Hooten & The Lady – The Caribbean

By: Stacy Miller

The Season Finale of Hooten and The Lady finds Alex (Ophelia Lovibond) and Hooten (Michael Landes) in the Caribbean searching for a long lost pirate’s treasure belonging to Captain Henry Morgan. Old Providence Island, Caribbean Sea.  Hooten arrives and enters a bar to meet a man named Caleb (Colin MacFarlane).  He is taken into a back room.  Hooten asks Caleb about another man, Leon, who has something that Hooten needs. When Caleb isn’t able to help him, Hooten goes to get a drink but hears a familiar voice in the background.  He goes to have a look and is greeted by Alex.  “What in the name of all things holy are you doing here?” Hooten asks Alex. But more importantly, how did she know that he was there? “You used the museum’s credit card to book your flight,” Alex tells Hooten.  And if Hooten hadn’t booked a first class ticket, she might not have located him.  Alex was worried about Hooten after what happened with Kane in Cambodia.  He assures her that he’s fine.  As it’s obvious that Hooten is not going to talk about his feelings, Alex questions him about the real reason that he’s in the Caribbean: She knows that he’s looking for Captain Henry Morgan’s fabled treasure which includes a priceless emerald ring.   Alex thinks that the treasure will be a valuable find for The British Museum, but Hooten being Hooten only cares about the monetary value. It becomes a competition on who will find the treasure first. Alex thinks she’ll win; Hooten’s not even as smart as a chicken. Hooten takes offense. “Chickens are very smart with all that pecking…I’d like to see you lay an egg,” is his retort. When Hooten walks away, Alex’s cell phone rings.

In London, Alex’s mother Lady Lindo-Parker (Jane Seymour) is still working on wedding preparations and urging Edward (Jonathan Bailey) to “grow a pair” and put his foot down.  Meaning, he’s to tell Alex to return home. Lady Lindo-Parker thinks that Alex’s “fun” is over and it’s time for her to come back to her responsibilities. It’s interesting that Alex’s mother doesn’t respect her daughter’s career or take it seriously.

Hooten returns to Caleb and is furious to learn that he gave Hooten’s “partner” (Alex) the other half of the map.  And when he finds Alex, she’s has also arranged a tour guide to take her to the island where the treasure is located. But at least Caleb provides Hooten with Raheem (Stevel Marc), who pilots a speed boat with Hooten dangling above connected to a glider.

Back in London, Edward asks Ella (Jessica Haynes) where Alex is.  Ella explains that Alex had to get away to avoid confrontation as her (Alex’s) mother has taken over all the wedding planning and Edward is that only thing that has been able to help her get through it.  Edward doesn’t want Alex’s wedding day to be about getting through it; he wants her to be happy. Edward won’t let Alex’s mother ruin her wedding day.

Ella calls Alex and tells her that Edward is concerned that she (Alex) left when their wedding is only a few days away.  Alex promises to call Edward when she gets back to the hotel.  But for now, it’s more of searching for Captain Morgan’s treasure.  Unfortunately, for Alex, her half of the map ends before she’s able to locate it.  Will Hooten have more luck?  Speaking of Hooten, he arrives on the same beach as Alex and her guide Julian.  But Hooten’s half of the map doesn’t tell him where to start pacing to find where the treasure is buried (that was on Alex’s half).  So, Alex and Hooten have no choice but to work together. They reluctantly agree to become partners. Let the pacing on the beach begin.  Hooten decides that it’s probably better for him to do the pacing as he is a guy and his steps will match those of the original burier of the treasure. After Hooten counts the fifty paces, Julian provides him with a shovel.  Alex and Hooten also use their hands to continue the digging. Eureka! Alex and Hooten have found Captain Henry Morgan’s emerald ring and pistol!  But before they can celebrate, some men led by Caleb relieve them of the prize and put them on a raft.  As Alex and Hooten drift out to sea, Edward appears (with Julian) in a speed boat. Edward explains that he arrived at the hotel to surprise her for breakfast, but then ran into her guide who told him that she had run into trouble and he was organizing a search party. “You are my knight in shining armor,” Alex says.  She introduces Edward to Hooten, who calls Edward “a brave man.”  Edward doesn’t catch it that what Hooten actually means is that Edward is brave to put up with Alex.

The engaged couple return back to the hotel where Edward tells Alex that he knows the main reason she left was to get away from the wedding and her mother organizing it.  Alex apologizes; they are supposed to be getting married tomorrow. Edward surprises her by telling Alex that they are still getting married but will be doing so tonight.  Before he left London, Edward made arrangements with the hotel to have the wedding there.  He has a vicar to marry them and hotel staff to serve as witnesses. And he even brought Alex’s wedding gown. I’ll say it again, Edward is a great guy. He is always worrying and thinking about Alex.  I hope she doesn’t disappoint him.  I guess I spoke too soon.  Hooten shows up and requests that Alex meet him at the marina; probably something to do with getting Captain Henry Morgan’s treasure back.  Will Alex chose work or love and leave Edward standing at the altar?

At the marina, Hooten tells Alex that the people who own the boat were the ones who made off with the treasure. Hooten’s plan is for Alex to create a diversion while he searches the boat.  Alex wonders why she has to be the one to create the diversion.  Hooten says that if he creates the diversion, she’ll only complain with what he does.  When Alex assures that she won’t, Hooten pushes her into water! Unfortunately, the diversion doesn’t give Hooten time to search the boat because they are caught by the people who stole the cache with the treasure.  A quick kick of the man from Hooten allows them to escape.  Alex and Hooten arrive on the beach where Alex sees the romantic tent that Edward arranged for the wedding.  She panics and tells Hooten that she doesn’t think she can go through with the wedding.  Alex worries that Edward will want to have children before she is ready.  She loves what she does and doesn’t want to give it up yet.  Hooten tries to calm her cold feet.  He tells Alex that Edward is lucky to marry a woman like her. She’s smart, funny, can kick ass and has a smile that can light up a room.  Hmm. It sounds like Hooten is describing a woman the HE loves.  Hooten’s words convince Alex to go through with the wedding, but he declines her offer to come with her and give her away.  Hooten has other things to do; he’s going to Vietnam. Hooten tells Alex that there is a rumor that before the Fall of Saigon the people melted all their gold and made a single statue of Buddha, which they covered with clay to hide it.

Alex changes into her wedding gown and walks towards the beach to her groom.  And while Alex and Edward are getting married, Hooten sits on the beach drinking.  He throws the bottle into the ocean. Returning to the hotel, Hooten packs his bag and bums a taxi ride to the airport with a very attractive woman.  The newlyweds are back in their hotel room and Edward shows Alex the package Hooten left for her.  Alex tells Edward that it is just a bunch of knick knacks, but viewers see that it is Captain Henry Morgan’s gun and emerald ring. Hooten gave the treasure to Alex!  Hooten giving up a fortune?  If that doesn’t say he loves Alex, nothing else does!  Edward asks Alex where she wants to go for their honeymoon.  “How about Vietnam?” is Alex’s suggestion. “What could possibly go wrong?” She had to say it! One week later in Hon Gain Peninsula, Vietnam we see Hooten and Alex tied to a post where two men leave them to be eaten by bears as punishment for Hooten stealing their gold Buddha.  Hooten tells Alex that he read that you can survive a bear attack by lying on your stomach and playing dead.  Pretty difficult when you’re tied to a post!  Will Alex and Hooten escape? We probably will never know as it’s doubtful we’ll get a Season Two. But it was a fun ride while it lasted!