The fifth episode of “Great Expectations” had Pip being taken to a brothel by Mr. Drummle and Jaggers out of his opium den. Pip runs into Compeyson, who is threatening to take back what Pip has. However, Pip doesn’t really have any idea what Compeyson is threatening to take back. His brother-in-law Joe visits home, but Pip ends up being sent away on rather bad terms, which upsets Joe more. Estella, just to get a reaction from her mother, chooses to marry Herbert Pocket over Mr. Drummle. Estella also ends up meeting her father, Magwitch, for the first time. Will Estella finally confront her mother? Would it be possible for Pip to make up for the people he ended up upsetting?
Spoilers Ahead
The Drummle And Co’s Loss
The finale episode begins with Compeyson, under the guise of visiting Joe and his wife’s home in a bid to find out if Pip is back home and hoping to do some snooping around to know more about the gold. Joe does not let the stranger stay at their home because he knows the other vacant room belongs to Pip, and he is waiting for the boy to come back. Joe knows Pip will come back home. The fact that the room is vacant is a symbol of that. Even though Joe’s last meeting with the boy did not go as planned. Pip tried to push Joe away because he is not feeling comfortable being himself in front of his brother-in-law, whom Pip loves and respects.
Back in London, Mr. Drummle comes across the dreadful news that the ship that his company had insured sank in the previous night’s storm. A business deal that went kaput, and he is not sure how they will ever recover from this massive loss. Jaggers was also informed of the loss, and he was angrier because he faced a bigger loss than Drummle. Jaggers ended up sinking all of Pip’s money into this business. He had hoped to make some profit out of it, but with the ship gone with its cargo, Jaggers does not know any other way to recover the money he lost. Pip is also informed of this catastrophe. Upset that his money won’t ever be coming back, Pip tries to commit suicide by hanging himself off the bridge. He is saved by John Wemmick, Jagger’s assistant, in the nick of time. Pip falls off into the Thames River, and neither Wemmick nor Jaggers can find the boy. The loss took a big toll on Pip. It was like a reality check, which he needed. He realized that in the name of becoming a gentleman, he ended up losing his money on a doomed business that he should have seen coming. With nothing to lose, he’d decided to kill himself. Fortunately, he was saved by a merchant once again from drowning.
Estella Is Letting Her Mother Know About Her Truth
The storm affected not just London but also the town where Pip grew up and the place where Estella lives with her mom Lady Havisham. The home is destroyed by a tree, but Estella is hardly worried about that. She confronts her mother and lets her know that her father, Magwitch, came by to meet her, and he also conveyed that he has some news about the man who jilted Lady Havisham’s heart. Estella suddenly feels she has more power over her mother, with Magwitch showing up and letting her know about her life which she hardly knew, thanks to her mother dearest Lady Havisham. Estella also now knows the name of the person who broke her heart, Compeyson. He was the one who not just had a rivalry with Magwitch but also managed to run away from the marriage that was supposed to happen between himself and Lady Havisham. She doesn’t know why he would run away from her because she had everything he was looking for, money and status. Lady Havisham is disturbed to hear about Compeyson, and Estella now knows she has hit the nail by uttering his name. Estella lets her mother know that she will not marry Herbert or Mr. Drummle. She feels she is in control of her life and cannot let her mama do the bidding for her. She also lets Lady Havisham know that Magwitch would like to meet her, but not in her wedding clothes. Magwitch would want to see Lady Havisham as someone who was not rattled by Compeyson’s actions. He would like to see her as her normal self.
Did Magwitch Finally Get Hold Of Compeyson?
Pip ends up being rescued by a ship that is headed toward his hometown, Gravesend. The boy cannot believe that after everything he has been through, his destiny is taking him back to his hometown. With everything he has lost, going back to Joe and his sister seems like the only great thing that has happened to him. He hopes to make amends with everyone around him, swears not to be obsessed with Estella, and wants to become a rich gentleman. On reaching Gravesend, Pip starts working in the blacksmith shop. He starts the work as a way of repenting for what he said to Joe back in London. He also meets with Biddy because he knows he did her wrong by running off to London, hoping his riches would help him pursue Estella. He is not choosing Biddy just because Estella refuses to be with him. He chooses her because he overlooked one fact about Biddy. She is his friend first, which will make their relationship beautiful. Jaggers also comes by his town to check if Pip is back here, and he is relieved to see him alive. Pip lets him know that he is not willing to go back to London because he has realized it has done him more harm than good. Jaggers always had a liking for the kid, and to see him alive and healthy, Jaggers made sure not to corrupt him anymore.
