Summary
A flawlessly produced period drama gets off to a magnificent start.
This recap of the Netflix series The Empress season 1, episode 1, “One’s Place in the World,” contains spoilers.
The Empress starts with a sullen-looking woman in her wedding dress and a delicate white veil covering her face. She is walking down the aisle about to marry someone. We can only assume she is the titular character and is about to wed the emperor. Her name is Elisabeth von Wittelsbach, the Princess of Bavaria (played byDevrim Lingnau). However, her mother calls her “Sisi.”
The Empress Season 1, episode 1 recap
The next scene flashes backward a few months, with Sisi running away from her home and another matchmaking exercise in futility. She doesn’t want to marry a Duke and rides her favorite horse to a cliff near their home. Sisi, rebellious and constantly flirting with disaster, comes remarkably close to that cliff. As she backs her beloved horse up, she flies to the ground when a snake scars the mare. The horse must be put down, shattering its leg.
Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria-Hungary (played by Philip Froissant) is a man of the people, but his mother Sophie wants him to rule with an iron fist, not a gentle guiding hand. He reluctantly chooses to execute five uprisers, even though he tells Sophie he understands their plight. They are poor and hungry, not to mention Sophie wants them to go to war to take down The Ottoman Empire. He is also forced to marry Helena, Sisi’s sister, even though he sees a beautiful girl on the side. For political reasons, he tells her.
The arrangement is set, and Franz travels to the von Wittelsbach home to visit Louise and her family. Sophie is in charge, so she comes along. They also bring Franz’s brother Maxi, a wild child who dips his pen around Europe dating the nearest available single Duchess he can find and is also power hungry. Probably a big mistake for Franz, who makes him his closest advisor because, as he puts it, he needs someone he can trust.
Nevertheless, Sisi’s mother and sister panic when luggage is lost with the best dresses they plan to wear for the emperor’s arrival. As they freak out, Sisi goes for a walk, holding a bird, and comes across Franz riding his horse. He also has his shirt unbuttoned halfway down his chest, which I am sure helps with this chance encounter. He is immediately taken with her. Though he is there for Elsabeth’s sister, he steals glances at every chance he gets. Sisi, though, has another suitor, Maxi, who hits on her right in front of the Italian Duchess she brought for the weekend.
No matter, Franz cannot sleep, and neither can Elisabeth. Not to mention neither can Sophie. She is watching two young people make love in front of a mirror through a crack in some drapes. Franz calls for Elisabeth and is brought to his bed chambers. A bold move since she shares a room with her sister. He has champagne but doesn’t seem so aggressive, bordering on arrogance. Franz wears his heart on his sleeve, telling her it’s his birthday. When Sisi turns to leave, she says she doesn’t want to cause any trouble. “It’s too late for that,” he says, with a hint of yearning emotion. (This is when my wife audibly gasped).
Franz and Elisabeth have a connection, that may be youth and not wanting to be controlled by having free will with their choices. They kiss, and Elisabeth leaves. The next day, Helene expecting to be proposed to is shocked when Franz asks for her sister’s hand in marriage. She leaves upset, Elisabeth runs after her — though she first smiles at him — and Helene slaps her sister when she catches her running up the stairs. Helena demands to know what happened and then begs for Sisi to turn The Emperor down. She refuses by telling Helena she has never felt this way about someone. Helene’s response? She will never be good for him and ruin the emperor.
The ending
The final scenes show Elisabeth looking over a floor where a mural of the Habsburg empire lay. Her mother tries to call her Sisi but finally has the power to tell her that her name is Elisabeth. Sophie leaves, telling her assistant that if someone’s will doesn’t bend, it must be broken. Finally, two uprisings saw that Austria was getting an Empress.
This is the opportunity they have been waiting for.
What did you think of The Empress season 1, episode 1? Comment below.
Additional reading
The recap for The Empress season 1, episode 2
The review for The Empress season 1
