Probably my favorite episode so far. Some good action, and it captures the impressions of bleakness I remember from the book (even if I still suspect the miniseries isn’t as violent as the source material.)
Hazel is left wounded after the events of the last episode, but there’s little time to rest – one of their own has been captured by the rabbits of Efrafa, a brutal neighboring warren ruled by the tyrannous General Woundwart. Knowing they can’t take on the vicious Efrafa warriors in head-to-head combat, a rescue plot is devised to free both their captured friend and the warren’s does, and Hazel’s rival Bigwig infiltrates Efrafa in order to carry it out.
This is a good episode for John Boyega’s Bigwig. Bigwig is a natural bruiser and cunning isn’t his strong suit, so it’s a challenge for him to pretend to be an unthreatening, lost rabbit in search of a new warren. There are plenty of tense moments and close calls. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not the bar scene from Inglourious Basterds or anything, but it held my attention.
I also like the story of the enslaved does at Efrafa, led by Anne-Marie Duff’s Hyzenthlay. There’s a nice tension between those who still push back against their captors/hope for freedom and those who’ve been beaten into submission. The captured rabbit from Watership Down adds an interesting dynamic to the mix, as someone who really doesn’t know what they’ve just gotten themselves into. Plus, I appreciate that the does have a role in their own attempted rescue.
That said, the episode is pretty light on Peter Capaldi. Kehaar makes a very brief appearance here. Just long enough to let you know that Kehaar is still kind of a selfish bastard, basically. This bird has zero sense of reciprocity, and I think he kind of enjoys yanking the rabbits’ chain.
No comments:
Post a Comment