'Tom Jones's Road To London is Paved with Adventures, Allies & Enemies

Sophia is under siege as Tom Jones' second episode begins, under pressure to marry the unpleasant Blifil. (Aunt Western: “I want you to be rich and safe!”) The older generation are incredulous Tom –– of dubious birth, penniless –– is someone a woman of Sophia’s class and wealth might love. (What’s love got to do with it, anyway?) The big gun himself, Blifil, is sent in to woo her under romance-proof conditions, and the stilted conversation that follows is embarrassing.

London, where a woman can lose her freedom, and a man his soul.

While the central story of Tom Jones is Tom’s rise to maturity and the discovery of his true self, Sophia takes the greater risk in finding her own path. Not only does Sophia defy her grandfather in choosing who she loves, but the series is as much her story as Tom’s. As she narrates this episode, we see her question her choices and even her love for Tom. She recognizes that for all his likable qualities and charm, he’s trouble.