Abhiroop Das
Created by Steven Knight, Netflix’s ‘House of Guinness’ dials back in time to Dublin of the 1860s, presenting a dramatized account of the Guinness family, creators of the eponymous alcoholic beverage. However, the story shifts its attention away from the history behind the family’s highs and lows, and instead chronicles how those time periods affected and were shaped by the family and its most powerful figures. The four children of Sir Benjamin Lee Guinness: Arthur, Edward, Anne, and Benjamin, all come with their own closets, some bigger than others, and yet where they all find an intersection is in their ability to hide them well. Nonetheless, with resistance at every turn, the family is forced to get creative and take big steps, risking the integrity of their entire social identity. SPOILERS AHEAD.
The Death of the Patriarch Opens New Doors in the Guinness Family
The season begins with the funeral of Sir Benjamin Lee Guinness, a titan in the global alcoholic beverages industry. However, a different kind of commotion erupts at St. James Gate, as hundreds of protestors, who identify as a group called Fenians, gather to speak against the deceased businessman and his company. The leader of the protest declares that the Guinness patriarch was the driving force behind the Protestant Ascendency, and that had caused the local history and culture to take a hit. Although soldiers stand at guard, the crowd seems more eager than ever to wreak havoc at the funeral procession. At the Guinness factory, Rafferty rallies all the workers to join the procession and protect their former boss with whatever means necessary. As Dublin prepares itself for a showdown, at a short distance, the four children of Benjamin sit at leisure, waiting for the funeral carriage to arrive.
Arthur Guinness, the oldest of the siblings, bickers with his younger brother, Edward, while the youngest of the four, Benjamin, lies fast asleep. Their sister, Anne, is the only one who maintains the balance, completing the opening scene’s visual storytelling. By the time the procession makes its way to the Guinness house, the protestors have had enough, and they begin pelting stones at the carriage containing the patriarch’s body. Rafferty does not back down either, and before long, a full-on fight unfolds. The siblings watch with equal parts awe and horror, knowing that the burden of the responsibility is soon to fall upon them. At the church, we get a glimpse into the larger Guinness family, with Aunt Agnes standing out as a major figure. Although the future of the brewing company is not in the dark outright, the exact dimensions of this new order remain to be seen.
The Guinness Siblings Find Their Match in Ellen
Elsewhere, the protestors settle down at a tavern, where Ellen Cochrane rushes in to reunite with her brother, Patrick. As the latter is the de facto leader of the Fenians, his next move gathers many eyes, but Ellen is aghast when she learns that it includes burning down the Guinness warehouse containing empty barrels, thus disrupting their production line. Ellen explains the potential downsides of going with such a bold operation and suggests conducting an information war instead. To that end, she reveals that she has dug dirt on three of the four siblings, but the last one has proven to be a tough nut to crack. Meanwhile, Anne walks through dingy neighbourhoods of her own, with just a butler to stand as guard. Soon, Rafferty enters the picture, surprised at her daring nature. Although she is here to compensate him for handling the funeral, there are also other emotions burning underneath.
Rafferty leans into these sexual tensions, and we learn that the two had sex some time ago. However, Anne, who is married, has since hushed that memory out of existence. Rafferty asserts that such feelings cannot be repressed for long, and leaves the Guinness sibling with more questions than answers. Meanwhile, Edward and Arthur take their shot at an insider deal: the former offering to buy his brother’s potential share in the company, with a guaranteed cut of the profits, in return for his furthering his election campaign. Benjamin has secrets of his own as he sits down with his lover, Christine, whom he asked to bring a gun. When she probes further, he reveals that he owes $170 to a man named Bonnie Champion and that the only way out of this complex situation is to use violence. When Christine tries to protect him from harm’s way, Benjamin doubles down further, hinting that his circumstances are worse than he is letting on and that he is to blame.
