S1.E1

Episode #1.1

Name: Episode #1.1
Genre: Drama
Released: 2021-01-31
Duration: 58 min
Rating: 7.4
Cast: Hayley Atwell, Tamara Lawrance, Lenny Henry

Episode aired Jan 31, 2021
TV-PG
58m

IMDb RATING

7.4/10

126

YOUR RATING

Hayley Atwell and Tamara Lawrance in The Long Song (2018)

Drama

The Christmas riots and the abolition of slavery turn the world of Amity upside down and throw July's destiny into question. But when order is restored and a new overseer Robert Goodwin arri... Read allThe Christmas riots and the abolition of slavery turn the world of Amity upside down and throw July's destiny into question. But when order is restored and a new overseer Robert Goodwin arrives at Amity, July and Caroline are both intrigued by his seemingly revolutionary plans to... Read allThe Christmas riots and the abolition of slavery turn the world of Amity upside down and throw July's destiny into question. But when order is restored and a new overseer Robert Goodwin arrives at Amity, July and Caroline are both intrigued by his seemingly revolutionary plans to improve the plantation. Could his ideals change everything?

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.4/10

126

YOUR RATING

1User review

See production info at IMDbPro

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User reviews1

7.4126

Featured reviews

7Prismark10

Episode 1

Andrea Levy's novel The Long Song was nominated for the Booker Prize. It is set in the dying days of slavery in British colonial Jamaica, telling the story of July.

Set in the sugar cane fields, July was the product of rape, her mother forced into having regular sex with the plantation manager. At least it meant she was spared the rod when working in the fields.

At the age of eight, July was forcibly taken away from her mother by the plantation owner's sister Caroline (Hayley Atwell) who found her cute. July was renamed as Marguerite and Caroline came to rely on her maid.

The series is framed with the older July writing her memoirs. Going by the first episode, the director has avoided being heavy handed with the savage treatment of slaves by balancing it with drama and even some humour. It can still be hard viewing and Caroline remains just in the right side of being horrid without going over the top.