Amazon's Poignant Wild West Entry The English Has Fans Ugly Crying
"The English" fits right in within the Western genre, but that doesn't meant it isn't unique. The limited series features all the horse-riding, clear blue skies, and gunfights that experienced viewers have come to expect from the genre, but the story that it tells feels fairly fresh and original. Directed and written by Hugo Blick, "The English" follows Lady Cornelia Locke (Emily Blunt), a British woman who journeys to the American West in the late 1800s seeking revenge for her son's death, and Sgt. Eli Whipp (Chaske Spencer), a Native American soldier who hopes to build a new home for himself after finally retiring from the United States military.
Over the course of the limited series' six installments, Cornelia and Eli develop a surprisingly strong friendship. The latter installments of "The English" even imply that Cornelia and Eli's bond could become a romantic one if either of them actually chose to pursue that option. Unfortunately, Cornelia and Eli's romance never comes to fruition. Instead, "The English" opts for a far more downbeat, quietly melancholic conclusion, one that is more focused on exploring the lasting impact that Cornelia and Eli's relationship had on them both than on exploring the latter years of their lives.
Taking all of that into account, it shouldn't come as much of a surprise to learn that "The English" has left many of its viewers heartbroken and teary-eyed.
The English has brought many viewers to tears
The ending of "The English" sees Cornelia Locke reunite with White Moon, the Native American boy she formed a brief connection with earlier in the series. During the scene in question, Cornelia emotionally reflects on her time with Eli, who White Moon has already begun to play in a traveling Western show by the time Cornelia crosses paths with him again. "The English" ends shortly after Cornelia and White Moon's reunion, which means that it concludes without offering any straightforward closure about Cornelia and Eli's relationship. The series doesn't reveal whether Cornelia's life at all improved after she and Eli said goodbye to each other, either.
Suffice it to say, the show's overwhelmingly bittersweet conclusion has made a major impact on its viewers. On Reddit, u/Pierson230 admitted, "I haven't felt so much sorrow for characters in a long time." In a different Reddit thread, u/pizzawolves shared their similar reaction to "The English," writing, "I binged the whole thing last night and was ugly sobbing at 4 am like a maniac." Elsewhere, u/NefariousnessHot620 wrote, "It made me UGLY cry and I haven't cried in a while."
Fortunately, it's clear that the show's viewers aren't the only ones who were deeply affected by it. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, "The English" star Emily Blunt even discussed her personal connection to the series. "I've never had so few notes on anything I've ever done," Blunt revealed. "I felt great responsibility in making sure it got made. This is a project that might feel the closest to me."
With all this in mind, it seems safe to say that, even though their relationship doesn't last forever in the show, Cornelia and Eli's bond is one that has still made a lasting mark on both those who have watched "The English" and those who made it.