Lord of the Flies: Episode 1 Recap

His first meeting with Ralph (Winston Sawyers) is neatly done, and Ralph sweetly offers to teach Piggy to swim, although he decides to stick with paddling. In a small contrast with the book, Piggy is less hesitant to speak his mind, and responds to Ralph’s laughter and comments over his nickname with it’s ‘not that funny’. As they paddle and swim, we are reminded that the opening of the book is actually rather joyful as the children explore their new home.

When they gather with the other children, the camera provides close-ups of all they boys, helping to introduce the viewer to their distinct characters. This becomes particularly important later on, and is visually very effective. Jack (Lox Pratt) and his choir are introduced in a series of cuts with shots of the sun and the sea, blotting out their faces, and ramping up the anticipation. The tension of the chief vote is palpable and the performances of the young actors tremendous.

As Jack, Ralph, Simon (Ike Talbut) and Piggy go to explore the island, Piggy struggles to keep up. He reminds Ralph that he wouldn’t be Chief without him, since he instigated the democratic vote. They boys discuss their fathers’ occupations, and Piggy is marked out here by the fact that his parents are dead, mirroring the clear class divisions between him and the others in the book. There is a departure from the novel here, as the boys discover the body of the pilot, and discuss how best to deal with it. In perhaps an act of foreshadowing, despite Piggy’s protestations, they push the body off the cliff.

I’ve often felt that Roger is the most disturbing character in the book, and he is shown throwing stones near two of the littluns. The sound is particularly effective here, and it makes for a chilling scene. Back at the beach, Piggy is trying to organise things but struggling to make his voice heard. He emphasises the need to take care of the littluns. Jack fails to kill a pig with his knife and inexplicitly blames Piggy for this failure. Jack pushes the knife into a tree and tells Piggy that ‘his precious Ralph’ won’t like him any more. The threat is obvious, and Piggy assures Jack he won’t tell anyone about the pig. The scene is heartbreaking as we see the fear and confusion on his face, and perhaps a realisation that old wounds are going to be opened up again.

Simon and Piggy sing as they walk through the forest gathering firewood – another reminder of their age and also their burgeoning friendship. In a touching moment, Ralph confirms the importance of Piggy’s suggestions and listens generously to his thoughts. Ralph says he ‘intend[s] to be a good chief’, earning an approving nod from Piggy. In a major departure from the book, Piggy’s real name is revealed as Nicholas, which I rather like (although definitely non-canonical!). He says that his aunt calls him Nicky and Ralph tells him that it suits him.

The episode concludes with complete devastation. After Piggy’s glasses are forced from his face – a deeply uncomfortable scene, and such a contrast from the moments with Simon and Ralph – to light the fire, the blaze is swiftly out of control, and the fire burns with ferocity. Piggy manages to blow the conch despite his asthma and the encroaching smoke to draw the boys to safety on the beach. Some of the older boys rescue the littluns from the flames. In this moment, Piggy tells Ralph that he forgot to complete a register and that he’s not sure if anyone is missing. The camera moves to a littlun crying in the water – the same littlun who has always been seen with the boy with the birthmark. He is nowhere to be found. The episode ends with Piggy clutching the conch to his chest.

Lord of the Flies is available now on BBC iPlayer.