A Sweet Romance Takes Center Stage as 'Belgravia: The Next Chapter' Begins

For some viewers, the idea of Belgravia: The Next Chapter likely arrives as something of a surprise. The next chapter of what, they might ask, having completely missed out on the original Belgravia despite its buzzy behind-the-scenes pedigree. (The series was one of creator Julian Fellowes' first projects after Downton Abbey wrapped.) Even those who saw the original might express some confusion about this sequel, given that Belgravia wasn't especially popular when it aired back in 2020. Its story, about a secret illegitimate child and the families that conspire to keep his true identity from him, was overly convoluted and strangely boring. And while it featured some great performances from its central actresses (Harriet Walter, Tamsin Grieg, Alice Eve), it wasn't particularly compelling television. Mercifully, however, Belgravia: The Next Chapter does its level best to correct many of its predecessor's mistakes and, if its first episode is anything to go by, will be a much more entertaining ride.

The bones of the original series---secret pregnancies, illegitimate children, long-kept family secrets, and infidelity, all set in nineteenth century London's most affluent district---are the stuff that storytelling dreams are made of, so the choice to skip the drama ahead three decades and try again by picking up with the next generation of characters is honestly a no-brainer. For those who watched Belgravia, there are certainly small connections and callbacks to the original material, but knowledge of the first series is absolutely not necessary. The premiere episode fills in all the backstory about the show's present-day characters you need to know, complete with some handy new flashback sequences.

Ultimately, that's probably what sets this second chapter apart from its predecessor, at least initially. Its first episode is much more character than plot driven, allowing us to get a feel for (almost) every major player and their relationships with one another before the larger story kicks in. (Save for whaver is happening with the Duke of Rochester's family, which sort of feels as though it's happening on its own show.) And by tightening its focus to a central quartet of characters who already share histories with one another, the story immediately feels much more propulsive too.