EDIT Season 5 is a vast improvement of the show for me, love the new characters and for me a more positive portrayal of Eliza, adds a whole star for me so now 4 STARS!
a very good show, acting, mysteries, costumes, sets, stories, cinematography etc. all excellent
But except for two very big things for me, how Eliza is portrayed and the relationship between Duke & Eliza. This part of the show was very disappointing to me! While Eliza is complemented on her ability as an investigator, the show portrays her desire and passion for investigating as a negative especially through the character that bullied her as a girl Arabella who tells duke Eliza will always put wk first and says she isn’t saying it out of malice, which i don’t believe for a minute. Worst, Duke actually goes out with Arabella, someone who bullied his friend in the past, what friend would do that? And the show in subtle ways almost makes it look like somehow Eliza is @ fault for being unhappy @ having a woman who bullied her around, and Arabella continues to do cutting subtle things to Eliza. Then Duke decides he will tell Eliza he loves her and then is going to leave, WHAT? He says he is doing it so they can have time apart and sort out their feelings, give me a break. Duke hasn’t even tried a romantic relationship with Eliza, and he’s saying they have to be apart? You have to try @ something before taking time apart, but he doesn’t bother with that. And even worst he tells Eliza it’s her fault, WHAT, this for me is total gaslighting, how can anyone be at fault when they have never tried a romantic relationship? Not only that, the writers choose to portray Eliza as not being intelligent enough to manage a group of men, i don’t believe it, and portaying a woman character like this to me is playing into stereotypes rather than doing something new and showing an intelligent woman can succeed. Drops 2 STARS for the way Eliza is treated and portrayed,