Mar 29 2009
Kings — “First Night” Review
Evil, thy name is Rose. I spoke last night about all the machinations in Kings. Tonight’s episode, “First Night”, dug us in even deeper. While many characters have done questionable things, Rose (Susannah Thompson) is starting to appear the most ruthless and frightening of all. Not only does she lie, but she tells each person she speaks to a different lie to explain the same event–thus manipulating everyone to some terrible degree. She’s not content to trample one person, she’s got to trample them all.
*SPOILER ALERT* And what her daughter discovered tonight is that her mother might not have any gentler side at all. After pretty speeches about her childhood love of the ballet and her excitement over this huge milestone of having the ballet return to their new kingdom, it turns out that Queen Rose cares nothing about the ballet. It’s all about the spectacle, the grandness of royalty, and keeping the people in awe of them. Apparently even her interest in the arts is part of a grander manipulation.
Rose also manipulates her son, Jack, by tormenting him with everyone’s favoritism towards David Shepherd. This starts a chain reaction, causing him to in turn start his own plot against David. Although it would seem natural to hate Jack for his actions against the innocent David, I feel more sorry for him than anyone. An actual accomplished soldier who has the respect of his men, he still gets constantly shoved aside and ridiculed by his parents. They make it clear to him that the only way he can ever reach power is to be molded in their image, to be someone he’s not, to be as ruthless and jaded as they are.
Since previous episodes made mention of Jack’s homosexuality but never so much as hinted at it in action, I was wondering if this was going to be an aspect of his personality that was strictly off screen. It is Sunday night, after all. However, tonight’s episode, “First Night”, allowed us a glimpse into Jack’s hidden life. As he takes David out on the town to get him drunk and stupid and hopefully into the tabloids the next day, Jack finds himself pursued by a persistant boyfriend–a boyfriend who tells Jack he loves him. Jack of course rebukes him, trying to follow his father’s command to make the proper sacrifices for his political position.
We see the cool veneer crack, however, when he is taunted yet again by David’s pure heart and love for Jack’s sister. Once again, David seems to be able to have what Jack cannot. And we understand why he hates him even more now.
As a parallel to his son’s sacrifice of love, we see King Silas (Ian McShane) also making a sacrifice. After speaking in secret with the combative Reverend Samuels (Eamonn Walker), Silas learns that he may win back God’s favor and save his illegitimate son’s life by giving up what he covets most–his girlfriend and son. So tonight both father and son have forsaken those whom they care for the most.
Watch all the drama on Kings Sunday nights on NBC, at 8/7c.
PHOTOS: Susannah Thompson, Sebastian Stan, and Ian McShane, Kings “Prosperity” screencaps, c2009 Universal Media Studios, NBC.
