The Buccaneers Recap ‘Holy Grail’: The Elmsworth Girls

The Buccaneers Season 2 Episode 2 

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Yes, we will discuss the love triangle-ness of it all, but I’d like to start with the Elmsworth girls, who have been lovely and fascinating and strong since the first season and whom I am confident we will see a lot more of this season. Guy reaching out to Lizzy was the catalyst to Lizzy’s trip to Tintagel, and some beautiful setups to what I imagine will be future storylines for her. Why did Guy ask Lizzy to give Nan his letter rather than Conchita, who was closer to Nan? Well, Lizzy was single, she had no child to care for, she was freer with her movements. Also, Lizzy and Guy shared that scene in season one which was one of The Buccaneers’ best in terms of chemistry, dialogue, and emotion. So, this outreach made sense. 

Lizzy arrived at Tintagel Castle in time for the annual gathering of lords for the holy grail hunt. Nan and Theo were newly arrived as well, from their three-month honeymoon trip that was widely covered by the press. As soon as they were alone, Lizzy asked Nan how she was. 

Lizzy knew that Guy’s letter could potentially ruin the Tintagel ducal marriage. Before she handed it to Nan, she wanted to know where her head and heart was. Nan told Lizzy the lie that she had been telling herself, that she was all right, everyone was lovely, she still thought of Guy but she was making an effort to make her marriage with Theo work. 

Lizzy got a different story from Theo. As they walked through the paradisiacal woods of Tintagel Castle, Theo told Lizzy that he could hear Nan crying when she was alone. He knew that she had feelings for Guy. The whole conversation about King Arthur, Lancelot and Guinevere was a bit on the nose, but it fit with the show’s vibe. 

And so Lizzy kept Guy’s letter in her dress purse and tried to talk to Nan again before the big dinner. This time, Nan’s pain turned to anger, and she snapped at Lizzy before stomping off. But, she and Theo had a brief moment of bonding that night, and she went to Lizzy’s room and told her she needed to let Guy go. Nan also said she thought she and Theo had a chance at making their marriage work.

That was the confirmation Lizzy had been waiting for. She took Guy’s letter and burnt it. 

The whole time this was happening, Hector was around, working the lords assembled as was his job as MP, trying to gain support for his bill to give the working man a voice and the right to own land, whilst also making clear his interest in Lizzy. He and Lizzy did spend some sweet time together, but Lizzy’s head was mostly on the problem of Nan. That was Lizzy, everyone’s friend. She returned to England despite her massive trauma out of concern for Jinny. She traveled to Tintagel because of Guy’s letter, and to check on Nan. Lizzy has been thinking of her friends’ welfare since season one, and though that did not change on this episode — indeed, it was amplified — there were also seeds planted for a potential pairing, this time for her own happiness. I can’t be mad at this. 

The Buccaneers debuted a potential Theo-Lizzy pairing this episode. They look lovely together. They already had a beautiful people together made sense kind of chemistry, and I am confident the show will develop this into something deeper. Do I wish they had a few scenes together in season one at least? Sure, but we are here now. The first episode of the second season gave us an admittedly out of nowhere joke-y Theo and Lizzy conversation. Here, Theo spoke of the pain in his marriage. They had a moment by the brook. There was nothing inappropriate, only a few minutes spent as friends. It’s all right. I think this could be good. 

The younger Elmsworth, Mabel, still lived at Richard and Conchita’s house, which became a bit too full with the arrival of Richard’s mother and sister. The debt collectors came after Richard’s father’s death, and they took the London house, the country house, and all the furniture. The Dowager Lady Brightlingsea did not give her son or daughter in law a choice as she barged into their house. The smaller abode, however, meant that Mabel and Honoria would have to share a room. 

Just like that, their dreams of living together came true. But they could not really be together that much, for Honoria’s mother expected her to be at her beck and call. Honoria, a good daughter to the mother who has been unkind to her, told Mabel she had no choice, she was the only one her mother had. Instead of being mad about that, Mabel went downstairs and played backgammon with the Dowager so Honoria could go up and rest.

Mabel only had a few lines, but she was the bright spot of this episode. Her and Honoria’s relationship were loving and supportive, the warm corner amidst a tempest of fragile loves and tested partnerships. Mabel and Honoria making their love work in 1870s England was The Buccaneers’ best surprise, and my favourite so far this season. 

