Episode 1.8 (Secret Diary of a Call Girl)
Encyclopedia
"Episode 1.8" is the series 1 finale of the British television show Secret Diary of a Call Girl
.
, working under the name "Belle", staying at the London apartment of a wealthy America
n businessman named Mitchell Rothman. Whilst talking Mitchell suggests that Hannah should become a courtesan
, and he offers her for nomination at Diamond International Courtesans.
Della, Fiona and Anna of Diamond International Courtesans agree an interview with Hannah, discussing the prerequisites needed to be a courtesan. "Up-market quality", various languages and impeccable etiquette are all required for Hannah to be accepted into the "sisterhood" of courtesans. Despite the interview going poorly, Hannah convinces her interviewers to accept her into Diamond International Courtesans. After being accepted into the sisterhood she meets Stephanie, her agent
, and quits her job as a call girl
. Mitchell, a jet set
ter who rarely stays in London, offers Hannah his penthouse
situated on the south bank the River Thames
, opposite the Palace of Westminster
.
Ben meets up with Hannah and photograph
s her for Diamond International Courtesans profile. Hannah then sifts through her applicants and arranges interviews with a select few number of men; Hannah settles with four clients, including Mitchell, as the more clients a courtesan has, the less prestigious she becomes.
Mitchell then takes Hannah to a stately home
in Scotland
with him; however he becomes frustrated with her for being too "demanding". Hannah returns to London after the disastrous trip to Scotland and telephones Della. They discuss Mitchell, who is described by Della as a "collector", meaning he has various courtesans and prostitutes scattered around the world. Hannah then invites Ben round to the apartment and the two begin to feud, as Ben's fiancée Vanessa is irritated with Ben due to him staying at Hannah's at midnight.
Hannah, frustrated with her job, decides escorting is her vocation and moves back to her old flat, leaving Mitchell a note saying, "I'm sorry Mitch - it's not for me". Hannah then becomes an independent escort, without the help of an agency.
that failed to grasp over 1 million viewers according to Broadcasters' Audience Research Board ratings. The episode's viewers were 985,000, however this number, although the lowest of Series 1, still beats every episode figure of Series 2, which managed to hold on to much fewer audiences. Additionally, although a series low for viewing figures, it was still the highest rated programme in terms of viewing figures that week for ITV2
.
praised the episode, calling it a "great season finale" however it noted a resemblance to an earlier plot storyline in Episode 5, saying "[Hannah] found out that [Mitchell] had a whore in every city, and she quit Diamond International. Hannah couldn't take not being number one or the only one. (Hmmm...sound like what happened with Ash and Naomi?)". The quote referenced her oldest client Ashok switching call girls to Naomi, as a result, Hannah severed her ties with Naomi.
Television blog
s such as TV Squad also praised the episode, noting that the "courtesan storyline worked rather brilliantly this episode". However it criticised the series as a whole in some areas, such as the lack of character development for Hannah's clients, stating "when we only see [the clients] for a few scenes in a single episode, they come off as one-dimensional. For example, who is this Mitchell person? Belle seems to have such a chummy relationship with him, yet the only person she ever mentioned in any affectionate way was Ashok."
Official Website on ITV
Secret Diary of a Call Girl
Secret Diary of a Call Girl is a British television drama broadcast on ITV2 from 2007-2011 based on the blog and books by the pseudonymous "Belle de Jour," starring Billie Piper as Belle, a high-class London call girl. The series was written by Lucy Prebble, who is also known as the author of The...
.
Plot
The episode begins with Hannah BaxterHannah Baxter
Hannah Baxter is the lead semi-fictional character and protagonist of the British ITV2 television series Secret Diary of a Call Girl. Hannah secretly has a double life as a high-class call girl as her alter ego Belle, for which she acknowledges and comments directly to the audience, throughout each...
, working under the name "Belle", staying at the London apartment of a wealthy America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
n businessman named Mitchell Rothman. Whilst talking Mitchell suggests that Hannah should become a courtesan
Courtesan
A courtesan was originally a female courtier, which means a person who attends the court of a monarch or other powerful person.In feudal society, the court was the centre of government as well as the residence of the monarch, and social and political life were often completely mixed together...
, and he offers her for nomination at Diamond International Courtesans.
Della, Fiona and Anna of Diamond International Courtesans agree an interview with Hannah, discussing the prerequisites needed to be a courtesan. "Up-market quality", various languages and impeccable etiquette are all required for Hannah to be accepted into the "sisterhood" of courtesans. Despite the interview going poorly, Hannah convinces her interviewers to accept her into Diamond International Courtesans. After being accepted into the sisterhood she meets Stephanie, her agent
Madam
Madam, or madame, is a polite title used for women which, in English, is the equivalent of Mrs. or Ms., and is often found abbreviated as "ma'am", and less frequently as "ma'm". It is derived from the French madame, which means "my lady", the feminine form of lord; the plural of ma dame in this...
