8.054 minSeason 1 • Episode 4
LatestNot having secured enough votes on the first ballot to retain the party leadership, Francis Urquhart plots to not only keep him in place as Prime Minister but to win the next general election. He is desperate to surpass Margaret Thatcher's length of service as PM and decides that to emulate her is likely the best approach: starting a war in Cyprus, his own little Falklands, as he describes it to his wife. It all goes very badly however and the PM's hold on power begins to slip. Claire Coulsen learns that there is a cost to playing both sides in any contest. In the end, it's left to Elizabeth Urqhart to come up with a solution that will ensure the PM's legacy for all time.
Urquhart aims to secure his legacy on the international stage, but faces threats both from abroad and closer to home.
Acting
Richardson's farewell performance is devastatingly controlled.
Writing
Davies crafts Shakespearean tragedy from parliamentary procedure.
Creator
Andrew Davies
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
This 1995 finale predates the Spacey Netflix remake by two decades and remains the definitive ending—bleaker, braver, British.
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