So we reach the ultimate round of the bout.
Quaint Irene's mission to the Royal Academy with her picture featuring Mapp and Major Benjy is a great success and both Irene and Mapp rocket to national or even international coverage.
One hopes poor Mapp actually gets some sort of payout on the back of this since so far in this series she's lurched from one financial disaster to the next. But the story doesn't tell us.
Lucia's usual tactic on Irene attempting to humiliate or do down Mapp is to disclaim all responsibility for her most enthusiastic supporter's activities.
This time, Lucia is nettled when Mapp and Benjy actually express enthusiastic thanks for the fillip this has provided for Mapp.
Lucia asked a happy Irene to paint a picture of her in her full Mayoral finery.
Irene does so but Mapp as Mayoress scotches this move by persuading the town council that it doesn't do her justice, thereby scoring against both Lucia and Irene.
Lucia and Georgie are invited to London to see an opera starring two old Riseholme acquaintances, singer Olga Braceley (Anna Quayle) and composer. Cortese. They also meet the Duchess of Sheffield, aka Poppy. (Irene Handl).
Poppy takes to Georgie because she likes his beard but hasn't much time for Lucia.
They subsequently go to see the pair at Riseholme and devise a meeting with Poppy. The meeting is aborted because Poppy is unwell but Lucia attempts to go and is given fairly short shrift. She nevertheless invites Poppy to stay with her when she wants.
Poppy does stay the night on her way over to catch the boat to France but other than Grosvenor nobody witnesses it.
Georgie subsequently goes to Le Touquet with the group. At first he gives Lucia a fright when he says he isnt coming home but then explains its just an extra weekend.
Lucia is now castigated by all the Tillingites for having her husband abscond with another woman and for lying about Poppy- even Irene agrees that she thinks Lucia has been lying.
After church on Sunday, an embittered Lucia lets loose at almost everybody, haranguing them for the false friends they are. Notably, she does not directly address Mapp, perhaps because Mapp has never really pretended to be a friend other than cosmetically.
However the group return shortly after and Georgie is very upset that the Tillingites have hurt his wife so. Fortuitously, Poppy opts for a return visit to Lucia at Mallards on the way home and Lucia is able to demonstrate that she did not lie about the first meeting.
Lucia overreaches herself here: being Mayor of Tilling means nothing to a Duchess and she only really shows interest in Georgie because she fancies him.
Mapp scores on both the painting issues, showing that Lucia's judgement in making her Mayoress was at fault. Lucia might enjoy the prospect of the battle but it's a sad lapse compared with her confident handling of earlier issues, albeit perhaps made necessary for a good storyline.
Overall however, Lucia wins massively.
At the end of series 1 they two appeared to be level but by the end an impoverished Mapp is living out of the town's boundaries in a building regularly inundated by the sea (it would be uninsurable and effectively worthless).
Lucia has all the money, the best house in town and all the position and kudos she could hope for.
This isn't surprising: the author is reported to have represented himself in Lucia and she holds all the important cards.
Most especially, Lucia has MONEY and lots of it. After the two are swept out to sea we are told that Mapp has Mallards and £10,000 while Lucia has Grebe and £80,000. That's an eightfold discreprancy.
This asymmetric situation is only emphasised after the siriami shares matter, where Lucia makes gains and tells all of her friends when her broker tells her to bail out of siriami: Mapp ignores the advice and apparently loses massively (though provided she doesnt sell it's only on paper and the shares could bounce back.).
With the rates rise, she's apparently so broke she has to sell Mallards. It seems odd that after selling Major Benjy's house and moving in together on marriage so combining their resources, that they still cant afford Mallards whereas Diva and Irene aren't affected. (Lucia and the Wyses are too wealthy to worry about it.).
Perhaps it simply comes down to literary license for stories' sake.
Lucia can simply spend her ways to prestigious appointments and ultimately to Mayor. It's no different to Susan Wyse and her MBE.
Socially, the moral is that you can't really argue with money. Mapp hangs on in there and occasionally claws back a minor victory but it's firing a peashooter at an elephant. .
