WILL Episode 5

Episode 5 of WILL starts with Will proclaiming his love for Alice Burbage, to Alice Burbage, claiming to her that she has brought him a level of happiness like he never experienced before.  They are having adulterous sex as this discussion is going on, but this is interrupted by an announcement that Will’s wife and three children have arrived, a surprise visit.

 

Alice is devastated seeing the reality of Will’s wife and children, who previously, in Alice’s mind, were almost nonexistent, since Will essentially treated them as nonexistent in his willingness to have the affair with Alice.  While Olivia DeJonge does a phenomenal job conveying Alice’s emotional devastation, strictly through her facial countenance, the audience is left with mixed feelings, the genuine sympathy that those with hearts will inevitably feel towards anyone who is clearly hurting, and the “this is what you get for knowingly having an affair with a married man,” sense of poetic justice.

 

Alice’s mother is happy about Will’s wife and children arriving, hoping it will be a catalyst to get Alice to marry the rich man she picked out for Alice.  Alice makes it clear to her mother, though, that she will not marry someone who she does not love.  Alice’s mother shuns love, as she verbally berates Alice’s father and her marriage to him, to Alice, making Alice’s mother who was already very dislikeable become thoroughly repugnant to the audience.

 

Will is extremely uncomfortable about his wife and children arriving, both out of fear of his affair being exposed, and out of concern that in London, his Catholic family is more likely going to be targeted for execution by Richard Topcliffe and his minions.

 

When speaking to his young daughter, Richard Topcliffe spreads revisionist history propaganda about Mary Tudor, who had been given the unjust moniker “Bloody Mary,” claiming Mary was killing Protestants over their religion.  REAL history shows that Mary never targeted people over their religion, but over rebellion against her rule.  Elizabeth, her half-sister successor, on the other hand, had at least 700 Catholics murdered.  What is fascinating about the way Richard Topcliffe is shown spreading hateful propaganda to children is that this same evil strategy is being used in modern America.  To get people to feel morally justified in REALLY hating someone, falsely accuse that person of bigotry, even invent a fictional disease and claim that person has it, and then furthermore claim that all people who share that person’s race, religion, gender, or political leanings are the same way. 

 

Knowing how hateful Richard Topcliffe is, Will feigns an inability to write something that both entertains and sends a message, as he meets with Topcliffe, lacking a script.  Richard Topcliffe agrees to co-write the anti-Catholic play with Will, at a later time.  Topcliffe then asks Will to try to interpret the letter that was initially stolen from Will, a letter that reveals Robert Southwell’s location, but through code.  Will denies understanding the code.

 

Will proceeds to run towards the location in an attempt to save Robert Southwell’s life.  Will succeeds in warning Robert Southwell, in time, but Topcliffe arrives and the owner of the house is beaten in front of his wife and children, and taken away, likely to be executed. 

 

Robert Southwell, while upset about what happened to the family who was protecting him, is grateful to Will, happy that Will has taken up his cause, and trusts in God’s greater plan, in accordance with Romans 8:28.  Will, on the other hand, says that he merely saved Robert Southwell, since he is family, and is not in support of his cause.  Will proceeds to condemn Robert Southwell’s cause as being selfish, which is far from reality.  Still, Will’s attitude exemplifies that of someone who is so caught up in sexual sin that he has lost his way, in his Catholic Faith, to the point where not only is he not willing to take a stand for his Faith, but that he feels justified in pointing hateful fingers at those who do.  Robert Southwell responds, “I care not about myself; I fight for a world where people do not have to hide what is in their soul.”  Essentially, Robert Southwell was fighting for the principles upon which the United States of America would later be founded upon.  Sadly, there are many Americans, today, whose SEXUAL agenda is a threat to the very values upon which the United States of America was built  upon, the religious freedom that SHOULD protect all Americans from being compelled to aid and abet what they believe to be the grave sins of others.

