The season finale opens as the staff is happily decorating the hotel for its 50th anniversary celebration but tensions run deep beneath the festive facade.
Toby can’t seem to memorize the confidential information that D’Abbeville is demanding. D’Abbeville pressures Toby to get it to him by the next day so he can make his escape. The boy tries to broach the subject of D’Abbeville’s character with his mother, but D’Abbeville interrupts them and steers the conversation in his direction.
The man from Richard Garland’s secret past confronts RG in the lobby, begging for a job. D’Abbeville observes the scene and realizes that Mr. G is unsettled by the encounter. Always one to press an advantage, D’Abbeville follows the man out of the hotel and learns the truth about Sargent Sam Green.
In a lighter moment, Mr. Garland has managed to track down Max Klein’s wife and daughter in an internment camp at the coast. They arrive on the night train. “Mr. Garland, one day I will repay you for this,” says a tearful Max.
Adil and Toby argue and Toby fires him. Before he goes, Adil counsels Toby that he can’t handle D’Abberville on his own. Toby heeds the advice and spills the beans to the unflappable Mr. G. “I will deal with our Mr. D’Abberville,” RG assures Toby. We love it when Mr. Garland says things like that.
Mr. Garland’s plans to oust D’Abbeville go awry when he reveals that he knows the truth about what really happened in that forest during the war. “Whatever move you make, you lose,” he smugly tells RG. Our hero is caught off guard, but doesn’t crumble. When Toby later asks him how it went with D’Abbeville, Mr. G acknowledges that the odious man finds himself in a position of strength—but that RG has one more option.
That option is to tell Lady Hamilton the truth about D’Abbeville. The conversation does not go well and RG leaves her—but his words have hit their mark. Lady H ransacks D’Abbeville’s room and finds the tickets for his departure and his passport hidden in a book. He discovers her in his room and their argument rapidly turns deadly for him. He should know better than to threaten a woman’s children when a blunt object is within her reach.
Once more, Mr. Garland comes to the rescue, sending Lady H off to get dressed for the anniversary party. “Leave this to me, your ladyship.” He hides the body and cleans up every drop of blood—all while immaculately dressed in his suit and white shirt. MI5 arrives and is on the way to D’Abbeville’s room, search warrant in hand, as RG finishes his task and meets them at the elevator with a smile.
Freddie is at the hotel for the anniversary party and asks Emma to give him another chance. Joe O’Hara is not about to give up on her and tensions between the two men run high. Betsy advises Emma, “Hell—there’s a war on. Choose ‘em both.”
Meanwhile, Betsy tells Sonny that she loves him and Richard invites Peggy to be his guest for the anniversary party. RG is sorely disappointed when Peggy turns up on the arm of her husband who has just come home on a weekend pass.
The anniversary party is getting started when the air raid sirens sound. The guests haven’t made it to the basement before a bomb hits the hotel – conveniently taking out the wing of rooms where D’Abbeville’s body is hidden. Lady Hamilton attempts to make her way to D’Abbeville’s room—to assure herself that his body will burn with the hotel—when RG intercepts her. As the rafters fall in around them, she finally utters the most sensible words we’ve heard her say all season: “Lead the way, Mr. Garland.”
Joe helps Emma out of the hotel and releases her to go to Freddie. Betsy is motionless on the sidewalk and Sonny is nowhere to be seen. Are the writers playing with us? We’ll have to wait until next season to find out.
One thought remains—everyone should have a Richard Garland in their life!
Aired at 9pm on Monday 20 February 2017 on ITV.
Visit Barbara Hinske’s official website here.
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