The Forsytes Season 1 Episode 3 Focuses on Tensions with Secrets Out

We always knew that there was never going to be much time for Jo’s secret to remain a secret, so it wasn’t surprising that everything came out on The Forsytes Season 1 Episode 3. There just wasn’t the time to keep the secret brewing, and by it all coming out quickly, it meant that tensions could rise with multiple people.

Jo wants to do the right thing, and I find that admirable of him. This is a man who has just learned he has children, and he doesn’t want them to live without when they don’t need to. It’s not like people have never had children out of wedlock. The difference here is that Forsytes haven’t been in this position before.

James thinks that this is perfect for him and Soames. It’s time to take Jo out of the business. Now if only he had the votes!

Why Would Anyone Want to Be Part of This Board?

I have to question why anyone would want to be part of this business’s board. I know, it’s all money and that’s why, but the entire Forsyte family just deals in shady ways. James and Soames are constantly working together to take down the Jos, and that even leads to adding someone completely unacceptable to it.

The rest of the board goes along with it — at least, most of them. It’s the wildest way of doing business, and it’s no wonder that the stock market crash is going to come in a few decades when you look at the way some of the businesses were run!

Fortunately, for Jo, the trouble doesn’t quite arise. His grandmother is more than willing to step in to remind the men what they’re not seeing. She’s quite a formidable woman when you listen to her, willing enough to let transgressions like children out of wedlock slide. At the end of the day, she wants to see the business thrive, and the only way to do that is to make sure James and Soames don’t get their hands on it.

Jo and Frances Simply Can’t Work Out

I continue to feel no chemistry at all between Jo and Frances. Part of me wishes that we got to see some of the 10 years of their marriage to really understand why they were together. It’s clear that Jo loves June, and he is willing to raise her as his own. But there doesn’t seem to be any sort of relationship or emotion with Frances.

She is also there more as a business advisor than anything else. I could see her being more successful in a marriage to Jo Sr. This way, she could be Jo’s stepmother and help with much of the business advice that she’s going to offer. What were the circumstances that prevented her from marrying the elder Jo 10 years ago, considering it didn’t seem like Jo’s mother was still around?

Jo is doing the right thing, though. He wanted to be with Louisa a long time ago, and she was the one to leave him. She should have told him about the children before the wedding, even if it did upend his life. Not only did he deserve to know, but he needed to know to prevent a scandal like this. The children also deserve to know who their father is.

By the end of The Forsytes Season 1, the only option is for Jo to end up with Louisa. There is far more chemistry there, although I do appreciate June’s fears as Jo tells her the truth.

Soames’s News Doesn’t Shake Things Up Enough on The Forsytes

I expected much more when it came to the drama as Soames announced his engagement to Irene. She is a woman beneath his station, and Soames’s parents had been pushing for a marriage to another woman for two episodes now.

Instead, they just seemed to accept that they couldn’t change anything. Sure, they couldn’t, but I expected a few more conversations about whether this was appropriate or not. I especially expected more when it came to Soames’s sister and brother-in-law, with one of them saying something about Irene.

Instead, the wedding happens, and there are no questions about it. Ann even gives Soames her blessing. She can see that her grandson is in love, and Irene isn’t a bad woman. She has passion and dreams, and this could be good for Soames, as it takes him away from the family business for a while. However, she doesn’t seem to understand that Irene’s passion for dance is more than just a few waltzes around the ballroom.

For now, Soames is willing to support Irene’s passion for the ballet. I have to wonder how far that will go now that they are married. At least this takes some of the pressure off Jo.

The Forsytes airs on Sundays at 9/8c on PBS and streams on PBS Masterpiece on Prime Video and PBS Passport.