Masterpiece Season 10 Episode 14 Testament of Youth (5)

Set during the First World War, Testament of Youth (5) tells the story of Vera Brittain, a young middle-class woman who put her dreams of attending Oxford University on hold to become a nurse, tending to wounded soldiers at a hospital near the front. The episode opens with Vera returning home after two years at the front and immediately feeling out of place in the peaceful countryside. Vera is traumatized by the horrors of war and has trouble finding a sense of purpose in her life.

Vera's family is sympathetic to her struggles, but they cannot fully understand the depth of her trauma. Her father is a conservative politician who wants her to settle down and forget about her dreams of attending Oxford. Her mother is sympathetic, but anxious about Vera's future. Her brother Edward is away at the front and her younger brother is still in school.

Vera's closest companion is her friend Victor, who was injured in the war and is now a pacifist. Victor introduces Vera to his friend Winifred, an outspoken feminist who challenges Vera's view of the world. Together they discuss the challenges facing women in society and the role of the individual in shaping history.

Vera's friend Roland Leighton, who she fell in love with before the war, is also struggling to find his place in the world. Roland is suffering from shell shock and is unable to return to the front. He and Vera continue to write letters to each other, but their relationship is strained by the trauma they both experienced during the war.

As Vera tries to find her place in the world, she becomes increasingly involved in the pacifist movement. She attends rallies and speaks to groups of people about her experiences at the front. She also becomes more politically active and supports the Women's Suffrage movement in her country.

Despite her activism, Vera continues to struggle with the trauma of war and the loss of her friends. She eventually decides to write a memoir of her experiences during the war, which she hopes will help her come to terms with the past and provide a sense of closure.

Testament of Youth (5) is a moving and powerful portrayal of the struggles faced by a generation of young people who were forever changed by the First World War. The episode is a testament to the resilience and strength of the human spirit, even in the face of unimaginable tragedy and loss.