Despite Outrageous being set in the years between the world wars, there’s something about it that makes it feel somehow relevant even today. The show about the Mitford sisters is narrated by the oldest of the lot and begins on quite a happy note. However, as we get through the episodes, it’s becoming quite clear that we may not be heading for a happy ending at all. There’s an interesting thing Nancy says in this episode about how, despite all the sisters having been brought up in the same family, their mindsets have turned out so different. Guess it’s a nature vs. nurture thing, huh? Of course, the show is majorly focused on the political situation of the time; it also focuses on the individuals in terms of their romances, their ideals, and their dreams. With that said, let’s jump straight into episode 3.
Outrageous episode 3 begins with Unity’s exercise on display in the Mitford household. At this point, nobody really understands how serious this situation will soon get. Nancy has a good laugh about it, watching her sister jumping around in the backyard. Meanwhile, back at her own house, she gets a visit from the other fascist sister, Diana. Unfortunately, Diana has fallen pregnant with Mosley’s baby, but seeing as his wife only died a year ago, he can’t marry her now, and it’s too much of a scandal because the party is growing and things are going great for them. Nancy points out how Diana’s the only one always making sacrifices, but Diana says she must. Uff, blinded by love. Diana requests Nancy to accompany her to a shady clinic for an abortion, and Nancy agrees because she’s a wonderful sister. At the clinic, Diana looks terrified and says she hasn’t slept, but Nancy tells her it’ll all be okay and she’ll be right there to look after her.
Back in the parental household, Unity starts to convince her parents to let her go to Germany to study German. Of course, Jessica doesn’t approve, but Unity is determined, and with her constant nagging, she’s able to get into the heads of her parents. When Easter comes, the girls’ mom tells their dad that she’s invited Diana and the boys to come join them too. The old man can’t be angry forever, and he agrees. Finally, the parents speak about Unity going, and Muv says that Unity seems to be much improved from before and seemed great after returning from there with Diana. She also believes Germany is a safe country (oh, boy). A month after the abortion, at the Easter gathering, Diana is still bleeding. The pain she goes through for this man.
On the other hand, Jessica, the communist sister, becomes obsessed with Churchill’s nephew, Esmond Romily. The 15-year-old at the time ran away from his school with a group of communists. Somehow, this news is very fascinating to the family, but the Mitford dad is entirely against the family talking politics at the table. Maybe he’s worried about how the world is turning out, or maybe he just doesn’t want his daughters (and son) to get carried away. Finally, before Easter is up, Pamela, the quietest of the lot, shows Nancy her new obsession, a beautiful car that she plans on taking around Europe all by herself. Nancy tells her about the book satirizing fascism she’s about to write, and the duo talk about which of them is the braver sister. Back at home, Nancy worries that her book will get her in a fight with her two sisters, but her useless husband reminds her that they’ve spent all the advance already. They’re also drowning in debt, so she has no choice but to write the book. But on the other hand, Peter still has no news about a job.
Unity gets dropped off in Munich by Muv, and she’s very grateful. She makes a friend, and they find the joint where Hitler comes to lunch often. Soon after getting there, Unity makes a reservation for every day so that she can see the man (I’m wondering if she’s got enough money to keep this up). Later, Unity tells her friend everything she’s learned and that she sits at the same table every day. She can also see “him” if she angles the chair a certain way. Before she can finish her statement, the man himself shows up, and they all get up to salute. Unity thinks he recognizes her at this point because she’s been there every day, but her friend isn’t so sure.
On the other hand, back home, Nancy and Peter get ready to go to a Mosley rally. Diana is eager to go along but can’t, of course, because it would be too much of a scandal. If only she’d chanced it. Nancy absolutely despises the entire thing because violence breaks out, and Mosely encourages it. Back at home, they get a phone call, and Nancy knows it’s Diana. She doesn’t know what to say to her, of course, and Peter simply hangs up the receiver. He doesn’t care that they’re sisters; he simply tells Nancy that Diana, the fascist, won’t mind. Nancy doesn’t like this but can’t really do anything about it. At the same time, when she asks him about work, he says he’s still got nothing. She asks him if he’s actually trying, and he gets mad at her, calling her out for being a “suspecting wife.” Ugh, these gaslighters. He really thinks he’s so much better than Mosley.
Deborah hands Jessica a book by Esmond, and she’s delighted. She’s excited to see a change in the status quo, but Deborah dreams about a romantic life where she falls in love with a good man. Jessica tells her sister that there are no answers in romance; it’s all in politics. Meanwhile, it becomes clear that the parents are having some money troubles, but the dad believes it’s only a matter of time till things go up again. At the same time, Muv tells Nancy to open a separate bank account from her husband, but unfortunately, Nancy doesn’t have anything to put in the bank account, so it would be useless.
At the end of Outrageous episode 3, Nancy has written the book and shows it to Diana for her approval. She’d promised earlier that she would make any changes necessary to not hurt her sentiments. At the time, Diana had been very nice about it, but in so little time, so much has changed. More importantly, Diana reads the book out in front of Mosley, and he tells her that her sister is humiliating her because she’s jealous. Diana knows Nancy’s financial situation but somehow falls for Mosley’s charm again. She tells her sister that she’s insulting Mosley and that she shouldn’t publish the book at all. The two close sisters have ultimately been split up, and for what? When she gets home, her husband is partying, but she tells him that she has a headache and goes to sleep. When she wakes up the next day, people arrive to take some of their stuff away, because that’s how deep in debt they are. Meanwhile, in Germany, Unity gets invited to sit with the man himself for lunch. In the voiceover, Nancy talks about how her parents had no idea what a big mistake it was to send their daughter to Germany. I think Nancy has no choice but to go ahead with the book. She doesn’t want to be split from her sister, but she’s got no choice at the moment. It does feel like the whole world is against her at this point.[wide]
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