Britannia [Season 1, Episode 1]
Shown 18 Jan 18
Unlike other TV shows set in ancient times,
this uses an anachronistic modern-day theme tune.
The Hurdy Gurdy Man of the song may be the chief druid, Veran (Mackenzie Crook -
Pirates Of The Carribean
) - or possibly the crazy outcast who warns him that the Romans are coming.
Roman General Aulus Plautius (David Morrissey -
Walking Dead
) and his sidekick Lucius (Hugo Speer -
Musketeers
) are tough working-class blokes with rural English accents.
Completely different from the more archaicly-styled Roman generals in
Spartacus: War of the Damned
. But just as ruthless, of course.
The first British settlement the Romans get to is the village of the happy people.
Yes, all the cliches are embraced
as the peaceful vegetarian hippy commune falls victim to the Roman war machine.
Elsewhere, the real plot begins.
Queen Antedia (
Zoë Wanamaker
) attends a peace deal with her neighbour, King Pellanor (Ian McDiarmid -
Star Wars: Phantom Menace
). This is part of a
Game of Thrones
style political situation. Kerra (
Kelly Reilly
) is lurking in the woods with a bow and arrow,
ready to rescue her male relatives.
Britannia [Season 1, Episode 2]
Shown 18 Jan 18
King Pellanor (Ian McDiarmid -
Star Wars: Phantom Menace
) is not happy to be at war with Queen Antedia (
Zoë Wanamaker
). He turns down a peace deal with the Romans,
so they will make a deal with his enemy and destroy his kingdom.
Finally we discover how Kerra (
Kelly Reilly
) started the war.
The chief druid, Veran (Mackenzie Crook -
Pirates Of The Carribean
), invites General Aulus Plautius (David Morrissey -
Walking Dead
) to visit him.
Britannia [Season 1, Episode 3]
Shown 18 Jan 18
King Pellanor (Ian McDiarmid -
Star Wars: Phantom Menace
) tortures the Roman prisoners.
We discover why his daughter Kerra (
Kelly Reilly
) ruined her own honeymoon night -
she did not object to the groom for personal reasons,
but as a matter of principle
because he was selected by the chief druid, Veran (Mackenzie Crook -
Pirates Of The Carribean
).
The General's bodyguards capture the exiled Druid.
Well, that is what they think.
He is manipulating and controlling them.
Britannia [Season 1, Episode 4]
Shown 18 Jan 18
King Pellanor (Ian McDiarmid -
Star Wars: Phantom Menace
) hands his daughter Kerra (
Kelly Reilly
) over to the chief druid, Veran (Mackenzie Crook -
Pirates Of The Carribean
). This seems the perfect compromise,
so he can get rid of her and protect his clan.
However, things do not go as he expects.
General Aulus Plautius (David Morrissey -
Walking Dead
) has a good grasp of things that are taking place.
He knows he has to gather more info on the locals.
The blind man is grieving over his dead daughter.
He tries to duplicate a magic spell that he saw a Druid use
to apparently return a farm animal from the dead.
Will it work, or is he just in denial?
Britannia [Season 1, Episode 5]
Shown 18 Jan 18
The Druids replaced King Pellanor (Ian McDiarmid -
Star Wars: Phantom Menace
) with his daughter Kerra (
Kelly Reilly
). This seems like a good move, because the old man always bent the knee.
He had his wife sacrificed, his daughter sold into an arranged marriage,
his people lost in attempts to repair the political damage.
Obviously a quitter, so he should be replaced by the ball-busting redhead.
However, now people think that Veran the chief druid (Mackenzie Crook -
Pirates Of The Carribean
) only did it to placate the Romans instead of fighting them.
General Aulus Plautius (David Morrissey -
Walking Dead
) visits his ally Queen Antedia (
Zoë Wanamaker
) to plot their next move.
Britannia [Season 1, Episode 6]
Shown 18 Jan 18
General Aulus Plautius (David Morrissey -
Walking Dead
) visits Queen Kerra (
Kelly Reilly
). She has other visitors too - the blind man and his daughter.
Can she keep the two groups apart?
Britannia [Season 1, Episode 7]
Shown 18 Jan 18
The previous episode centred on the two main characters.
