The House of Eliott

The way that Netflix is designed is that it suggests movies and television that you might like based on your ratings of past rentals. The House of Eliott was suggested for me and this time Netflix couldn’t have been more right. I am just hooked on this series.

The story is about two sisters, one who is 18 named Evangeline and the other who is 30 and named Beatrice (Louise Lombard and Stella Gonet) and takes place in the 1920’s. Their strict penny-pinching father dies suddenly of a heart attack and leaves them with nothing. They are then cared for by their cold Aunt Lydia and her snake like son Arthur who lies and tells them that their father made “bad investments” when in fact he had a mistress who bore a son. The first season tells of how they start from nothing, with no money, education or training, only the ability to make their own clothes and manage to work their way up to opening their own house of couture, The House of Eliott. There are two more seasons and I cannot wait to see them.

What is to love about this series? Well, there are the clothes. This is a costume drama set in the 1920’s when beading and bangling was in. The clothes are divine! The sets are true to the 1920’s also and included automobiles, trucks, planes, and trains. The plot is dramatic and well acted by a strong cast with great timing. This is all augmented by the accompanying music and camera work. Issues of the day, such as women’s rights and poverty versus wealth are explored as is the relationship between sisters. All in all, it is extremely well put together.

The series received high acclaim in Britain when it ran there. I have really enjoyed it and will be sad when I have seen the last episode. I recommend it most strongly and I give it

***** of five stars.