This is the continuation of my Captains and the Kings post.
Chapter V Additional cast: Perry King as Rory Armagh Terry Kiser as Courtney Wickersham Jane Seymour as Marjorie Chisholm Douglas Heyes Jr. as Kevin Armagh Cynthia Sykes as Claudia Desmond
Story: Tom Hennessey dies and Joseph goes to Elizabeth Hennessey and declares his love for her, undiminished by the many years they have been apart. She reveals that Tom was the father of her son. They agree that for the sake of his presidential aspirations for his son, he will not divorce Bernadette. Joseph attempts to bribe Senator Bassett to withdraw his support of the Alien Contract Labor Act. When this fails, he resorts to blackmail. To preserve his honor and keep his family secret, Senator Bassett withdraws his support the only way he can see - by committing suicide. His letter to Joseph tells him that with his dying breath, he has cursed Joseph and all his family. Bernadette hires a private detective who gives her proof that Joseph is having an affair with Elizabeth. She then gives him an assignment to find proof of her suspicion that Elizabeth's son, Courtney Wickersham is actually Tom Hennessey's son. Bernadette confronts Elizabeth with the proof in an attempt to blackmail her into ending the affair with Joseph. This plan backfires when Elizabeth freely admits the truth and now that Tom is dead, she no longer cares if the secret is revealed. Joseph tries match-making with his son Rory and Claudia Desmond, the daughter of a business associate. Rory is smitten with Marjorie Chisholm and asks Courtney Wickersham to introduce them. She has a boyfriend and offers Rory no encouragement. When he continues to pursue her and because he is an Irish Catholic, Rory is severly beaten by her boyfriend and his Harvard classmates. (taken from here again) Thoughts: Bernadette and Elizabeth fight over Joseph, because the younger woman has discovered her feelings for him, yet the blackmail she had on her stepmother is naughty because all parties already know the truth. Though he has four kids, for Joseph mainly Rory counts and this Bernadette tells him one night drunk. Some years later, Rory was nearly dispelled from his school but his father got him back - and to Harvard where he is with his uncle Courtney and brother Kevin. Still, his father tries to get him together with Claudia Desmond but Rory has other plans with another young woman, Marjorie, at Harvard and takes a several beating from her boyfriend and his friends, just by being Irish.
Chapter VI Additional cast: John Houseman as Judge Newell Chisholm Ann Dusenberry as Ann-Marie Story: Undeterred by the beating, Rory is relentless in his pursuit of Marjorie and she eventually falls in love with him. Both of their fathers are strongly opposed to the romance. Judge Chisholm doesn't want Marjorie to marry into an Irish Catholic family, and Joseph insists that Rory must marry an Irish Catholic girl for political reasons. Rory and Marjorie elope and are married by a Justice of the Peace. Courtney Wickersham and Anne-Marie Armagh are in love and they want to marry. Joseph has to tell Courtney that he is related by blood to Anne-Marie - Tom Hennessey was his biological father and Anne-Marie's grandfather. When they search for Anne-Marie to tell her, they are told that she rode off in a frenzy soon after returning home. Her horse returns without her and when they find her, she has suffered multiple injuries and is in a coma. Bernadette denies having told Anne-Marie that Courtney is a blood relative. Joseph and Elizabeth both feel intense guilt over the secret they kept and the consequences - they never see each other again. Rory and Marjorie are secretly and happily living together in New York when Joseph summons Rory to join him in London. (taken from here again) Thoughts: Rory still does his best to win Marjorie and well, it happens: they fall in love with each other, still knowing that their fathers wouldn't approve it. Kevin, however, avenges his brother and beats his brother's attacker to the hospital. For their sister Ann-Marie, it doesn't end good. She falls in love with her uncle Courtney who is in reality related to her. Unfortunately, she falls off her horse and remains in a coma. Joseph accuses Bernadette to have told their child the truth but Bernadette denies it. Meanwhile, Rory listens to Harry's love story and decides to just do what his heart says and marries Marjorie. They settle down while Rory's parents are on a trip through Europe. Desmond becomes the ambassador of the USA in London, and Joseph insists that Rory marries a Catholic girl, not knowing that his son has already wed Marjorie. Oh boy!
