As a survivor of sexual abuse myself, I find the portrayal of Virginia Giuffre’s ordeal in this series particularly poignant and heart-wrenching. The relentless struggle for justice that she and many other victims like her have to endure is truly disheartening.
The day after, Prince Andrew attends church, possibly seeking solace or reflection following the public revelations about him. A cleaner unexpectedly enters, disrupting his thoughts. He finds it difficult to resist asking, “By any chance, did you watch an interview I gave last night on TV?” She hadn’t, she replies. She may have chuckled at the encounter, perhaps due to being in the presence of royalty and anticipating a good story for her family. However, there’s a possibility that she might have seen the interview. Now, Andrew must grapple with this likelihood. The judgment, both silent and loud, from across the nation has fallen upon him, swiftly forming opinions about his character during the late-night broadcast. As he exits, he casts a glance towards the cross suspended above the pews, whispering, “Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.” The clock ticks ominously.
In the concluding chapter of “A Very Royal Scandal“, focus shifts to the aftermath of the interview for Prince Andrew, Emily Maitlis, the royal family, the BBC, and all those who were tangled in its fallout. Notably, there’s a deep dive into Maitlis’s role in Andrew’s decline, questioning whether she bears some responsibility for damaging a royal image, or if her concern lies more with how the interview impacted his loved ones.
In a particular moment during her jog, Maitlis encounters Eugenie and Beatrice, causing them to share a brief look. Whether this interaction is based on real events or staged for the show, it serves as an effective symbol for issues related to journalistic integrity. While it’s crucial to keep those in power accountable (100% true!), it’s essential to remember the private consequences that such scrutiny may have, not just for the individuals under the microscope, but also for their loved ones and dependents. This subtle portrayal of Maitlis’ inner turmoil adds depth to her character. After the interview, although she doesn’t show much emotion on the surface, she’s clearly thrilled by the worldwide attention. As her spouse humorously notes: “You’re a big deal in Japan! Holy moley, that’s famous!
At Andrew’s residence (or rather, his grand home), he informs Fergie that the queen has requested him to lay low. He then asks if she watched it, and she expresses her belief in his greatness, but the sincerity of her praise is left to interpretation. Fergie also shares concerns about the situation worsening, as Beatrice had come across an article online suggesting Guiffre was upset because Andrew didn’t apologize during the interview and might be targeting him. This calls for legal advice. As things get tough, Andrew shifts the conversation, discussing his successful hunting trip where he claimed 100 birds, making it the best shot of the day. Meanwhile, in Maitlis’ world, there are jubilant cheers at the BBC offices as celebrations persist.
In the following sequence, Amanda Thirsk receives an intense reprimand from the queen’s personal advisor, played exceptionally well by Alex Jennings who now appears more like a loose attack dog than a subtle threat. His words to Thirsk are biting, chilling, and masterful: “You were instructed to collaborate with myself and the other private secretaries, but you chose to disregard me. Look where that’s led us – a situation as messy as a Kardashian family feud.” Thirks is subsequently dismissed by the queen. Later, during an interview with ABC, Maitlis is posed the question: “Emily, how does it feel to bring down a member of royalty?” This query hangs over her throughout the episode, while at a tense dinner, Andrew and his family grapple with the fallout from the interview, emphasizing its far-reaching consequences.
The theme of guilt echoes throughout and, appropriately, some of it is more outwardly shown by Andrew, such as when he discovers that Guiffre has been taken off the board. “She was very good to me,” he tells Fergie. Next, it’s all about PR management — not just for Andrew, but the royal institution at large. The Qqueen’s private secretary is in full cleanup mode, announcing that Andrew will step back from royal duties. (He has to be “taken off the map,” he says, at least for the moment. Not to keep heaping disproportionate praise on Jennings, but he’s so good in these scenes: clinical, exacting, calculating, like a cold-blooded hitman going about his work.) Maitlis wins a British TV award. As she returns to her table at the ceremony, a voice in the crowd heckles: “Well done! Don’t mention the victims.”