Conchita and Richard, too, were standing strong despite the financial challenges they faced. Their Cora project was going well, until Richard’s mother happened upon Cora and shattered the young American girl’s dreams of finding an aristocratic love match. The former Lady Brightlingsea said that when Richard needed a wealthy bride, he had to board a boat to America. This time, cash strapped titled men no longer needed to do that. Wealthy American heiresses were themselves descending upon England. As Cora’s father was very wealthy, she would have no trouble finding a husband.

What hurt more, the reality that an aristocrat would marry her for money, or that the love she idolised, that of  Richard and Conchita, started out of the Brightlingseas’ massive financial need? The sweet, enthusiastic girl was gone in an instant, replaced by a bratty heiress who spoke of wanting six iguanas and whatever else she could think of to dissuade the English lords who spoke to her. Conchita and Richard were being paid not just to school, introduce, and chaperone Cora, they would receive a significant sum once she married. Yet there she was, doing everything she could to turn off potential suitors. 

I have yet to reach a point of caring about Cora’s storyline that much, but what jumped for me in this episode and the last was Conchita’s calm determination. She was an heiress who was used to living a very luxurious life. When she first arrived in England, she had difficulty adjusting in the Brightlingsea home, which was far less modern than her father’s home in New York. Yet, the moment she found out there was no money anymore, she went to work. No tears, no expressions of frustration over the loss of an easy life. Richard married an extraordinary woman.

Jinny and Guy were both struggling in exile. Guy admitted to feeling some resentment toward Jinny, for the life he had to live, away from Nan. Jinny said she sometimes even felt resentment from her baby. Guy found Jinny drinking with a local, to whom she said running away may have been her biggest mistake. She wanted to return to England.

Guy had been keeping the papers from her, because when he showed her the headlines about her, she seemed shocked. The papers were making her look mad. At least for now, they needed to stay away. And with no response to his letter from Nan, Guy seemed resigned to at least having a pleasant home life with the sister of the woman he loved and her baby, whom he treated as his own.

Which The Buccaneers ship is your current favourite?

• Nan - Theo
• Nan - Guy
• Lizzy - Theo
• Lizzy - Hector

But just because Guy was away did not mean that his name was not enough to cause a shaking of paradise. Following her successful press distraction by wearing a red dress to a black and white ball, Nan continued to command attention by going on a honeymoon trip with Theo. She had learned that she had the power to make people look, but Hector told her she possessed the power to make them listen as well. Initially content to do her duty as the opening act before her husband the Duke spoke, at the dinner at Tintagel Castle, she asked Theo permission to really speak, and she did. With carefully chosen words, she alluded to Seadown’s abuse of her sister, all whilst Seadown was seated down the table, surrounded by his peers who were, at least on the surface, supportive of his quest to get his wife and child back. Nan finding her voice as the Duchess of Tintagel was a welcome development.

Theo initially supported his wife; he rose and led the clapping, and declared that she spoke for the both of them. But he left the table afterwards, which was an unexplained character choice, unless it was only so Nan could go after him, and Seadown after her. Beneath the ceiling of the ancient woods, Nan found herself alone with Seadown, who was furious at her. But before he could lunge at her, Theo appeared out of nowhere and punched him. Like most abusers, Seadown only unleashed his power when the abused was someone weaker than him. Theo was a man, bigger and taller than him, and a Duke, much higher ranked and wealthier. He backed off.

Theo held Nan in his arms, and the two of them kissed and fell into bed. Nan woke up in the middle of the night, and went to Lizzy’s room and told her she needed to let Guy go. On the castle rooftop, Nan spoke of how her life as a Duchess could be good. She felt like she could breathe again. She even went to the Yellow Room, the room Guy usually occupied when he stayed at the castle, and burned his shirt which she had been sniffing and crying over. Then she returned to Theo’s arms.

Just when it looked like they were finding a way to move forward as husband and wife, Seadown had to come ruin things. Seadown went to speak to Theo whilst Nan was saying goodbye to their guests. He expressed no anger over the punch. Theo, for his part, said he was uncontrolled. These were two men who may not like each other or who had nothing in common, but they grew up in the same society where titles meant they were part of the same tribe. There was a generations-long connection there that was not easily broken. 