The Brewery Becomes the Base For Many a Tragedy
In the dark of the night, Ellen sets out for her own mission, targeting the Guinness Storehouse. There, she holds the guard at gunpoint, forcing him to open the door for her. Once inside, she sneaks up to none other than Bonnie Champion himself, who we learn is not just a bookie, but also a brothel owner. Ellen’s real intention is to make a deal with him and learn everything there is to learn about the Guinnnes family’s shady secrets. Although Bonnie initially hesitates to loosen his lips, his mind changes when he hears of the immense rewards the brotherhood offers. Before he can delve a step deeper, however, the scenery behind him goes up in smoke, and the workers announce that several barrels have been set on fire. Ellen realizes that this is the work of her brother and his men and makes a quick exit, but is seen by Rafferty in the last minute. As all hope seems lost, rain begins to fall, drenching the fire and saving the business for the foreseeable future.
The next morning, Rafferty lines up every single employee and tells them about the nefarious ways in which Fenians can revolt against their enemies. To that end, moles within the ranks are a subject of great concern, and Rafferty firmly estabilishes the lengths he is willing to go to nail down the person responsible for the fiasco. Elsewhere, the four Guinness siblings prepare for the long-awaited will of their father. However, the colour begins to drain out of their faces with every sentence that is read out. The control over every single asset owned by the patriarch is equally bestowed upon the two eldest sons, Arthur and Edward, with the added clause that one cannot pursue any other career prospect without forfeiting their entire claim to the family wealth. Worse, Anne is not given a single penny, as the will claims that she is married and well settled already. Benjamin doesn’t fare any better, as his father’s decision is not to let the allure of money dictate his future.
When the dust settles, Anne makes her way to Edward, hoping to relay her dismay. Although she is capable of managing the business all by herself, her father deemed her as someone more suited for familial duties. Although her brother understands the source of her aggravation, he is perceived as helpless even in his own scenario, with his aim of getting full control over the company now gone. Anne explains that her anxieties, combined with a host of other bodily symptoms, such as weakness and dizziness, have forced her to reevaluate what her future has in store for her. Edward and his sister then direct their attention to Arthur and his future as the company’s owner, and while Anne suggests that he marry someone for more social credibility, they both seem to acknowledge Arthur’s secret potentially coming in the way of that plan.
The Famila Drama Comes With a Cost
At an elegant greenhouse, Arthur meets up with his lover, Arthur Pelham Clinton, and it becomes clear that this is the secret that the siblings were talking about. Although Clinton wants to pursue the relationship further, Arthur is not too pleased with the idea and reiterates the social conventions in place for someone of his status. Meanwhile, Benjamin makes his way to a meeting with Bonnie, who is surprised at his newfound courage. While this plot thread is resolved, Bonnie emerges as a new threat to the Guinness family, threatening to unravel their truth. Elsewhere, Rafferty tortures three workers he suspects of foul play, and after witnessing his malicious set of moves, one of them caves in and reveals information about the Fenian leader, Patrick Cochrane. Rafferty wastes no time and attacks Patrick’s place, extracting Ellen’s address in the process.
When Patrick rushes to his sister’s house for her safety, he finds out that it has already been marked by Rafferty, with a letter attached to the house’s door. As Elene reads it out loud, she quickly realises that the man means business and will not hesitate to rain hellfire upon her if this present cat-and-mouse exchange continues. He ends the letter with a saying he learnt from the former Guinness boss, who believed that a secret between three people can only be kept with two of them dead. Although Patrick fears for his sister, especially after that ominous message, Elle has a different idea, as she prepares to use Rafferty’s ability against him. At home, Edward and Arthur settle down at last, and we learn that the former has been running the business for over five years, and this has created a temperamental rift between the two. Anne and Aunt Agnes, on the other hand, concoct a list of the perfect suitors for Arthur, making their decisions count in any shape or form..
The Guinness family’s trouble goes up another notch when Rafferty comes as the bearer of bad news: Bonnie Champion has ties to the Fenian movement and threatens to bring Arthur’s secret visits to the police’s notice. As all of these activities are illegal in Ireland, Arthur is faced with the worst potential fate and finds himself in a tough spot. Instead of supporting his brother, Edward directs his attention to the optics of a potential news break, which frustrates his elder brother all the more. A fight between the two begins and quickly ends, but what is changed forever is their brotherly dynamic. Bonnie demands $5000 for his silence, and while no consensus is reached among siblings, Edward gives that exchange the go-ahead, adding to the pile of family secrets.
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