Dear Jack and Hugh,
We are extremely disappointed in you. You are acting like pubescent boys and need to dial that male entitlement way back if you’re going to be worthy of the women you love.
Hugh, no more trying to restrict Dot to “womanly” duties (e.g. wedding planning). She’s good at her job and has much help to offer you, if you’ll only let her.
Jack, no more grousing about Phryne’s “old friends.” She is what she is and you love her for it.
As penance, you are each to write a 1,000 word essay on Toxic Masculinity. We expect it on our desk first thing in the morning.
As for you, Phryne and Dot… keep up the good work.
xoxo, The Miss Fisher Philes
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I love your podcast, but I didn’t agree that Phyrne was acting out of character over ‘jealous Jack’. I think she just realized she might have hurt him. It didn’t mean she didn’t think she was entitled to be with Compton. Remember she invited him to dinner in Death Defying Feats and he gave her the speech about trying to be liberal minded for her but he was ‘not like those other men’, meaning he was finding it hard to cope with all her lovers. Knowing that, she would know the he would feel hurt when he saw her naked under Compton’s coat and she was sorry. I think she can be both sorry for making him feel bad and entitled to be with Compton at the same time. She isn’t a monster.
Thanks for the feedback, Tildy! There are so many ways Phryne’s behavior could be interpreted––which is partly what makes this show so fun. Your point is a good one, and we’d be very curious to know what the writers were going for in that scene. She was explaining her actions to Jack more than she ever has before (even when he knows she’s been with another guy) and it made us a little sad because we love that she generally doesn’t feel the need to explain or apologize. We agree——she isn’t a monster. She does what makes her happy, and we didn’t want the show to start shaming her for it because that lack of shame is exactly what we love. It’s a tricky balance, and one that is ripe for debate.
Thank you for getting in touch. We appreciate the feedback!
xoxo, Mary, Chandler and Jo Jo