‘Joan’ Goes International in Episode 2

A new business endeavour becomes confusingly personal in Episode 2 of Joan, which admittedly lacks the snappy pace of the premiere. It remains, though, a show with decent foundations, and Sophie Turner is still providing enough leggy charisma to power the remaining episodes – just so long as they get into her criminal career a bit more determinedly.

Not that the character drama is unwelcome, of course. Joan’s relationship with Kelly – the episode opens with her calling her briefly from a phone box and having to hurriedly say her goodbyes when the call is about to time out, a unique anxiety that doesn’t exist anymore – remains central to the plot, and I’m sympathetic to it, even if it’s straining credibility for Joan to not see why Social Services have something of a point.

Boisie’s Intentions

But, again, Joan’s plight is relatable. She’s sleeping rough, but she’s enterprising enough to break into a parked bus and snooze in there. The point is that she’s a victim of circumstance, not a fundamentally bad person, and she has the nous to improve her lot in life – she just needs Boisie to do it.

For now, it’s difficult to know how authentic Boisie really is – hopefully more than the antiques he’s peddling, anyway. We get snippets of his backstory here, including that he spent time in prison, so crime isn’t new to him. But what does he see in Joan? Has he fallen for her, as he later claims, or does he just see someone naturally inclined to thievery who he can exploit to his own gain? The jury’s still out.

Boisie at least seems genuine enough. Before he and Joan can embark on their first job together, they have to sew up the ends of her last one, which involves Joan returning to Bernard Jones Jewellers and pretending that she has to quit to look after her father, who’s dying of lung cancer in Scotland. A bit more morally ambiguous is the fact she plants seeds that Linda, the other employee, is struggling financially, so when Bernard discovers his diamonds are missing, that’s the first place he’ll look.

It’s a good cover story, though it does come back to bite Joan later. But we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.

The Job

The job Boisie pitched to Joan involves travelling to Spain to fence some high-value items lifted from a house in Mayfair, but before the trip, Joan has to acquire the materials for her cover. They’ll be posing as a wealthy married couple, so the idea is to buy an impressive wardrobe using bad checks and a squiggled signature.

Joan | Image via ITV

Naturally, Joan takes to this like a duck to water. She even dons a fetching red wig to purloin some additional items just for the fun of it. This is where some pretty sizzling sexual chemistry first begins to emerge. Boisie’s impressed with Joan’s stealing abilities, but he’s also very much impressed with the rest of her, but she delays gratification – for now – by keeping things limited to a kiss (or several.)

With Joan wearing the items they’re selling to better get them through airport security, she and Boisie head to Spain to meet his fence friend, Albie, his former prison cell mate whose wife, Val, is clueless about his criminal affairs. Joan, missing Kelly, rather takes to their son, Jonny, and later gifts him a dog.

Trouble In Paradise

Despite things in Spain seemingly going rather swimmingly, Albie creates undue tension by flirting with Joan in front of Val and mentioning that he knows her ex, Gary, who apparently did a job for him. Gary has told Albie that Joan is a piece of work and ran away with his kid, both of which are technically true, but don’t quite tell the whole story, as an annoyed Joan points out.

Again, what to make of this? Does Boisie know Gary too? Is he sincere when he tells Albie he’s smitten with her, or when he impulsively asks Joan to move in with him when they get back to London? It remains hard to tell, for us and for Joan, who is annoyed by Albie and then further distressed when their plane home is delayed by 90 minutes, threatening her visitation appointment with Kelly.

Joan is able to see Kelly, just, but the social worker has nonetheless determined that, at least for the time being, Kelly is better off with her foster family, the Ashburys. Joan doesn’t have a leg to stand on, really. Despite being flush with cash – her cut from the successful Spain job – Social Services called Nancy and learned she was unhoused and then Bernard and learned she was unemployed. Until she proves herself stable and reliable, Joan isn’t getting Kelly back.

So, Joan goes to drown her sorrows in the pub. Episode 2 ends with Boisie finding Joan there and offering once again to take her home with him. This time, she agrees, and follows him back to his place. On the doorstep, she explains that she needs to make some proper money, and fast, and asks him what they’re waiting for.

I was thinking the same thing.