Assassins
- Episode aired Nov 4, 2016
- TV-MA
- 1h
As tensions with Phillip increase, Elizabeth spends time with her old friend Porchey. Churchill's portrait is painted for his 80th birthday.As tensions with Phillip increase, Elizabeth spends time with her old friend Porchey. Churchill's portrait is painted for his 80th birthday.As tensions with Phillip increase, Elizabeth spends time with her old friend Porchey. Churchill's portrait is painted for his 80th birthday.
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe relationship between HM and Lord Porchester led to newspapers of the time dubbing them Porchy and Bess.
- GoofsThe horse playing Aureole differs significantly from the racehorse to the breeding horse. The horse's blaze moves from being a thin stripe to being a wider blaze, much more like the real Aureole's.
- Quotes
Sir Winston Churchill: Pray silence for Her Majesty, the Queen.
Queen Elizabeth II: My Lords, Ladies and Gentlemen. Dear Winston and Lady Churchill. My confidence in Sir Anthony is complete. And I know he will lead the country on to great achievements, but it would be useless to pretend that either he or any of those successors who may one day follow him in office, will ever, for me, be able to hold the place of my first Prime Minister, to whom my husband and I owe so much. And for whose wise guidance, during the early years of my reign, I shall always be so profoundly grateful. I will remember you always for your magnanimity, your courage at all times. And for your unfailing humor. Founded in your unrivaled mastery of the English language. I take comfort from the fact, that in losing my constitutional adviser... I gain a wise counsellor... to whom I shall look for help and support in the days which lie ahead. May there be many of them.
- ConnectionsFeatured in The 69th Primetime Emmy Awards (2017)
One of those high-points is "Assassins". Brilliant doesn't describe it enough, it's very powerful and also truly moving that had me in tears and biting my nails. To me it is something of a special episode, all the great things executed in almost all of the previous episodes (with only "Gelignite" disappointing somewhat) are here in "Assassins" and executed even better. On par with another seaosn and show high-point "Scientia Potentia Est".
Visually "Assassins" is faultless. The expense really does show in the classy, sumptuous period detail and the atmospheric and elegant way it's shot. The music for me wasn't too intrusive or low-key and was beautiful scoring on its own. The main theme is not easy to forget.
Writing probes a lot of thought and is never less than intriguing and emotionally investable, it never veers into soap-opera land and doesn't sound too modern. The story handles its tense conflict with aplomb, with understated tension and shocks, but in a beautifully subtle way and Churchill's story arc is intelligently and poignantly written, allowing one to root for him every step of the way faults and all.
Lithgow is perfection in the role, giving a performance of great authority and raw emotional power. Everybody is wonderful, with Claire Foy as ever showing a lot of expressive nuance and class as Elizabeth, but Lithgow here is in a different league.
Altogether, special. 10/10
- TheLittleSongbird
- Feb 2, 2021
Details
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- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime1 hour
- Color
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- Aspect ratio
- 2.00 : 1