The Duke is no longer part of the Miss Scarlet cast, but newcomer Tom Durant-Pritchard is hopeful his character, Inspector Alexander Blake, can fill the void.
“Why should fans give him a chance? I think for a number of reasons,” Durant-Pritchard, 37, exclusively told Us Weekly about his character, who joins the renamed PBS Masterpiece series for season 5.
Warning: Spoilers below for ‘Miss Scarlet’ season 5, episode 1:
Durant-Pritchard explained that The Duke a.k.a. Inspector William Wellington (Stuart Martin) “had to leave for various reasons” including, “actors [getting] other gigs and [moving] on.”
He noted that although viewers were heartbroken when PBS announced in February that Martin, 38, would not be back for season 5, Miss Eliza Scarlet’s (Kate Phillips) new sparring partner will be equally as “interesting.” (After Martin’s exit, the show was renamed from Miss Scarlet and The Duke to Miss Scarlet.)
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“He comes from an army background. He’s traveled the world. He’s done all sorts of things,” Durant-Pritchard told Us of Inspector Blake.
The actor teased that the new head of Scotland Yard arrives in London “in a time of his life where, you know, he’s gone through his own heartbreak.”
Durant-Pritchard noted that Blake’s heartbreak is “different” than that of Eliza, who is upset that William relocated to New York after professing his love for her during season 4.
“They find each other at a time where they’re in their company. They need each other in a way,” Durant-Pritchard said of Blake and Eliza, adding that they don’t hit it off right out the gate.
Scroll down to see what else Durant-Pritchard — who was announced as the newest cast member in April — exclusively told Us about his character and what fans can expect from season 5:
Out With the Old and In With the New
“A lot of the old characters are back [and] a lot of the misadventures of Miss Scarlet continue,” he said of this season’s vibe. “But you do have a new chief inspector who comes in and likes to do things slightly differently to how William did it, which is obviously gonna mix stuff up just a tad.”
The Fatherhood Factor
During the season 5 premiere — which streams on Sunday, December 6, before its broadcast premiere on Sunday, January 12 — viewers will get a glimpse of Blake’s home life, which includes raising a daughter.
“I think for Blake, the fact that he does have a daughter at home kind of is the reason he does everything, which is the reason he is protective. The reason he’s slightly secretive,” Durant-Pritchard revealed to Us. “The reason he doesn’t bring trouble to his door and why he’s reluctant to have any kind of relationship with a private detective is because his daughter is his priority.”
The British actor added that Blake is “quite hard to read and he doesn’t give a lot away,” but having a “young girl in his family informs everything that he does, and everything’s done to make sure that she’s safe.”
Durant-Pritchard teased that while the majority of season 5 will focus on the “work environment” for Blake, viewers will eventually “start to sort of see more about the man” and “what goes on behind the walls of his private life.”
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Getting to the Root of Blake
“You’re gonna learn about him as the series goes on, but it’s gonna be in the same kind of format: you’re gonna be following cases and there are just gonna be little bits dripped in here and there that kind of reveal a little bit more about the man,” Durant-Pritchard told Us of his character’s arch. “But you’ll have to pay close attention.”
He confessed that fans will “never really get to know the full picture” about Blake — at least to start the season. “You’ll get an idea of who he is and everyone can pass judgment,” Durant-Pritchard continued. “But it’s gonna take a while for all the fans to fully understand who the man is and where he is coming from.”
What Do the Cops Think About Him?
When Blake comes to Scotland Yard, he will be filling William’s shoes — but he will also be replacing Detective Phelps (Tim Chipping), who was the interim inspector.
“There are some people in the world you just can’t win over, and I think Phelps is one of those people,” Durant-Pritchard said, noting that not everyone will like Blake’s leadership style. “But strangely enough, I think Phelps actually respects people who are good at their job.”
He explained that Phelps “resents the fact that Blake’s come in and just taken his job. But as the series progresses, he realizes that Blake is very good at what he does and a sort of respect forms between the two of them potentially.”
Durant-Pritchard added that Blake won’t let his subordinates’ feelings about him change how he works. “Blake just goes about his business, does his thing and leads by example and hopes that people respect him for that as opposed to needing it from anyone,” he said.
How Does Detective Fitzroy Fit Into the Season?
Before William left his post at Scotland Yard, he took Detective Fitzroy (Evan McCabe) under his wing, helping to harness his skills and make him a better cop. When Blake takes over, Durant-Pritchard told Us that mentoring will continue.
“Blake sees a lot of potential in Fitzroy and takes on a kind of a sort of more nurturing position with him and does what he can to make sure that Fitzroy can really excel at his job,” the actor shared. “Like any good boss, he’s just trying to get the best out of him. So you see that relationship develop a bit as the season goes on. And you see Fitzroy get up to his usual mishaps.”
What Does Tom Want Fans to Takeaway for Season 5?
“What I’ve been quite excited about for this season is just the fans getting a chance to meet Blake,” Durant-Pritchard told Us, joking, “Nobody likes change and I get that as much as the next person. But we all know change is good from time to time.”
He added that the new season will flip the script in a good way. “The thing I’ve been most excited about is generally just coming in and getting to sort of stamp my own style onto things,” Durant-Pritchard concluded. “And slowly, slowly bringing people around to my way of doing things.”
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Season 5 of Miss Scarlet will have an early streaming release on the PBS App and the PBS Masterpiece Prime Video Channel Sunday, December 8, with new episodes dropping weekly.
The broadcast premiere airs on Masterpiece Mystery! on PBS Sunday, January 12, at 8 p.m. ET.
