Phyrne and Jack -- Miss Fisher Murder Mysteries. Yes, Lexsara, I ship it

[rthstewart]

spoilers for Miss Fisher, Seasons 1 and 2

So Lexsara has gotten the Miss Fisher Murder Mysteries bug (and who could blame her) and may eventually gift us all with awesome, adult oriented Phyrne/Jack fic.  Fun fact, Lexsara and I bonded 15+ years ago over the epic Harry Potter fic, After the End and then the darker and grittier Rising From Ashes.  She’s also a Mulder/Scully shipper from WAY back in the XF romantics day.

Anyway, she asked vitally important questions about Phryne and Jack and wanted my thoughts.  And of course, if you have thoughts, please share them. She was wondering about what I think of the trope that seems common in the fic where Jack is more innocent and Phyrne more skilled and taking the lead.  Do I buy that?

No, not really.  But let’s back up.  I think there are some big areas that need to be covered that the show, so far, as not provided.  I really don’t feel that we’ve explored the fact that Phyrne was in an abusive relationship from Murder in Montparnasse.  She’s recovered, so it seems, but that's something I think Phyrne and Jack need to cover because I think he would be very sensitive to it given the circumstances.  And that surprise kiss, that rendered me a squealing, blithering blob of feelings, well, Jack was the initiator and obviously no novice. 

Second, we know that both of them served in brutal circumstances of the War.  Yet, they’ve never spoken of it to each much at all.  Surely, this is something that should come out.  It profoundly impacted Phyrne; it ruined Jack’s marriage.  Though was this dealt with at all in Death Comes Knocking?  I sort of skimmed through that one, so maybe I should go back?

Third, the results of George Sanderson vaulting ambition (which Rosie criticizes Jack for lacking) haven’t been dealt with at all.  The loss of that respect for a man he idolized is surely hard for Jack.  I think Phyrne is uncertain as to Rosie.  I don’t like the characterizations that turn Rosie into a shrew and vicious to Phyrne.  I think it’s over for Jack and Rosie, they both know it, and it’s probably Phyrne who is not especially good at dealing with the after-effects. 

 So, I think there’s heaps of emotional terrain to cover.  Also, I’m curious – as contraception is [EDIT possibly? based on Mac's behavior with handing out family planning at the factory?] illegal, just how would that conversation go?  And I don’t know enough about the class issues with where they both respectively come from.  The Abbottsford man and the Collingwood woman.  Anyone?  Jack is obviously educated. 

Now, when you look at Phyrne’s types, there are lots of pretty, lithe men – athletes, dancers.  There’s the older Latvian in Murder at Victoria Dock --  he’s the most like Jack in terms of age/experience/looks. I think Jack is a bit against type for her. 

 Jack was married,  he was in the war, he’s not young, and he definitely changes over the course of the show.  In Montparnasse, he blushes at the nude of Phyrne.  By the fan dance in Season 2, he’s unabashedly enjoying himself.  By series end, he’s essentially telling Collins, welp, that’s what you get with a modern woman, so get on board.  I think he’s completely comfortable with himself and with Phyrne.  He enjoys being physically close to her and flirting with her.  I don’t see him being reluctant or shy, or even inexperienced.  That’s not how he’s conducting himself at all.  They are equals, in all this, and while Phyrne has surely been more experimental, Jack, I think, it totally down with or up for whatever she is.  I don’t think she can shock him anymore. 

 I think it’s interesting to speculate whether he was faithful to Rosie during the war.  My read is … eh.. probably not.  Though, I could be talked out of this.  He is the honorable man.  On the other hand, that was a very dishonorable war and by its end he knows the marriage is over.  He’s a young man, I’m guessing an officer,  de-mobbed, waiting to go home, and kicking his heels in France, just as Bert was, and Phryne. Those are high and giddy times and it could have been as experimental for Jack as it was for Phryne.  Thoughts?

 

Comments

[the_rck]

I didn't realize that contraception was illegal in Australia at that time. In the books, Phryne's quite open about using a diaphragm and refers another woman to a doctor to get fitted for one. I didn't get the impression that it was illegal which may be me not picking up on it or may be a failure of the author's research. I don't know.

Just to note-- In the books, Jack Robinson is older and still happily married. There's no UST between him and Phryne, and Phryne has different lovers in most of the books (I think Lin is the only one who recurs). The Jack/Phryne undercurrents were difficult for me when I first came to the show from the books. I'm on board now, but it was disconcerting.

[rthstewart]

I've edited the entry. I wasn't sure and didn't bother to research first about the legal status of contraception at the time. I had thought it was at least dodgy given how furtive Mac was about passing out family planning information at the factory. I knew Phyrne had a diaphragm from the first episode but really wasn't sure about where it all stood. I've not read the books and as I've become a huge fan of non-romantic pairings in my old age, I can see how I'd become a huge fan of nonUST Phyrne and Jack and be very put off by the show where it is SO blatant and so obviously reciprocated.

[the_rck]

I don't remember all the details of the factory episode, but some of the furtiveness may have had to do with whether or not the women she was giving information to were married. If they were, their husbands would think might object and have a legal right to do so. If they weren't, it might be seen as corrupting them with information about sex.

Legal also doesn't mean socially acceptable. The factory foremen and managers might well be hostile to talk of contraception even as they'd fire any woman who got pregnant. I could see Mac being worried that she'd lose access to the factory for other medical needs if the PTB knew she was talking about contraception.