Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.5

Mr. Selfridge: The Complete Second Season Blu-ray Movie Review

Yolk goes in the mouth, not on the lips.

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf April 30, 2014

ITV’s “Mr. Selfridge” was always a thinly disguised take on the hit show, “Downton Abbey,” trying to replicate the formula of the rich and the working class existing uncomfortably in the same expansive environment. However, “Mr. Selfridge: Season 2” has shed its inspiration and simply gone after the same dramatic arcs as its competitor. Vaulting forward five years so the fine personnel and customers of London’s top department store, Selfridge’s, can deal with the commencement and ongoing misery of WWI, the series becomes mimicry of the worst kind. Already a program of iffy performances, plots, and emotional discoveries, “Season 2” somehow makes all new mistakes, growing ambitious with limited resources, while giving in to the some of the worst melodrama I’ve seen in quite some time. Not that “Downton Abbey” is the epitome of refined scripting, but the second go-around for Harry Selfridge and the commerce gang reeks of desperation, eschewing thoughtful, significant conflicts to become a turn-of-the-century “Days of Our Lives.”

Indeed, war has been declared during “Season 2,” with the staff of Selfridge’s working through stages of acceptance when it comes to protecting the viability of the store, while the young men who work the loading docks rally to enlist, hoping to make a difference without understanding the true horrors of front-line combat. However, such anxiety is mere decoration for the next chapter of “Mr. Selfridge,” with intimacies returning to the plight of Lady Mae, who now has to deal with her monstrous husband, Lord Loxley, and there’s the rise of Delphine Day, a sketchy nightclub owner who insinuates herself into the life of friend, and Harry’s wife, Rose. Love is in the air with Agnes, who’s handed two suitors in Henri, her inspiration, and Victor, her rock. And there’s Harry himself, who must pull together to keep the momentum of the store alive while dealing with a direct attack from Lord Loxley, and, in the show’s most eye-crossing turn of events, a request to join British Intelligence as a secret spy.

What’s most confusing about “Season 2” is the five-year leap. While it initially seems like a natural step forward to shake off dead ends from the previous series, “Mr. Selfridge” merely uses the time machine to catch up with a global event, even expelling unnecessary energy reuniting the entire gang in a rather implausible manner. It’s difficult to understand why the producers would even bother with such a significant skip in time if they weren’t going to do anything radical with it, but there are 100 other questions about behavior and timing that need to be addressed before that query becomes a priority. Scripting is often lazy for “Season 2,” dreaming up head-shakingly contrived situations to induce conflict, often pilfering from “Three’s Company” to trigger misunderstandings. The best material is reserved for the Lady Mae and Lord Loxley merry-go-round of humiliation, which transforms what should be a frightening depiction of domestic violence into what appears to be a filmed rehearsal between two actors who’ve been given no instruction about the intended tone of the scene. Early on in the season, Loxley dips a finger into the yolk of a hard-boiled egg and smears it on his wife’s lips, intending to assert his dominance. To viewers who can make it past that moment and still take “Mr. Selfridge” seriously, there should be a badge of courage to reward such admirable patience.

Episodes:

Disc 1

“Episode 1” (49:37)

As the store celebrates its five-year anniversary, Harry (Jeremy Piven) struggles with the absence of his family. Hoping to welcome estranged wife Rose (Frances O’Connor) back into his life, Harry instead discovers her newfound friendship with a controversial club owner, Delphine Day (Polly Walker). Fresh from a Parisian education, Agnes (Aisling Loftus) is ready to get back to work at Selfridge’s, only to butt heads with the head of fashion, Mr. Thackeray (Cal Macaninch), also discovering her former beau has moved on with his life. And Lady Mae (Katherine Kelly) is brought down to size by her domineering husband, Lord Loxley (Aidan McArdle), who also seeks to humiliate Harry.

“Episode 2” (47:01)

As WWI begins to brew in Europe, the labor party movement creeps into Selfridge’s, with Harry’s son Gordon (Greg Austin) caught up the fight. Agnes, struggling with her intense workload, is tested by the duplicitous machinations of Thackeray (Cal Macaninch). Lord Loxley, hoping to entice Harry with a business deal, lashes out at Lady Mae, who refuses to cooperate. And Rose, hoping to make amends, seeks out Henri (Gregory Fitoussi), who’s stuck in extreme poverty.

“Episode 3” (46:54)

Preparing the “Empire Exhibition” at the store, Agnes is falling behind, requiring Henri to return to help secure an artistic vision as Lord Loxley promises a visit by Winston Churchill for the opening. Trapped in depression, Mr. Grove (Tom Goodman-Hill) is finally prepared to return to duty, threatened with dismissal if he doesn’t get his act together. And Victor (Trystan Gravelle) feels the heat of hatred as his Italian heritage is called into question as WWI is finally declared, while his love for Agnes still burns bright.

Disc 2

“Episode 4” (45:56)

To raise money for the war effort, Rose and Lady Mae organize a Belgian chocolate sale, with the particulars soon taken over by Delphine, who impresses Harry with her business acumen. As male members of the staff begin to enlist, Mr. Grove and Mr. Crabb (Ron Cook) are tasked with temporarily replacing employees, reaching out to women to take over the inner workings of the store. And Lord Loxley begins making shady dealings with leather manufacturers, attempting to turn a time of global stress to his financial advantage.

“Episode 5” (46:20)

Mr. Thackeray, burned by his inability to think fashion-forward, returns fire on Henri by investigating his secretive issues with a shadowy man. Victor, having inherited his family’s restaurant, thus keeping him out of the war effort, makes a renewed push for Agnes’s affections. And Harry, receiving word from Delphine that an opening is imminent on a military procurement board, partakes in a card game with Lord Loxley, finally witnessing the man’s true character when seated next to his contemporaries.

