The Forsytes Season 1 Episode 1 Review
The Forsyte Saga by John Galsworthy is a series of three novels published in the early 20th Century about the “new money” Forsyte Family and their drama. The Forsytes Season 1 Episode 1 brings the storied family back to the telly.
Last adapted in 2002 by the BBC and aired on PBS in the United States, this version comes from Channel 5 and aired last year in the UK before crossing the pond. Viewers familiar with the beloved series will wonder, “does this adaptation of The Forsyte Saga live up to its predecessors?”
Well, it’s too early to say after one episode, but it very much seems like it could go either way. On one hand the episode gets off to a sluggish start, with a wedding you can’t help but be disinterested in because you just met the characters.
Grandmama Forsyte (Francesca Annis) continually dropping lines about “how a Forsyte acts” is stuffy and boring, and not a good foot to start on. Fortunately, a ten-year time jump let’s the story get to a juicier place.
This is a big family saga, and as a result, there are a lot of characters to keep track of. It’s a few too many for one episode, so some stand out more than others.
The Forsytes are at a cross-roads with rightful heir Jolyon Forsyte Jr. (Danny Griffin) and cousin Soames Forsyte (Joshua Orpin) in conflict over how to run the family business. Their love lives are no less intriguing, with Soames pursuing the newly orphaned and impoverished ballerina Irene Heron (Millie Gibson) and Jolyon crossing paths with his old lover Louisa Byrne (Eleanor Tomlinson).
It’s a British period drama through and through, though fans of genre TV will spot a few familiar faces, including Stephen Moyer (True Blood) as patriarch Jolyon Forsyte Senior, Orpin (Titans), and Gibson (Doctor Who).
The show could benefit from dialing in on its more tantalizing plotlines, and will hopefully do so later in the season. Sorry, but June’s (Justine Moore) cliche coming of age is a little boring compared to her step-dad’s scandal in the making.
Jolyon and Louisa’s exchange of “I loved you,” and “You would not have been allowed to love me” is some top-tier yearning. I cannot wait to see more of this ship (to be fair, it’s clearly established he and his wife married for money, so don’t feel too bad for her).
The camera work, with many zooming exterior shots, makes you feel like you’re peering into a dollhouse. It’s fitting for these elites whose moves are calculated by the all-powerful force of wealth.
Unlike his cousin Soames, Jolyon is a little more free-spirited, but at the end of the day they are creating and maintaining a dynasty. These shows about rich families will always be about love versus money!
The pilot does a good enough job for you to want to keep watching, but The Forsytes has a long way to go to prove it’s the next must-watch period drama.
What did you think of the premiere of The Forsytes? Share your thoughts in the comments below, and don’t forget to leave your own rating!
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The Forsytes airs Sundays at 9/8c on PBS.
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Breeze Riley
Breeze Riley is a pop culture enthusiast who decided to turn her love of watching too much TV into a hobby writing about it. Although she's a convention-going sci-fi and fantasy nerd, she's just as likely to be watching an off-beat comedy or period drama. She is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic.