Hope you’re enjoying your mid-session break. We will be having a screening this week, and hopefully things have been sorted out with security so that the alarm won’t be going off.
This week, we’re showing the second half of Crusoe. It’s a thirteen-episode series vaguely based on Daniel Defoe’s novel Robinson Crusoe. Robinson Crusoe (played by Philip Winchester) is stranded on an island – for six years, his only companion has been Friday (Tongayi Chirisa), a man he rescued from being eaten by cannibals. When last we saw our heroes, a possible rescue had come, in the form of a ship damaged when it drew near the island. Unfortunately, the ship is lead by mutineers, who keep the crew in line with fear, and keep the captain imprisoned.
Over the course of the series, it’s been revealed in flashbacks that Crusoe is married to Susannah (Anna Walton, who looks exactly like Lalla Ward, but isn’t) with two children. Since his father was executed for rebellion against the British throne, he himself falls under suspicion of joining the new rebellion against James II, lead by the Duke of Monmouth. Finanically ruined by his unscrupulous brother-in-law and wanted by the law, he is forced to turn to long-time family friend and godfather to his children, Jeremiah Blackthorn (Sam Neill), who smuggles him onto a ship bound for the New World… though some signifcant glances were going on between Jeremiah and the ship’s captain. It’s this ship that was wrecked, stranding Crusoe on the island. Now, unaware of what has happened to those he loves, Crusoe is desperate to return home…
Which brings us all up-to-date for the first episode we’ll be showing on Friday. We’ll have time enough to finish the whole series. We’ll be starting at 5pm in Goldstein G06 as ever, pizza run as normal.
