This does feel slightly more political than previous BBC offerings. The Great War is mentioned frequently, and its shadow stretches over the action here. Bundle’s father and brother, both killed in the fighting, are frequently brought up; in their absence, she and her mother (a wonderfully acerbic Helena Bonham-Carter) knock around their vast country estate like spare parts, unable to afford its upkeep. In their place, a new class is rising: the nouveau riche, newly possessed of titles and smarting at the way they’re being looked down upon by their perceived peers.
