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.