 

Meanwhile, Will’s wife finds out about Will’s affair with Alice, and is heartbroken.  Will, however, chooses his wife and children over Alice, asking them to stay in London, with him.  Alice, however, still has her sights set on Will.  Will Will be able to resist Alice’s future advances?  Will Will co-write a hateful play with Richard Topcliffe?  Will Will’s return to his family also help draw him back to his Catholic Faith, making him join Robert Southwell’s noble cause?  What will happen next?  Find out, next Monday, August 7, on TNT, now at 11:00 P.M.  I predict the next episode will be worth your time, too! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FRIENDS FROM COLLEGE

As a huge fan of The Wonder Years, my favorite television show as a teenager, I was excited to hear that Fred Savage is in a new Netflix series called FRIENDS FROM COLLEGE.  Then, I watched the first of eight episodes.  I have no intentions of watching the remaining seven.  In fact, it was painful to even watch the first one all the way through, and it is just a half hour program.  Categorized as comedy, this is far from it.  “Raunchy smut,” would be a better description.  It is most unsettling to hear Fred Savage use profanity, but his character is the least of what makes this ill-conceived show so unbearable.

 

The story starts out with a vulgar sex scene, between two characters who we later find out are married to other people, the woman even having children.  When one of those children, age four, is shown on screen, he uses the absolute most disgusting and offensive word in American English, that blunt word that starts with the letter “c” (not cookie) and is automatically offensive to American women and to American men who respect women.  The child actor may grow up to resent the way his innocence was exploited in a sick attempt to entertain the lowest breed of American scum.  Even Howard Stern has never sunk this low in an attempt at shock value. 

 

Colby Smulders who played Robin on How I Met Your Mother, plays a character who is foul-mouthed, unappealing, not relatable, and uninviting, which essentially describes all the characters on this show.

 

Nicholas Stoller and his wife Francesca Delbanco who co-wrote this abomination to decency have created something that never should have existed.  It is an insult to all who watch television that anyone would think that this atrocity of a program would have any target audience.  Participation in this affront to entertainment will likely be harmful to the careers of everyone involved.  Save your dime; this deplorable excuse for comedy is not worth anyone’s time.

ROGUE ONE

ROGUE ONE, the 2016 Star Wars movie, set sequentially just before the original Star Wars movie, Episode IV A New Hope, is now available on Netflix!   The film answers the big looming questions of why the Death Star was built with an exploitable weakness that could cause it to explode, what made the rebels hope that such a defect in the Death Star existed, and how the rebels acquired the architectural plans used to expose, pinpoint, and take advantage of that structural fallacy. 

 

Long time fans of the Star Wars franchise can marvel about the valor of all these unsung heroes whose brave sacrifices were necessary in order to make the future heroics of Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Wedge Antilles possible.  When we think of all the real life historical heroes we have learned about throughout our lives, this movie provokes thought about all the unsung heroes, the ones who never made it into history books, never were canonized saints, don’t appear in any halls of fame, but whose lives and sacrifices have nevertheless enriched us, today, even though, during this lifetime, we will never hear their names or realize what they have done to improve the quality of our lives.

 

While some cameo appearances by classic Star Wars characters such as Darth Vader, R2D2, C-3PO, Mon Mothma, Bail Organa, Ponda Baba and Dr. Evazan enhance the story, the main characters are unique to this movie.  While it is remarkable that new faces to the Star Wars universe successfully carry the bulk of the story with the same degree of intrigue and intensity that legendary Star Wars characters have provided in the past, it is also sad, as a Star Wars fan, that we will likely only get to see these new characters such as Jyn Erso, Cassian Andor, Chirrut Îmwe, Baze Malbus, Bodhi Rook, Admiral Raddus, and K-2SO in this one Star Wars movie.

 

Jyn Erso is the central protagonist, convincingly portrayed by talented actress Felicity Jones who will undoubtedly be sought after by casting agents for major motion pictures, after this breakthrough performance.  Jyn Erso is a very likeable character, the daughter of Galen Erso who designed the Death Star, but under duress, therefore installing its major flaw.  Jyn is willing to take a stand for what she believes in, while logically articulating her points.  She has the drive and charisma to gain a following among other rebels, and the willingness to risk her own life for a greater cause.  Unlike previous Star Wars heroines, she is neither objectified, nor does she have any superpowers.  She is instead appreciated as a relatable person who the viewers admire and want to see succeed, a positive role model.

 

Cassian Andor is the main male character, initially appearing two-faced, accompanying Jyn on a mission that included Cassian having orders to assassinate Jyn’s father, without Jyn’s knowledge.  Diego Luna, who portrays Cassian, invokes many emotions from the viewers, some positive, some negative, but all intentional, indicating great acting talent.

