Ep 1. Episode 1

In season 2, episode 1 of Harlots, we are reacquainted with the vibrant, bawdy world of 18th-century London that we came to know and love in the first season. Set against the backdrop of Georgian London, Harlots tells the story of the women who work in the city's many brothels, and the intricate power struggles that exist between the various groups of sex workers as they try to carve out a better life for themselves.

In this first episode of season 2, the stakes are higher than ever before. Cut off from their wealthy clients by an outbreak of syphilis that is spreading through the city, the girls of Margaret Wells' brothel are struggling to make ends meet. Meanwhile, Margaret's own position is threatened by the arrival of a new madam with a more ruthless approach to business.

As the episode opens, we see Margaret (Samantha Morton) and her daughters Charlotte (Jessica Brown Findlay) and Lucy (Eloise Smyth) struggling to attract customers to their brothel. Their usual means of procuring new business – posting bawdy ads in the local papers – has become ineffective in the wake of the syphilis outbreak, and the girls are finding it harder and harder to make any money. To make matters worse, Margaret's former lover, the Duke of Northumberland, has cut off his patronage of the brothel and started frequenting a new establishment run by a rival madam.

Meanwhile, Charlotte and Lucy are each dealing with their own personal problems. Charlotte is still reeling from the murder of her lover, the self-styled nobleman Sir George Howard, and is struggling to come to terms with her own culpability in the crime. Lucy, on the other hand, has fallen in love with a young black man named William (Danny Sapani) and is keen to pursue a relationship with him – despite the fact that interracial relationships are strictly taboo in their society.

As the episode progresses, we are introduced to the new madam in town: Lydia Quigley (Lesley Manville), a woman with a longstanding feud against Margaret Wells. Lydia is more ruthless and calculating than Margaret, and has a vast array of contacts and resources at her disposal. When she learns that Margaret is struggling to make ends meet, Lydia sees an opportunity to strike – and begins to maneuver to take control of Margaret's business.

Through all of this drama, Harlots continues to be a show that shines a light on the lives of women who have traditionally been relegated to the margins of history. Though they may be sex workers, the girls of Margaret's brothel are complex, multi-dimensional characters who are determined to assert their own agency and make their own way in the world. With its vivid depictions of Georgian London and its captivating performances from its ensemble cast, Harlots continues to be one of the most compelling and unapologetically feminist shows on television.