Lark Rise To Candleford – Series 3 – Episode 12
The railway has arrived in Inglestone and, with it, the unsettling news that the post office there is to become the main sorting office for the area, as the latest series of the period drama based on Flora Thompson’s novel comes to an end. Mr Blakestone, the Inglestone postmaster, has long held a grudge against Dorcas, and she fears he may use his new power to undermine her.
Meanwhile, Fisher Bloom has admitted to Daniel that he aims to win Laura back. Laura is confused by her feelings. She loves Daniel, but his apparent ambivalence towards her leads her to question their relationship, and Fisher’s romantic pursuit is beginning to have an effect.
Dorcas invites Blakestone to tea to try to restore good relations, but the postmaster sends Fisher in his place with an ultimatum – sell her post office to Blakestone and the staff will keep their jobs; or he will starve her business by sending mail out directly from Inglestone. Faced with the prospect of her staff losing their positions, Dorcas feels she has no choice but to sell up, even if it means denying Sydney his dream of being postmaster one day. However, when Thomas, Laura and Minnie learn what she is planning, they urge her to resist Blakestone’s blackmail and find a way to fight him.
Daniel is heartbroken at the thought of losing Laura, so finds a distraction in mounting a campaign to help Dorcas. In this, he and Laura have a common cause. As she watches Daniel rallying support in Lark Rise to save the post office, she finds his passion for the cause intoxicating, and realises that she still has strong feelings for him. Fisher may be able to sweep her off her feet with romantic words, but she finally understands that this kind of youthful infatuation is fleeting, and that her love for Daniel is made of deeper, longer-lasting stuff.
Buoyed up by the support of her friends and neighbours, Dorcas comes up with an ingenious plan to outwit Blakestone. However, will she succeed in saving the post office, and will a very important visitor be her saviour?
Dorcas is played by Julia Sawalha, Fisher Bloom by Matthew McNulty, Daniel by Ben Aldridge, Laura by Olivia Hallinan, Sydney by Edward Darnell-Hayes, Thomas by Mark Heap and Minnie by Ruby Bentall.
Lark Rise To Candleford is simulcast on the BBC HD channel – the BBC’s High Definition channel, available through Freesat, Sky and Virgin Media.
Comment from Nan
Time July 23, 2010 at 1:00 am
It’s quite simple really. Fisher is your high school sweetheart, but Daniel is the man you marry. Especially when you consider the era and setting of the story and Laura’s background. Of course that doesn’t make it any less depressing that Fisher’s character will not likely be returning. As a romantic at heart, my one weakness, I wish they would allow Dorcas some happiness on the romantic front.