Three Little Birds – Episode 3 Recap & Review

Episode 3

Episode 3 of Three Little Birds opens with a flashback to Chantrelle and Leah playing football in their Jamaican house. A neighbor tries to flirt with Chantrelle, who seems interested, but Leah interrupts and brings Chantrelle home.

The scene then shifts to Leah cheering for the black team at a factory match. The match stops for lunch, and Leah, Hosanna, Aston, and Shelton talk about their unhappy lives. They feel envious of the Indian community, which supports and helps each other grow.

They plan to start a garden, farm vegetables to sell in supermarkets, and hire more black people as they expand. It is a promising plan, they suggest. 

Meanwhile, Chantrelle continues to face discrimination in her living situation. Mrs. Wantage removes a movie poster from her room, claiming it makes the house look untidy and ill-mannered. Mr. Wantage also tries to manipulate Chantrelle by promising to ring his Hollywood connection to secure a role for her. Wantage even schedules an appointment for Chantrelle with the casting team at Borehamwood Studios.

While chatting with Siobhan, a live-in nanny from the neighboring house, Chantrelle discusses Mr. Wantage’s behavior. Siobhan advises her to stay silent, as he is her only way to break into the film industry. However, Chantrelle’s hopes are dashed when she is kicked out of the audition because the role has strict racial requirements. These requirements were mentioned in the brochure, but Chantrelle never received a copy.

Meanwhile, Hosanna and Aston go window shopping in a nearby city. They enjoy watching people with a smile on their faces as they stroll along the street. They enter a bridal clothing store, where Hosanna tries on several bridal dresses. Aston is amazed to see her in a bridal dress.

However, when they mention they plan to buy it later, the manager becomes rude. He tells Hosanna to take off the dress and says they have more important customers to attend to. This triggers Aston’s self-respect, and he proposes to Hosanna then and there, and Hosanna agrees.

Shelton tries to impress Leah by inviting her to watch a movie with him. As the movie starts, Leah becomes uncomfortable with the scenes and storms out of the theater in anger. Shelton tries to explain that it’s a war movie and the scenes are meant to depict the cruelty of the enemy.

However, Leah disagrees and suggests they take a walk instead. Shelton agrees, and they have a pleasant evening together. Later, at a bar, Leah reveals that she is married and has children. It is then revealed that the random boy who was hitting on Leah and Chantrelle is actually Leah’s abusive husband.

The scene cuts to Chantrelle confronting Mr. Wantage about not telling her of the job requirements. Mr. Wantage coldly says that it was because of him that Chantrelle was even allowed to audition, as they don’t usually let black girls participate. He tells Chantrelle that she should be grateful to him for the opportunity.

Angered but feeling powerless, Chantrelle leaves the room. Aston announces to everyone in the Biswas apartment that he and Hosanna are officially getting married. Everyone is overjoyed by the news. However, when Aston shows Hosanna the letter he has written to ask for her hand in marriage, she snatches the letter from him. Hosanna tells him that she will post it when she feels the time is right. The episode concludes on this note.

The Episode Review

In Episode 3, while there are no significant improvements in the acting performances overall, one standout performance is Mr. Wantage’s portrayal of the antagonist. His behavior and aura effectively convey his intentions towards Chantrelle.

As we look ahead to the fourth episode, we might expect some revelations about Hosanna’s father, who is known to be a Priest in Jamaica. Hosanna’s reaction to any mention of her father hints at something serious.

Additionally, Mr. Wantage’s behavior towards Chantrelle seems to be escalating, and she may finally stand up against it.