'The Durrells in Corfu': Season 4 Episode 1 Recap
Welcome back to the fourth and final season of The Durrells in Corfu! For the next six weeks I’ll be recapping the adventures of this quirky family of English expats who started a new life in Corfu with the help of a handful of devoted friends.
As you may recall from the end of last season, the Durrells joined the circus, Gerry had to contend with a despondent sloth and Larry was supplementing his serious writing with travelogues for the English papers. Louisa learned that her inheritance from Aunt Hermione had been much diminished by the disastrous investment strategy of her cousin Basil.
Several hearts where bruised or broken as Leslie discovered he wasn’t actually the proud papa to-be of Daphne’s baby, Margo’s beau Zoltan was forced to return home to Turkey and Louisa’s bliss with Spiros was snatched away when his wife and children returned from Athens. If you care to refresh your memories, all the details can be found here.
But now Season 4 has arrived and we sound the exciting new gong! And this season premiere is all about transformation and moving on.
In an attempt to “heal the sadness of the past”, Louisa (Keeley Hawes) has spent the last of her meager inheritance to have her ramshackle home transformed into a high-grade guesthouse complete with penthouse floor. Cousin Basil (Miles Jupp), the source of her financial shortfall, is a long-term tenant as well as a pair of Australian dancers who can’t afford Louisa’s rates. They flirt their way into rooming with Larry (Josh O'Connor) and, though he delights in having two “girlfriends”, spends most of his time writing on the veranda to escape their distracting and expressive bodies. Clearly to make this guesthouse thing work, Louisa is going to require more paying lodgers.
After the grand opening, Spiros (Alexis Georgoulis) drops by to deliver a package. We discover the taxi driver has not been to the Durrells’ place since his family returned to Corfu, an arrangement not dictated by his wife, but by Louisa who finds it too painful to have him around. The entire family misses Spiros a great deal as he is a generous supplier of connections, support and transportation.
Leslie (Callum Woodhouse), meanwhile, is attempting to heal his emotional scars by “reverting to his more basic self” – i.e., engaging in shooting and manual labor.
Gerry (Milo Parker) has changed quite a bit since we last saw him. While noticeably taller and with a voice that seems to have dropped an octave, he has not outgrown his love of animals. Gerry has plans for a proper zoo complete with breeding program and wildlife area enclosures. He’s even adopted a mascot – a barn owl named Ulysses.
