As this episode of World on Fire begins, Henriette (Eugenie Derouand) takes care of David (Gregg Sulkin) in Brittany, France. She is reminded not to make a sound because the Germans are patrolling. In Libya, Harry Chase (Jonah Hauer-King) tells Stan (Blake Harrison) that the water distillery got hit so they’re on half rations for the time being. He confesses that they’re being besieged by Germans in the middle of the desert. Water is off the menu. Lois Bennett (Julia Brown) is told they’re on double shifts.

They take soldiers to the ATS desert hospital in Cairo, Egypt and find a woman who has collapsed. Pearl (Lily Sacofsky) tells Lois that the woman is dead. Lois holds the woman’s baby. After getting him powdered milk, they discuss taking him to an orphanage in Cairo. Pearl says that’ll be a whole day of action. They don’t help them because they can’t. Instead, she suggests leaving him with someone in the nearby village. Lois says they can’t even feed themselves before complaining about fighting on their land. She is adamant that they should take the baby to the orphanage.

Jan asks Robina Chase (Lesley Manville) if she is going to turn them out because of Kasia. When David wakes up in a panic, Henriette has to calm him down. She assures him that they can trust the others because they’re risking their lives for them. David admits he doesn’t remember much since he has been hiding for so long. Once Irena sees Kasia (Zofia Wichlacz), she believes she will vouch for her. Tam (Ben Allen) admits Irena is good because she has been telling the same story for so long. Irena tries to convince Kasia that she isn’t a spy, but Kasia found her drawings. Tam tells Irena that she drew them a map so they’ll know where to bomb.

James (Mark Bonnar) asks to speak to Kasia in private. He tells Kasia that he is impressed Irena hasn’t cracked yet, but he believes Irena won’t be immune to her. James thinks they should let Irena continue and send them false plans. To do that, Kasia will need to turn her. Henriette and another woman help take care of David. They attempt to deal with the infection in his wound. Henriette begins crying when Madame Berthaud talks about losing her son. In Libya, Harry asks George (Forrest Bothwell) if he covered his tracks because even the slightest trace can kill ten of his men. Kasia tells Irena that someone at home is being shot because they’re a Pole or a Jew.

When Irena says she cares, Kasia suggests there is a way for her to atone. If she has the courage and heart, she can work for them. When they’re alone, Irena pleads with Kasia to help her because the Nazis have her son. They torture him every day. Irena is a drafter so she draws everything she sees for them. In return, they don’t kill her son. Kasia explains how Irena can fight the Nazis by working with them. Irena worries they’ll kill her son once they find out what she has done though. When Tam returns, Kasia tells him that Irena is saying the same thing over and over. Kasia suggests taking her home because Irena is frightened there.

Harry rushes to cover up the tracks. He hears a plane overhead, but it turns out to be a bird. Rajib (Ahad Raza Mir) tells him he is dehydrated. Harry thinks they need to find a well soon because it’ll hurt morale otherwise. Harry says the men need a mission before admitting he needs one. He goes back to the men to tell them they’ll have a patrol tonight to find a well and some Germans guarding it. Rajib doesn’t think he is fit because he just had a sunstroke. George, Basu, and several others agree to join Harry. Stan reluctantly does too. Henriette tells David she has been crying while thinking about her brother who was arrested.

They put in Romainville so they had to get him out quickly. Henriette doesn’t know if he got away or whether he is still alive. David says he is ashamed because he is a boy playing soldiers. Later, James asks Robina to join him but she won’t. Robina wonders where Kasia is this late at night. She tells James that he seems very interested in her. James assures Robina he is only interested in Kasia’s character. Robina gets upset and leaves. Irena tells Kasia that she could travel from Liverpool to Spain on a freight boat with fake documents. Irena shows her a picture of her son. Irena was ill for a long time when he was a child and he’d bring her something to cheer her up.

She thought his father was behind it, but it was her little Stainslaw. They took him as a prisoner of war so his life is in her hands. When Kasia asks her to work for them again, Irena tells her to leave so she can think about it later. The Madame brings Henriette and David some stew. Monsieur Berthaud (Eric Godon) reminds them to keep it down so they don’t get caught. Harry, Stan, and Rajib spot two Italians guarding something that is most likely a well. The men rush the Italians who are forced to drop their weapons. When they try the well, they find oil deposits so it’ll need to be purified.

