Picnic at Hanging Rock episode 3 review: Who was rescued?
Who was found?
That was the big question many of us had and it turns out that it was Irma – and she’s still alive! Not only that but Michael is being touted as a hero since he didn’t give up the search after everyone else had thrown in the towel. Is there going to be a love connection here because of this? Before the girls went missing we saw Michael and Irma exchanging a few flirting glances, but we also saw Miranda toying with Michael’s feelings as well even though she wasn’t interested in him and since they went missing Michael had been holding onto Miranda’s stocking.
Irma tells a similar story to Edith, that they climbed the rock, fell asleep and that someone else was there that she can’t remember – might have something to do with the college doctor giving the girls a heavy dose of morphine to keep them sedated and confused. We expected Irma to be banged up, but outside of a bit of dehydration she’s fine – though she is concerned when she learns that she was found without her corset. After an examination they conclude that no assault happened.
After hearing what has happened, Irma’s father doesn’t want her to return to Appleyard’s school (shocking, we know), but instead to return home. She refuses to leave saying that she is meant to stay and marry Michael – the man who saved her life. After speaking further with Michael she starts to feel that he maybe wishes that he had found Miranda instead of her, but that’s not stopping Irma from pushing forward with Michael under the idea that they will marry and live happily ever after – something that Michael’s aunt is pushing for as well.
At the end of the day, Michael decides that he can’t go through with it and instead of attending the proposal dinner he sends Irma a letter with his regrets and a message that he’s planning to meet with Miranda’s parents. Clearly his obsession with Miranda hasn’t waned even a little and Irma isn’t getting the happy ending she wanted.
The thing about all of this though is that Michael’s obsession with Miranda, to us, isn’t necessary about her or any feelings he has for her. We more so suspect that he has feelings for Albert and that Miranda represents a type of freedom that he wants, but feels he can never have because of his standing in life.
Appleyard’s secrets
With Irma having stayed at Michael’s family’s estate the media have moved away from her college much to her relief, but the secrets just keep spilling out. We know that Appleyard herself is hiding her past with Arthur (seems that they were into some criminal activity before he was shot and she fled into hiding) and she is starting to see signs that someone related to him may have found her. She has been telling the tale that she is a widow, but this may be a lie since the last thing we saw in a flashback is him threatening to hunt her down and kill her.
To add to this she now has the inspector coming to her with another secret. Miss McCraw had letters from her father written about her “behavior” (affection for other women), which in this era is something that would lead to another scandal for the school.
Related – Check out our episode 4 review of Picnic at Hanging Rock.
CarterMatt Verdict
Having Irma back in the story (outside of flashbacks) helped bring the feel of the show back to what we felt in the premiere. As much as we love Appleyard, the friendships of Marion, Irma and Miranda and the performances from these three actresses is what is pulling us into the show even more than the mystery it’self. While Irma didn’t reveal much that we didn’t already know from Edith’s story, what she did say was more revealing than anything that happened at hanging rock… she hates Miranda.
What did you think of Picnic at Hanging Rock episode 3 and are you excited to see where the story goes next? Leave us a comment in the box below with your thoughts. If you want more scoop on the show or are looking to chat with other fans of the series then be sure to join our official CarterMatt Facebook page. (Photo: Amazon)