Viewers celebrate "spellbinding" Ruth Wilson as BBC1 drama Mrs Wilson comes to an end
Reality is more remarkable than fiction in the final episode of the BBC1 series
BBC1's Mrs Wilson came to a "staggering" climax on Tuesday night, with viewers praising the extraordinary real-life drama.
The three-part series observed the life of Alison Wilson (played by her granddaughter Ruth Wilson) who discovers after his death that her MI6 spy husband Alec had been living a double-life – with another family.
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In the emotional finale, Alison meets Douglas, Alec’s child from Elizabeth, his fourth secret wife, and realises just how little she really knew her husband.
Wanting to preserve her own sons’ memories of their father, Alison chooses not to tell Gordon and Nigel about Alec’s other families, instead choosing to write the tale down.
The drama concluded with a shot of the real-life Wilson family together, including Ruth.
Viewers were stunned by the ending of Mrs Wilson, flocking to Twitter to sing the drama’s praises.
“What a beautiful ending to such a tragic memoir. Alexander Wilson changed so many lives with his stories but Alison Wilson touched so many with hers. Simply brilliant,” wrote one viewer.
“I would just like to say that Mrs Wilson is terrifically good. And staggering that it's a true story,” added another.
A third said, “Utterly stunning drama Mrs Wilson on BBC1 proving that reality is often more remarkable than fiction. Utterly spellbinding performance by Ruth Wilson playing her grandmother Alison.”
While a fourth wrote, “Ruth Wilson’s acting is sublime. I’m sat watching her in complete awe.”
Other viewers were left wondering what motivated Alec to weave his web of lies, with the details surrounding his life still ambiguous. Ruth Wilson herself is still in the dark about her grandfather.
“I wish I could have him round for dinner and really put him on the spot: ‘What were you up to?’”, Ruth Wilson told RadioTimes.com.
“I wish I could meet him. I think he must have been amazingly charming, but I always believed that he must be quite sensitive. I don’t believe that he would be a cad.”
This article was originally published on 12 December 2018
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