This one does not feature either of them,
and instead concentrates on the supporting characters and their subplots.
Kerra's brother and the rival princess stop off for the night in a deserted village.
The blind girl and her father,
also fleeing Kerra's camp to avoid the Romans,
must have been going in the same direction because they stop off in the same village.
Meanwhile, the two Roman deserters who have fled their camp
end up spending the night in the same village.
Yes, the storylines all seem to intersect ...
but none of the three groups even tries to contact the others.
Britannia [Season 1, Episode 8]
Shown 18 Jan 18
The story takes up four months after the end of the previous episode.
Winter has begun to set in. Queen Antedia (
Zoe Wanamaker
) has besieged Queen Kerra (
Kelly Reilly
) in her fortress, and food will eventually run out.
Antedia has a plan, involving a sleeper agent in the enemy camp.
Why she did not use this plan in the previous four months is not addressed.
Aulus only cares about catching the girl.
He has summoned a collection of Bounty hunters -
an Irish warrior-woman, a hawk-master and a couple of Syrians.
Among their weapons they have a Chinese repeating crossbow,
about a thousand years before everyone else started using them.
Hella the Irish-woman (
Laura Donnelly
) spends her entire advance on the bow,
in part because it is a thousand years more advanced than any other technology
but also because its loss will disadvantage her rivals.
Also, she has a plan to get her money back.
The two Roman deserters found the Druid's stash in the previous episode,
and have spent the past four months getting high.
Naturally they get dragged into the storyline,
not that they have anything useful to contribute.
The girl has teamed up with the renegade Druid,
who tries to teach her how to hypnotise Roman soldiers.
Unfortunately it depends on a very precise series of words,
and she has an inability to memorise her monologue.
The Roman second-in-command (Hugo Speer -
Musketeers
) is haunted by the Chief Druid (Mackenzie Crook -
Pirates of the Carribean
). If the Druids are playing with him,
why would they turn him against Aulus?
Britannia [Season 1, Episode 9]
Shown 18 Jan 18
The renegade Druid has been gutted and left for dead.
Somehow he still manages to find enough strength
to kill a bear in a knife-fight.
Hella the Irish-woman (
Laura Donnelly
) is as cold-blooded as the Scotch sister in
Outlander
and as tough as Faith Lahaine in
Buffy the Vampre Slayer (1997)
). In fact, she does everything short of saying five by five.
She buried the girl alive for safe-keeping.
Then she heads off to meet the Chief Druid (Mackenzie Crook -
Pirates of the Carribean
). Her plan is to auction the girl, rather than just sell her outright.
The Chief Druid has been sheltering a couple of refugees.
Now they reveal themselves as Phelan (Julian Rhind-Tutt -
Harlots
) and Ania (
Liana Cornell
). He gives them a free fortune-telling.
Kerra (
Kelly Reilly
) decides to negotiate with General Aulus Plautius (David Morrissey -
Walking Dead
). He reveals how treacherous he can really be.
Britannia [Season 2, Episode 1]
Shown 7th November 2019
This anachronistic modern-day theme tune has been replaced,
to show an apparent change of emphasis in the show.
The Hurdy Gurdy Man about the chief druid, Veran (Mackenzie Crook -
Pirates Of The Carribean
), is now Season of the Witch.
The central character is now the
Roman General Aulus Plautius (David Morrissey -
Walking Dead
). It turns out that Aulus and his sidekick Lucius (Hugo Speer -
Musketeers
) once served in Jerusalem,
ten years before the current Season.
Their job was to oversee crucifixions on Golgotha hill.
Roman Emperor Claudius (
League of Gentlemen's Apocalypse
) visits Britannia.
He orders Aulus to accompany him back to Rome for the Triumph parade.
Somehow Aulus will have to convince him
that the war in Britannia is not yet over.
Britannia [Season 2, Episode 2]
Shown 7th November 2019
Phelan (Julian Rhind-Tutt -
Harlots
) has been hiding out disguised as a farmer.
He is happily married to Bridget (
Tamla Kari
). However, at the marketplace he sees Queen Antedia (
Zoe Wanamaker
) sold into slavery.
