Last Updated on September 11, 2023
Victorian London’s most delicious detective duo-with-a-twist are back. In Season 2 of “Miss Scarlet and The Duke” the indomitable Eliza Scarlet solves crimes, saves the day, pushes detective William ‘The Duke’ Wellington’s buttons, and looks quite fashionable, to boot.
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Watch the trailer below along with a video to remind you where season 1 ended, find Season 2 airtimes, episode descriptions, and the link to stream full-length episodes online for free for a period of time. There are also links to read our Q&A with Miss Scarlet herself, learn the truth about Victorian-era female detectives, and dive into the story behind her iconic Season 1 blue dress. Season 1 and 2 have six episodes each.
Season 2 of this fan-favorite period mystery series “Miss Scarlet and The Duke” airs on PBS MASTERPIECE, Sundays, October 16 – November 20 at the special time of 8/7c on PBS.
TV’s dueling detectives are back for a new season of intriguing cases set in Victorian-era London. “Miss Scarlet and The Duke” stars Kate Phillips (Peaky Blinders, Wolf Hall) as private eye Eliza Scarlet and Stuart Martin (Medici) as her hot-tempered friend, Inspector William “The Duke” Wellington of Scotland Yard.
Since its premiere in 2021, “Miss Scarlet and The Duke” has developed a passionate fan base around the world, and it will only take watching one episode for you to understand why.
Set in Victorian England, the series follows the fiercely independent Eliza Scarlet and her sometimes ally, sometimes annoyance, detective William “The Duke” Wellington. Is that a romantic spark between the two or just a camaraderie?
Eliza and The Duke get entwined in solving clever crimes, but the biggest mystery of all remains unsolved: whether they are made for each other. But there is one thing for sure: “Miss Scarlet and The Duke” is a rollicking treat for fans of will-they-won’t they romances, witty banter, period costumes and more.
The new season opens a few months after the conclusion of Season One: Eliza has solved her father’s murder, her relationship with William (the “Duke”) continues to slowly simmer, and she continues to face the challenges of being a female private detective in male-dominated 1800s London.
In an era of corsets, bonnets, and rigid patriarchy, Eliza Scarlet is England’s pioneer female private detective, and a credit to her sex since she is arguably the nation’s finest sleuth. For his part, Duke is a natural-born crime-buster, destined for high office at Scotland Yard.
Along with the help (or hinderance) of Duke, Eliza is aided by her underworld odd-job man, Moses (Ansu Kabia, World on Fire); her sage housekeeper, Ivy (Cathy Belton, Hidden Assets); and her young friend and protégé, Hattie (Jessie Cave, Harry Potter).
The cast of characters also includes Duke’s new boss, Superintendent Monro (Ian Pirie, Guilt), who puts politics above policing. Consequently, Duke is ordered to mentor Detective Fitzroy (Evan McCabe, Doctor Who), the inept son of the powerful police commissioner (Michael Simkin, This Is Going To Hurt). Young Fitzroy is more suited to literary clubs than billy clubs, getting his colleagues into sticky situations. Charlie Phelps (Tim Chippings, Liar) rounds out the characters at Scotland Yard as the rough-around-theedges detective.
Then there is the city mortuary clerk, Mr. Potts (Simon Ludders, Young Dracula), who is justifiably suspicious of Eliza since she has a habit of breaking into his premises to inspect murder victims. Undeterred, Eliza assigns Ivy to find Potts’s weak points.
The new season presents a cavalcade of investigations, among them the search for a missing drawing by Charles Darwin, a murder that Eliza realizes mimics the plot of a mystery novel, a product-poisoning scheme, and a grave-robbing conspiracy. She also helps out Hattie by looking into prospective marriage partners proposed by her socially ambitious aunt (Helen Norton, Cracks), conveniently finding scandals associated with all.
Eliza is so good at her job that a rival detective agency led by Patrick Nash (Felix Scott, Grantchester) even tries to coerce her into joining their firm. If only Duke would take her more seriously.
“Sherlock Holmes only had to solve the crime,” says Susanne Simpson, executive producer of MASTERPIECE. “But Eliza also has to deal with society’s low opinion of women. In her audacious way, she turns being underrated into an advantage!”
Creator, writer and executive producer Rachael New notes “As with season one we have action, adventure, romance and more. The world of Scarlet is as vibrant as ever with new friends and some new foes for our duo to deal with. And as usual Eliza and Duke will be crashing into each other’s orbit, stepping on each other’s toes – there will never be a dull moment between these two.”
Read our Q&A with Kate Phillips on Being Miss Scarlet here, Were There Really Female Victorian Detectives here, and find out if Eliza’s fashion in dress is historically accurate here.
Miss Scarlet and The Duke (Season 2) Airtimes
Season 2: Episode 1: Pandora’s Box
Premieres Sunday, October 16, 2022, 8:00 – 9:00 p.m. ET
The sister of a missing woman hires Eliza to find her – the only problem is that the case was already investigated and closed by the police department, leading to new tensions between Eliza and the Duke. After broadcast, the full-length PBS program will be available here for a limited time.
Season 2: Episode 2: The Black Witch Moth
Premieres Sunday, October 23, 2022, 8:00 – 9:00 p.m. ET
A valuable sketch by the famed naturalist Charles Darwin is stolen, and Eliza is hired by an insurance company to find it. The reason behind her being hired, and the process of solving the mystery bring fresh twists and turns for Eliza and the Duke. After broadcast, the full-length PBS program will be available here for a limited time.
Season 2: Episode 3: A Pauper’s Grave
Premieres Sunday, October 30, 2022, 8:00 – 9:00 p.m. ET
Eliza is forced into hiding when she is the prime suspect in a series of break-ins at city morgues. While the Duke tries to find other suspects, Eliza turns to Moses and her other associates for help. After broadcast, the full-length PBS program will be available here for a limited time.
Season 2: Episode 4: Angel of Inferno
Premieres Sunday, November 6, 2022, 8:00 – 9:00 p.m. ET
Eliza is hired to solve a case of blackmail in the shady world of Victorian medicine and finds herself with a new rival – Patrick Nash, the owner of a large private detective agency. Nash wants Eliza to join his company – or he will crush her business. After broadcast, the full-length PBS program will be available here for a limited time.
Season 2: Episode 5: Quarter to Midnight
Premieres Sunday, November 13, 2022, 8:00 – 9:00 p.m. ET
A famous mystery writer is at the center of Eliza’s latest investigation when a series of murders mimic scenes in his books. Meanwhile, the Duke is also juggling problems at work with a new superintendent and a troubled young detective. After broadcast, the full-length PBS program will be available here for a limited time.
Season 2: Episode 6: The Proposal
Premieres Sunday, November 20, 2022, 8:00 – 9:00 p.m. ET
While Eliza and the Duke struggle with their relationship, private investigator Nash is shot just as Eliza agrees to work with him. As Eliza and Moses work to solve the attempted murder, they realize the real target of the shooting was Eliza herself. After broadcast, the full-length PBS program will be available here for a limited time.
“Miss Scarlet and The Duke” is AVAILABLE to STREAM
If you enjoyed this post, wander over to The Period Films List. You’ll especially like the Best Period Dramas: Victorian Era list, and want to see our series of posts about the period dramas that have aired on PBS Masterpiece.
