A visual knockout: a revisionist Western tale of revenge and shared history
In short: In 1890, Lady Cornelia Locke travels to the American West to hunt the man responsible for her son's death. This BBC and Amazon Prime miniseries, starring Emily Blunt, reimagines the Western genre through a heady lens of vengeance and unexpected connections.
Written and directed by Hugo Blick, The English is a revisionist Western miniseries that premiered in November 2022. The narrative follows Lady Cornelia Locke as she enters the American West in 1890, driven by a quest for retribution. Along her journey, she encounters Eli Whipp, a man born into the Pawnee Nation and a former cavalry scout. While Eli seeks to claim land owed to him for his US army service—despite doubts that white settlers will honor the debt—the two characters discover a potential shared history.
The production, a collaboration between Drama Republic, Eight Rooks, BBC Studios, and Amazon Studios, was filmed in central Spain. Filming occurred from May through September 2021, using sites around Madrid like El Espinar, Soto del Real, and Tembleque to mimic the frontier terrain. The cast features Emily Blunt and Chaske Spencer, who portrays Eli Whipp, also known as Wounded Wolf, alongside a supporting ensemble including Rafe Spall and Toby Jones.
Critical reception for the series has been generally favorable. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds an 82% approval rating with an average score of 7.7/10 from 56 reviews, with critics describing it as a visual knockout. Metacritic provides a weighted average of 74 out of 100 based on 26 reviews. Notably, The Guardian awarded the series five out of five stars, praising the performances of Blunt and Spencer as a revelation, even while noting the complexity of the plot.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: The English (TV series)
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