‘Mr. Selfridge’ season 2, episode 6 review: Patriotism and paranoia

“Mr. Selfridge” is a series that we have touched on here and there, but to this point have not touched on too heavily when it comes to reviews. Tonight, we hope to change that with a look at a story that really had quite a bit happening within the span of an hour. There was opera singing, Harry’s attempts to be both patriotic and charitable at the same time, and also accusations of treason. This may be one of the most jam-packed hours yet, and given that we are more than halfway through the season now, we understand why. You really want to get the action going as you get closer to the finale.

But was this an entertaining hour, or one that maybe focused a little too much in the later going on the music rather tha the story? This is where we find ourselves a little bit torn, in particular when looking at the impressive array of British drama out there. It reminded us in a sense of the “Downton Abbey” episode from season 4, where the musical performance was meant more as a distraction, and not meant to be fully enjoyed thanks to the trauma surrounding it.

We also think of this as an episode designed more to be a carry-over to what is going to happen next week, given that we now have prison involved, further paranoia, and Selfridge determined to defend himself now for almost being American. This is the theme that the episode did have right, while it occasionally tried to jam in too many characters at once: Exploring the sentiment towards foreign-born characters in Britain, and the sense of anxiety that still existed there. The more than the show explores this and keeps things transfixed on Harry’s life (especially considering how strong Jeremy Piven is in the role), the better that “Mr. Selfridge” as a series is. Grade: B-.

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Photo: ITV