"Don't ever get a cat." ~ Lewis Nixon to Dick Winters, in the TV series Band of Brothers. 

Broadcast April 28, 2002

The day after Bosinney’s death, Irene leaves Montpelier Square with nothing apart from the clothes she is wearing. She even removes her wedding ring and puts it in a bowl used for calling cards, where Bilson later finds it and gives it to Soames. He tries to pretend, unconvincingly, that nothing is amiss and demands that Bilson carry on her normal household duties of changing the flowers and the linen in Irene’s room.

The two Jolyons come across George and Dartie playing billiards at the club and discussing Irene’s departure in jocular terms; YJ sticks up for her, insisting that she deserved better.

Back at Old Jolyon’s house, June meets her father for the first time in years. She has returned from visiting Bosinney’s aunt and agreed to organise the funeral, largely because she thinks there is no-one else to do it. June is convinced that she could have saved Bosinney if only they had got married, instead of waiting. YJ feels helpless in the face of June’s grief; he tells his father that he feels he hasn’t earned the right to comfort her, but Old Jolyon tells him he could at least try. June and YJ do then talk and seem to be getting more comfortable in each other’s company.

The male members of the family and June attend Bosinney’s funeral. Soames stands well back from the party at the graveside but is stopped by June as he is leaving and they have a bitter confrontation, in which June accuses Soames of killing Bosinney and tells him a few home truths about Irene’s lack of feeling for him. Soames replies that Bosinney died because he was with Irene when he should have been with June, to which June responds that she knew she wasn’t enough for Bosinney, whereas Soames was too much for Irene - "too domineering, too possessive."

Soames gives in to his grief over Irene’s departure and takes to his bed, where he is visited by both his mother and his sister. He confesses to his mother that Irene had taken steps to prevent children and she says sadly that she should have taught him not to love so much when he was a child. The following day Soames is in better spirits and resumes his normal routine, after telling Bilson that she need do no more than the minimum in Mrs. Forsyte’s room. He has finally accepted that Irene has gone for good.

Old Jolyon pursues his plan to bring his family back together at a new house outside London. June wants him to purchase Robin Hill so she can ensure that Bosinney’s wishes for the house are respected. Old Jolyon goes to visit James and Emily to make an offer. After defending Irene vigorously against criticism from Emily and James ("Your son loved her once, with good cause"), Old Jolyon and James agree a price for Robin Hill, in bad grace. The Jolyon clan then moves into Robin Hill; June is enchanted with the house and they toast "new beginnings."

Five years pass, and Helene dies of pneumonia. YJ and June are away in Spain, leaving Holly and Old Jolyon alone at Robin Hill, with "the hefty Huguenot" – a stern and disapproving governess called Mme. Beuce – and Parfitt, Old Jolyon’s faithful butler.

At the opera one night Old Jolyon sees Irene sitting in the stalls. Out walking at Robin Hill a couple of days later he comes across her sitting on a log, admiring the view and lost in memories. She says that she saw him at the opera and had heard that the house was in good hands. He invites her to stay for dinner and so begins a touching friendship between them. Old Jolyon persuades Irene to teach Holly the piano whilst June and YJ are away, much to Mme. Beuce’s disapproval; Irene does not want to upset June but agrees, and spends more and more time at Robin Hill. She confirms to Old Jolyon that she has lived alone in a flat in Chelsea since Bosinney’s death and has had no contact from Soames. She tells him that when she left Soames she was utterly lost but was looked after by some "ladies of the night," although she was never reduced to prostitution. She now does what she can for them; although she doesn’t have much money she can give them food and sympathy.

Old Jolyon adds a codicil to his will, leaving Irene £15,000. He then takes her to the opera, where they are spotted by Winifred. She tries to tell Soames about this gently the next day; before she can finish he guesses who she had seen together, saying that people gossip, but he refuses to be drawn any further on the subject.

However, Soames then goes along to a performance of Carmen and hangs around outside hoping that Irene will come. Dartie passes by with a female companion and Soames, embarrassed to be caught, goes in without seeing what he came for.

June and YJ are due to return to Robin Hill in a couple of days and Old Jolyon feels he has to make the most of his time with Irene. He invites her for lunch, but she fails to show up, leaving him very disappointed. However, she does appear the next day, saying she felt guilty for taking the coward’s way out. Old Jolyon is delighted to see her and confesses that she has brought him "laughter and joy." While she is absent for a moment he has a heart attack and dies and is discovered by Irene.

Irene stays to comfort Holly but insists on leaving before June and YJ return the next morning. Parfitt and Mme. Beuce break the news and Mme. Beuce tells them of Irene’s visits. June and YJ then discover Old Jolyon’s bequest to Irene; June is stil bitter about Irene ("Everything falls into her lap"). After the funeral, June tells YJ that all the people she loves gravitate towards Irene and they always love her more.

Old Jolyon’s funeral takes place at Robin Hill, much to James’ disgust. The family are curious about both the house and Soames’ reaction to being in it again, and agog about Old Jolyon’s bequest to Irene. June and Soames are still hostile to each other ("We only ever seem to meet at funerals." "Mercifully," replies June) and June defends Irene’s bequest to Emily, James, and Winifred, thus maintaining the family’s split loyalties towards Soames and Irene. YJ pays tribute to his father: "He was never afraid to apologise, never afraid to love. He stood for everything good about the Forsyte name."

YJ goes to give Irene the first income from her bequest; she tells him the money was a shock but not the gesture and reassures him that Old Jolyon was very happy at the end of his life. She says that Old Jolyon "blessed [her] world," as Young Jolyon did his. YJ then breaks down and Irene comforts him.

Bosinney and June photos courtesy of Granada Television.  Screencaps by Bar.   Old Jolyon photo courtesy of HURSTblondie.  Soames/Irene portrat from the Radio Times.

