(Franklin on Apple TV is) a compelling story about power, deception, identity and family – Meera, 2024
Spoiler-free review:
Rating: 8 out of 10
Likes: casting, acting, costuming, set choices, and the score.
Critiques: It is by far the best-fictionalized portrayal of La Chevaliere d’eon I’ve ever seen, I just wish she could be explored on her own in her due historical context and concerning her own identity in her times and place.
Spoiler review:
Franklin on Apple TV is one the best American Revolution period pieces I’ve seen recently. While it lacks TURN: Washington’s Spies pacing and strongly constructed character development and narrative and lacks the gravity of John Adam’s on HBO, it is above and beyond The Patriot (2000) Mel Gibson film and quite like Harlots(2017-2019) in how it treads the line most cleverly between factual information, homage to its inspiration – Benjamin Franklin and in balancing relevant to today themes with Franklin witticisms and humour and dark themes in line with the 18th century. Franklin is on Apple TV in due time for revving up for America’s 250th anniversary. At one point in this TV show, John Jay (Edd Stoppard) and John Adams (a known staunch abolitionist played well by Eddie Marsan) argue with Jay’s slave who seems happy and contented at the outset but if you look beneath the surface he is rightly far from happy, eventually running off and successfully escaping into Paris and escaping Jay’s watchful but controlling gaze. Additionally, this show cleverly handles Franklin’s many relationships both platonic and romantic to men and women and shows how deceitful and clever Franklin can be without framing him using people as just or right. We are shown the Marquis de Lafayette shown in his correct uniform and played with all the youth and positivity a young Lafayette would have by the up-and-coming French actor Theodor Pellerin. Noah Jupe delivers a compelling coming of age and independence in parallels with America’s own fight for freedom, growing from a timid boy to a titled (which he bought) French and American citizen and married dandy of fashion. Noah Jupe and Micheal Douglas (William Temple Franklin and Benjamin Franklin) round out the show by illustrating the bonds of family, found family, patriotism and love for one’s father and grandfather whilst also illustrating the complexity of familial relationships even in the 18th century and how one can learn from one’s father and grandfather but ultimately be independent in and of one’s self. Franklin is based on the 2005 book A Great Improvisation: Franklin, France, and the Birth of America by Stacy Schiff, which I would also recommend to history lovers as I would recommend La Chevaliere d’Eon’s papers. Franklin is out on Apple TV now and even if you aren’t a history buff it rounds itself out as a compelling story about power, deception, identity and family.
You may delay but time will not – Benjamin Franklin
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