Enemy at the Door Season 1 Episode 1 By Order of the Fuhrer

In the first episode of Enemy at the Door season 1, titled "By Order of the Fuhrer," viewers are transported back to the island of Guernsey during World War II. The year is 1940, and the Nazis have just invaded the Channel Islands, which are British territories. The inhabitants of Guernsey are forced to adapt to their new reality, under the watchful eye of the occupying German forces.

The episode begins with a German soldier being killed by the Resistance, a group of islanders who are fighting back against the Nazis. The Germans become enraged and retaliate by executing a number of islanders in the town square. The brutality of the Nazis is made clear from the outset, and viewers are left in no doubt that life under German occupation is going to be anything but easy.

We are then introduced to the main characters of the show. Major Richter is the commanding officer of the German forces on Guernsey, and is played brilliantly by German actor Alfred Burke. Richter is a complex character- on the one hand he is an authoritarian figure who rules the island with an iron fist, but on the other hand he is a cultured man who loves classical music and literature. This creates an interesting dynamic between him and the other characters, particularly islander Philip Martel.

Martel, played by British actor Bernard Horsfall, is a farmer who becomes a key member of the Resistance. He is passionate about his homeland and wants to do everything he can to liberate it from the Nazis. Martel is initially suspicious of Richter, but as the episode goes on he begins to see him as a human being rather than just an enemy. This is one of the central themes of the show- that even in times of war, there is common ground to be found between different groups of people.

Another key character is Dr. Philip Martel's wife, Jenny (played by Emily Richard). She is a nurse who is deeply affected by the violence and suffering that she witnesses on a daily basis. Jenny is torn between her loyalty to her husband and her desire to help those who are suffering under the German occupation.

The episode is tense and gripping throughout, with a number of different storylines unfolding simultaneously. We see the Resistance planning an attack on a German convoy, the Martels sheltering a Jewish family who have snuck onto the island, and Richter dealing with his own personal demons.

One of the most powerful scenes in the episode takes place between Richter and Martel. They meet in a church and begin to discuss their respective beliefs. Richter is initially dismissive of Martel's strong attachment to his home, but as he talks about his own love for Germany, we begin to see the similarities between the two men. This is a testament to the strong writing of the show, which manages to make us empathize with characters on both sides of the conflict.

In the final moments of the episode, the Resistance attack the German convoy and a tense shootout unfolds. It's a thrilling conclusion to an already exciting episode, and it sets up the rest of the season perfectly.

Overall, "By Order of the Fuhrer" is a fantastic start to Enemy at the Door. The show is tense, emotional, and thought-provoking, and it manages to explore complex themes without ever feeling preachy or didactic. If you're a fan of historical dramas that don't shy away from difficult subject matter, then this is definitely a show worth watching.