• The moment where the maid discovers Irene's wedding ring left in the house after Irene has fled. Couldn't help feeling sorry for him despite his total unfeeling behaviour towards Irene when she returned to him after Bosinney's death…especially when the maid leaves and Soames silently slips Irene's wedding ring onto his index finger….his face running the gauntlet of emotions from guilt to anger….and that (dare we say it, cute) muscle twitching in his temple throughout the whole scene.

• After Bosinney's funeral Soames takes to his bed, refuses to get up or eat and generally worries his family. The sight of him curled up in bed, his hair messy (well messy for a Forsyte--for once no brilliantine!) and looking like a little boy lost. Especially when Winifred comes to visit and tries to cheer him up with funny stories, but her sympathy just upsets him and he scrunches up his face trying desperately not to cry.  When he realises he can't stop himself, he turns his face away from his sister, not wanting to let her see. Whatever awful things he did--we just can't bear seeing him cry like that. He really is broken here and lets his guard down slightly. He looked so pale and ill, and his lovely mouth trembled most becomingly. A passionate man unable to express his feelings because of his upbringing and the times he lived in--so, so sad. Bar would have crawled in beside him with a huge cuddle (yes, really, and no, not as his mum or sister!). That nightshirt, casually unbuttoned at the neck, is very sexy coupled with the slightly tousled hair. Winifred is so lovely and it's clear that Soames is adored by his side of the family.

• Seeing Soames loitering outside the Opera House desperate to catch a glimpse of Irene after he hears that she has been attending the opera with Old Jolyon. He just looked so lonely.

2. The Best Scene of the Whole Series So Far:

• Bosinney's funeral, where Soames skulks in the background looking like an undertaker thinking that Irene (who had disappeared earlier) might turn up. June spots him and gives chase though the cemetery, and despite Soames' attempts to walk away and not cause a scene, the fabulous June chases him and tells him some well-deserved home truths, including that the reason he and Irene never had children was not because Irene was infertile. "What does it say about you, Soames, that Irene would rather live on the street and sell her body, than suffer another kiss from you?" Soames tries to counter her by reminding her that Irene had an affair with her fiancé, and June says "Yes, you are right, I should hate her, but her only alternative was you. I cannot hate her but only wonder how she did not do it sooner." Bloody fantastic acting from Damian and Gillian Kearney.

3. Favourite Line(s):

• Lorena: When Soames is wallowing in self-pity and refuses to leave the house, and his mother comes to take care of him. Telling his mother that he had found out that Irene was taking preventative measures not to conceive Soames’ baby, his mother sits back and looks at him saying, "The last time I saw the look on your face was when you pestered us for that kitten when you were a child. You dressed it like a doll, fed it until it was sick." Soames' reply was simply, "I loved it." "I know," replied his mother. Heart-wrenching.

• Bar: Whilst his mother is fussing over him and trying to spoon-feed him soup, Soames' exclamation of "I'm not a baby!" Oh yes you are--her four-year-old pulls those faces!

4. This Week We Were Mostly Laughing At :

• Lorena: Damian's walk and posture! Good grief, we all know Victorians were ramrod but the sight of him scurrying up and down the staircase in Montpelier Square just had me in fits. Honestly, at best he looks like some badly conceived clockwork toy, and at worst like he's got a broom handle stuck in a very delicate part of his anatomy! I wonder if Damian can watch himself walking as Soames without cracking up!

• Bar: The patriarchal "harrumphing" from James and Old Jolyon in that peculiar Victorian manner. Wonder whether Soames will assume that habit as he ages. Also when Young Jolyon is crying at Irene's. He's sniffling into his hand, then grabs Irene's hand immediately after. Eeuwwww!

• Sarah: I laughed when Dartie said to George "Eight to one Soames has finished her off and buried her in the garden"... or words to that effect. Hardly Soames' style, really. And also I laughed when Emily was recounting the bit about how Soames loved his kitten so fiercely he smothered it (oops!).

5. Best Silent Acting From Damian:

• At Old Jolyon's funeral. His unease at being back in the house he had built out of love for Irene was palpable…not to mention his general level of disdain directed at June.

• Where June spills the beans about Irene's secret birth control (actually, given his post-coital expressions in episode 1, Bar can't believe he didn't know anyhow). The huge gulp he gives when June shouts "She couldn't bear to have a child of yours squirming inside her…" made her think he was about to be physically sick.

• At Jolyon's wake, as the Paul Young clone is saying he was the best of men and irreplaceable, Soames twitches his countenance and you can practically see the thought bubble "Oh, for God's sake..." At this point, you realise that Soames does indeed know about Joylon's bequest to Irene.

6. The Joint "Scary Soames" Prizes:

• Bar: Tame in comparison to previous episodes--the sinister way he scours the crowd outside the theatre for Irene--what would he have done if he had met her there? Love the chilly shiver that runs through him at the beginning of that scene. And the stony look of hatred at June's putdown at Old Jolyon's wake.

• Sarah: When he loses his composure at poor, put-upon Bilson and tells her to carry on as normal changing the bed and the flowers in Irene's room as usual, we did feel sorry for the poor woman, yet again.

7. The Special "Conclusive Proof That Damian Is the Most Beautiful Man on Earth" Award--as sponsored by Bar:

• When Soames is watching Young Jolyon speak at Old Jolyon's graveside. Damian really does suit black.

8. Most "I Want to Be Her" Moment:

• Both Sarah and Bar wanted to be Winifred this week; she gets to sit by Soames' bedside trying to cheer him up (Sarah laughed when she gave him a toy soldier!) and later on she gets a kiss--an entirely proper, brotherly kiss, but full of affection and a kiss is a kiss, after all...