‘Gentleman Jack' Season 2, Finale Recap: “It’s Not Illegal.”
Gentleman Jack Season 2's finale begins with Lister and Ann arriving in London. Ann is furious, disappointed, and sulky. Lister promised to introduce her to her aristocratic friends, and now she won't! Lister asks her to pour her a cup of tea, and Ann's muted response is surprisingly rich in its choice of language. Lister pours her tea and explains how she doesn't want Ann to be overwhelmed by high society's mean girls. Lister, as we've seen, has doubts about her partner, although she's sensitive to Ann's insecurities and anxieties. It's not yet a marriage of equals, and although she's gently coaxed Ann to be more proactive in her own legal and business affairs, Lister still wants to run the show. Well, that's Lister.
Some familiar figures are at the dinner party, her old friend Tib and fangirl Lady Vere Cameron. They're still gushing over Lister's lecture from inside the whale's skeleton. Lady Cameron complains to Lister that she's regarded as a baby-making machine, but Lister surprises her — and us — by stating that children are a blessing. The conversation she and Ann had about children lingers in her mind. The couple visits a prestigious school in their search for a schoolmaster; this time Ann is upset that she didn't have the chance to get a word in edgeways, and Lister placates her by asking if she'll make a speech at the ceremony celebrating the building of the hotel-casino.
Ann worries about Sutherland and fears financial ruin. Lister responds if the worst happens, she'll sell Shibden Hall. Ann admits, "I'm still not convinced what we do is right. Lister responds that it's probably for the best if she can't make Ann happy. The following day, they are polite but guarded. Lister wants to make a short stop to visit a monument in a nearby church. The tomb is of a child, Penelope Boothby, who died at six. Lister is as profoundly moved as she was on her first visit. She was born when Penelope died and wonders if she is her reincarnation. It would explain why she feels so out of step with her family. She's embarrassed by her feelings, and Ann consoles her, but the episode creates a tentative peace between them.
