Eye Of The Storm, A Retrospective: The White Queen – “The Storm”

Season 1, Episode 3
Air Date: Saturday, August 24, 9pm ET/PT on STARZ

★★★★★

The battle for England’s throne continues in STARZ’s The White Queen as “The Storm” centers on the fallout of Edward’s (Max Irons) capture, and Elizabeth’s (Rebecca Ferguson) bloodlust for revenge.

Will The Real Queen, Please Stand Up?

One of the best elements of “The Storm” is the attention to its supporting characters. Until this point, it has been “The Edward and Elizabeth Show,” with little screen time for supporting characters like Warwick’s (James Frain) daughters Isabel (Eleanor Tomlinson) and Anne Neville (Faye Marsay). “The Storm” is not only about Edward’s plight, however; it centers on the evolution of all the women on The White Queen and the parts they play in the change of power to the throne. The episode opens with Elizabeth stuck in the now infamous Tower of London with her mother Jacquetta (Janet McTeer). She still has plans to make her enemies pay, while the thoughts of her father and brother plague her. Meanwhile, a nervous Isabel is feeling the tension in her marriage to George (David Oakes). This is such a drastic turn of emotions for Isabel seeing as in last week’s “The Price of Power,” she told Anne she would be a “queen of stone.” Well, if that’s the case, she will have to work on her game face. Despite her views about Elizabeth’s relationship with Edward, it appears she’s a softie. For the second time, Isabel tells Anne specifically the marriage is not meant for her. She obviously has some feelings for George, and the idea of being a pawn doesn’t sit well at all. She is well aware of the major fallout should things not turn out well for George. Anne dismisses her fears and asks Isabel if she’s excited about being queen:

“There are two queens already, Anne. One is in exile, the other is cowering in the tower with a price upon her head. I would be the third queen. So what if father turns against us as he has done both the others?”

Could Isabel be the one voice of clarity in this episode? This is such a pivotal scene because everything about the dynamic with the Neville sisters in “The Storm” contradicts what was shown last week. It’s as if they did a personality swap. Isabel has so much to lose, and with her being pregnant, the pressure is on for a baby boy. In one scene, Warwick demands she deliver a son, to which she responds, “How will I know?” At a loss, Warwick storms off leaving Isabel shaken. The poor girl cannot catch a break. Anne, on the other hand, understands but doesn’t grasp the reality. She drapes herself with Elizabeth’s coronation furs and struts around oblivious to the danger they face if their father’s plans fail. Turning to Isabel, Anne reminds her how they pretended to be queen when they were children:

Anne: “…And now you can be Queen in real life.”

Isabel: “ I don’t want to be Queen, Anne. I thought this marriage was for me. But it’s not. It’s all for them; we are their pieces on the board, Annie. And marriage is a wretched thing. It’s not like it is for her. We’ll never be who she is…we’ll never have what she has…”

Isabel takes the cake in this episode. She is not only knocked up with a possible future king, she has to deal with a loveless marriage, and her father’s manipulation of her life. Sure, those times were different, but it’s interesting to think Isabel would have expected anything less. I guess her beef with Elizabeth is based on sheer jealously.

It’s Good To Be King

Max Irons as King Edward

Edward (Max Irons) stands his ground several times in “The Storm.” It’s good to see Irons command the role with force; it shows his strength as an actor. In one scene, he portrays Edward’s wrath, humor, and vulnerability with subtlety. When Edward confronts Warwick about the futile attempts to make Parliament accept George as king, Irons gives a charming, smug reaction. It’s those small moments that make the show worthwhile. Warwick tries explaining his demands to Edward, but he doesn’t go for it, and refuses to comply. Poor George does a good job of being a prop, letting Warwick do most of the talking for him. Later, when George fails to gain the throne, Edward does not spare his feelings. Instead, he ridicules George and Warwick demanding: “So you must let me go or you must kill me because there is no other end to this…” George rushes Edward in an attempt to attack him, but Warwick puts an end to it realizing they’ve lost.

After Edward regains the throne, Elizabeth wastes no time appointing Isabel and Anne as her ladies-in-waiting. Little do they know she intends to make their lives as miserable as possible. In a moment of sheer nastiness, Elizabeth orders Anne to undress her as she makes love to Edward. It’s one of the most awkward scenes of “The Storm.” Yes, Warwick is the cause for Elizabeth’s sorrow, and deserves punishment. Is it fair, however, to extend such humiliation and cruelty to his children? Although Elizabeth warned Warwick of her unforgiving nature, it’s extremely spiteful of her to target Anne, especially because Anne has no direct part in what happened to her family. This does no favors for Elizabeth’s cause and only justifies Anne’s hatred for her. Elizabeth is making all the wrong enemies, and one day it will catch up with her.

This is another instance where The White Queen could have added more scenes between Elizabeth and supporting characters like Anne. If a history of animosity between them had been shown prior to this moment, Elizabeth’s spitefulness might have made more sense.

David Oakes as George

But there is always a price to pay, and Warwick wastes no time in plotting the overthrow of the throne with George. This final battle is when Elizabeth gets her revenge.

Witchy Woman

After learning of what Warwick and George did to her family, Elizabeth delves back into the occult. It’s interesting to see how the series incorporates the magical elements from the books into the show. It’s not a bad thing, but it seems a little much at times because it overplays the dramatic elements. There are exceptions, however; last week was intense when Elizabeth wrote George and Warwick’s name in her blood as part of a curse. “The Storm” is a mixed bag. Elizabeth uses water magic to conjure up a storm, which leads to a dramatic conclusion. It’s difficult to associate the dire circumstance of Isabel struggling during childbirth with Warwick fleeing to France when you see Elizabeth, Jacquetta, and her infant daughter blowing into a bowl of water performing ritual magic.

Fortunately, it works in their favor. Let’s just say, somewhere Katy Perry is singing “Roar” as Elizabeth’s anthem. This woman knows how to throw down some serious magic.

Overall

“The Storm” is a great episode; the writing has some of the best dialogue. Most importantly, it shows how quickly the tide of power moves during this particular period of time. This is also the strongest episode so far; it illustrates the power the women in The White Queen have over their men. For example, Margaret (Amanda Hale) shows more dimension from seducing her husband, Henry Stafford (Arthur Darvill), in order to cover up her feelings for Jasper Tudor (Tom McKay), to manipulating her own kinsmen to fight a crusade against Edward. Considering her religious fanaticism, she does a good job of being a hypocrite. “The Storm” also gives Edward the edge he has lacked since the beginning of The White Queen; we see the more obstinate side of him when he rejects Elizabeth’s wishes to execute Warwick. Instead, he opts to keep the peace by setting up an arranged marriage between their daughter Elizabeth with Henry Tudor.

As “The Storm” ends, one question remains: Will playing with supernatural forces lead to Elizabeth’s demise? In the cautionary words of Jacquetta to Elizabeth, “Once you call the magic, you cannot call it back.”

Tune in to The White Queen, Saturdays at 9pm ET/PT only on STARZ

Follow the series on its official site http://www. starz. com/originals/thewhitequeen.

Follow The White Queen on Twitter: @WQueen_Starz, as well as the cast and writers: @carogoodall, @emmafrostlondon, @freyamavor__,@fayemarsay @aneurinbarnard, @david_oakes, @therestis_ @elinor_crawley, @julietaubrey1