This Is Going to Hurt) will step into Martin’s shoes as Eliza’s Scotland Yard contact and ostensible partner — DI Alexander Blake, an ex-soldier turned copper. Ruby Siddle (late of Invasion) joins the cast as Blake’s daughter, Sophia.

Of this cast shakeup, leading lady Phillips said: “I will miss working with my pal Stu every day, and know Eliza will miss her Duke, but I think the best is yet to come for her. I can’t wait for fans to see what we have in store for season five.”

Miss Scarlet on Masterpiece airs Sunday, January 12, on KCTS