As the third episode of Life After Life begins, Ursula is asked about feeling like she has been here before. The doctor tells her she might’ve been here before, but they may never know. In the present, Ursula (Thomasin McKenzie) still has the paper he gave her with the snake and its tail in its mouth. As she dances at home, the narrator says things have been going disastrously for Ursula until she met her knight in shining armor Derek Oliphant (Joshua Hill). They get married in a small wedding because Derek didn’t want any fuss and they wanted to do it right away. Although Ursula didn’t care about weddings, she wanted to be married to have a partner to navigate life’s obstacles with.

When they reach the motel for their honeymoon, they learn it is going to be raining all week and they have to be outside between the hours of ten and four. Derek suggests they can visit the art galleries. He reveals he nearly drowned in the sea in front of this hotel when he was a boy while trying to rescue his sister. Derek managed to save her. Ursula says she nearly drowned around the same age. Before they go to their room, Ursula says surviving is one thing they have in common. A bit later, Ursula prepares in bed while Derek practices in front of the mirror. When he comes out of the bathroom, Ursula begins laughing. He asks what is so funny, but she says nothing.

Ursula wasn’t thrilled with the first night although she was sure Derek’s first-night nerves would soon pass. She also hoped the house would look more cheerful in sunlight. She tells Derek it is very nice though. As Derek carried her over the threshold, she decided to stop caring that the house was drab. All that mattered was that the inhabitants were happy. He knows she isn’t confident with cooking, but he believes she’ll get better with practice. While he likes strews, Ursula hates them but agreed to make them anyway. When Derek says he is a humble schoolteacher, Ursula suggests that is one of the most important jobs in the world. He wants to show her around the house and the décor that his mother picked out.

He shows her his study and pleads with her not to touch anything on the desk since it holds the keys to their future fortune. Derek explains his publishers believe the new textbook he is writing will sell even better than the last one. She offers to help type his notes and the manuscript when he is ready. Derek doesn’t think that would be necessary since a man needs the three Ps to write, pencil, paper, and peace. He takes her upstairs and shows her how to unfold the ironing board. Pamela (Patsy Ferran) receives a letter learning Ursula is a slave to the kitchen but very happy. The letter tells the family about Derek’s new textbook called From Plantagenets To Tudors. Sylvie (Sian Clifford) worries she has picked the most boring man to marry.

Teddy (Sean Delaney) complains that she hasn’t invited any of them over. Pamela insists she is fine and lets Teddy read her letter to prove it. Ursula irons clothes, cooks, and heads out. She stops by and signs up for tennis with a man who remembers Derek’s mother. Ursula mentions Derek’s sister, but the man doesn’t remember a sister or another child. Still, she remains convinced that he has a sister since he has mentioned her several times. During dinner, Ursula asks for criticism and learns it has far too much salt. She tells him about filling out a membership form for the tennis club today. He gets upset while reminding her that he has already spent all his money on her. Derek violently pushes the table into her belly before walking out of the kitchen.

Later that night, Derek wakes her up for sex. While ironing clothes later, Ursula breaks down and begins crying. She receives a visit from two men who say her husband is in arrears. He owes them a great deal of money and has stopped responding to their communications. They’re from the bank and were garnering a proportion of his salary, but he has been released from his position at the school. Ursula doesn’t know and still suspects he is at the school. She learns that he was fired for being overzealous when disciplining a student who threatened to go to the police.

Ursula is warned that the bank will take the house unless the money is found. She tells them about Derek’s book and the possibility of securing an advance of sales, but they reveal that the first book never existed and was never published. When they leave, she looks through Derek’s notes before rushing upstairs to pack her belongings. As she tries to leave, Derek stops in and tells her no. She calls him out on his lies only to be hit in the face. Derek drags her into the kitchen by her hair and begins kicking her. Ursula is bloody and bruised as she lays on the ground. She manages to pick herself up and go outside. The narrator says it was the longest walk of her life.

