TV Romance
‘House of Guinness’: Do Edward & Ellen End Up Together? What History Tells Us
[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for House of Guinness Season 1.]
In Netflix’s House of Guinness, Edward (Louis Partridge) is dutiful and by-the-book when it comes to running his inherited brewery. However, he takes an uncharacteristic risk when he begins a relationship with Ellen Cochrane (Niamh McCormack), a working-class rebel who opposes the Guinness family’s influence in Ireland.
Edward and Ellen begin their uneasy alliance in Episode 3, and their first meeting is objectively filled with tension, though we aren’t sure what kind initially. But we finally find out when they sleep together in Episode 5, and it doesn’t take long for them to develop real feelings for each other. But are the two endgame material, or is it just a passing forbidden romance? Let’s break down where their relationship stands in the show and what history tells us about their future.
Do Edward and Ellen end up together in House of Guinness?
If you’ve already watched Season 1 through the end, you know that Edward makes the level-headed move to marry his third cousin, the progressive and ambitious Adelaide (Ann Skelly). She initially rejects his proposal, but they develop a fondness for each other while working together on the Guinness Housing Trust. So, ahead of their wedding in Episode 7, Edward breaks the news to Ellen that their tryst has to end. He won’t cheat on Adelaide, and he can’t risk his brother’s political career with such a scandal.
“She didn’t see it coming,” McCormack told Tudum. “It’s Romeo and Juliet, but Romeo leaves Juliet. Ellen really thought that they were going to free Ireland and sell beer and have beautiful babies and live out the rest … Despite it all. She thought they were going to be the start of a movement.”
When asked if it was really the end of Edward and Ellen, the actress said, “Oh God, are you ever done with anyone? But she does know what is important to her, and no man will ever get in the way of that.”
There’s a chance that Edward and Ellen might reunite, and Adelaide and Edward stay together solely to fulfill their obligations and achieve their political goals. Adelaide doesn’t begrudge Edward when he reveals that he is in love with another woman. What’s more, the married couple has a conversation about their true feelings for each other in Episode 8.
Adelaide admits that she enjoys their marriage because she’s in a position to change society for the better. “My ability to love another human being is something I question,” she continues, adding that Edward is “close” to being that person. Edward agrees that she’s close to being that person for him, too. Maybe down the line, they’ll develop a real romance, but for now, it doesn’t seem to be the case.
By the end of the finale episode, it’s clear that Ellen still has some feelings for her former lover. Why else would she have ratted out her brother Patrick (Seamus O’Hara), who planned to kill Edward’s older brother? We have yet to find out whether Patrick was successful, but either way, Edward and Ellen will stay in each other’s orbits.
Did Edward and Ellen end up together in real life?
No, Edward and Ellen weren’t endgame in real life. Ellen is an entirely original character for the Netflix series, and the show prefaces every episode with: “This fiction is inspired by true stories.” However, given McCormack’s statements, should the show be renewed for Season 2, Ellen will likely remain in the picture in some capacity.
History shows that Edward and Adelaide had a long and successful marriage. Their real-life counterparts had three sons. The couple would remain together until Adelaide’s death at 72 in 1916. Edward never remarried. He died in 1927 at the age of 79.
Do you hope Edward and Ellen get back together, regardless of his marriage to Adelaide? Or do you hope Edward and Adelaide fall for each other instead? Let us know in the comments below!
House of Guinness, Season 1, Streaming Now, Netflix