 

Chirrut Îmwe is an intriguing character brought to life by Donnie Yen.  He is not a Jedi, but he is strong with the force, and the force is strong with him.  He is blind, yet an excellent fighter, and someone who you want on your side in a battle. 

 

Admiral Raddus is of the Mon Calamari species, with a similar appearance and voice to Admiral Ackbar from Return of the Jedi.  Admiral Raddus’ role, personality, and likeability are essentially the same as Admiral Ackbar’s.  This familiarity makes him more likeable, as seeing him brings back memories of the rebel attack on the second Death Star, while unused flight footage of Red Leader and Gold Leader from A New Hope also brings back memories of the attack on the first Death Star.

 

Peter Cushing provides the all-time greatest acting performance ever given by someone who has been deceased for over 22 years prior to the movie hitting the theaters, at least in my opinion.  He reprises his role as Grand Moff Tarkin, the imperial leader who ran the original Death Star, even seeming to have a degree of authority over Darth Vader in A New Hope.  Cushing’s appearance in ROGUE ONE is not a result of unused footage, but of digital projections used upon the face of another actor who also voices Grand Moff Tarkin in ROGUE ONE.  Although highly controversial, this cutting edge cinematic feature has the potential to revolutionize the motion picture industry.

 

Both for classic Star Wars fans, and the new generation of fans of the new Star Wars movies, I highly recommend watching ROGUE ONE on Netflix, safe for the whole family, and highly entertaining.   It is definitely worth your time.

 

 

 

 

WILL Episode 4

Episode 4 of WILL continues to bring forth the quality of writing and acting that keeps me watching every week and leaves me excited to see what will happen next.  In Episode 4, the spiritual warfare gets even more intense, manifest both internally and externally.

 

In St. Paul’s letter to the Romans, he writes about the internal battle between the flesh and spirit.  To Will, Alice represents the flesh, lust towards the forbidden.  Will’s cousin, Robert Southwell, on the other hand, represents the spirit, encouraging Will to use his God given talents, aided by the Holy Spirit, to finish his manuscript to be given to the queen, in hopes of bringing about peace.  While it is clear that Will is torn, it is also clear that he is leaning towards Alice.

 

Alice’s mother has meanwhile arranged a chance for Alice to meet a specific rich man to potentially marry.  It is fascinating that the show’s tone in pulling for the Will and Alice forbidden relationship initially makes Alice’s mother’s attempted fix-up appear antagonistic, until one gives it further thought and remembers that Will is a married man.  That being said, when the intent of Alice’s mother is made clear, we see that she wills to sacrifice Alice’s chance of finding true love in order to secure her a husband who will provide financial security not merely for Alice, but for the entire Burbage family.  Thus, the initial instinct in opposing this fix-up manifests itself again, but for a different reason.

 

With the encouragement of Christopher Marlowe, Will attends a gathering of men that involves drugs and astrology, attempting to invoke the Archangel Michael in a manner that would be illicit both for Catholics and Protestants.  Will, while under the influence of whatever he smoked trough something that resembles a flute, begins to have hallucinations that torment his soul.

 

Soon afterwards, Will attempts to burn the manuscript written by Robert Southwell.  One could argue that his rationale was that being caught possessing the manuscript would reveal him to be Catholic, jeopardizing both his life, and the lives of the entire Burbage family.  One can glean a much deeper meaning than that surface reason, however, looking at his actions more comprehensively.  Will was engaging in illicit sexual behavior, while furthermore using his talents for personal fame and recognition, rather than to bring about peace and glorify God.  He was drifting away from his Catholic Faith, blaming his Faith for making him feel guilty, and perhaps, burning the manuscript as an action of deeper symbolism in terms of how he was feeling about his religion.  Those who are choosing to drown in sin often make the choice to reject the validity of the teachings of their church, hoping that doing so will ease the conflict of their conscience.  What they find out, however, is that such a decision doesn’t alleviate their pain; it merely blocks their hope and healing, even if they are self-deceived to believe otherwise.

 

Alice stops Will from burning the manuscript, due to fear that the fire would spread.  When she realizes what it is that Will was trying to burn, she becomes outraged at the danger that Will potentially placed her family into, by possessing the manuscript.  Alice shows no outward signs of care as to whether Will believes in and supports the cause behind the manuscript.  Alice breaks off the affair, and meets with the man who her mother set her up with.  Will, however, interferes with that, and Alice regains her feelings for Will.

