Somewhere Safe
At the George and Dragon pub in Ablington, a shout goes up that “Joseph’s here!’ to open Renegade Nell Season 1 Episode 5, “Excuse Me, I’m a Doctor.” Inside the pub, Jack is chatting up the customers. Becky hears that Joseph (Josh Day) has arrived and scurries out to see him.
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When she gets outside, her face falls and she asks, “Where’s Joseph?” because Nell (Louisa Harland) is driving his delivery cart. Nell responds that he’s tied up and will be back next week. She tells Becky to ask her father to come to the storeroom to discuss free beer.
Becky delivers the message but Jack puts it off, asking her to tell the drayman to come back when it’s quieter. She relates this to Nell in the storeroom. Before she can leave, Nell asks if she’s Rebecca and then introduces her to Roxy (Bo Bragason) who’s crawling out of a sack. Roxy says she’ll explain and Nell runs out to find Jack.
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In the pub, Jack finally leaves the customers and Nell catches him in the stairwell. She tells him that her father’s dead and she needs him to take care of George (Florence Keen) and Roxy while she sorts things out. Jack is still reeling that Sam (Craig Parkinson) is dead but he’s willing to keep the girls safe.
Nell tells him she has to help out a friend in London then plans to sail to America and send for Roxy and George when she’s established herself over there. Jack realizes that’ll take a few years. He warns her that there have been all sorts of people looking for her.
Setting the Record Straight
In the storeroom, Becky asks about the rumors about Nell. Roxy confirms that she beat a giant on a giant horse but refutes the story about her eating babies.
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As Nell takes the cart out of Ablington, a troupe of traveling players arrives, led by their star, Japhia. He notices Nell driving her cart in the other direction and smiles.
In the store room, Jack, his wife and the older kids consider the best way to keep Roxy and George safe. Mrs. Trotter wants Nell to go to a magistrate and Roxy explains she’s tried that but between the rich protecting their own and the news sheets spreading lies, no one wants to hear the truth.
Rasselas (Enyi Okoronkwo) regales a tied-up Joseph with the things he loves most about Roxy. Nell returns and sets Joseph free, leaving him a bag of coins as compensation for his time and bother.
New Powers
Sofia (Alice Kremelberg) strolls through the orchard on her estate. Glancing up at an apple tree, she concentrates for a moment and causes an apple to explode. Going inside, she hears a fly buzzing. She looks at it until it suddenly drops dead.
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She sits down at the breakfast table with Poynton (Adrian Lester) who informs her that Queen Anne (Jodhi May) has grown unreasonably paranoid about Jacobites since the appearance of Herne the Hunter. He plans to go to London the next day and offers to look in on Thomas (Jake Dunn) while he’s there.
He observes that Sofia’s skills have progressed rapidly. When she insists on learning more, he offers a series of spells that will locate and trap Nell Jackson. She’s eager to start. He tells her they need an item of Nell’s. Sofia recalls the comb she picked up at Widdicombe Manor.
Grieving Sam
In Abingdon, the players entertain the town with a production of Shakespeare’s The Tempest. George watches from the window. Uncle Jack brings up some dinner. He looks upset and George and Roxy have him sit with them for a bit. He expresses his grief about Sam’s death.
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At Newgate prison, Nell calls on Billy (Nick Mohammed). Billy refuses to help Devereaux (Frank Dillane) escape. Rasselas joins her and tells her that Devereaux is a huge moneymaker for the prison. People line up every day to see him in his cell.
Not seeing a way in to help Devereaux, they go to get a drink before they head out. While they’re in the pub, Rasselas asks Nell for permission to ask Roxy to be his sweetheart. She says no. Suddenly, a man comes in looking for a doctor. Many men spring up but refuse to help when they learn the patient is a Newgate prisoner.
I’m a Doctor
Nell sneaks a medical box, wig, and gown from the patrons in the pub and follows, leaving Rasselas behind. She catches up with the man and tells him she’s a doctor. He leads her into the prison and she is horrified by the condition people, including small children, are being kept in.