She expected to hear his footsteps running up behind her, but she did not. A woman finds her cleaning the cut on her head although she doesn’t help. Then, she goes to Izzie (Jessica Brown Findlay) who is surprised to see her condition. A doctor checks on her and says her nose is broken and her cheekbone might be cracked. It might require surgery. John admits he thought it was about having dinner again when Izzie called. It was fun last time so he’d like to do it again. However, Izzie says he is half her age. Ursula giggles as Izzie argues no good could come of another dinner. She sends a message to Fox Corner saying she had gone away for the summer on a touring holiday of the Highlands with Derek.

Ursula nearly cries when she thanks Izzie for paying to get her teeth fixed. Izzie says she is happy to do it since The Adventures of Augustus is still wildly successful. She writes one every six months and they sell out constantly. One thing she doesn’t have is someone to share her good fortune with. Ursula thanks her for sharing it with her. Later, Izzie accidentally wakes her up when she is sleeping on the couch. She is off to a very dull soiree and asks Ursula to let her in when she gets back. Before she goes, Izzie makes it clear that Ursula can stay for as long as she likes. Ursula is surprised when Teddy arrives at the door asking about Izzie. He comes inside and learns what happened.

Teddy thanks God that Ursula is leaving Derek. They joke about him being all grown up with muscles before drinking and dancing to music. When they hear another knock at the door, they expect it is Izzie. Teddy says he should be getting home and asks what he should tell their parents. After Ursula opens the door, Derek grabs her and takes her inside. He accuses her of fornicating with someone here. Teddy enters and tells him to get his hands off her. Derek believes they’ve been having an affair and slams her head against something hard. Ursula tries to tell Teddy to run away as they fight behind her. She dies again and relives her life as normal.

The doctor tells her to try to enjoy herself. When Howie (Zachary Nachbar-Seckel) forcibly kisses her, Ursula pushes him away and punches him. She gets the ball and takes it back to Teddy. They learn about Izzie’s book before Ursula describes life as an obstacle course. No one was surprised that Teddy was the hero of Izzie’s story because he was everyone’s favorite. Hugh (James McArdle) tells Teddy not to get upset because only three people will read the book. Izzie doesn’t know why she bothered coming since everyone is always rude to her. Everyone was indeed dismissive of Izzie except for Ursula who adored her aunt. Ursula intended to model her future very much on Izzie’s.

She would be independent and make her own money. Maurice (Harry Michell) begins teaching her to shoot although her mother doesn’t understand why. Ursula asks about shooting clubs at Oxford. While there is one, Maurice says girls at now allowed. He doesn’t see the point in her going to Oxford either. He warns her that chaps there prefer local women. Maurice jokes that she’ll study modern languages because no man in England will have her. She tells him how funny he is. When Maurice turns around, he nearly shoots her by mistake. Later, Pamela says it isn’t the first time he tried to kill her since he nearly smothered her in leaves once.

Sylvie says men are inherently violent. Although Hugh says not all men, he is quickly reminded that he went to war. Sylvie tells the kids to fetch cherries so Bridget (Maria Laird) can make them a pie with the recipes Mrs. Glover left. As Ursula walks away with Pamela, she admits that Maurice has a point since she doesn’t know why she is going to Oxford or studying modern languages. Pamela isn’t sure there has to be a why because a thing will lead to another thing. Ursula reveals she wants to travel. She asks Pamela whether she ever gets the feeling that she is waiting for something but you’re not sure what it is. Pamela says all the time before they skip off together. The narrator says Ursula traveled to the Bavarian Forest of Germany. The local girls get excited as a man who is most likely Hitler drives by.

The girls match until they run into a group of marching boys. Ursula learns they’re going to have a party with them. One of the boys asks Ursula if they can share a cup of tea on the veranda later. She says she has learned to enjoy a beer. At the camp, some of the boys dance and sing for everyone. Then, they begin drinking together. They try to convince Ursula to perform an English song, but she pretends not to know any. She eventually relents and sings. She walks into the woods with Jurgen (Louis Hofmann) who asks if he can kiss her. When she says yes, he kisses her hand and blames the Prussian in him. Ursula says the Prussian in him is so charming. He asks again and kisses her on the lips this time. Jurgen tells Ursula not to go back to England.

