It has been a long wait for Gentleman Jack fans, but Season 2 of the HBO historical dramedy is finally here and just as good as ever. The series charmed viewers from the start as it charted the adventures of 19th-century British iconoclast Anne Lister (Suranne Jones) as she makes moves to settle permanently with another woman.
Lister and her intended, Ann Walker (Sophie Rundle), find that their budding romance comes with more serious complications than just the fact that their names are "Anne" and "Ann". The Ann(e)s and their journey make for great television, but they were also real women who took real risks and seemingly found real happiness. The series pulls directly from Lister's own accounts of what transpired, and much of it is true to the source material.
Anne Lister Kept A Revealing Diary In Her Own Code
Lister's story became public knowledge thanks to her detailed diaries, which were found by a relative and kept hidden until the late 1980s. These journals were dense (over four million words), and detailed all aspects of her life. It was also written entirely in a code that Lister herself created.
The series not only conveys this by showing Lister writing in her diary and glimpses at the inscrutable code; the diaries are baked into the format itself. Creator Sally Wainwright was inspired by the diaries to include the fourth wall breaks, recreating the feeling of private correspondence between her and her journals, and her and the audience.
Lister Was Way, Way Ahead Of Her Time
Anne Lister, often referred to as “the first modern lesbian”, was unusual and trailblazing for many reasons beyond whom she loved. As depicted in the series, she did go head-to-head with locals over her coal interests, traveled extensively, and dressed in (black) clothes that her contemporaries found peculiar for a woman.
Lister also studied anatomy extensively and was just as into dissections as her television counterpart, and she did attend the Queen of Denmark’s birthday party in Copenhagen. Just another day in the life of Anne Lister.
She Had Another Same-Sex Relationship For Decades
Anne Lister's attraction to women didn't start with Ann Walker; the series' portrayal of a self-aware and self-confident lesbian rings true. In addition to a series of other dalliances throughout her younger years, Lister did have a long relationship with Mariana Belcombe Lawton (Lydia Leonard) in her 20s and 30s. She was heartbroken when Belcombe made the choice to marry a man, though the two stayed close, and sometimes intimate, for many years afterward.
The depiction in the series of Mariana’s hope that she and Anne would be together after her husband’s death, and Anne’s refusal to wait to find a companion, is accurate. Though Mariana was undoubtedly an important figure in Lister's life, the latter ultimately settled down with Walker.
Some Staff Plot Lines Come From History
While many of Lister's staff and tenant storylines are fictional or heavily adapted for the series, some of them are based on real people. John Booth (Thomas Howes) was her faithful manservant, and Elizabeth Cordingley (Rosie Cavaliero) was her lady's maid for many years. Anne did hire a French lady's maid named Eugenie Pierre (Albane Courtois), and was disappointed in her rude demeanor and travel sickness.
However, there is no record of any relationship between George and Eugenie, nor of pregnancy or brief engagement to John Booth. Sadly, Lister's servant George did get shot in the head while standing in a tree (and Lister did observe his autopsy).
Anne Lister Was A Snob…And A Fortune Hunter
Anne Lister inherited her uncle's estate, Shibden, and made additional income via her business interests and tenants. The Listers were an old family and highly respected in the community. Ann Walker, on the other hand, was much richer. She was also initially looked down upon by Lister due to her "new money" status.
However, Anne Lister was practical and understood that Walker's funds would be very valuable to her own interests. Her infatuation with Walker was likely strategic before it was romantic, as Lister had apparently already decided to pursue the heiress based on her fortune.
Many Of The Barriers To Their Relationship Were Real
In addition to the systemic homophobia and strict societal expectations of the day, Walker and Lister faced a number of other bumps on their way to happiness. Walker’s family tried to intervene, the difference in their ages and experience levels sometimes left them misaligned, and Walker did receive anonymous hate mail about Lister (rude). It's likely the hits will keep on coming in Season 2.
Ann Walker suffered from debilitating anxiety. As is touched on in Season 1 of the series, her more serious bouts of mental anguish were often tied to religious or spiritual worries. Anne Lister was a great source of comfort and healing for her. Thank goodness, because Ann Walker’s relatives weren’t doing her, or her mental health, any favors.
Mrs. Priestley Did Walk In On Them Kissing
Oh, Mrs. Priestly. She started out so likable: fond of Anne Lister’s eccentricities and caring toward Ann Walker. Then she proved herself the worst kind of busybody (ever heard of knocking, Mrs. Priestley?) According to Lister’s diaries, this all played out exactly as it does in the series.
When John Booth asked after her at the wrong home on Walker's property, the Priestleys (Peter Davison and Amelia Bullmore) became suspicious and Mrs. Priestley decided to be the world’s nosiest neighbor. She walked in just in time for them to quickly pull apart from their “kissing and pressing,” at which point she said some cross words and left in a huff. Just like in the series, Ann Walker apparently began laughing.
The Proposal Deadline—And The Marriage—Happened
Once she realized that Walker was potentially open to the idea of marriage, but also prone to be swayed by relatives or gossip, or a passing breeze, Lister asked if she would give her an answer by April 3rd—Lister’s birthday. This is a bold move because that’s either a great birthday gift or a recipe for disaster. Then again, what was Anne Lister if not bold?
After many hurdles in Season 1, Lister and Walker did exchange rings, and they did take the sacrament together with the understanding that it was a marriage vow. They also changed their wills to include each other. Anne Lister wasn't one to do things, especially love, halfway, and it ultimately turned out that Ann Walker was just as serious about her.
Ann Walker Did Move Into Shibden Hall
As we embark on Season 2 of the series, the Misses Walker and Lister are ready to shack up. The rest of the Listers are onboard with the plan. Lister’s diaries indicate that her beloved aunt (Gemma Jones) knew about her sexual orientation and wasn’t much bothered by it. Ann Walker’s relatives and the other gossipy locals? Way less cool with it all.
Still, Anne and Ann went forward with the move and the changes to their wills. They remained together, and traveled as they had always planned, until Lister succumbed to a fever and Walker spent six months bringing her body back to Shibden Hall. Now that’s love.
That Iconic Walk Might Be Legit
One of many striking features of Anne Lister on the series, that seems to continue in Season 2, is her dramatic power walk. We see her striding about in everything from her usual black garb to a fancy white ball gown, and her impressive gait stands out in pretty much every situation.
The earliest episodes of the second season see her climbing mountains—casually strolling up through the snow while everyone else is on horseback. She was in fact the first woman to make it to the top of one mountain in The Pyrenees, and later the first person of any sex to climb another. While Anne's specific walk on the series should be credited to the genius of Suranne Jones, it's clear that nobody stepped through life quite like Anne Lister.