Worse, he discovers what happened to his sister Kerra (
Kelly Reilly
).
The chief druid, Veran (Mackenzie Crook -
Pirates Of The Carribean
), now emerges from his meditations.
He plans to lead a violent revolt against the Romans.
However, he has trouble in his own ranks.
Britannia [Season 2, Episode 3]
Shown 7th November 2019
Roman General Aulus Plautius (David Morrissey -
Walking Dead
) buys a prize from Hella the Irish-woman (
Laura Donnelly
).
Phelan (Julian Rhind-Tutt -
Harlots
) has a quest, to retrieve three boys for the Dead Man.
The Romans are closing in on
Divis the trainee druid (Nikolaj Lie Kaas) and Cait (
Eleanor Worthington-Cox
).
Britannia [Season 2, Episode 4]
Shown 7th November 2019
Roman General Aulus Plautius (David Morrissey -
Walking Dead
) interrogates his prisoner.
Divis the trainee druid (Nikolaj Lie Kaas) and Cait (
Eleanor Worthington-Cox
) have to relocate and find a new cave.
Britannia [Season 2, Episode 5]
Shown 7th November 2019
Roman General Aulus Plautius (David Morrissey -
Walking Dead
) has sent the friendly Queen Amena (
Annabel Scholey
) home to Isca to see her sister, Queen Andra.
The chief druid, Veran (Mackenzie Crook -
Pirates Of The Carribean
), has chosen the same moment to visit Isca himself.
Divis the trainee druid (Nikolaj Lie Kaas)
has a sexually frustrating dream about Cait (
Eleanor Worthington-Cox
). He spends the rest of his time trying to distance himself from her.
However, Harka has sent a player to interfere.
Britannia [Season 2, Episode 6]
Shown 7th November 2019
The two Roman deserters who found the Druid's stash in
Britannia [Season 1, Episode 7],
and spent the next four months getting high, are back.
They discover the camp of the military unit
sent as backup to Queen Amena (
Annabel Scholey
), and decide to spike the wine supply with magic mushrooms.
The chief druid, Veran (Mackenzie Crook -
Pirates Of The Carribean
), is at Isca himself to oppose the Romans.
However, everyone has forgotten there is a third player - Harka.
He has Ania (
Liana Cornell
) to lead his warriors now.
Divis the trainee druid (Nikolaj Lie Kaas)
works out how the prophecy about Cait (
Eleanor Worthington-Cox
) being embraced by the arms of the eagle will take place.
Britannia [Season 2, Episode 7]
Shown 7th November 2019
Roman General Aulus Plautius (David Morrissey -
Walking Dead
) gets word of the fate of his expedition in the previous episode.
He sets off in search of Hella the Irish-woman (
Laura Donnelly
), who knows how to find the Dead Man.
Aulus' former sidekick Lucius (Hugo Speer -
Musketeers
) is reunited with his old friend Josephus.
They reminisce about the good old days in Palestine.
Josephus wants to collect the spear of destiny.
Somehow, he is a combination of Flavius Josephus
and Joseph of Arimathea.
Aulus leaves his new sidekick Vitus in charge of the capital,
setting him up against the Emperor's spy.
However, the two of them discover they have a lot in common.
They conspire to convict Aulus, so they can both return to Rome.
Britannia [Season 2, Episode 8]
Shown 7th November 2019
Roman General Aulus Plautius (David Morrissey -
Walking Dead
) prepares to invade Devon.
He explains his agenda - like in
Lost
he is a pawn in an age-old battle between two opposing powers.
Aulus' former sidekick Lucius (Hugo Speer -
Musketeers
) is back again, regretting his actions as a Roman soldier.
He meets the blind father of the prophecy.
Ania (
Liana Cornell
) has ingratiated herself with Harka.
She takes the opportunity to help Phelan (Julian Rhind-Tutt -
Harlots
).
Divis the trainee druid (Nikolaj Lie Kaas)
subjects Cait (
Eleanor Worthington-Cox
) to the trial by fire.
She has to walk without leaving footprints,
while carrying a molten bowl with her forearms.
This is all taken from the pilot episode of the TV show Kung Fu.
