Troy: Fall of a City recap – series 1, episode 8: The Offering

Our final shot of the gods saw Aphrodite weeping over Paris's body, watched by Hera and Athena. Meanwhile, Zeus surveyed the destruction of Troy ... SkiptomaincontentSkiptonavigationAdvertisementNewsOpinionSportCultureLifestyleShowMoreShowMoreNewsWorldnewsUKnewsCoronavirusClimatecrisisEnvironmentScienceGlobaldevelopmentFootballTechBusinessObituariesOpinionTheGuardianviewColumnistsCartoonsOpinionvideosLettersSportFootballCricketRugbyunionTennisCyclingF1GolfUSsportsCultureBooksMusicTV&radioArt&designFilmGamesClassicalStageLifestyleFashionFoodRecipesLove&sexHealth&fitnessHome&gardenWomenMenFamilyTravelMoneyMakeacontributionSubscribeSearchjobsHolidaysDigitalArchiveGuardianPuzzlesappGuardiancontentlicensingsiteTheGuardianappVideoPodcastsPicturesNewslettersToday'spaperInsidetheGuardianTheObserverGuardianWeeklyCrosswordsSearchjobsHolidaysDigitalArchiveGuardianPuzzlesappGuardiancontentlicensingsiteBooksMusicTV&radioArt&designFilmGamesClassicalStageTroy:FallofaCity:episodebyepisodeTroy:FallofaCityTroy:FallofaCityrecap–series1,episode8:TheOfferingThefinaleoftheBBC’sbig-budget–butoftenlumpy–showfinallygiveusalovestoryandatragedyworthyofthenameThelastsupper...Photograph:PatrickToselli/BBC/WildMercuryProductionsThelastsupper...Photograph:PatrickToselli/BBC/WildMercuryProductionsSarahHughesSat7Apr201822.00BSTTruetoform,Troy:FallofaCitybowedoutwithanepisodethatwasbleaklybrilliantandfrustratinglyuneven.ThiswasoneofthefewtakesonTroythatgottheroleofthegodsrightandtheinventedstoriesinvolvingordinarycitizensweresympatheticandwelltold.Mostofall,ChloePirrieandJosephMawlewereoutstandingasAndromacheandOdysseus,ensuringthatitwastheirtragedy–themurderofhersonatthecostofhishumanity–thatlingeredasthecreditsrolled.TheTrojansDidanyonehonestlycarewhentheHouseofPriamfinallyfelltoGreekfireandfury?Allthoseanonymousinterchangeablesons,theirfoolishfatheranddesperatemother.EvenpoorHecuba’sbravesuicidedidn’tresonateasstronglyasitshouldhave.AsforHelen’sapparentdescentintoblankdespairfollowingParis’sdeath–giventhelevelofemotionshegenerallydisplays,howwouldtheyknow?Insteadthenight’srealpowercamefromCassandra’sdesperateattemptstowarnherfamilyofwhatwastocomeandAndromache’sdespaironrealisingthatherbaby,thelastsonofTroy–notthetreacheroushorse–wasthetrueoffering.Hecuba(FrancesO’Connor)andPriam(DavidThrelfall)inTroy.Photograph:PatrickToselli/BBC/WildMercuryProductionsTheGreeksWhileMenelausfoundtimetosqueezeinonefinalpieceofself-servingclaptrap–explainingthatitwasallHelen’sfaultthathehadnohonour–andnoteventhemurderofeverylastsonofTroycouldquellAgamemnon’srage,thiswasanepisodeallaboutOdysseus.TheblastedhorrorwrittenonhisfaceafterhehurledAndromache’ssontohisdeathwithawhispered“Forgiveme”saidmorethanathousandspeechesaboutomensandprophesies.For,unliketheKingsofMycenae,Odysseushasalwaysunderstoodthatitisnotenoughtorantabouttheunfairnessofthegodsortheinjusticesdonetoyou:youhavetotakeresponsibilityforyouractions.Yet,evenknowingthis,hewaspowerlesstoactonit,condemninghimselftofacethewrathofthegodsbecausehecouldn’tbringhimselftodieatAgamemnon’sfeet,sofarfromhiswaitingwife.Ittookonlyeightepisodes,butasanumbOdysseussetsailforhome,Andromache’scurseclearlystillringinginhishead,Troy:FallofaCityhadfinallygivenusbothalovestoryandatragedyworthyofthename.ThegodsOurfinalshotofthegodssawAphroditeweepingoverParis’sbody,watchedbyHeraandAthena.Meanwhile,ZeussurveyedthedestructionofTroyimpassively.Themessagewasclear:noonecanoutruntheirfate.JustasTroyburned,sowilltheGreeksfacetragediesoftheirown.Additionalomens IntheIliad,thekillingofAndromache’ssoniscarriedoutbyNeoptolemus,sonofAchilles,butthisisonechangethatIthinkworkedwell,givingahorribleresonancetothefinalscenes. Italsogaveusaniceparallelbetweenthebaby–hisown–thatOdysseusrefusedtokillinepisodeoneandthebabyhehadtokillbytheend. Helenmanagedtocomeacrossasimpressivelyself-obsessedevenwhensacrificingherselftosaveParis’sfamily.Thatsaid,thehintthatshedidn’twantchildren,evenwithParis,wasclever–aswasthesuggestionthatsheisdistrustedbecauseshedoesn’tconformtoexpectedbehaviour. Xanthiusremainsmyfavourite:IlikedthefactheshamedtheTrojanfamilywithkindness,sparingtheirlivesastheyhadnottriedtosparehis. PoorBriseis:shefinallymadeitfromtheGreekcamp,justintimetoseeanothercitydestroyed. WorryingomenoftheweekThesedays,weallknowthatifaglitteryofferingforPoseidonrocksuponabeachweshouldinstantlybewareofGreeksbearinggifts,butpitythepoorTrojans:freegrainandwineishardtoresist.Itwascleverofthescripttosuggestthateventhosewhoweresuspiciouscouldn’tquitelookthisgifthorseinthemouth.Epicdeclarationoftheweek“Odysseus,mayyourcrimeshauntyoulikeghosts.Maythegodsplagueyouandmayyourheartbeshatteredasmineisnow.MayTroybethecursethatfollowsyouallyourlife.”Andromachedeliversthespeechoftheseries.Ifonlyeverythingelsehadbeenhalfasgood.So,whatdidyouthink?Abigthank-youtoeveryonewhocommentedbelowtheline.Ithasbeenafrustratingshowtorecap,butyoumademelaugh.TopicsTroy:FallofaCityTroy:FallofaCity:episodebyepisodefeaturesReusethiscontentMostpopularMostpopularBooksMusicTV&radioArt&designFilmGamesClassicalStage