- Radio Times
- Review by:
- David Butcher
Apparently, when you caught bubonic plague in medieval Europe, you could be chatting away happily, carousing at a feast, say, and then suddenly – he-hem! – out of the blue you’d start coughing up blood and a look of horror would cross your face.
That sort of thing happens to a string of characters tonight as “the great mortality” reaches Kingsbridge and a terrible pestilence descends on the script. Lively plotting gives way to groaning and misery as the bodies pile up and the make-up department has a field day. Wicked prior Godwyn argues the disease is God’s punishment. Merthin suggests using linen masks. And Charlotte Riley as Caris continues to act with such quiet intensity, taking the tosh with complete seriousness, that she saves the day.
About this programme
5/6. After his wife and child die from the pandemic sweeping across Europe, Merthin returns from Italy and urges Caris to elope with him, but she refuses. The Plague hits Kingsbridge and Godwyn is so terrified he sneaks out of the priory, taking most of the monks and treasure with him. Convinced she is dying, a scarred and vengeful Petranilla sends Roland a rose contaminated with her infected blood.
Cast and crew
Cast
- Petranilla
- Cynthia Nixon
- Sir Thomas Langley
- Ben Chaplin
- Caris Wooler
- Charlotte Riley
- Gwenda
- Nora von Waldstatten
- Ralph Fitzgerald
- Oliver Jackson-Cohen
- Queen Isabella
- Aure Atika
- Sir Roland
- Peter Firth
- Godwyn
- Rupert Evans
- Merthin Fitzgerald
- Tom Weston-Jones
- Wulfric
- Tom Cullen
- Philippa
- Sarah Gadon
Crew
- Director
- Michael Caton-Jones
- Executive Producer
- Ridley Scott
- Executive Producer
- Tony Scott
- Executive Producer
- Jonas Bauer
- Executive Producer
- David W Zucker
- Executive Producer
- Rola Bauer
- Executive Producer
- Tim Halkin
- Executive Producer
- John Weber
- Writer
- John Pielmeier
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