, and quits her job as a call girl
Call girl
A call girl or female escort is a sex worker who is not visible to the general public; nor does she usually work in an institution like a brothel, although she may be employed by an escort agency...
. Mitchell, a jet set
Jet set
"Jet set" is a journalistic term that was used to describe an international social group of wealthy people, organizing and participating all around the world in social activities that are unreachable to ordinary people...
ter who rarely stays in London, offers Hannah his penthouse
Penthouse apartment
A penthouse apartment or penthouse is an apartment that is on one of the highest floors of an apartment building. Penthouses are typically differentiated from other apartments by luxury features.-History:...
situated on the south bank the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
, opposite the Palace of Westminster
Palace of Westminster
The Palace of Westminster, also known as the Houses of Parliament or Westminster Palace, is the meeting place of the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom—the House of Lords and the House of Commons...
.
Ben meets up with Hannah and photograph
Photograph
A photograph is an image created by light falling on a light-sensitive surface, usually photographic film or an electronic imager such as a CCD or a CMOS chip. Most photographs are created using a camera, which uses a lens to focus the scene's visible wavelengths of light into a reproduction of...
s her for Diamond International Courtesans profile. Hannah then sifts through her applicants and arranges interviews with a select few number of men; Hannah settles with four clients, including Mitchell, as the more clients a courtesan has, the less prestigious she becomes.
Mitchell then takes Hannah to a stately home
Stately home
A stately home is a "great country house". It is thus a palatial great house or in some cases an updated castle, located in the British Isles, mostly built between the mid-16th century and the early part of the 20th century, as well as converted abbeys and other church property...
in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
with him; however he becomes frustrated with her for being too "demanding". Hannah returns to London after the disastrous trip to Scotland and telephones Della. They discuss Mitchell, who is described by Della as a "collector", meaning he has various courtesans and prostitutes scattered around the world. Hannah then invites Ben round to the apartment and the two begin to feud, as Ben's fiancée Vanessa is irritated with Ben due to him staying at Hannah's at midnight.
Hannah, frustrated with her job, decides escorting is her vocation and moves back to her old flat, leaving Mitchell a note saying, "I'm sorry Mitch - it's not for me". Hannah then becomes an independent escort, without the help of an agency.
Broadcast ratings
The episode, the Series 1 finale, became the first episode of Secret Diary of a Call GirlSecret Diary of a Call Girl
Secret Diary of a Call Girl is a British television drama broadcast on ITV2 from 2007-2011 based on the blog and books by the pseudonymous "Belle de Jour," starring Billie Piper as Belle, a high-class London call girl. The series was written by Lucy Prebble, who is also known as the author of The...
that failed to grasp over 1 million viewers according to Broadcasters' Audience Research Board ratings. The episode's viewers were 985,000, however this number, although the lowest of Series 1, still beats every episode figure of Series 2, which managed to hold on to much fewer audiences. Additionally, although a series low for viewing figures, it was still the highest rated programme in terms of viewing figures that week for ITV2
ITV2
ITV2 is a 24 hour, free-to-air entertainment television channel in the United Kingdom owned by ITV Digital Channels Ltd, a division of ITV plc. It was launched on 7 December 1998, and is available on digital television via satellite, cable, IPTV and terrestrial platforms. The channel has the...
.
Reception
Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
praised the episode, calling it a "great season finale" however it noted a resemblance to an earlier plot storyline in Episode 5, saying "[Hannah] found out that [Mitchell] had a whore in every city, and she quit Diamond International. Hannah couldn't take not being number one or the only one. (Hmmm...sound like what happened with Ash and Naomi?)". The quote referenced her oldest client Ashok switching call girls to Naomi, as a result, Hannah severed her ties with Naomi.
Television blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
s such as TV Squad also praised the episode, noting that the "courtesan storyline worked rather brilliantly this episode". However it criticised the series as a whole in some areas, such as the lack of character development for Hannah's clients, stating "when we only see [the clients] for a few scenes in a single episode, they come off as one-dimensional. For example, who is this Mitchell person? Belle seems to have such a chummy relationship with him, yet the only person she ever mentioned in any affectionate way was Ashok."
External links
– UKUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Official Website on ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
- Secret Diary of a Call Girl – Official Website on Showtime