She reveals she spent the year with Klara’s family teaching English in Munich. Klara came back so Ursula did too just to have fun. They make out until she stops and suggests that is enough for one night. He admits he’d like to spend the next two weeks kissing her, but Ursula thinks they should start with tomorrow. He agrees. They go swimming the following day. Ursula doesn’t want to get in because she hates the water and can’t swim. Jurgen helps her swim around before they get out and make out again. They take it one step further. Later, they go to a restaurant where the Fuhrer used to eat often. Jurgen complains that they doubled the price after he became the Fuhrer. Once they leave, they got Jurgen’s flat where he asks if she is frightened.

Ursula admits she is worried that it’ll hurt. From what he understands, it doesn’t hurt very much. Ursula reveals he makes her feel like such a fool, but he says the same. He claims beautiful women always make men feel like fools. As they have sex, Jurgen asks if it hurts. She responds by saying not enough that she’d want him to stop. Once they finish, Jurgen asks her to stay for another year since there must be more students looking for English lessons. Ursula has learned that she hates teaching and will have to come up with a different profession. She looks out of the window and sees someone being beaten by guards. Jurgen believes the violence will pass because people are just letting off steam.

She is surprised that it is his friend and they’re in his room. Ursula suspects it is time for her to go home. When she returns, she takes the typing class. The narrator explains that Ursula was interested in entering the civil service so she took an intensive shorthand and typing course in High Wycombe run by Mr. Carver (Matthew Cottle). She takes her blindfold off and finds Carver playing with himself. She informs the other ladies as Carver claims to be adjusting himself. The women leave his classroom. When Ursula applied for a job with the Civil Service, she believed Maurice would put in a good word for her. Instead, he blustered on about nepotism and having to be seen to be above any suspicion of favoritism.

She was accepted into the Home Office without his help. Later, Maurice’s children cling to her legs and he won’t help her, but Teddy will. They sit down and discuss whether war is going to be declared this week although Maurice doesn’t want to say. Pamela is starting to believe he knows nothing. She admits her husband pushed her to ask him even though she knew he’d be terribly annoying. Ursula thinks they’re going to announce war soon since they’re evacuating London hospitals. Maurice says this is why you shouldn’t have females in the bloody government before rushing away. Sylvie says at least Hugh is too old to fight this time. Teddy seems worried when he learns they might have to sign up.

War was indeed declared and the brothers did join. Jimmy (Laurie Kynaston) joined the Army while Teddy joined the Air Force. Maurice fought the war from the relative safety of Whitehall. Ursula was responsible for recording an endless stream of figures that represented the blitzed and bombed. The casualty numbers were becoming incomprehensible. She was surrounded by death, but never wanted to live more. She had been seeing Fred Smith (Anders Hayward) for a few weeks although they had known each other since they were children. She suspected her mother would not be happy with her dating a railway man, but Izzie would thoroughly approve. One morning, Ursula says the brightness makes her think of the poet John Donne.

Fred isn’t used to having posh women quote poetry at him. Ursula believes he must be used to her a little bit, but he says not like this. She realizes these encounters with Fred should have to stop although she later worried that she had been an awful snob to him. Next, Maurice approaches Ursula in the office and asks for privacy. He tells her that Ted has caught one. Maurice reiterates by saying Ted’s plane has gone down. When Maurice suggests they’ve lost him, Ursula says they will find him. He asks someone to get a glass of water as Ursula says she will get him back. At Ursula’s retirement do, the girl who brought her the glass of water gave a speech about her. We see a much older Ursula sitting in a lawn chair as the narrator admits retirement did not suit her.

She wondered what she had left undone. Ursula couldn’t help feeling like there was some great task ahead that she needed to complete. She dies and restarts life once again. Hugh invites her in to see her new baby brother Teddy. She looks at him before they agree to let him sleep.

 

Life After Life Review

While the series is a bit aimless, Life after Life is beautifully bleak and alluring. The acting has been spectacular from everyone, especially the younger performers. The show’s time period is authentic while the emotions can be felt from the first season to the last. Despite the narrative jumping backward and forward in time randomly, the story is easy to follow.

All three episodes have been equally enjoyable as Ursula continues changing her predicament by changing moments from the past. I am eager to see how the show is going to end now that we can see where things are heading. The episode scores a 7.5 out of 10. Recaps of Life After Life are available on Reel Mockery here. Find out how to support our work at this link.