I admired the first episode for how it hooked me without much actually doing much. It was really just a prologue, driven solely by character. In this one, the plot felt more like an actual narrative, rather than a series of interconnected character moments. A major event about halfway through the episode sets the plot of the series in motion. Most of the episode focuses on that event and its effects.
Philip and Elizabeth spend most of the episode in Kenya, on their commonwealth tour. These scenes are light and whimsical, yet also show the arrogance of British colonialism and the tensions it creates in the modern world. On the topic of arrogance, Churchill displays quite a bit of that in this episode. I really enjoy John Lithgow's portrayal of him. I've been a big fan of John for a while now and I think that approaching Churchill from the perspective of an American actor is quite interesting.
This episode makes it quite clear that these first two have just been a prologue, that the real story begins next episode. It's a more eventful episode than the pilot, yet also a slightly more conventional one. I look forward to watching more.
