While Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton have each had their own musicals on Broadway, they have nothing to sing about here. They are bitter enemies that even the first president of the United States, George Washington (Barry Bostwick) can't repair due to fiery political differences. Washington wants to move on after his first term, but issues of state seems to point that his leaving could lead another revolution. With devoted wife Martha (Patty Duke) fully by his side, Washington has no choice to remain, a career patriot that many would have liked as king, but no leader of a free nation will ever be referred to as king or emperor or dictator if Washington has his way, a message that resonates over 250 years later.
The legacy of Washington was already set so he's basically a supporting character here, the patriarch if you will, and extremely beloved. The hatred between Jefferson (Jeffrey Jones) and the younger Hamilton (Richard Bekins) is intense enough to expect a duel between them, but the real issue is the difference in extreme differences of the political parties of the time. As Washington's homestead in Mount Vernon is the location of the bulk of his tenure, there's no Washington D. C. (obviously), so it's presumed that VP John Adams (never mentioned) is in his hometown of Quincy MA.
Done in two parts, this isn't as starry as the first part of the saga aired two years before, and that's to its party. A nice subplot has Martha befriending slave Erika Alexander, and George vows to slave Clayton Prince that he seeks to free the slaves. Martha discusses slavery as a necessity only because they've always been good to them and she's come to rely on them. Washington fears a civil war decades before that would occur, a valid worry so early in a new nation with other wars possible. Daniel Davis ("The Nanny") plays liberty or death patriot Patrick Henry. The rest of the cast is mainly newcomers or veteran character actors with more stage than screen appearance. Overall, not excellent but educational and visually impressive.
The legacy of Washington was already set so he's basically a supporting character here, the patriarch if you will, and extremely beloved. The hatred between Jefferson (Jeffrey Jones) and the younger Hamilton (Richard Bekins) is intense enough to expect a duel between them, but the real issue is the difference in extreme differences of the political parties of the time. As Washington's homestead in Mount Vernon is the location of the bulk of his tenure, there's no Washington D. C. (obviously), so it's presumed that VP John Adams (never mentioned) is in his hometown of Quincy MA.
Done in two parts, this isn't as starry as the first part of the saga aired two years before, and that's to its party. A nice subplot has Martha befriending slave Erika Alexander, and George vows to slave Clayton Prince that he seeks to free the slaves. Martha discusses slavery as a necessity only because they've always been good to them and she's come to rely on them. Washington fears a civil war decades before that would occur, a valid worry so early in a new nation with other wars possible. Daniel Davis ("The Nanny") plays liberty or death patriot Patrick Henry. The rest of the cast is mainly newcomers or veteran character actors with more stage than screen appearance. Overall, not excellent but educational and visually impressive.