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I’ve been trying to watch the BBC series “Gunpowder,” which tells the story of how Guy Fawkes and Robert Catesby planned to blow up the Houses of Parliament. The series stars Kit Harington from “Game of Thrones.” It’s drawn a lot of complaints for its graphic violence; in the first episode alone, there’s a scene where a woman is crushed to death and a young priest is brutally executed in a manner I’d rather not describe.
Reportedly, some viewers were so disturbed by the violence that they felt physically ill. I’m puzzled why they didn’t just look away—a lot of the scenes had plenty of warning signs. The woman, for instance, had several heavy weights placed on her before the final moment. Anyone who was upset could have just turned off the TV before things got too intense.
I’ve only made it through the first episode so far. We’re really into watching “Bosch,” a compelling detective series on Amazon, and my partner keeps choosing it over “Gunpowder.” He even bribed me with the last mint choc Magnum to keep watching “Bosch.”
The opening scene of “Gunpowder” had me on edge. It starts with King James I’s men raiding a country house in Warwickshire during an illegal Catholic mass. Robert Catesby, played by Kit Harington, and his family rush to hide the priests in secret compartments, as Catholics were persecuted and had to worship in hiding back in the early 1600s.
The scene is incredibly tense, with the main hunter, William Wade, searching the room, tapping on walls to find hidden compartments. The suspense builds until a noise reveals the hiding spot of a young priest. It’s terrifying to imagine the fear of being hidden away while soldiers searched the area.
This made me think about how poorly we’d fare at hiding these days. People can’t seem to turn their phones off—I’ve noticed it on train rides between Bath and London. Many don’t mute their ringtones, or they watch videos without headphones. If we had to hide now, our devices would betray us in moments. A notification sound or a whisper about a text message would give us away.
Imagining today’s scenario, people would probably update their social media about attending an illegal mass at Robert Catesby’s. Despite the risk, they’d struggle to disconnect, never thinking to turn on Airplane mode or silence their devices. Soldiers today could easily track their location using modern technology.
I actually started writing to ask if anyone has finished all three parts of “Gunpowder” and if it’s worth sticking with it. I’ve only got one episode of “Bosch” left, so I’ll need something new to watch soon.