She sees the prisoner and realizes he has typhus as do all of his cellmates. It’s also known as jail fever. She tells them she should check on Tulley as the rich people are coming in to see him. They wouldn’t want the patrons to catch it as well. They’d lose all their revenue.
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Devereaux lounges in his room when Nell comes in. The jailer insists he stands up for the doctor. Nell looks closely at him. He recognizes her. She claims he has the typhus spots in his eye. The jailer backs away quickly. Nell asks him for some privacy.
Once they’re alone, she tells him her plan is for him to pretend to die of typhus. She’ll pronounce him dead and they’ll smuggle him out in a coffin.
Eularia’s Deduction
Meanwhile, Eularia (Joely Richardson) is on her way in to see Devereaux.
Nell and Devereaux discuss the difference between his cell and the others. She finds a bottle in the medical case that’ll put him into a deep sleep. He decides he’d rather risk a trial since Eularia is getting him a very good lawyer.
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Eularia arrives just then. After some sputtering, Devereaux explains to Nell that he’s engaged to marry Eularia. Eularia tells Devereaux she’s hired a lawyer, just not the one he thought it would be.
Devereaux introduces Eularia to Nell who explains that the prisoner does not have jail fever. She leaves quickly but Eularia is very curious when she sees Devereaux gazing after her. She quickly deduces that it is actually Nell Jackson in disguise despite Devereaux’s denial. Her manservant alerts the jailer who tricks Nell into a cell with a bunch of children and young women.
The Real Mission
Nell attempts to break out of the cell but without Billy’s magic can’t do anything to the bars. She whispers Billy’s name, looking for help. In the pub, Rasselas continues to wait, watching the prison through the window.
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In an underground storage space, Poynton prepares the space for the spell. Sofia hands him Nell’s comb. He begins to read the spell and she repeats the words after him. The walls begin to bleed.
In the prison, Nell insists that she’s not Nelly Jackson while the guards laugh at her. Billy tells her to turn around and look at the children in the cell. He asks how they could possibly have committed crimes warranting prison time. Nell asks some of them why they’re in Newgate. One stole bread for her little sister to eat. Another stole a blanket for their family to keep warm.
Billy believes freeing these children is their reason for being there. He is incensed that anyone lives in squalor like this. He flashes into his spark form and flies into Nelly’s mouth. This time, the bars bend easily. She takes out the guards and opens the cell doors to release everyone.
An Evil Air
In the lair, the spell incantation continues and causes the walls in Newgate to transform into slime. As Nell moves past, freeing prisoners, hands reach out of the walls, grasping at her.
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Prisoners start pouring out of Newgate. Rasselas realizes something’s happening and runs out of the pub to help. A hand reaches out of the ground to grab Nelly’s leg. She slices at it with a sword. Sofia cries out and grasps her hand in pain. She slowly crawls back to the center of the lair. Poynton gives her more lines of the spell.
In the prison, the walls begin to crumble as Rasselas looks for Nell. They find each other but as they try to leave, new walls appear where there weren’t any before, trapping them.
The incantations become more intense. Sofia says, “You’re going to die, Nelly Jackson,” and Nell and Rasselas both hear her in the Newgate corridor. Rasselas recognizes the voice. A wall appears between Nell and Rasselas. Billy emerges from Nell’s mouth and tells her the walls are illusions. He tells her to just run straight through it.
Nell takes a deep breath and runs through the wall, causing Sofia to collapse. Poynton rushes to her. Sofia tells him she had Nell, but then the magic stopped.
Nell awakens on the ground outside the prison. People are running in all directions. Rasselas is nowhere in sight. She calls his name.
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Stolen Away
George is asleep in her bed. Japhia stands next to her bed and calls, “Kid,” until she wakes up. She’s excited when she recognizes him and tells him how much she liked his play. He appreciates that and then points a gun at her and asks where Roxy is. George looks at Roxy’s empty bed and says she doesn’t know. He decides she’ll have to do on her own.
All episodes of Renegade Nell Season 1 are streaming on Disney+.
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