Britannia [Season 2, Episode 9]
Shown 7th November 2019
Divis the trainee druid (Nikolaj Lie Kaas)
has lost Cait (
Eleanor Worthington-Cox
) to the eagle boy.
Phelan (Julian Rhind-Tutt -
Harlots
) passes by in search of atonement.
David Bradley (
Game of Thrones
) visits too.
Britannia [Season 2, Episode 10]
Shown 7th November 2019
Roman General Aulus Plautius (David Morrissey -
Walking Dead
) is reunited with the friendly Queen Amena (
Annabel Scholey
) at her former home in Isca.
She is shaken by the fate of her sister, Queen Andra,
so she goes out for some horse-riding alone.
Aulus is more interested in his new business partner,
the Dead Man.
Cait (
Eleanor Worthington-Cox
) has lost the eagle boy.
David Bradley (
Game of Thrones
) lectures her.
Divis the trainee druid (Nikolaj Lie Kaas)
has gotten lost, but turns up at a critical moment.
Ania (
Liana Cornell
) has ingratiated herself with Harka.
Just like every other pairing in this episode,
the whole Season in fact,
the female is hyper-competent
and the male is either a villain or a comedy relief character.
Aulus' former sidekick Lucius (Hugo Speer -
Musketeers
) has retrieved the spear-head.
He seems to be the only male hero this time.
Now he gets tracked down by Vitus somehow.
Yes, this episode seems to have a lot of completely coincidental encounters.
This episode ties up the Season arc,
but still leaves the main storyline intact
for the third and final Season.
And best of all, it does everything in a way
that subverts expectations without seeming
Britannia [Season 3, Episode 1]
Shown 24th August 2021
This anachronistic modern-day theme tune has been replaced
with Children of the Revolution
to show an apparent change of emphasis in the show.
A dozen years before the invasion of Britannia,
Roman General Aulus Plautius (David Morrissey -
Walking Dead
) had a pre-teen son.
However, he chose to join the cult of Lokka run by Hemple (
Sophie Okonedo
).
In the main storyline,
Aulus is still shacked up with the friendly Queen Amena (
Annabel Scholey
) at his home in the capital.
Aulus' former sidekick Lucius (Hugo Speer -
Musketeers
) is around, playing practical jokes on his old friend.
This is the beginning of betrayal in the heart of the capital.
The druids seem stronger than ever.
Cait (
Eleanor Worthington-Cox
) is training by herself as a knife-thrower.
Divis the trainee druid (Nikolaj Lie Kaas)
now serves David Bradley (
Game of Thrones
), who has initiated Phelan (Julian Rhind-Tutt -
Harlots
) as a trainee druid.
Ania (
Liana Cornell
) is messenger for the chief druid, Veran (Mackenzie Crook -
Pirates Of The Carribean
).
The show has portrayed Aulus as a low-level villain.
While the previous Season had the Dead Man as the main antagonist,
now it is the Cult of Lokka itself.
Once again, Aulus is a secondary antagonist.
Will he be allowed a redemption arc?
Britannia [Season 3, Episode 2]
Shown 24th August 2021
Queen Antedia (
Zoe Wanamaker
) has not been seen since Britannia [Season 2, Episode 2]
when she was sold into slavery.
She has spent her time as a domestic slave
on a farm run by a family of inbred idiots.
Her plan is to escape and seek revenge on Rome.
Cait (
Eleanor Worthington-Cox
) decides to earn a living as a travelling illusionist.
She meets Aulus' former sidekick Lucius (Hugo Speer -
Musketeers
).
Britannia [Season 3, Episode 3]
Shown 24th August 2021
Cait (
Eleanor Worthington-Cox
) and Queen Antedia (
Zoe Wanamaker
) have teamed up to con drunken men in roadside taverns.
When they steal a wagon-load of olive oil,
Antedia uses it to con her way into a nearby Roman fort.
The chief druid, Veran (Mackenzie Crook -
Pirates Of The Carribean
), is dying.
David Bradley (
Game of Thrones
) appoints his new replacement.
Britannia [Season 3, Episode 4]
Shown 24th August 2021
Cait (
Eleanor Worthington-Cox
) and Queen Antedia (
Zoe Wanamaker
) meet up with Aulus' former sidekick Lucius (Hugo Speer -
Musketeers
).