 

Robert Southwell calls Will out on his affair, placing the central focus not on how Will cheated on his wife, but on how Will took Alice, a woman of virtue, and stole her virtue from her.  (He didn’t phrase it quite so charitably.)  Will’s reaction was to verbally attack Robert Southwell for saying what he said, Will claiming, “You are full of bitterness and anger, cousin, and peace has never been born of these things.”  Will’s words are a typical reaction of people who are desperately trying to deny the inappropriateness of their own illicit sexual exploits.  They take a hateful attitude towards whoever or whatever is confirming their guilty feelings.  We have seen this with the Biblical character Herodias who had John the Baptist beheaded for telling her that her sexual behavior was wrong.  The evil spirit of Herodias tends to remain to this day in those who want to eradicate their own guilt, by trying to deny the wrongness of their actions.   They resent the God who created sexuality and designed it to be beautiful in its proper context, the God who gives grace to enable people to use their sexuality in a way honorable to Him and to the opposite gender.  Will’s true mindset behind his words towards his cousin epitomizes a very real, yet unfortunate coping strategy utilized by a sadly large number of people who have forgotten that God loves them and wants to forgive them.

 

Will is soon summoned by Richard Topcliffe, who has still been torturing and murdering Catholics.  Will willingly consents to meeting with him.  Richard Topcliffe asks Will to write a play that is overtly anti-Catholic, realizing that the arts are an excellent way to subtly yet effectively spread messages of hateful propaganda to unsuspecting people who merely believe they are being entertained, even though they are really being manipulated and indoctrinated, without knowing it.  Essentially, this request is the polar opposite of what Robert Southwell has asked Will to do.  What will Will do?  Tune in to TNT next Monday, July 31, at 9:00 P.M. EDT to find out.  I certainly plan to, as I believe next week’s episode will be worth your time, as was this week’s show.

 

 

I'M NOT ASHAMED - the movie

The movie I’M NOT ASHAMED tells the real life story of Columbine victor Rachel Joy Scott.  Yes, “victor” is a more appropriate term than “victim,” when one realizes the magnitude of how God was able to use the life and death of this teenage Christian to touch the world in such a positive way that the impact will echo through eternity.  Using journal entries and real life accounts, her story was first told in the book Rachel’s Tears.  Now, under the blessing and guidance of her mother, Beth Nimmo, the world gets to experience Rachel’s story in movie format, available on DVD, PureFlix, and Amazon.

 

Actress Masey McLain, a devout Christian in real life, has a striking resemblance to Rachel Joy Scott, mirroring Rachel so well that it almost feels as if Rachel was radiating through Masey, from Heaven, during the making of this film.  It is easy for the viewers to forget that who they are seeing on the screen is not the actual Rachel Joy Scott, but one of the millions of lives who, by God’s grace, was touched by Rachel’s life. 

Rachel has a very inviting wholesomely innocent smile, a genuine kindness and sweetness about her, the type that draws people to her.   At the same time, she struggles with wanting to be noticed, occasional disobedience to her mother, initial hesitation in openly expressing her Christian faith, and even with deep depression at one point.  These flaws make her real and relatable, while her strength in overcoming makes her inspirational, especially seeing that Jesus is the source of her strength.  Rachel becomes the type of person who people want to be like and know. 

 

Actor Ben Davies, also a real life Christian, gives a strong performance playing Nathan Ballard, a fictional name given to someone real from Rachel’s life.  Rachel reaches out to Nathan, even buying him items that he was intending to otherwise steal.  The positive changes in Nathan are influenced by Rachel’s refusal to give up on him.  It is a beautiful demonstration of how loving actions backing loving words help transform hearts to become more loving, by God’s grace.

 



The movie shows some examples of bullying in the high school.  Ironically, beyond Rachel and the victims, the only students who seem to take issue with the bullying are the infamous Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, the perpetrators of the Columbine massacre.  While Rachel tried to lead and encourage a chain reaction of kindness, hoping it would ripple throughout the school, Eric and Dylan acted upon a very different idea on how to stop the bullying.  During the time that Jesus walked on Earth, pagan Rome was oppressing the Jewish people.  A man named Barabbas was an insurrectionist, while Jesus overcame evil for good, by the love He showed us on the cross.  This is a fascinating parallel, but one that should make us stop and pray about our own ideas of how to best remedy injustice, with faith that Rachel has risen, in the newness of life in Heaven.

