Abhiroop Das
The inaugural season of Netflix’s ‘House of Guinness’ tells a quintessential rise and fall with the Guinness family as its center. The narrative unfolds from the perspective of four siblings, Arthur, Edward, Anne, and Benjamin, all of whom are desperate to have an identity of their own in this ruthlessly competitive world. As the heir to a successful alcoholic beverages company, they are expected to reach new heights. However, personal complications in life keep bringing the characters down, creating a rich palette of human experiences. The previous episode ended with Edward making deals left and right, hoping to land the combination that might send the company to the stratosphere. However, this also invites challenges, and he has to loosen up many of the family rules in order to make them more prosperous than ever. Meanwhile, Arthur’s future as a family man becomes a subject of discourse, but given his secrets, a conclusion seems far from sight. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Anne Has a First-Hand Account of the Ghastly Lives Led By the Tribal Population in Ireland
The episode begins with Anne en route to Ashford Castle, which is owned by the family but lies deep inside the Cloonboo region, far from the glamour of the city she calls home. However, their presence here isn’t without a dark past, as the driver informs her of the local tribal population, which has been starving to death. As such, Anne’s entry comes with much resistance, and before long, her carriage is attacked by a horde of locals. As panic takes over the Guinness family member, she realizes that she is bleeding and needs immediate medical assistance. Out of the crowd, a woman comes out to help, and immediately realizes that Anne has had a miscarriage. This grim scene then gives way to an eccentric one, as a regal woman enters the Guinness residence, making witty but cutting criticisms on everything that catches her eye.
The family butler introduces the woman as Lady Olivia Charlotte Hedges-White, the daughter of the third earl of Bantry. From here, we learn that she is one of Arthur’s potential suitors who are essentially being interviewed by him and Aunt Agnes. However, this conversation turns out to be quite different, as Olivia’s bold and assertive nature means that the conversation quickly jumps to its deeper ends. She soon grasps the fact that Arthur is gay and asks, without hesitation, whether that means he will be having sexual relationships outside of wedlock. When he confirms that to be the case, she goes a step further, demanding whether she will be allowed a similar privilege, to which he agrees. With this absurdist exchange, the duo finalizes their engagement, much to Aunt Agnes’ disappointment, as she wishes for a more traditional person to tie the knot with him.
Meanwhile, Anne’s time in Cloonboo opens her eyes to inhumane cruelty that the people living on the fringe of civilisation have to endure, and this is embodied by her visit to one of the children’s graves, which has been made out of muddy land as the people did not have the physical strength to build a real grave, with this suffering in mind. Anne writes a letter to her brothers, requesting that they devote 10% of their profits to social upliftment. While the two don’t reject the idea outright, they do not encourage it either. In the meantime, Benjamin makes a major life choice of his own and reveals to his lover, Christine, that he is joining the army at a respectable post. He intends to prove his father’s legacy wrong by going against the grain, but that also means no support for the family. Meanwhile, Ellen conducts a protest on public grounds, but is arrested and shoved into a dark prison. There, she meets Rafferty, who surprisingly invites her to a house party on Edward’s behalf, indicating a deeper purpose.
Edward Nearly Bites Off More Than He Can Chew
Edward’s schemes do not stop there, as his plan is to expand the business all the way to the United States, where he finds a new ally in the form of Byron Hedges. He reveals that he is a bastard child of the Guinnesses, but also that his father died as a Fenian revolutionary. This unique position allows him to be a bridge between the two factions, and Byron promises to employ the help of his cousins in America to make sure that the entire world has a taste of their creation. Going a step further, Edward tries to bring the Fenians under his belt by inviting Elle to lunch. There, he tries to woo her with his skills with the beer, which double as an instruction manual for what he desires out of their dynamic, but Ellen quickly figures out the trajectory and takes the reins of the conversation, impressing the protagonist.
Soon, the night of the party arrives, and the Guinness residence is decked up in preparation for the arrival of many esteemed guests. The ceremony kicks off with Arthur and Olivia’s dance routine, which leaves the entire audience in awe, setting the tone for the events to follow. From a distance, Anne and Aunt Agnus continue their original plan of filtering out potential suitors for Arthur, and their eyes fall on Madelaide, a distant cousin who meets just about every criterion. However, the brothers have plans of their own, and Benjamin, the youngest, is sent to impress Madelaide with a dance. She is quick to notice this line of thought and charmingly relays her lack of romantic interest. While this gives Benjamin the opening he needs to join Christine for a dance, he is interrupted yet again by another woman, which breaks Christine’s heart, sending her away.
The Party Reawakens Old Wounds
As the party continues, Rafferty makes his way to Anne, hoping to retrace the distance that has come up between them. She breaks the news about her miscarriage, which leaves him heartbroken, but unable to help. This intimate exchange catches the eye of Anne’s husband, who quickly arranges for a rushed exit. Setting his emotions aside, Rafferty gets to business and informs Arthur about the status of every major figure at the party. When the oldest Guinness hears of the Cochrane siblings being invited, he loses his cool and demands that they exit right in that moment. This disrespect aggravates Patrick Cochrane further, but he is unable to do much more than leave. This commotion also attracts the attention of Edward, who desperately tries to explain the political maneuver he is trying to pull off, but to little avail.
In the aftermath of the party, a more concerning exchange takes place between Edward and Anne, with the latter revealing Arthur’s new tricks since he began his election campaign. As it turns out, he has been bribing voters with train tickets, which can then be cashed in for real money. This information leaves Edward in a panicked state, as it can potentially derail their political endeavours before they ever begin. He laments his father’s cruel decision to pin their fates together and goes to locate Arthur. Edward’s journey takes him to Bonnie Champion, who, in turn, guides him to a private quarter, where Arthur is spending the night with his lover. This prompts Edward to make an awkward exit, only to rain down on his brother even harder the next morning. Although Olivia supports Arthur in this exchange, deep down she realizes that he has committed a blunder.
Elsewhere, in the United States, Byron makes headway, contacting the Irish population and occasionally getting into fights with them over religious differences. In due time, he makes contact with his friend, a Fenian leader, who promises to spread the word about their very enemy, the Guinness, so long as a substantial sum is guaranteed to flow their way. As the revolutionary force prepares to use that fund to strengthen their ranks, their enemies grow wealthier, enlarging the conflict as a whole. The episode ends on a tense note, with multiple plot lines coming to a simmer, and a political battlefield materializing right in front of the siblings’ eyes. Although Arthur appears to have found his footing in this whole ordeal, its shaky foundations are outlined by the Fenians at home.
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