Joan episode 1 recap: The birth of a jewel thief

Joan is a British crime drama miniseries starring Sophie Turner as the infamous jewel thief Joan Hannington. The six-part series was created by Anna Symon, who co-wrote the screenplay with Helen Black. It is adapted from Hannington's 2004 memoir I Am What I Am: The True Story of Britain's Most Notorious Jewel Thief.

The series is directed by Richard Laxton and stars Frank Dillane, Mia Millichamp-Long, Kirsty J. Curtis, Gershwyn Eustache Jr., and Tomi May in prominent roles.

It begins with a dramatic episode focusing on the initial struggle days of Joan as she deals with her husband, who is involved with ruthless criminals, endangering her and her daughter's life. Fearing the safety of her daughter Kelly, Hannington puts Kelly in a child service facility. Later, in desperation, she steals a car and swallows a few diamonds, beginning her infamous career as a jewel thief.

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Joan is introduced as an abused woman and protective mother

The official synopsis of episode 1 reads:

"A penniless mother who impulsively steals diamonds from the jewelry shop where she works is propelled into the world of crime as a result."

The episode begins with a shot of the character doing her makeup. As the camera moves towards her, viewers can see scars of physical assault on her back. The scars reveal that she has been through a lot in her journey of survival and creating a lavish lifestyle.

The show then goes back to 1980s London, where Joan lives with her daughter Kelly. Her deadbeat husband comes in and out of her life and almost always brings trouble. His criminal associates assault Joan and threaten to kill Kelly. She puts Kelly temporarily in a child services facility and takes help from her sister, who gives her a job in her salon. However, one day, in desperation to meet Kelly, she steals a car.

She is caught almost immediately, but her skill in stealing becomes obvious. Later, she gets a job as a sales representative in a jewelry shop, partly for her talent and partly for the shop's manager's lust for her.

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Meeting her partner-in-crime

Working in the jewelry shop, Joan becomes attracted to the shiny rocks. One night, the manager asks her to stay back for extra work and makes inappropriate advances. She excuses herself to rush to the washroom and, upon coming back, finds the safe open with precious tiny rocks lying around. Without much thought, she swallows a few diamonds and heads to a bar.

In the bar, she meets a charming young man named Boisie. He pays for her drink, introducing himself as an antiques dealer, and Joan spends the night at his place. In the morning, she drinks more alcohol and olive oil to vomit the diamonds. She also finds loads of cash and a gun in Boisie's drawers.

She heads out to meet him in his shop, and there, she asks him to find a buyer for her diamonds. He agrees and also offers her to do more such jobs. Thus starting the collaboration that will turn into a criminal empire centered around stealing precious rocks and art.

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All six episodes of the series are available on ITVX in the U.K. Viewers in the United States can watch the series on The CW Network.