 

Not merely accepting others for who they are, but loving them for who they are characterized Rachel’s life.  Reaching out to a hurting friend, forgiving a friend who betrayed her, asking an awkward classmate out on his first date, being a source of comfort for a classmate going through a rough time, eating lunch with an unjustly ostracized classmate, encouraging others to perform acts of kindness, and ultimately openly proclaiming Jesus as her inspiration are all actions that show what makes Rachel the type of Christian who by God’s grace, draws people to Christ.

 

Like with the book Rachel’s Tears, this movie accurately shows what it truly means to be a Christian, in an inviting manner that many people may have never experienced before, even if they grew up in the Church.  It does not hit people over the head with Scripture, and takes no political stance on anything.  Rather, it shows someone choosing to live her life for Christ, and what that truly looks like, in a relatable high school setting.  If you only watch one faith-based movie this decade, let it be this one, as you’ll gain more understanding about true Christianity from this less than two hour movie than many people get by faithfully attending church every week for decades.  This is an absolute must see for teenagers and young adults, regardless of their religion.  I highly recommend this movie for all audiences over the age of twelve, and with parental discretion, a younger audience, too.

WILL Episode 3

In the third episode of WILL, the powerful storyline and stellar acting picks up right where it left off.  The viewing audience gets drawn even more deeply into the story.  The plot thickens as the danger becomes even stronger.

 

Saint Robert Southwell is brilliantly portrayed by Max Bennett, the show using poetic license in making him the cousin of William Shakespeare.  Will finds him and receives the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession) before him.  Southwell has prepared a letter to Queen Elizabeth, asking for religious freedom, wanting Will to finish the letter and to deliver it, believing the letter will be so convincing that Queen Elizabeth could not deny the justness of their cause.   No matter how eloquent, watertight, and loving

a person’s written words may be, however, people will interpret them through the lens of their own mindset and worldview, making even the most compassionate sentiments appear hateful, in the minds of prejudiced readers.  It is my prediction that even if Will manages to complete the letter and bring it to Queen Elizabeth, it will not go over well with her.

 

Will’s writing gets rejected by James Burbage.  Alice decides to help Will improve his writing, offering the solution of stealing material from other writers.  While Will haggles over the price of a book with content he wants to lift, Alice outright steals the book, itself.  When called out on it in public, Alice slickly convinces the crowd that the person who she stole from is lying about the theft.  After Will and Alice work on the new play together, Alice disrespectfully convinces her father to give it a chance, which James Burbage begrudgingly does.  The play gets performed.

 

Olivia Dejonge reveals even higher levels of acting talent by keeping Alice Burbage believable, as Alice sheds her innocence, culminating in adultery with Will.  From a Catholic perspective, Alice Burbage overtly and unrepentantly (as of now) violates Commandments 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 in this episode, yet the show’s overall tone still treats her more as a forbidden love interest than as a dangerous temptress who uses immoral means to help the central protagonist achieve his goals.     

 

I am looking forward to Episode 4, next Monday, July 24, on TNT at 9:00 PM, EDT.  I am very interested to see along which path the show brings its characters.  I predict that next week’s episode will also be worth your time.

RIVERDALE

 

If you like the Archie comics and cartoons, an exciting new live action teen drama called RIVERDALE is based on adaptations of those characters.  This 2017 show originally aired on the CW Television Network and is now available with thirteen episodes on Netflix, with a new season expected in October.  Archie, Betty, Veronica, and Jughead all appear for this murder mystery, but not in the fun and innocent child friendly manner created by comics and cartoons of the past.   Like most modern adaptations of classic children’s entertainment, this show is sexually charged.  While I found the main storyline to be the greatest in teen drama television history, the writers tainted the show's quality by trying to subconsciously indoctrinate impressionable minds with the writers' dangerous political views, through some scenes and some characters that were unnecessary to the central plot.  The main storyline is so captivating, and the acting of the main characters so superb, however, that I highly recommend RIVERDALE, but strictly to mature adults who would not be swayed by the Hollywood worldview reflected by the less significant characters and scenes.