Chapter VII Additional cast: Lee Jones deBroux as Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt John McLiam as Robert Story: Joseph takes Rory to meet his rich and powerful friends who intend to "build their own president". Joseph insists that Rory must marry Claudia Desmond with an incentive of 20 million dollars or be disowned with no inheritance. Despite his intention to do so, Rory doesn't have the courage to tell his father about his marriage to Marjorie. Joseph returns home from London after learning of Rory's marriage by a letter from the Justice of the Peace and in a rage confronts Harry Zieff about hiding this information from him. America declares war with Spain and young Kevin Armagh joins Teddy Roosevelt's Rough Riders and goes to Cuba to join in the fight. Joseph meets with Judge Chisholm to discuss a plan to end Rory and Marjorie's marriage. Joseph offers him 10 thousand dollars a month to take Marjorie to Europe for 2 years. He has paid bribes to the Justice of the Peace and the court clerk to remove all evidence of the marriage from the official records. He has also prepared two forged letters to be delivered to Rory and Marjorie, each ending it with the other for personal reasons. When it is discovered that Kevin has gone to Cuba, Rory travels to Cuba as a "war correspondent" to find him and bring him home. When Rory finally finds Kevin, he has been injured in a sniper attack and he dies in Rory's arms. (taken from here again) Thoughts: Rory is not happy with how his father manages to dictate his life and realizes bitterly that for him only the money counts. He tells him so in London but can't admit to have married his college love, Marjorie. Still, Joseph finds out and takes his anger out on Harry but both only have the main goal in view: making Rory the first Irish president of the USA. However, soon the war between America and Spain begins and Rory thinks that the powerful friends of his father are behind it. Behind anyone's back, Kevin follows Teddy's army down to Cuba. When the family finally finds out, Rory manages to convince his father to let him go down there as well as a correspondent but as soon as he's there, he's within the war and included. After some asking around, he finally finds his younger brother and helds him until he dies in his arms. Rory is devastated. Meanwhile, Joseph tries to annule the marriage, even with Marjorie's Dad. As said, complicated.
Chapter VIII Additional cast: Cliff DeYoung as Brian Armagh John deLancie as Timothy Armagh (son of Sean) Story: When Joseph offers Bernadette a drink before telling her of Kevin's death, she becomes paranoid and thinking that he is trying to poison her, she is apologetic and confesses she told Anne-Marie that she was related to Courtney by blood, but she couldn't have known that it would cause Anne-Marie's accident. After she is told about Kevin, she becomes hysterical and tries to throw herself out of a window. Subdued by Joseph, she says they are all cursed. Bernadette, an alcoholic with severe emotional problems and Anne-Marie, still in a coma, are both sent into care at Woodville. It's 1912 and Rory Armagh is now a senator, married to Claudia Desmond with four children and plans are under way for his presidential bid. Joseph's youngest son, Brian has his own financial empire as owner of Xavier Aircraft and Xavier Films. After Joseph suffers a heart attack, he asks Brian to step in as Rory's campaign manager. Rory and Brian go on a coast to coast campaign tour and begin winning multiple primary elections. Winning the Democratic nomination is almost certain for him. Rory receives a telephone call from Marjorie and he races to her for a passionate reunion. On his deathbed, her father confessed the plan to separate them and she explains it all to Rory. They are just happy that they have found each other again. Elizabeth dies soon after a visit from Harry, where he discovers that she still loves Joseph. Harry tells Joseph that he wants to retire and travel now that he is 70 and his Emmy is gone. The powerful financial organization that is backing Rory's bid for the Presidency summons Joseph to a meeting and asks him to have Rory endorse Woodrow Wilson for the Democratic nomination and settle for the Vice Presidential slot on the ticket. Joseph refuses, fearing that he won't live to see Rory elected president. Joseph telephones Rory to tell him that he no longer has the support of his powerful financial backers. Rory is happy with this news and expresses his intention as President to crush this elite group that uses it's power and money to influence and control world events for financial gain. Joseph cautions him to keep this plan to himself, because it would be suicide for him - and not just politically. Unfortunately, his father-in-law, Charles Desmond has listened in on this call. Joseph reconciles with his brother Sean and asks for the support of the Labor Unions. Sean agrees to guarantee the Labor vote and it is announced that American Labor endorses Rory Armagh for President. Rory takes the lead in the race for the Democratic nomination. Joseph receives a call from Harry, saying he is returning to America on the Titanic and will be back in time to vote for Rory. Joseph receives a final message from Harry delivered by a survivor whose life Harry had saved as the ship was sinking. With only two weeks left before the Democratic convention in Baltimore, Joseph's hopes and dreams for his son are over when Rory is shot and killed leaving his campaign headquarters in Philadelphia. (taken from here again) Thoughts: Well, here we are. Rory returns from Cuba, only to find Marjorie gone. Bernadette doesn't take it well when being informed about her son's death, and so she and her daughter go to a sanatory. After a heart attack, Joseph asks his youngest son Brian to help Rory with his campaign. Brian seems to be more his father's son, own companies and money, yet he helps and gets the shock of his life to find out that Rory is actually married to two women but for Rory only Marjorie counts and they reconcile. Still, he's married to Claudia and this marriage doesn't work. When Joseph's people decide to vote for Wilson, Joseph gets angry and steps out, only to speak with his brother Sean again - and to let the labour vote for Rory. After a meeting with Marjorie and the next stop in Philadelphia, Rory talks to Brian, yet at the moment a man in the crowd shots him from a close range and he dies in his wife's arms. Marjorie then goes to Joseph and he accepts their marriage finally. Meanwhile, Harry loses his life on the Titanic. In the end, Joseph is a broken man.
That’s a very long miniseries and I really liked it. Very recommended if you have once a lot of time. It’s around nine hours to watch.
