This is the burning question for Miss Scarlet and the Duke - Season 4. The answer is delightfully frustrating: No. The writers deliberately avoid locking Eliza into a relationship. While there is a passionate, long-overdue kiss between Eliza and the Duke in Episode 5, it is immediately followed by an argument about her methods. They realize they are still the same stubborn people who can never fully agree.
Meanwhile, Blake confesses his feelings, but Eliza admits she is not ready to move on from the idea of William. The season finale leaves all three parties single, professional, and respectful. The tagline of Season 4 might as well be: Chemistry is not compatibility.
Without the Duke to open doors or intimidate suspects, Eliza (Kate Phillips) must rely entirely on her wits, her charm, and her growing reputation. Miss Scarlet and the Duke - Season 4 is arguably the best season yet for showcasing Eliza’s detective skills. She tackles cases that range from a high-society poisoning to a labyrinthine railway fraud. Miss Scarlet and the Duke - Season 4
The season’s core theme is professional legitimacy. With the Duke gone, Inspector Frank Jenkins (Andrew Gower) steps up as the primary Scotland Yard contact. Unlike the Duke, who often swung between protectiveness and admiration, Frank is a wildcard—sometimes an ally, sometimes a jealous adversary. Their dynamic injects fresh tension into the procedural elements of the show.
The most pressing question on every fan's mind entering Miss Scarlet and the Duke - Season 4 was simple: Where is the Duke? Following the emotional finale of Season 3, William (played by Stuart Martin) made a life-altering decision. Instead of continuing to circle around Eliza’s orbit, he accepted a promotion to become the Chief Inspector of a new police force in New York. This is the burning question for Miss Scarlet
In a bold narrative move, the writers chose not to resolve this distance quickly. For the first several episodes, Eliza and the Duke operate on opposite sides of the Atlantic. He appears via telegram and brief, aching voiceovers, but the physical chemistry that crackled across their shared desk at Scotland Yard is now an ocean apart.
This decision was controversial among purists, but it serves a crucial purpose: it forces Eliza to evolve beyond her reliance on the Duke’s badge. The villains are more complex too—Season 4 features
While the leads are apart, the secondary characters get more room:
The villains are more complex too—Season 4 features a female poisoner, a corrupt clergyman, and a child pickpocket ring. The mysteries are twistier, though the resolutions sometimes come via convenient confessions rather than deduction.
Reception to Miss Scarlet and the Duke - Season 4 has been sharply divided.
PBS has remained tight-lipped about Season 5, but the finale’s open ending suggests the door is open for Stuart Martin to return. However, given the narrative thrust, it seems more likely that the show will continue as a straightforward vehicle for Kate Phillips, with the "Duke" now a memory rather than a character.