Devil Nell
It’s early morning in London at the start of Renegade Nell Season 1 Episode 7, “Stop Printing This Muck,” and men deliver the news sheets. A ballad-singing news seller gets the public buzzing about “Devil Nell,” the papers’ new name for Nell Jackson (Louisa Harland).
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One of the news sheets lands in Nell’s hands. She, Roxy (Bo Bragason), George (Florence Keen) and Polly (Ashna Rabheru) look at the caricature before Nell crumples it, and they head off.
Queen Anne (Jodhi May) holds a copy of the Devil Nell sheet. She discusses all the disturbing things that are happening with Poynton (Adrian Lester) and shares her belief that there are traitors at court all around her. He tells her that she cannot stay where she is not safe. He offers to arrange somewhere safe for her to stay.
Smashing the Presses
Nell, Roxy, George, and Polly find Eularia’s (Joely Richardson) news offices. Billy (Nick Mohammed) stops Nell before she enters, advising that she doesn’t tear the place apart because it’ll just give them more to print about her. Instead, she should find a way to use them to further their cause.
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A portrait of Eularia hangs in the front room of the news offices. Polly informs the others that Eularia is a pioneer of the printed word.
The girls walk into the busy offices just as the editor throws Rasselas (Enyi Okoronkwo) out of his office. George and Roxy greet him enthusiastically, while Nell accuses him of trying to sell their story to the press.
Rasselas explains how Poynton influences Sofia and how their plans are more far-reaching than just attacking Nell. When they return to the editor’s office, he’s annoyed to see Rasselas again and doesn’t believe Nell is Nelly Jackson since she’d be the third one he’d met that morning.
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They follow him out of the office. When Nell pulls out her gun, suddenly, he believes she’s the real Nell Jackson. He insists he can’t print her story without Eularia’s approval, but she’s in court for Devereaux’s trial.
George asks if they can help Devereaux. Nell decides to wait in the news office for Eularia since she’s probably bribed all the people needed to free Devereaux.
Devereaux’s Trial Begins
In the courthouse, Mrs. Miller (Ruth Madeley) acts as the spokesperson for the victims of Isambard Tulley. George Horner defends Devereaux.
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Devereaux testifies that Nell Jackson forced him to play the part of her husband, which is how he ended up arrested and accused of being Isambard Tulley. He explains that Nell is clearly obsessed with him, as she overturned Newgate to get him back, but he refused to run because he wanted to clear his name. It’s a rousing speech, and the crowd approves. Eularia gives him a hopeful look.
Sofia’s Impatience
The snake on Poynton’s ring writhes. A knock on the door interrupts his thoughts. Sofia (Alice Kremelberg) comes in, apologizing for arriving unannounced. She shares that she has the bandage Rasselas bled on. She wants to use Poynton’s pentagram room to track him and Nell.
Poynton informs her that the queen has appointed him captain of her bodyguard. Soon, Sofia will put her skills to work for the Jacobites because Queen Anne will be coming to stay at Blancheford’s manor, Broadwater Hall.
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He tells Sofia that his associates will meet with him that day to finalize plans. Sofia asks if he’s told them of her involvement. He hesitates and explains his associates would not approve of a woman with her abilities.
Things Go Pear-Shaped
In the news sheet editor’s office, Nell and Billy discuss Poynton’s plans to bring a war to England to set James up on the throne. Nell points out that the battles will be fought by the poor, who don’t even want a war. Billy believes Eularia will print the story and expose the plot before it becomes a war.
Mrs. Miller questions Devereaux. She emphasizes his French surname and accuses him of being a Jacobite. This shocks Devereaux, who blurts out that he’s never been to France and that his father is a shoemaker. Eularia is disgusted by this turn of events and storms out of the courtroom. In her carriage, she sobs over the loss.
Sofia watches the Jacobite lords arrive. Left alone in Poynton’s study, she pokes around and discovers his secret staircase.
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As George hums the Devil Nell song and scribbles, Rasselas and Roxy catch up. Eularia arrives in a bad mood and refuses to retract any of the lies she’s printed about Nell. Roxy sees a piece of paper fly over to the press on its own and tries to get Nell’s attention. When Eularia states her intention to print even more lies, Nell threatens to shoot up the presses.
Sofia Attacks
Down in Poynton’s lair, Sofia begins the tracking ritual on her own. In the news office, the printing press slams down independently. George retrieves the paper and reads, “You’re not going anywhere, Nell Jackson.”
Sofia possesses Eularia and attacks Nell. Billy flies into Nell. Nell tells them to clear the room. Rasselas tries to reason with Sofia. She, in Eularia’s body, throws him across the room. Nell is reluctant to fight Eularia as she’s a woman and possessed. Sofia pushes her advantage and forces Nell onto the press bench, where she tries to bring the press down on her head.
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Nell, knowing she’s addressing Sofia, reminds her that Thomas would never do anything to help her if the roles were reversed. This infuriates Sofia, and she executes a spell so that everyone’s lies about Nell are heard by the people in the news offices as if on a loudspeaker.
The Truth Matters
George grabs the paper she was scribbling on and runs to the top level of the office. She sings a new version of the ballad with lyrics that expose the truth about Thomas, Sofia, and Poynton. This breaks Sofia’s spell, and she falls to the ground, releasing her hold on Eularia, who begins to faint just as Nell kicks her in the chest.
Sofia’s eyes open in Poynton’s lair. In the council of Jacobites, Thomas sits silently in the corner. He watches the activity in the room through a mental fog. Sofia bursts in and informs them that Nell and her crew know everything about the invasion and have told the press about it, too.
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The other members of the council dismiss this information as pointless, but Poynton takes it to heart and decides they’ll move forward with the plan to take the queen to tomorrow.
Eularia comes to the floor of the news office. She’s in a rage at being manipulated and puppeted. Her assistant rushes in. Rasselas informs her she was used by Sofia Wilmot and that Sofia and Thomas framed Nell. Furthermore, Sofia and Poynton are planning treason. The editor scoffs again but scurries away when Eularia asks if he knew about this already.
Quick Pivots
The assistant delivers the news that Devereaux’s been found guilty. However, he distracted the court and ran away before they could hang him.
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Eularia calls everyone into the editor’s office, where she replaces him with Polly. There’s a knock at a tiny door. Polly opens it to find a messenger pigeon with a note saying that the queen will relocate to Broadwater Hall the next day under Poynton’s direction.
It’s all happening too quickly for the presses to share the story. Nell decides they’ll have to stop the plot themselves. She drives Eularia’s carriage to Tottenham with George, Roxy, and Rasselas inside and Billy riding in the back.
All episodes of Renegade Nell Season 1 are streaming on Disney+.
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