In Review: Around the World in 80 Days Episode Five

Synopsis: This week’s Around The World in 80 Days sees the group go to Hong Kong. Passepartout’s knowledge of Hong Kong proves useful when Fogg’s finances are blocked. However, there is a high price to be paid. Abigail’s latest article could humiliate Phileas at a party in his honour.

The Story

Due to Nyle Bellemy’s machinations and Dirty Tricks. Fogg is unable to get a bank order for his money while in Hong Kong. This leaves Fogg, Passpartout, and Abigail in a somewhat precarious position. Thankfully, Passpartout’s connections in Hong Kong allow for them to find lodgings. Added to which a chance meeting with Lady Clemency Rowbotham and Sir Henry Rowbotham the Governor of Hong Kong gets Fogg and his party invited to a party in his honour. However, Lady Celemency has read Abigail’s article, which contains details about Fogg’s past that could humiliate him. As the article gets read out at the Party. Fogg and his party make a hasty exit. 

With the dream of traveling the world paused. Passpartout makes a deal with Jiang Liei to steal the White Dragon, which belongs to Liei’s family but was taken from him by Sir Henry Rowbotham. However, things go wrong when Henry accuses Fogg of stealing the White Dragon. 

The Acting

Victoria Smurfit puts in a brilliantly fun performance as bored socialite Lady Clemency Rowbotham who is obviously infatuated with Phileas Fogg thanks to Abigail’s newspaper article. The scenes that she shares with David Tennant are hilarious as she leads an unsuspecting Fogg around and shows him off to all her high society friends. 

Tennant also has a brilliant scene with Ibrahim Koma when Fogg recognizes Passpartout from the Reform Club.

Overall

This was a pretty decent episode, which had a nice mix of comedy and drama. I loved the sequence where Passpartout steals the White Dragon from around Lady Clemency Rowbotham’s neck and just about manages to getaway. I also love the drama of Fogg learning about Abigail’s article and the wedge that is driven between them because of what is a little bit of a betrayal. Overall a bit of an improvement over last week’s episode.