“Episode 6” (44:58)

Rumor forces Mr. Grove to confront Henri about his time between employment stints at Selfridge’s, calling his interest in German culture and travel into question. The iciness of Lady Mae is melted in the presence of Richard Chapman (Alfie Boe), with her request to have the singer perform at the store evolving into a confession about her horrific marriage. And Harry is recruited by British Intelligence officer Bill Summertime (Jay Villiers) to spy in Germany under the guise of daily business, forcing the store owner to abandon his wife at the very moment of their reconciliation.

“Episode 7” (45:05)

As charges of spying are placed on Henri, Agnes and Victor figure out a way to convince Thackeray to admit that he was behind the initial accusation. Gordon and Grace (Amy Morgan) are tasked with writing a condolence note, with the young Mr. Selfridge easing into an adult role of leadership. With Harry away spying on the Germans, all hell breaks loose back home, with journalist Frank (Samuel West) running a story that accuses the store owner of corruption, using information supplied by Lord Loxley.

Disc 3

“Episode 8” (45:38)

Returning to London, Harry is hit with the scandalous news, setting out to salvage his good name with a response the local papers are careful to ignore. Henri, facing trouble from a past criminal investigation, finds renewed help from Agnes and Harry, who are determined to clear his name. With the store facing dwindling sales, Delphine brings in American film director Mack Sennett and his stable of stars to help generate some positive publicity, with the mogul tempting Harry with a job offer back in Hollywood. And Miss Mardle, ever the lonely spinster, finds romance with her Belgian boarder.

“Episode 9” (45:00)

Seeking out a way to rebuild Selfridge’s good name, Harry and Henri bring in American journalist Winifred Black (Sara Stewart) to create a story about the department store, with the writer focusing on Agnes’s rise to prominence. Now that Lady Mae has left Lord Loxley, her future is in doubt, forcing her to turn to Frank to set the record straight. And Harry grows suspicious of Delphine’s growing role at Selfridge’s, with Lady Mae trying to communicate that the nightclub owner might be after something more than just employment.

“Episode 10” (46:22)

Preparing for their upcoming wedding, Agnes and Victor make plans to leave Selfridge’s and take on a more domesticated life. This goal is clouded by unfinished business with Henri, who’s about to join the fight in France. Trying to achieve the upper hand with Lord Loxley, Harry and Lady Mae attempt to find his weak spot, searching for evidence that might implicate him in his war profiteering scheme. Miss Mardle struggles to make sense out of her love for a younger man, forcing Mr. Grove to abandon all remaining feelings for his former lover. And Rose, burdened with health issues, welcomes the entire Selfridge family home for a Thanksgiving meal.

Mr. Selfridge: The Complete Second Season Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.78:1 aspect ratio) presentation manages fine detail with adequate care, delivering on crisp facial particulars that bring out the intended age of the characters. Skintones and textures are natural and real. Set design accomplishments also push through as intended, with ornate decoration benefiting from an HD view. Colors are equally kind, brought to life through an array of extravagant costuming and stained glass windows, with primaries packing needed punch. Blacks are chased with mild crush issues, and contrast suffers during low-lit sequences. Overall, it's a satisfactory viewing experience, although one that excels when experiencing full blasts of natural light.

Mr. Selfridge: The Complete Second Season Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix doesn't offer any extravagant variety, but it does manage a basic push of elements with an acceptable balance. Dialogue exchanges are quite crisp and appealing, preserving accents and emotional nuance without distortion, though with these reserved characters, nothing is blown out to any extremes. The score retains its character with pleasantly supportive purpose, detailing clean instrumentation. Atmospherics are limited, but there's a healthy read of street life surrounding the store, and interiors retain some echo and employee bustle.

Mr. Selfridge: The Complete Second Season Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• "Behind Mr. Selfridge" (29:27, HD) is a standard BTS promotional featurette, collecting interviews with cast and crew (conducted on-set) that spotlight changes for the second season and renewed dramatic motivations. What's interesting is to hear the actors talk emphatically about their characters, only to see how little of their imagined backstory has made it into the show.

• Deleted Scenes (10:41, HD) showcase various snippets of excised interactions, most forgettable, but a few, including a moment of godfather pride shared between Mr. Crabb and Mr. Grove, are quite wonderful, making their removal from the program baffling. Also, if you're like me and wondered why nobody in the series threatens Mr. Thackeray with termination, well, the moment was cut out. A shame.

Mr. Selfridge: The Complete Second Season Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Piven and O'Connor continue to disappoint in their respective roles, each failing to muster the necessary emotional grit and urgency required to allow an understanding of their characters' often baffling actions (Selfridge's notorious womanizing is allowed one whopping minute of screentime to sort through). Better is the supporting cast, with Loftus, Goodman-Hill, Abbington, and especially Cook (how I wish the show was titled "Mr. Crabb," following the excitable financial officer around) completely charming and believable as the conflicted minions. The series certainly looks sleek and evocative, with elaborate costuming, but little time is spent studying the store in question, as such distractions would take away critical screentime that could be devoted to mediocre character actors sniveling as they struggle with wretched writing. And yes, there's a third season coming, as "Mr. Selfridge" so rudely announces by bestowing a life or death cliffhanger situation on one of the characters. It's a rusty hook to say the least, but there's no stopping the program at this point. My only hope is that the writers figure out a way to liven up the ongoing narrative with some original ideas, stepping out of the long "Downton Abbey" shadow.