Abhiroop Das
Created by Steven Knight, Netflix’s ‘House of Guinness‘ tells the story of four siblings, Arthur, Edward, Anne, and Benjamin, who are forced to step into the shoes of their father, Benjamin Lee Guinness, following his demise. With a world-famous brewery now under their control, the characters waste no time in finding their niches. While Arthur functions as the face of the company, Edward takes care of the business, with Anne bringing a sympathetic voice for the marginalized. Amidst this web of dynamics, the youngest sibling, Benjamin, stands out as the odd one out. Dealing with personal demons of his own, he finds solace in Lady Christine O’Madden, his lover. However, with each moment spent learning about them, the cracks in their dynamic become more apparent, leading up to an unpredictable season finale deciding where they stand as a couple. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Christine Becomes Ben’s Official Mistress
While Benjamin and Christine’s relationship takes a major hit early on in the story, by the end of the season, it reaches an ironic conclusion as Christine becomes an official Guinness mistress. When Ben decides to join the military, it is driven by his desire to prove his father and brothers’ assessment of him wrong. However, this choice completely ignores what Christine wants out of their relationship, and thus effectively brings it to a premature close. The flaws in Ben’s character take root slowly, and the common point between all of them lies in his inferiority complex, which he tries to compensate for by leaning into the idea of conventional masculinity. Although that is not a factor in Christine’s love for him, her emotions end up falling short, and the couple’s paths diverge for quite some time.
When Ben returns from his service, he appears to have significantly changed as a person. The most noticeable difference lies in the fact that he has given up on his alcohol addiction, which in turn can be interpreted as him being liberated from his family’s legacy. However, once the youngest sibling finds his way back into the family affairs, the familiar feelings begin to take over. This culminates in Ben relapsing, drinking copious amounts of alcohol, and, most importantly, sleeping with Christine once again. Although the couple is no longer together, the love she has for him is evident, and this prompts them to make a decision. With Anne’s blessings, Christine becomes her lover’s mistress, and his sister explains how difficult this position can be during familial politics. However, that does little to Christine, who is already head over heels for Ben.
Ben and Christine’s Relationship Needs a Lot More Work
While Ben spends his time being a soldier, life takes a turn for the worse for Christine. Things reach a boiling point on the day Anne gives birth to her child, and, in a different room, Christine decides to take her own life. She is barely interrupted in time by Aunt Agnes, who explains the family’s need to ditch the ways of the men and tighten up their female solidarity. However, the young lady is quick to notice the internal flaws in this camp as well, and this leaves her stranded with no support system to rely on. Although the relationship is tough to manage for both lovers, Christine’s plight gets hushed down in the larger scheme of things, reflecting how the oppression can often take a silent, conscious form. This is exemplified in how the Guinness family treats Christine — someone they deem of a lower social standing — by assigning her the role of a mistress, away from the public eye.
Notably, the gun that Christine uses in an attempt to take her own life is the same one that she gives to Ben at the start of the show. Although he owes plenty of money to others, his hesitation in merely taking Christine’s money brings his toxic masculinity back into the equation. Instead, Ben tries to earn the money for himself in the easiest way possible: gambling. This difference is brought forth on a number of occasions, such as his hesitance to dance with her, instead choosing other women as a partner. Though these moments do not affect the relationship massively, they do point to the larger differences between the two. When Ben returns home, he brings a possibility of making amends for his aggression and carelessness, with a new chapter in this love story possibly making its debut.
Read More: Was Arthur Guinness Gay in Real Life? Was He in a Lavender Marriage?
