HISTORICAL (based on) TRUE-LIFE. “A Thousand Blows.” / “The Lady.” / “The Gray House.”

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“A Thousand Blows” (Hulu) Season 2. British historical drama about the Forty Elephants, an all-female crime syndicate who clash with the world of illegal bare-knuckle boxing in 1880s London.



       Season 2 follows Hezekiah Moscow, Sugar Goodson, and Mary Carr through a bleaker, more brutal 1880s East End, roughly one year after season one. The plot features Hezekiah seeking revenge and returning to boxing, a broken Sugar seeking redemption and sobriety, and Mary reassembling the Forty Elephants for a massive art heist.

       The storytelling remains crafty and tight, and the acting, topnotch. The grit and grime of 17th century London is textured and nuanced, heightened by the stellar performance of leads Erin Doherty as the spunky Mary Carr, Malachi Kirby as the cool and calculating Hezekiah Moscow, and Stephen Graham as the torn and troubled Sugar Goodson. 🎥💻📽


“The Lady” (Britbox) British drama. Partly fictionalized but based on true events, depicting former royal dresser Jane Andrews who was convicted of murder in 2001. 



       Mia McKenna-Bruce as Ms Andrews elevates this true-crime genre obligatory into a compelling character study. She exudes the trapped vulnerability of a rat and the wicked desperation of a broken ambition. 

       Natalie Dormer as Sarah, Duchess of York is also an engaging sight and experience. 🎥💻📽


“The Gray House” (Amazon Prime) historical drama. Based on a true story, the series is about a Union-aligned woman-led network of spies led by Elizabeth Van Lew in Richmond, Virginia during the American Civil War. 



        Ms Van Lew (1818-1900) was an abolitionist, Southern Unionist, and philanthropist who recruited and acted as the primary handler of an extensive spy ring for the Union Army in the Confederate capital of Richmond during the American Civil War. Anyhow, many false claims continue to be made about her life. The single most reliable source is a 2002 biography by University of Virginia professor Elizabeth R. Varon. 

       This series boasts of a sterling behind-the-camera staff that have proven credibility and prowess through the years. Director is Roland Joffe (“The Killing Fields,” “The Mission”), co-written by John Sayles (“Eight Men Out,” “Passion Fish”), and co-produced by Kevin Costner and Morgan Freeman.

       However, this series only showed glimpses of its creators’ genius. Despite committed performances by Mary-Louise Parker, Amethyst Davis, Paul Anderson, and Daisy Head (as Elizabeth), their characters are almost swallowed by the daytime soap treatment of the historical drama.

       I am not saying this project isn't worth watching. Still, a fine educational tool for a provocative discussion of American civil war history. 🎥💻📽

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