 

As someone born in 1975, I can vividly remember being entertained by Luke Perry, Skeet Ulrich, Molly Ringwald, Robin Givens, and Marisol Nichols, who played teenagers during my teenage and young adult years.  In RIVERDALE, my generation gets to experience these familiar faces enthralling us yet again, expanding their acting versatility in their fitting new roles as parents of modern teenagers.  Unfortunately, in RIVERDALE, none of the parents of the main characters come across as strong positive role models for their children.  No exemplary examples of loving romantic relationships are provided to the teens, by their parents. 

 

The show's finest acting comes from Cole Sprouse, who (with his twin) portrayed Julian in Adam Sandler’s 1999 movie, “Big Daddy.”  He has now grown up as an extremely talented actor in the role of teenage Jughead.  A promising new group of up and coming actors and actresses rounds out the cast, featuring New Zealand’s KJ Apa as Archie, Camila Mendes as Veronica, Ross Butler (Zack from 13 Reasons Why) as Reggie, and Lili Reinhart as the show’s most likeable major character, Betty.

 

(L-R) Jughead, Veronica, Archie, Betty, Cheryl

The central plot involves the death of teenager Jason Blossom, a death that is soon ruled a homicide.  The town is loaded with possible suspects, including Jason’s twin sister Cheryl, played by Madelaine Petsch, who is excellent at deliberately keeping her character mysterious and difficult to figure out.  More secrets unravel throughout the thirteen episodes, creating varying levels of suspicion by and towards the different major characters, many of whom have a potential motive.  By the end of the thirteen episodes, the perpetrator(s) of the murder is/are revealed.  I will give no hints, other than to reassure everyone that the killer(s) is/are not anyone’s evil British twin sister who no one knew existed.  Rather, the viewing audience’s fun conjectures as personal sleuths are not in vain.


Archie and his friends’ love lives provide subplots that are almost on par with the murder mystery.  At the start of the season, Betty has a crush on life-long friend Archie, but feels threatened by the arrival of Veronica,  Riverdale's new girl whose charm clearly captures Archie's attention, despite Archie being in an illicit secret sexual relationship with his young female music teacher.


Veronica initially comes across as very likeable, taking a stand for her friend Betty, during cheerleader tryouts, telling the student coach (Cheryl Blossom) that if she wants Veronica on the squad, she needs to take Betty, too.  Veronica's devotion to her friendship with Betty, however, soon gets challenged as Veronica also becomes attracted to Archie.  During a moment of weakness, Veronica acts on her attraction to Archie, nearly destroying her friendship with Betty.  This issue, however, is soon resolved, especially when Jughead and Betty become an item.


Jughead is the narrator and has a very likeable, yet deeply wounded aura about him, reminiscent of Boy Meets World’s Sean Hunter (Rider Strong.)   Betty is very compassionate and accepting of Jughead’s emotional flaws, as he is towards hers.  They stand up for each other and genuinely strive to please one another.  While they both make mistakes, they are also both quick to forgive.  Their love story has true substance, a refreshingly rare concept for romances in teen dramas.  The beauty and positive influence of their relationship, however, is almost undermined in the last episode by the implication that they were about to have sex.  An unexpected knock on the door, however, prevents that from happening.


The greatest subplot is when Betty and Veronica take on a crusade to stop bullying in their school.  They succeed in getting a football player, Chuck Clayton, kicked off the football team, after Chuck sexually harassed some of their classmates.  Later, at a party, Chuck tells Betty that her actions ruined his chances of a scholarship to Notre Dame, or any other good school.   Betty’s response, pricelessly delivered by Lili Reinhart, is the greatest line and most powerful moment in the entire thirteen episodes, “I’m sorry that after you sexually harassed those girls, there were actual consequences, Chuck!” 


I’m looking forward to the new season of RIVERDALE, excited to see what the next adventures will be for Archie and his friends, hoping that the show becomes more teen friendly.  I also look forward to seeing what future projects Cole Sprouse, Lili Reinhart, Camila Mendes, Madelaine Petsch, and KJ Apa become involved with, as all five have shown levels of acting quality that should put them on the top of casting directors' lists for young talent.

