Ep 8. Are You Still Talking?

Anne Lister is still determined to defeat those who want to prevent her marriage to Ann Walker, and has made extensive plans even though she still cannot see an alternative to Shibden. Meanwhile, Ann Walker is left fragile and vulnerable after a brutal psychoanalysis session, and finds herself struggling with an identity crisis in the aftermath of her husband's passing. Despite her despair, she reconfirms her love for Anne Lister, and the two women become closer than ever.

Thomas Sowden continues to cause headaches for Anne Lister, as his loyalty to the Rawsons threatens to jeopardize Anne's plans for the coal-mining project. This throws everybody into a tailspin, forcing Lister to come up with a strategy to keep Thomas under control. As Anne and Ann try to find a way to keep Shibden afloat, they are upset by some secret revelations and murky family secrets that threaten to derail their relationship.

On the other hand, John Booth seems to find a glimmer of hope in his relationship with Eliza Raine, but his joy is short-lived as his fate takes a dramatic turn. He finds himself being attacked by a mystery assailant, throwing him into a near-death state. This puts Booth's fate in the hands of the community, from whom he's become estranged from due to his homosexuality.

As the episode progresses, a number of secrets come to the surface, threatening to destroy Anne Lister's relationship with Ann Walker once and for all. The Rawson brothers cause trouble of their own, as they viciously interfere with a political event to get their own way. In the end, Shibden is thrown into financial uncertainty, forcing Anne Lister to fight with all her might to keep the property.

As Are You Still Talking? raises the curtain on the season finale of season 1, Anne Lister has to seek drastic measures to achieve her goals as Thomas Sowden tries to scupper her coal-mining project, and the sobering experiences of the Rawson family begin to take their toll. All this seems to confirm that Shibden is doomed, and with it, Anne's marriage to Ann Walker. The final scene brings to the fore some harsh realities, as the lovers' futures hang in the balance.