The Viceroy Cometh! Truthfully, I wondered if we were ever going to meet the big man in charge in Indian Summers, but here we are in the 4^th episode and he arrives in style played by Patrick Malahide (long-time PBS viewers will remember Malahide from George Eliot’s Middlemarch where he played Rev. Edward Casaubon). He babbles on to Ralph about the situation back in England and how happy he is to back in India. And he really wants to meet Madeleine! Cynthia has kept him well informed about Ralph’s love life. He reminds Ralph he’s now 30, it is past time for him to stop having fun, to settle down and find a wife.

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In the third episode of Indian Summers, things are getting even more mysterious and complicated in Simla this week. Ralph Whelan offers a fully recovered Aafrin an opportunity to rise higher within the ranks of the Civil Service, the job of Head Clerk. Ralph asks Aafrin where he sees himself in 5 years; does he want to be a Magistrate, District controller? Aafrin can’t believe his luck! It all sounds suspiciously like a bribe, albeit a bribe where Aafrin has to take an exam that costs money and learn to ride a horse, but a bribe nevertheless. The Sipi affair is about to take place and Cynthia has been running around trying to ‘recreate afternoon tea at Claridge’s in the Himalayas,’ which includes cucumber sandwiches. Always able to multi-task, Cynthia tries to bond with Alice, by bringing up childhood memories. Alice, unfortunately, doesn’t remember those times and she takes offense when Cynthia, not so subtlety, brings up the inquest. ‘And in your position, I wouldn’t remember a thing.’ Alice gets her back up, she doesn’t like being threatened or manipulated. Cynthia seems to have misjudged Alice and is not thrilled by the outcome of their conversation.

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