‘Great Expectations’ recap: What happened in Episode 2?

The new adaptation of Great Expectations continued tonight!

Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight has adapted Charles Dickens’ classic novel in this six-part series for the BBC and FX.

Olivia Colman (The Crown) stars as the iconic Miss Havisham, alongside Dunkirk actor Fionn Whitehead as Pip.

They’re joined by Ashley Thomas (The Ipcress File), Johnny Harris (Medici), Shalom Brune-Franklin (The Tourist), Hayley Squires (Call the Midwife), and Matt Berry (What We Do in the Shadows).

Watch the trailer here:

Here’s a plot recap for the second episode, which premiered at 9pm on Sunday 2nd April 2023 on BBC One in the UK and on Hulu in the US:

Pip’s greatest desire is to learn from Miss Havisham and Estella how to become a gentleman. As he begins to learn the ways of the world, two men are about to hang, but lawyer Mr Jaggers blackmails the judge into pardoning his client.

Back at home, Mr Pumblechook declares that Pip should continue his education with Miss Havisham – and be paid handsomely for it. Pip enlists Biddy’s help, offering to pay her out of the allowance he will receive, but she refuses. He fails to see that the only reason Biddy helps him is that she loves him.

Pip’s education begins in earnest, but Miss Havisham has a proposal for Jaggers regarding Pip, one which neither she nor Jaggers will ever admit to the boy.

Seeking revenge against all men for her past injuries, Miss Havisham intends to have Jaggers throw Pip to the wild wolves of London.

Blissfully unaware of the changes on his horizon, Pip continues his life with Joe. Together they make and sell manacles, shackles and chains for the prison ships moored nearby.

Pip will not countenance selling the chains for use in the slave trade, although it would be much more lucrative.

However, Miss Havisham soon offers Pip an opportunity that is too good to turn down: a bag of the finest opium, which he might sell for no less than £6.

This is more than Pip can hope to make on his own, and more than enough to buy a suit of clothes to disguise the blacksmith’s boy behind finery and in imitation of the gentleman he might yet become.

But it comes with the understanding that his education is over and he is no longer welcome at the Havisham house.

Estella is distraught at Miss Havisham’s decision to send Pip away. Pip heads to the local tavern to drown his sorrows, and just as he passes out from too much rum, Mr Jaggers enters his life.

Charles Dickens’ novel Great Expectations is available on Amazon.