Andrew Scott
Andrew Scott in ‘The Pursuit of Love’ (Image: courtesy of Theodora Films Limited & Moonage Pictures Limited/Robert Viglasky)

Earlier this week, YouTube randomly served up a two minute and 13 second video that immediately became my North Star when it comes to attitude, style, spectacle, music, dancing, socializing — basically life post-pandemic. (I mean, actually, I’m sure it wasn’t random. I’m sure Google Corp. or whatever knows exactly who I am and what I want.)

The clip in question comes from the BBC’s recent miniseries The Pursuit of Love. Written and directed by Emily Mortimer and adapted from Nancy Mitford’s 1945 novel, the three-part series centers on the love lives of Linda Radlett (Lily James) and her bff, cousin Fanny (Emily Beecham). In this particular scene, what appears to be a very dull party is “saved from utter disillusionment,” by the arrival of Andrew Scott’s eccentric Lord Merlin. And good god, does he know how to make an entrance!

Lord Merlin, according to Fanny’s narration, is “an artist, a musician and a patron of all the young” whose garden plays host to productions of Dadaist plays and Harlem jazz poets. His pose of disdainful remove as his theatrically costumed crew dance around him to the anachronistic strains of T.Rex’s “Dandy in the Underworld” is quite possibly the sexiest thing I’ve seen all week. Seriously, and we thought Fleabag’s Hot Priest was hot!

As the world beings to slowly open up, this is the energy I want to bring to every cocktail party and club night! Also, having spent a small fortune on fancy loungewear over the past year, I fully intend to repurpose a lot of silk pajamas as party attire, like so.

The Pursuit of Love aired earlier this month in the UK, and Scott’s was clearly the breakout performance. Fans were head-over-heels for Lord Merlin and the T.Rex dance scene has already been dubbed “iconic.” And, really, where is the lie? American audiences will have to wait until July 30, when the series premieres on Amazon’s Prime Video, to get the full decadent, satin-clad experience. Until then, I’ll be drinking champagne and watching this clip over and over and over.