Harry wants to hold the site. Monsieur Berthaud hears his wife laughing with the others so he decides to take her to bed. David invites Henriette to go dancing. She is drunk so she says the world is spinning. They end up kissing. Kasia wakes up and finds that Irena has killed herself. She leaves a note for her son saying she had no choice. Monsieur Berthaud goes outside in the morning and sees something in the distance using binoculars. David suggests he can stay in France. He asks Henriette if her people could use him. Henriette worries he’d be discovered and shot within a week. They hear sobbing nearby because Monsieur Berthaud and his wife are afraid.

James tells Kasia that it’ll be best for Irena’s son to carry on as before. He apologizes because he knows Irena was Kasia’s friend. Stan shows a picture of Eileen to the Italian soldiers. An explosion happens near them before a shootout occurs. Stan ends up getting shot and killed. Harry becomes distraught as the others plead with him to get down. They ride back with Stan’s body in the morning. The prison asks Rajib to fight for them. He tells Harry that they’ll lose because they’re weak and they’re an army of girls. They have to pull George off of him. Later, Harry makes the prisoner dig Stan’s grave until he realizes he isn’t fit to do it.

The prisoner continues pushing Harry’s buttons even after he has a gun pulled on him. Harry ends up shooting the prison in the chest and killing him. Robina struggles with the baby at home. Lois sits with the baby. She is told they need everyone. They can take the baby to the village on the way. Henriette and David are taken to a different hiding place because the Germans are patrolling again. James brings Robina and others a gift for dinner. Kasia tells him he is the coldest man she has ever known. Robina shuts her up and tells her to speak English at the table. She sends Jan away to play. Robina shuts the door and demands to know what is going on.

Kasia says she has been working for MI5 and a Polish woman is dead. She believed the woman in her heart, but you’re not allowed to have a heart. James says Irena took her life so it was her choice. Kasia blames herself for putting her in an impossible possible. James says war is familiar for men of his generation. He tells them about walking past the body of an officer every day. James says it was a kind of courage. They knew at any moment the faceless body could be one of them. If Kasia can find the same cold courage, James believes she’ll survive this war intact. David asks Henriette how to say “I love you” in French. He just wants to hear her say it even if it isn’t true.

Henriette is going back to Paris to a new hospital where the Germans don’t know her. David must go back. She believes it’ll take a few weeks for him to heal. David asks her to never forget him. James tells Robina that he owes her an apology although it is part of his job. Robina argues that women have no place in the war. James thinks it would be a crime not to use Kasia. Robina says women are the keeper of the home. James says Robina would win the war by Christmas if it was put in her hands. He is going to London and he’d hate to leave things unfriendly between them. Robina confirms she has accepted his apology.

She wants to speak to Kasia. Harry and his men give Stan a makeshift burial. Kasia apologizes to Robina and asks her not to turn Jan out. Robina just wants to make sure there will be no more of these war games and no more of this work. Otherwise, they will have to leave. Kasia promises to give it all up. Robina says the war will rage around them, but they will have peace in this house. Pearl wakes up Lois when it is time for her shift. Lois reveals she dreamt that her baby died. She confesses she wasn’t a good mom to her and broke her dad’s heart. Everything is the mother’s burden because they expect nothing from the father.

Pearl learns that the baby’s name is Vera. Lois decides that she is going home to Vera. Rajib tells Harry that he heard the prisoner escape. Harry says he ran off in the night. Rajib says it isn’t murder if the desert killed him. Harry believes that is what they’re here for. When Harry gets a beer, Rajib says beer and revenge is the coward’s arsenal. He urges Harry to pull himself together because his men need him.

 

World On Fire Review

This episode of World on Fire was okay although it really lacked the thump it needed to get the season to the finish line. The episode tried hard to create some emotional storylines, but they didn’t have the desired impact. Truthfully, the series is trying to cover too many concurrent storylines so there isn’t enough time for anything to sufficiently develop.

Some of the storylines are better than others though. I was genuinely interested in seeing what happened to Marga who wasn’t even featured in this episode. There are some fine performances here thanks to Lesley Manville, Mark Bonnar, and others. Stan’s death wasn’t unexpected nor is it surprising that Harry would be partially responsible for it.

After all, that has been done so many times in other shows. In some ways, World on Fire feels like it has only halfheartedly tried to tell a good story. It is a shame because this season could’ve been so much better. While watchable, it is mostly forgettable. The episode scores a 5.5 out of 10. Recaps of World on Fire can be found on Reel Mockery here.

Find out how to support our independent site at this link. Learn more about advertising on Reel Mockery here.