Quaint Irene's mission to the Royal Academy with her picture featuring Mapp and Major Benjy is a great success and both Irene and Mapp rocket to national or even international coverage.
One hopes poor Mapp actually gets some sort of payout on the back of this since so far in this series she's lurched from one financial disaster to the next. But the story doesn't tell us.
Lucia's usual tactic on Irene attempting to humiliate or do down Mapp is to disclaim all responsibility for her most enthusiastic supporter's activities.
This time, Lucia is nettled when Mapp and Benjy actually express enthusiastic thanks for the fillip this has provided for Mapp.
Lucia asked a happy Irene to paint a picture of her in her full Mayoral finery.
Irene does so but Mapp as Mayoress scotches this move by persuading the town council that it doesn't do her justice, thereby scoring against both Lucia and Irene.
Lucia and Georgie are invited to London to see an opera starring two old Riseholme acquaintances, singer Olga Braceley (Anna Quayle) and composer. Cortese. They also meet the Duchess of Sheffield, aka Poppy. (Irene Handl).
Poppy takes to Georgie because she likes his beard but hasn't much time for Lucia.
They subsequently go to see the pair at Riseholme and devise a meeting with Poppy. The meeting is aborted because Poppy is unwell but Lucia attempts to go and is given fairly short shrift. She nevertheless invites Poppy to stay with her when she wants.
Poppy does stay the night on her way over to catch the boat to France but other than Grosvenor nobody witnesses it.
Georgie subsequently goes to Le Touquet with the group. At first he gives Lucia a fright when he says he isnt coming home but then explains its just an extra weekend.
Lucia is now castigated by all the Tillingites for having her husband abscond with another woman and for lying about Poppy- even Irene agrees that she thinks Lucia has been lying.
After church on Sunday, an embittered Lucia lets loose at almost everybody, haranguing them for the false friends they are. Notably, she does not directly address Mapp, perhaps because Mapp has never really pretended to be a friend other than cosmetically.
However the group return shortly after and Georgie is very upset that the Tillingites have hurt his wife so. Fortuitously, Poppy opts for a return visit to Lucia at Mallards on the way home and Lucia is able to demonstrate that she did not lie about the first meeting.
Lucia overreaches herself here: being Mayor of Tilling means nothing to a Duchess and she only really shows interest in Georgie because she fancies him.
Mapp scores on both the painting issues, showing that Lucia's judgement in making her Mayoress was at fault. Lucia might enjoy the prospect of the battle but it's a sad lapse compared with her confident handling of earlier issues, albeit perhaps made necessary for a good storyline.
Overall however, Lucia wins massively.
At the end of series 1 they two appeared to be level but by the end an impoverished Mapp is living out of the town's boundaries in a building regularly inundated by the sea (it would be uninsurable and effectively worthless).
Lucia has all the money, the best house in town and all the position and kudos she could hope for.
This isn't surprising: the author is reported to have represented himself in Lucia and she holds all the important cards.
Most especially, Lucia has MONEY and lots of it. After the two are swept out to sea we are told that Mapp has Mallards and £10,000 while Lucia has Grebe and £80,000. That's an eightfold discreprancy.
This asymmetric situation is only emphasised after the siriami shares matter, where Lucia makes gains and tells all of her friends when her broker tells her to bail out of siriami: Mapp ignores the advice and apparently loses massively (though provided she doesnt sell it's only on paper and the shares could bounce back.).
With the rates rise, she's apparently so broke she has to sell Mallards. It seems odd that after selling Major Benjy's house and moving in together on marriage so combining their resources, that they still cant afford Mallards whereas Diva and Irene aren't affected. (Lucia and the Wyses are too wealthy to worry about it.).
Perhaps it simply comes down to literary license for stories' sake.
Lucia can simply spend her ways to prestigious appointments and ultimately to Mayor. It's no different to Susan Wyse and her MBE.
Socially, the moral is that you can't really argue with money. Mapp hangs on in there and occasionally claws back a minor victory but it's firing a peashooter at an elephant. .