WILL Episodes 1&2

TNT has a dynamite new show called WILL that debuted on Monday night, July 10, with its first two episodes.  WILL is a fictional depiction of William Shakespeare’s rise to fame, but weaves in elements of truth, both in regards to William Shakespeare’s life, and London’s culture, during that time period circa 1589.  While the torture and sex scenes are graphic and blunt, resulting in an MA rating, a mature audience can appreciate the brilliant writing and acting that, based on the first two episodes, make it worth your time to watch this ten episode show that airs on TNT, Monday nights, at 9:00 P.M. EDT.   Regardless of whether you are a fan of William Shakespeare’s works, you will find this historical drama, created by Craig Pearce, to be intriguing and entertaining.

 

English actor Laurie Davidson brings the character of William Shakespeare to life, becoming a believable and likeable central protagonist.  Will comes to London with aspirations of theatrical success, as a playwright.  He meanwhile conceals his Catholic faith, as it would make him a marked man, under the reign of Queen Elizabeth. 

 

Ewen Bremner portrays Richard Topcliffe, the central antagonist who is based on a historical torturer who served under Queen Elizabeth as an inhumane persecutor of Catholics.  Bremner excels at delivering self-righteous hypocrisy and condescending arrogance masqueraded as piety, all designed to deliberately make this character absolutely despicable.  He refers to his religion merely as “Protestant,” perhaps not to draw ire for the show’s negative depiction of the Church of England, at that time.

 

As a devout Catholic, while I find the torture scenes difficult to take, I feel no anger towards the Church of England, but feel gratefulness towards God that He placed me in a nation with religious freedom, my ancestors carrying the Catholic Faith with them, when they immigrated to America.   I am inspired by the brave martyrdom of Catholics before me, while I realize that no modern members of the Church of England are responsible for atrocities committed more than four hundred years ago.  I have also gained an even deeper appreciation for the United States Constitution’s banning or cruel and unusual punishments, and for all the troops who fought to defend these liberties that seem so unalienable, yet have been denied to so many people, historically, and are still denied today, in many places.

 

While Shakespeare was married with three children at the time he came to London, that has not stopped this fictional account of his life from taking the poetic license to attempt to provide him with a fictional, but obviously forbidden, potential love interest, perhaps to be a Juliet to his Romeo.  Actress Olivia DeJonge is magnificent in her portrayal of the very likeable Alice Burbage, who takes reciprocated romantic interest in Will, until he admits to her that he has a wife.  Alice speaks towards a real issue adversely impacting British women of her day, that if not a monarchy, they were not given prominent roles in society and were often forced into prostitution to survive.  Her powerfully delivered line, “Yes, I am that most useless of creatures, an educated woman,” addresses the struggle felt even by the daughter and sister of prominent members of the theatre.

 

Alice is the fictional daughter of James Burbage, based on a real theatre builder and owner who had a real son Richard Burbage who was a legendary actor.  Colm Meaney and Mattias Inwood portray James and Richard Burbage, respectively, bringing justice and believability to real people who were stars of the stage.

 

Actress Kristy Philipps conveys feelings so well that she radiates the emotional horror of a woman who feels financially trapped in prostitution, in her role of Apelina, the older sister of an adolescent boy named Presto who is willing to do anything, even potentially murder someone, in order to acquire enough money to save his sister from prostitution.  While, as a Catholic, I do not believe that illicit means to a desired positive outcome make gravely sinful actions morally permissible, I still have sympathy for these siblings, and feel that they very realistically communicate the trauma of people who feel financially stuck in jobs they despise, and the adverse impact such a situation has upon their close family and friends who feel helpless in freeing them from their situation.

 

Jamie Campbell Bower plays Christopher Marlowe, a mysterious character of questionable motives.  He deceives Richard Topcliffe in order to save Will’s life, a deception, however, that ultimately results in another man’s death, a death that Christopher Marlowe tries to rationalize, based on Will’s talent.  Will, however, upon discovering this information, is very displeased that someone else had been killed, when he (Will) was the intended target.

 

William Shakespeare’s revolution of theatre is indirectly compared to British punk rock’s revolution of music, as songs from the Clash, the Jam, the Sex Pistols, and others are heard at different times, fitting in well with the tone of the action on the screen, as if those songs had been William Shakespeare’s inspiration, both in his writing and his ambitions.  

 

I look forward to next week’s new episode, and plan to follow it with a new review. Please tune in to TNT at 9:00 P.M. EDT on Monday, July 17, and come back here next week to see my review of the third episode.  I predict it will be worth your time!