Ep 1. Return to India, Part One

In The Far Pavilions season 1 episode 1, titled "Return to India, Part One," we are introduced to Ashton Pelham-Martyn, an English boy growing up in India during the time of British colonial rule. Ashton, or Ash, is the son of an officer in the British army and has grown up with the local Indian people, embracing their culture and language as if they were his own.

As the episode begins, Ash is being sent away to England to receive a proper education, leaving behind his Indian home and the only family he has ever known. He is heartbroken to leave, but his father promises him that he will return to India as soon as his schooling is complete.

In England, Ash is sent to a prestigious boarding school where he struggles to fit in with the other boys. He is ridiculed for his Indian clothing and culture, and the only person who truly befriends him is a young girl named Anjuli. Anjuli is the daughter of an Indian prince who is studying in England, and she quickly becomes Ash's confidante and closest companion.

As Ash grows older, he becomes more and more disillusioned with the attitudes of his fellow Englishmen towards India and the Indian people. He witnesses the prejudice and discrimination that they exhibit towards the locals, and he realizes that he can never fully be a part of their world.

When Ash finally completes his studies and returns to India, he is reunited with the friends and family that he left behind. But he quickly realizes that things have changed in his absence. India is in the midst of a political upheaval, with a growing movement of Indian nationalists who are calling for their independence from British rule.

As Ash navigates the complexities of his own mixed identity and the changing political climate in India, he finds himself torn between his loyalty to the British empire and his love and respect for the Indian people. Will he be able to find a place for himself in this changing landscape, or will he be forced to choose sides in a conflict that threatens to tear apart the country that he loves?

"Return to India, Part One" is a compelling and thought-provoking episode that sets the stage for the rest of the season. Through Ash's eyes, we see the complexities of life in colonial India and the struggles of those caught between two worlds. With its stunning cinematography and powerful performances, this episode is the perfect introduction to The Far Pavilions, a sweeping epic that explores the themes of love, loyalty, and identity in one of the most fascinating and tumultuous periods of human history.