'The Forsytes' Recap: Episode 6

The Forsytes airs Sundays at 8:00 pm on WTTW and is available to stream. Recap the previous episode.
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and his children with her from their lives. But Frances fears gossip, especially after she runs into the Carterets – once potential in-laws – in the park and is asked where she and Jo have been. Jo is due to give a speech at the fiftieth anniversary gala of the Forsyte firm, a moment of affirmation of his leadership of the firm, and Frances just wants him back home by then.

Irene might be envious of Jo and his break from his marriage. While Soames keeps trying to bribe her into contentment with gifts like an extravagant necklace, she chafes against his restrictions on her – even as Ann pointedly suggests to him that he married her because of her independence. Irene is growing close to June, who brings her fiancé Bosinney to see Irene dance – something Soames disapproves of. When Irene, June, and Bosinney happily chat during a Forsyte gathering, Soames grows jealous and demands that Irene retire with him. He reminds Irene that she has much to be grateful for in her new life, but she tells him it is not the life she would have chosen.

Soames goes to Bosinney’s office and wakes him from a nap to commission drawings of a country home. Bosinney shows Soames a beautiful site in the countryside and refuses to take a low fee. Soames requests secrecy, as the home is to be a surprise to Irene.

Nevertheless, Bosinney tells June; they will be allowed to marry once he completes his first commission. June in turn tells Irene and is shocked to learn she doesn’t know. Irene is upset by the idea, even more so when she goes to Bosinney and learns that the projected site of the home is far from London and isolated. It will be a prison for her.

Bosinney realizes her distress and promises to tank his commission so that Soames rejects it. He can’t build a prison for Irene, but June and Soames also can’t know why. He brings a preliminary plan to Soames, who is aghast at the inflated cost and rejects it. Irene innocently asks why Bosinney visited Soames, and he explains his plan for a country home: he wants to get away from the gossiping and prying of London. Irene tries to tell him that he and she are very different people. He ignores her remark.

At the office, Soames tries to assert his style of ruthless leadership over Jo’s sentimentality in the wake of the failure of a mine in which James and Soames urged their clients to invest. Jo responds by revealing that Soames ruined Irene’s inheritance by tanking a stock in which her father had settled his money. Soames angrily shouts about Jo’s “mistress” and “brats.” Jo calmly walks away, asking the onlookers at the company if that’s the leadership they want.

Jo insists to Frances that Louisa is not a mistress, even though Frances doesn’t believe it. Frances is haunted by Louisa and worried that others know about Jo’s relationship with her, as when the Carteret matriarch pointedly talks about Louisa at another of Lady Parker Barrington’s charitable gatherings to raise money for “fallen women.” Frances asks if some of those women might benefit from some atonement, despite Parker Barrington’s efforts via Louisa to make the supporters of the charity have more sympathy for its objects.

Jo is supporting Louisa and his children now, having bought them an isolated house. He visits and is asked in by his children even though Louisa is not there. He watches them paint and draws them at their request. They then ask him to paint a wall of the house for Louisa; he paints Venice, where he had his romance with her. She is overwhelmed when she sees it.

Frances summons Jo home and tells him she may be willing to compromise if he also does, so that they can restore their marriage and home.

Ann also has a request of Jo: cover the losses of the Forsyte firm’s client Harry Falconer incurred by the failure of the mine. She has already asked her sons, but James and Jolyon have refused. She will provide Jo with the funds. He asks who Harry is; she replies that she and her husband provided a home, family, and trust for Harry’s mother when she fell on hard times. She doesn’t mention Harry’s father.

When Jolyon receives a letter of thanks from Harry for the money, he shows it to James in surprise. 

Jo is late to the gala. Bosinney breaks the news to June that Soames rejected his commission, telling her that he is also thinking of Irene in his decision to not lower the cost. But then Soames appears and tells Bosinney that he has reconsidered and wants Bosinney to build him a house. 

Bosinney goes to Irene, who has retired to a room alone to gather herself as she sees her life closing in on her, and apologizes. He will continue to try to protect Irene.

Jo finally appears and goes to Frances in their rooms. He apologizes and says she deserves better – but he can’t give it. He is going to resign from the firm and will not return to his home. 

Frances tells him that there will be no divorce because it would legitimize his children, and warns that his family and society will reject him. I once found you interesting, she says. Now you bore me. 

She puts a brave face on and emerges to the gala to announce that Jo has been called away. She also tells Parker Barrington – in front of the Carterets – that she will donate a house bequeathed to her by her father to the charity for fallen women. 

Ann is impressed. She rejects James’ offer to speak and turn things over to Soames in place of Jo, instead making her own speech about the qualities of the Forsyte family. When a photo is taken of the family and some board members, Monty tries to claim the chair meant for Jo, but Ann simply has it removed, relegating Monty to standing in the back row. 

Jolyon asks why Ann paid Harry and she tries to put the subject off. He insists. She reveals that Harry is her grandson.

Irene reminds Soames that he said he would release her from their marriage if they couldn’t make it work when he proposed. He responds that he would never have said such a thing. She is trapped. 

Jo goes to Louisa’s home and tells her that he has left his family and job. He wants to be an artist again, to be a father to their children, and to live with her, if she accepts. They happily kiss.