Even though this episode has its rocky points, I like it on the whole. Some nice interplay between Elizabeth and the eponymous Mrs. Kennedy, and I appreciate seeing Elizabeth taking a more active role in this episode.
Elizabeth is feeling insecure on the eve of President and Mrs. Kennedy’s visit to Buckingham Palace. The glamorous, effervescent Jackie Kennedy is fast becoming the toast of Europe, and Elizabeth feels dowdy and past her prime in comparison. However, the encounter isn’t what she expects, and the aftereffects of the visit spur her to get involved in confronting stirrings of dissent in Ghana.
Naturally, any discussion of this episode needs to begin with the depiction of the Kennedys. Overall, I like what they do with Jodi Balfour’s Jackie – her characterization hits a number of interesting notes, and the comparison/contrast between her and Elizabeth allows us to explore Elizabeth a little further as well. I also like the ways that the “Camelot” persona is shown in part to be a construction, with the situation between the Kennedys being less envious in private than it is in public. That said, Michael C. Hall as JFK really takes me out of his scenes. I’m not entirely sure what’s going on here, because he’s usually so effective as an actor – I feel like maybe the accent is getting in his way? I prefer this plotline when it focuses more on Elizabeth and Jackie.
But again, the Kennedys aren’t the only international dignitaries involved in this episode. We also visit the situation in Ghana, where President Nkrumah is urging leaders of other African nations to break with England and back the Soviets. Danny Sapani, who I loved so much as Tshembe recently in National Theatre Live’s Les Blancs, plays Nkrumah, so it’s neat to see him back on my screen. And throughout this plot, I like seeing Elizabeth try and take charge, making things happen on her own terms. She spends so much of the series with her hands tied by tradition or decorum, which can make for a frustrating watching experience.
Not a great episode for Philip. He spends most of his time either tacitly insulting his insecure wife by openly drooling all over Jackie Kennedy or undermining/doubting the tactics of her efforts in Ghana. In other words, nothing all that good to write home about.
It’s weird, because the first couple episodes of the show really made me think they were going to be taking a different route with Philip and it’s never panned out. Maybe it’s just reflective of my own relative ignorance about the actual man and his general deal, but it makes me wonder sometimes if this is the character Matt Smith signed up for. Not that playing an unsympathetic character needs to be a bad thing, and goodness knows period pieces about women are always going to need men to play sexist tools, but again, the first couple episodes, to me, pointed to a man whose character journey was going to be one of learning to support his wife in her new, challenging role. Did Matt Smith think that was going to be Philip’s story too, or did he always know most of Philip’s screentime would be devoted to cutting Elizabeth down and/or making life harder for her?
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