Following the interview, Newsnight editor Stewart Maclean (Éanna Hardwicke) and Thirsk have a conversation in a pub. Thirsk poses a question: “What if you were mistaken?” What if Andrew was merely “clumsy,” and the accusations against him – intensified by the interview – were unfounded? “Regardless of how Emily conducted the interview, she didn’t put words in his mouth,” Maclean responds. Thirsk counters with a sarcastic remark: “Oh, sure. Power without responsibility.
During this time, Panorama broadcasts an interview with Guiffre, which Beatrice and her partner watch. She remarks to him, “This isn’t our concern.” After all, she has no firsthand information about what transpired; should she be held accountable and face repercussions simply because she is the daughter of the man under scrutiny? The Maitlis household also experiences the effects of these events when Beatrice finds her son discreetly shutting his laptop. Fortunately, it’s not porn he was viewing—he was reading the hurtful comments made about her on Reddit.
Some time has passed, and COVID-19 has affected everyone. People are wearing protective masks, and Andrew is carrying out his team’s suggested reputation restoration efforts by packing food parcels on camera at a hospice. However, things don’t go smoothly for Andrew; he becomes agitated and eventually leaves with his team, still in their masks. His legal case with Guiffre is ongoing. In an exasperated fit, Andrew exclaims, “How is it possible that some girl I barely remember holds so much power over me!” Sheen echoes this frustration from the background. When portraying Andrew previously for the interview, Sheen’s acting seemed restrained; here, however, his unrestrained performance invokes empathy for the duke’s predicament, although sympathizing with such a person is quite challenging.
As night falls and Maitlis arrives home from recording Newsnight, she discovers herself tuning into an old interview about her past stalker. She explains this to her spouse, “I was listening because I wanted to recall the sensation of being interviewed about something that wasn’t my fault.” She continues, “Much like Epstein’s victims, they didn’t cause their own suffering. Yet, they were forced to share their wounds in hopes for even the slightest justice.” Maitlis’ underlying message, which serves as a key takeaway from this episode, is that justice for survivors of sexual abuse, assault, and harassment, particularly women, is often elusive. She shares her experience, echoing Guiffre’s, “It’s always an uphill battle, swimming against the current, constantly fighting the unspoken. You know, the look in their eyes that says: Really? Did he really?
The remainder of the episode delves into some enduring consequences for the characters in “Royal Scandal”. The legal team of Andrew persists with the Guiffre case, and an amusing scene unfolds as he’s hurriedly taken from bed to a car at dawn to dodge the service of U.K. court documents that must be personally delivered to him. Maitlis grapples with the effects on Andrew’s daughters and struggles to find fresh interviewees for “Newsnight”. Eventually, she decides to part ways with BBC. In 2022, the queen’s private secretary communicates to the duke that the Guiffre case has been settled out of court. “Following consultation with Her Majesty, I am directed to inform you that this case is now concluded,” he states. Ultimately, it appears the queen disregarded her favorite son’s desires: He desired a trial, but it would have been too risky for the royal family. “If you don’t allow me to fight, I will always appear guilty,” Andrew says. However, the time for legal battles, his family has decided, has passed. Notably, the duke is also excluded from the queen’s jubilee festivities.
“Tell me,” the duke asks. “Where do I go? What do I do?”
“You live with the consequences of your actions, sir,” the queen’s private secretary icily offers.
The show never explicitly passes judgment throughout, leaving viewers pondering if true justice for Jeffrey Epstein’s victims will ever be served. As Maitlis from the BBC stated about the finale, it focuses on accountability and aftermath, but not in a way that provides a tidy resolution with a villainous antagonist or heroic protagonist. The series serves as a poignant reminder of the ongoing trauma related to this royal scandal, its ties to Epstein’s crimes, and the survivors who continue to deal with the consequences.
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2024-09-21 00:54