Seadown asked for Theo’s help in finding Jinny. He had been relentless in his investigations, and he was now convinced that Nan had no idea where Jinny was. But, he thought, Theo might have heard from his friend Guy. Theo, of course, had no idea what Guy had to do with all this, since Nan never mentioned him at all when she told him about Jinny’s plight and flight. 

Seadown said a number of servants saw Guy and Jinny leave together that morning. Servants also saw Guy in the castle grounds the night before, with Nan. He must have stayed the night. All this time, Theo was under the impression that Guy left England weeks before his wedding. With what coat he saw with Guy’s embroidered handkerchief, he now knew that Guy was indeed in his castle with his wife before they wed.

Why would he be mad about that? Why would he rush down the stairs and grab Nan? What did he already suspect, that was confirmed by Seadown’s information and Nan’s face?

It was as The Buccaneers left us, with the potential breaking of a couple just as Nan had decided to rule her emotions with her head. Just as Nan found her voice and her power, she was about to learn that some choices were not hers to make. She did not intend for the Duke of Tintagel to fall in love with her, that just happened. If he fell out of love as well, that would be just another thing outside her control. Nan and Theo looked good together. They appeared the perfect couple on their honeymoon tour. But, Theo getting cross with Nan, really cross, felt like something that was bound to happen eventually. No one could be so nice as to not feel the sting of betrayal from one’s wife and oldest friend. In as much pain as Nan had been all this time, surely, Theo felt some of it, too, as a man who loved a wife who did not love him back.

‘Holy Grail’ was one of The Buccaneers’ strongest episodes to date. The blend of young love, power, and social conscience was done well amidst luxurious surroundings and pretty gowns. If we are to have an escapist show – and of course we must, especially in these trying times – it was nice to see it essay larger themes with confidence and sensitivity. More of this, The Buccaneers. You’re doing amazing. 

Rating: A

Strays

🌸The one thing I hope The Buccaneers would improve on is the in-story passage of time. Guy mentioned that it has been three months since he and Jinny left England. Jinny had already given birth. Perhaps she carried really small. Perhaps they stayed in England for a few months until she gave birth. I’m not sure. What I am curious about is how big Richard and Conchita’s baby would be at this time. Remember that last episode, Conchita’s baby was still on a pram. We caught a very brief glimpse of baby Minnie here on Mabel’s arms, and she still looked quite small. Conchita gave birth in the same month the girls arrived in England. So, this is all very confusing. How much time passed in between events is difficult to establish without clear guide posts. A bit of help here, show? 

🌸I have been thinking there was something secretly wrong with Theo that led his mother to push for his marriage to Nan despite everything she knew about Nan and Guy, but it looks like there isn’t, what we see is what we get. I will keep an eye on this through the season.

🌸Event of the episode: Tintagel Feast, held every year before Parliament opened.

🌸Nan was using the Yellow Room as her personal room, which just happened to still have at least one of Guy’s shirts, presumably from his past stay at the castle.

🌸The way Lizzy emphasised the importance of enjoying food made me happy; it was charmingly consistent with her season one development.

🌸Tintagel was the birthplace of King Arthur, according to Guy, and what do you know, this has historic basis.

🌸’Don’t you just lie there and wait for it to be over?’ Oh Jinny. 

🌸The Tintagel crypt was a good set addition, because it emphasised the permanence of marriage at the time and in that social class, and Nan’s feeling of being trapped. There already was space for her and Theo. Even in death, they were supposed to be together. It was also the place where Theo told Lizzy how he would hear Nan crying. Nan was not the only one tied in this marriage.

🌸Hector found the ‘holy grail’ and gave it to Lizzy.

🌸Richard’s mother: ‘Leave sentimentality to the weak, or the French.’

🌸Mabel: ‘So, do we live together now?’ Honoria: ‘I think we might be living in sin.’ Mabel: ‘Oh, that’s absolutely my favourite way to live.’

🌸Nan: ‘... no man should be allowed to own his wife.’

🌸Richard’s mother: ‘You’re sticking with that dressing gown, are you?’ Mabel: ‘If you’re sticking with that face.’ Lol. This is actually a tender scene that I heartily enjoyed.

🌸What happened in this episode that made Lizzy feel like she could breathe again? Perchance that moment by the brook?

Episode Title: Holy Grail

Episode Writer: Katherine Jakeways

Episode Director: Charlie Manton

Original Air Date: June 24, 2025

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