Unfortunately a Roman patrol has captured
the two Roman deserters who found the Druid's stash in
Britannia [Season 1, Episode 7],
and they are happy to round up more deserters.
The chief druid, Veran (Mackenzie Crook -
Pirates Of The Carribean
) announces that the Xian Spear of Destiny
is also the Pagan Spear of the Silver Dawn,
and gives his blessing on those who want to save it.
Roman General Aulus Plautius (David Morrissey -
Walking Dead
) is caught between investigating the Druids and placating Hemple (
Sophie Okonedo
). Queen Amena (
Annabel Scholey
) takes the opportunity to plot assassination.
Britannia [Season 3, Episode 5]
Shown 24th August 2021
Cait (
Eleanor Worthington-Cox
) and Queen Antedia (
Zoe Wanamaker
) have rounded up a team of regular characters,
including Phelan (Julian Rhind-Tutt -
Harlots
). They go off in search of Aulus' former sidekick Lucius (Hugo Speer -
Musketeers
). They hire Hella the Irish-woman (
Laura Donnelly
), although she has better things to do
so she sends her sister along as a guide instead.
Ania (
Liana Cornell
) meets the Sun Folk, some of whom are Black Africans
and some are lighter-skinned people with mud on their faces.
They give her directions, but to no avail.
Britannia [Season 3, Episode 6]
Shown 24th August 2021
Cait (
Eleanor Worthington-Cox
) knows that one of her companions will betray her.
Aulus' former sidekick Lucius (Hugo Speer -
Musketeers
) is imprisoned with the two Roman deserters who found the Druid's stash in
Britannia [Season 1, Episode 7].
The chief druid, Veran (Mackenzie Crook -
Pirates Of The Carribean
), single-handedly attacks Aulus' villa at Verulanium.
His target is the cult of Lokka run by Hemple (
Sophie Okonedo
). Queen Amena (
Annabel Scholey
) has to decide what side to take.
Britannia [Season 3, Episode 7]
Shown 24th August 2021
Cait (
Eleanor Worthington-Cox
) and her dream team discover a Roman viaduct.
This is the perfect choke point to ambush the Roman convoy at.
Roman General Aulus Plautius (David Morrissey -
Walking Dead
) has his former sidekick Lucius (Hugo Speer -
Musketeers
) imprisoned in the wagon.
The climactic battle is more than a little reminiscent of
Spartacus: Blood and Sand
, albeit without the gratuitous (if highly entertaining) sex and nudity.
Britannia [Season 3, Episode 8]
Shown 24th August 2021
Cait (
Eleanor Worthington-Cox
) and her dream team are injured and scattered
after the climactic battle in the previous episode.
They try to regroup again.
One of the women was left for dead,
but when the crows try to feast on her she turns the tables -
in a blatant reference to
Conan The Barbarian
. The three men meet the Green Man,
so is about to be sacrificed to Carnunnos the Horned God
in an environmentalist protest against road-building.
Yes, the females get all the serious stuff
while the males get the comedy subplot.
Roman General Aulus Plautius (David Morrissey -
Walking Dead
) and his half-dozen remaining legionaries,
still have his former sidekick Lucius (Hugo Speer -
Musketeers
) as a prisoner.
They arrive at a Roman fort and prepare the defences.
Of course, Lokka's effect on him makes his mental state
appear to be somewhat erratic.
Hemple (
Sophie Okonedo
) and Queen Amena (
Annabel Scholey
) arrive there too, so all the plot threads can be tied up.
The Chosen One gets her confrontation with Lokka,
who appears to her in the form of a horned demon.
Nothing like Carnunnos the Horned God, then.
On a similar note, Lucius uses the Xian cross symbol
even though the early Church used the fish symbol instead.
Ironically she does not even need the spearhead mcguffin.
However, she still infiltrates the Roman fort
so she can get its location from Lucius.
Mackenzie Crook (
Pirates Of The Carribean
), AKA Veran the chief druid, directed this episode.
He does a decent job, considering this is the finale
not just for the Season but for the entire show.
