The morning after the storm, Prince Andrew ventures to church, perhaps seeking solace amidst the alleged sins that had plunged the nation into uproar overnight. Or maybe, in the throes of crisis, he finds solace in the sanctity of a church—a haven for troubled souls. Nonetheless, his reverie is abruptly shattered by the entrance of a cleaner. Unable to contain his curiosity, he inquires, "Did you catch my interview on television last night?" She responds in the negative, chuckling nervously as she exits, likely amused by the encounter with royalty, a tale she'll eagerly recount to her family upon returning home. Yet, the possibility lingers that she might have indeed witnessed the interview, a prospect that now haunts Andrew. Judgment, both subtle and overt, resounds throughout the nation, a verdict rendered on his character, rightly or wrongly, mere hours after the interview aired. As he exits, his gaze lingers on the cross adorning the church pews, whispering, "Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us," the ticking of the clock echoing his turmoil.
The climax of "A Very Royal Scandal," its third and final episode, delves into the far-reaching consequences of the interview for Andrew, Emily Maitlis, the royal family, the BBC, and all who were entwined in its web. Prominently featured is the intriguing scrutiny of Maitlis's role in Andrew's downfall. The episode captures her pangs of guilt, not so much for contributing to the demolition of a royal reputation, but for the collateral damage inflicted upon his loved ones.
In a poignant scene, Maitlis crosses paths with Eugenie and Beatrice during a jog. Their fleeting glance speaks volumes, a dramatic embellishment that prompts introspection on journalistic ethics. While it is indeed the journalist's duty to hold the powerful accountable, the human toll, often overlooked, extends beyond the subject under scrutiny to those who cherish and depend on them. This nuanced touch brings Maitlis's internal conflict to life. However, on the morning after the interview, her exterior betrays little of this turmoil; instead, she thrills at the global headlines, her excitement palpable. Her husband's quip, "You're big in Japan! Fuck me, that's famous!" sums up the mood.
Contrastingly, the atmosphere at Andrew's residence (or mansion, rather) is somber. He receives Queen's instructions to maintain a low profile and assumes Fergie has watched the interview. Her false assurance of his brilliance rings hollow, leaving the viewer to decide her sincerity. She warns of impending turmoil, relaying Beatrice's discovery of an online report claiming that Guiffre is incensed by Andrew's lack of apology. "They say she's coming after you," she warns, signaling the need for legal intervention. Andrew, ever the diversionist, changes the subject, boasting about his hunting exploits. "Yeah, the shoot was good. I bagged 100 birds. Best shot of the day." Meanwhile, in Maitlis's world, celebrations continue, with thunderous applause echoing through the BBC offices.
In the ensuing scene, Amanda Thirsk bears the brunt of an unyielding dressing-down delivered with scurrilous finesse by the queen's private secretary, Alex Jennings. No longer merely menacing in his silence, Jennings transforms into an unleashed attack dog, delivering one of the most compelling performances of the series. His words cut through like acid: "I instructed you unequivocally to collaborate with me and the other private secretaries, yet you disregarded my guidance. Lo and behold, we now find ourselves entangled in a saga worthy of the Kardashians," he spits out, cold and calculating. The queen promptly relieves Thirsk of her duties.
Elsewhere, during an interview with ABC, Maitlis is confronted with a probing question: "Emily, how does it feel to have brought down a member of the monarchy?" This inquiry haunts her throughout the episode. At a tense dinner, Andrew and his family grapple with the intense scrutiny sparked by the interview, underscoring its far-reaching impact.
Guilt permeates the atmosphere, with Andrew's guilt manifesting openly when he learns of Guiffre's removal from her position. "She was kind to me," he confesses to Fergie. The narrative then shifts to crisis management—not merely for Andrew but for the entire royal institution. The queen's private secretary springs into damage-control mode, announcing Andrew's withdrawal from royal duties. He must be "erased from the map," at least temporarily, the secretary emphasizes. Jennings' portrayal in these scenes is nothing short of extraordinary—clinical, meticulous, and calculating, akin to a cold-blooded assassin meticulously carrying out his task.
Maitlis garners accolades, winning a British TV award. As she returns to her table at the ceremony, a voice in the crowd heckles her: "Well done! Don't mention the victims."