Pip also runs into Joe, who is happy to see the boy back, trying to make it up to him and wanting to stay back in his hometown. Pip, though, is also informed about a man with a large scar who showed up at their doorstep, who happened to know Pip’s name. Pip was quick to recognize who the man was, and he headed out to let Jaggers know that Compeyson was here to track down Pip. Lady Havisham learns from Magwitch that he followed Compeyson to Australia and back to the UK only to get him to talk about why he broke Lady Havisham’s heart. Lady Havisham burns the only painting she had of him, and she is finally talking about the man whose name she had not uttered in the last twenty years. Magwitch also warns Lady Havisham that Compeyson might come by her home to take her gold because the man is in dire need of money to survive. She needs to remain strong in front of him. Lady Havisham comes across as a heartbroken woman, but internally she knows she is strong enough to withhold the sight of that man she dreads.
Compeyson does come by Lady Havisham’s home, and he is the only one who refers to her as Amelia. He was hoping his flirtatious nature would make Amelia’s heart melt, but Lady Havisham is too strong right now to be falling for Compeyson’s tactics. Lady Havisham was hoping to one-up him, but he ended up stealing all the money she had for herself. On the other hand, Jaggers and Magwitch try to hunt down Compeyson at a local pub, but they realize the man has just left, and they know where he must have headed. Lady Havisham, to kill the man, sets her bedroom on fire, hoping Compeyson will not be able to get out. The man gets out, but he ends up having a scuffle with Magwitch, who came by at the right time with Jaggers to defend Havisham and his daughter. As the fire in the house is rising and spreading, Compeyson ends up killing Magwitch, and in retaliation, Lady Havisham shoots Compeyson with his gun and runs away with Pip and Estella just before her home is about to collapse. Lady Havisham knew she would not fall for Compeyson’s tricks anymore; that’s why she took her chance and made the most of it. Havisham had killed the man who ruined her life, a revenge she had long desired. Magwitch also came through to save his daughter and Lady Havisham, but unfortunately, he had to pay for it with his life.
Estella asks Pip to marry her because she believes that one should marry a person who loves them. As she is built to not love anyone, she can live with Pip. But Pip rejects her offer because he cannot live his life the way Estella wants to. He would rather have a relationship where he and his partner would love each other endlessly. Pip ends up marrying Biddy, and Estella marries Jaggers because they seem like people who are perfect together. Pip finally getting over his obsessive love for Estella to choose someone right for him comes across as a positive change in him. He does not want to get carried away by Estella’s views of life, which he feels are not right for him. Estella would rather live with someone who agrees with her notion of love and life.
Final Thoughts
This finale episode of “Great Expectations” seemed like the only episode that was engaging from the beginning until the end. With the need to tie up all the loose ends from the last five episodes, the sixth episode felt like something the writer and director worked on thoroughly and did not spend time convoluting. The screenplay had a flow that was refreshing to watch. Unfortunately, it was the last episode that had a structure, something that was missing from the rest of the show. The story of Pip going back to his roots to appreciate them was executed well. There were no highly verbose dialogues to confuse the audience. The dialogues in the last five episodes felt like they were added to increase the screen time and drag each episode somehow to 55 minutes. In the finale episode, every minute of the show is utilized to tell a tale of what the character is going through. Pip’s redemption arc seemed rushed, but somehow it worked in this 55-minute-long episode. The performance of the actors, too, felt a lot closer to being honest. Lady Havisham finally taking off her bridal clothes felt like a breath of fresh air for her character as well, something that was well-written and executed. The last episode seems to do justice to the whole show by ending it in the right way. Though the dark nature of the show was absent from the last episode, it is not something anyone missed. A good end to a rather mediocre miniseries.
