The story centers around two deluded, egotistical grande dames who similarly have a consuming passion to control as society queen their extended environment by always working within the social barriers of acceptability and behavior to tightly control and maneuver people and situations to their own advantage. After a nine-month grieving period, the widow Mrs. Emmeline "Lucia" Lucas (Geraldine McEwan, Agatha Christie's Miss Marple) of Riseholme, summers with her constant companion, Georgie Pillson (Nigel Hawthorne, The Madness of King George), in the quiet, provincial town of Tilling. Madam rents the "Mallards" cottage, home of Elizabeth Mapp (Prunella Scales, Fawlty Towers), who has quite comfortably set herself as the local society hostess and is anxious to pursue a relationship with her new tenant.
The presuming Miss Mapp thrusts her way in to greet Lucia, who takes immediate affront to her thoughtless and overbearing entrance. Considering she owns the house, Mapp passes it off with a wave of the hand. Carefully considering what has just occurred, Lucia has now deemed Elizabeth an enemy and someone to be humiliated in her own house, village, and society. Miss Mapp is a dowdy, traditional type, always the lady-proper, but filled with scheming gossip and satirical insults presented in an all-engaging smile. These two arbiters will find themselves clashing on subjects such as art, recipes, and politics as they compete for social status.
Aside from the adversarial clashes of Mapp and Lucia, two delightful characters are Georgie Pillson and "Quaint" Irene. Georgie is Lucia's confidante and companion, who shares her intrigue and enjoyment as they plan and devise their action. Georgie is a tweedy type fellow, fastidious and discriminating in all that he does -- a perfect cohort for the pretentious high-hat Miss Lucia. Offering a rare breath of humor is the boyish, pipe-smoking Tilling nude artist, "Quaint" Irene (Cecily Hobbs, One Foot in the Grave) whose paintings, as well as herself, are quite controversial. One of the most high-spirited episodes is when Mrs. Wyse's (Marion Mathie, Rumpole of the Bailey) budgerigar (parakeet) dies and she is inconsolable carrying her "grief" (the bird) attached to her clothing, sometimes on a hat, sometimes on her lapel, etc. It is not until Lucia invokes the parakeet in a seance that Mrs. Wyse finally accepts the bird is now happy after its release into its new transcendent freedom.
In Season One of Mapp & Lucia: The Complete Collection, the battles ensue with Lucia deciding to move permanently to Tilling. Mapp, suspicious of Lucia's airs, especially her self-glorifying use of the Italian language, decides to adopt her signature phrase of "au reservoir" (goodbye), although secretly doubting that Lucia really has a true knowledge of the foreign language. When an Italian countess visits, Lucia must discover an exit move. Anxious to make points with the social register, Elizabeth steals a lobster recipe from Lucia's residence and presents it to her guests. Houses are exchanged and Mapp moves into "Greves" cottage on the marshes. Floods come and two are lost at sea. There are marriages and talks about (shhh!) "pregnancy." The ladies battle for political office and Lucia pulls ahead with charitable contributions and becomes the leader of Tilling!
Mapp & Lucia: The Complete Collection unfortunately has no subtitles or closed captioning, but the masterful comedy keeps you engaged in the hilarious British humor. The film clarity might not be as crisp as that of today, and there may be slight audio flaws, but the writing is full of hilarity, satire, and attitude. The acting is tremendous and the cast outstanding. This period comedy of the early 30's presents a picture of the past complete with decor, design, fashion and millinery. This was a time that brought societal change, women's independence, unemployment, nutrition, recreational sports, and, of course, political advancement. For a gratifying and enjoyable viewing experience, you'll peek into the quirky lifestyles of Britain's countryside upper crust. Great fun!