Some time after the interview, Stewart Maclean, the Newsnight editor (Éanna Hardwicke), and Thirsk reconvene in a pub. "What if you were mistaken?" Thirsk posits, pondering the possibility that Andrew's actions were merely "clumsy" and the accusations against him—amplified by the interview—were unfounded. Maclean defends Maitlis: "Say what you will about Emily's interviewing style; she never put words in his mouth." "Yeah, right. Power without responsibility," counters Thirsk.
Encouraged by his family, Andrew consults with lawyers to safeguard himself against potential legal proceedings initiated by Guiffre. His eyebrows arch when extradition is mentioned. "There's a slim chance Ms. Guiffre might attempt to force you to stand trial in America," one lawyer informs him. Andrew is incredulous; how dare they subject him, the queen's second son, to such indignities? Growing up under the protective umbrella of monarchy, the notion of having the rug pulled out from under him is unfathomable.
Meanwhile, Panorama airs an interview with Guiffre, watched intently by Beatrice and her fiancé. "This is not our problem," Beatrice insists, distancing herself from the saga. She claims ignorance of the actual events, wondering why she should be presumed complicit and punished merely for being the daughter of an accused man. Familial repercussions are also felt within the Maitlis household when she catches her son sheepishly closing his laptop. Thankfully, it's not porn; he's reading the vicious comments hurled at her on Reddit.
Months later, the pandemic's grasp tightened, with masks becoming a ubiquitous symbol of protection. Amidst this new reality, Andrew embarked on a meticulously orchestrated image rehabilitation orchestrated by his team, involving a camera-documented effort to pack food parcels for a hospice. One might assume this to be a straightforward endeavor, yet Andrew found it anything but; his patience soon snapped, prompting him to storm out, with his masked team trailing behind him. ("Take them off," Andrew commanded, mocking, "You sound like characters from 'The Muppets.'") The legal wrangling with Virginia Giuffre lingered on. "How on earth does a woman I barely recall wield this much goddamn influence?" he roared, his voice echoing ominously. As Charlie Sheen reenacted Andrew's interview, his earlier constrained performance gave way to unbridled emotion, making the audience empathize, albeit reluctantly, with the duke's self-imposed predicament. Evoking sympathy for such a figure is indeed a monumental feat.
Later that night, after wrapping up a 'Newsnight' taping, Emily Maitlis found herself revisiting an interview about her stalker from years past. "I listened because I wanted to recall the sensation of being interviewed about something beyond my control," she confessed to her husband. "Just as what transpired with Epstein's victims wasn't their fault. They had to parade their anguish in pursuit of the faintest glimmer of justice." Maitlis' broader message emerged as the episode's central thesis: that justice remains elusive for survivors of sexual abuse, assault, and harassment, particularly for women like her and Giuffre. "An uphill struggle. Always swimming against the tide. A perpetual battle against the unspoken. You know, that look in their eyes asking, 'Really? Did he really?'"
The remainder of the episode delved into the lasting repercussions for those entangled in the 'Royal Scandal.' Andrew's legal team worked relentlessly on the Giuffre case. When she initiated legal proceedings against him in the UK, the duke was comically dragged out of bed at dawn and hustled into a car to dodge the personal service of legal papers. Maitlis continued to grapple with the impact on Andrew's daughters and struggled to secure fresh interview subjects for 'Newsnight.' Ultimately, she opted to depart the BBC. In 2022, the queen's private secretary notified the duke that the Giuffre case had been resolved out of court. "Upon consulting Her Majesty, I am directed to inform you that this matter is now concluded," he announced. It seemed the queen had overridden her beloved son's desire for a trial, a risk too great for the royal family to bear. "If you deny me a fight, I'll forever appear guilty," Andrew protested. But his family had decided that the time for combat was over. Oh, and the duke was uninvited from the queen's jubilee celebrations.
"Tell me," the duke inquired, "where do I go from here? What am I to do?" "You live with the ramifications of your actions, sir," the queen's private secretary responded, his tone icy.
Right until the episode's conclusion, the series delicately refrained from rendering a definitive verdict. Perhaps the lingering question, punctuated by a haunting final gaze at Giuffre's photograph, is whether genuine justice will ever be served for Epstein's victims. As Maitlis herself remarked in a recent BBC interview about the finale, "It's about reckoning. It's about fallout. But it doesn't conclude with a neat, tidy ending featuring a comical villain or a dashing hero." It serves as a poignant reminder of the lingering horrors tied to this royal scandal, its connections to Epstein's myriad crimes, and the survivors still grappling to piece their lives back together.
