Vanity Fair - Episode Guide

Lowly teaching assistant Becky issues headmistress Miss Pinkerton with an ultimatum – pay her properly to teach at her Academy for Young Ladies or find her a station elsewhere. Miss Pinkerton calls Becky's bluff, and Becky is forced to pack away her meagre possessions. Catching sight of kindly stockbroker's daughter Amelia Sedley, Becky dabs away her tears and laments her misfortune. Amelia takes pity on the poor orphan and offers to take her home for the week. She has nowhere else to go. Amelia's dreams are like any other girl's – she wants to be married and happy. But Becky wants to make sure tomorrow is better than today, and plans to seize the opportunity to better herself. Becky quickly makes herself at home at the Sedley house, where she targets Amelia's wealthy but oafish brother, Jos. With Amelia's enthusiastic help, Becky makes it her mission to charm Jos into proposing marriage before the week is out. Amelia persuades her snobbish fiancé, Lieutenant George Osborne, to take the whole party out for a romantic night at the Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens - the perfect chance for Becky to secure Jos's affections. George brings along his best friend Captain William Dobbin, who is secretly in love with Amelia. At Vauxhall Becky hangs on Jos's every word, willing him to propose to her. But Jos is much more interested in drinking rack punch and ends up making a drunken fool of himself. When George ridicules his choice of an impoverished bride and scares Jos off, Becky knows exactly who to blame for scuppering her plans.Becky must now leave the Sedley house and take up her position as governess at a rundown old mansion in darkest Hampshire. Alone in the world again, Becky catches sight of Captain Rawdon Crawley, her new master's dashing youngest son.

In darkest Hampshire, Becky spends her days as governess to Sir Pitt Crawley's neglected daughters. Her employer's handsome youngest son, Rawdon, does his best to interest Becky in a flirtation. But Becky's ambition is to get into her employer's good books, and soon she is promoted to the position of Sir Pitt's indispensable secretary. In London, Amelia's childhood sweetheart, George Osborne, never replies to any of her letters. George's father now opposes their marriage because he suspects the Sedley family business is failing. When Mr Osborne calls in his loans, Amelia's father is ruined.Sir Pitt's snobbish sister, Matilda, pays a visit to Queen's Crawley. Everyone is on their very best behaviour, because they all yearn to be remembered in the rich old lady's will. Becky forms a new plan, and quickly charms her way to becoming Matilda's favourite new companion. Matilda sweeps Becky off in her carriage, to Sir Pitt's dismay.

Becky lives with rich Aunt Matilda, and her future is looking bright. But as war clouds gather, everyone's fortunes take a tumble.

On the eve of the battle, Becky makes a triumphant entrance into high society and finds a new use for old friends.

As the Battle of Waterloo begins, Becky decides the war isn't so bad, so long as there's money to be made.

Becky masters the fine art of living well on nothing a year, proving that a respectable public appearance is all you need to get credit. Her flirtation with Lord Steyne at least provides a reliable source of income, but the Sedley family are less fortunate. With her finances in tatters, a devastated Amelia is forced to send her son to live with the Osbournes. Becky rises to the very top of high society, even securing a royal audience - but Steyne expects something in return for his patronage, and when Rawdon is accosted by bailiffs, he seizes his chance.

Becky is left alone in the world and living in greatly reduced circumstances when Steyne arranges for Rawdon to be shipped overseas. Dobbin discovers that Amelia plans to remarry, a revelation that inspires him to finally confess his feelings for her - but he is not prepared for her reaction. The Sedley family takes a holiday in Germany, where they are unexpectedly reunited with Becky - who gets the chance to perform a single good deed.