The Raid is the second episode of the miniseries. It aired on 22 December 2018.
Synopsis[]
Efforts to liberate female rabbits to join the new warren lead to trouble for its members. At Hazel's behest, Fiver endures another haunting vision.
Plot[]
The next morning, Holly recounts his travels to find the group to Hazel: After barely surviving the destruction of Sandleford at the hands of humans, Holly traveled across the country looking for the group before coming across an injured rabbit who warns Holly about a warren named Efrafa. As Watership Down is burrowed into, Bigwig voices his frustration at their progress as well as their lack of does. Knowing that there will be fighting between the bucks over the one doe they have, Bigwig suggests raiding a nearby farm to recruit the does there, but Hazel disagrees, shaken by Holly’s story.
A gull with an injured wing suddenly crashes in front of the group. Hazel, seeing an opportunity, insists on befriending the gull (Kehaar) in order to ask him to look for does, though the bird later refuses to help. After Dandelion and Hawkbit fight over Strawberry, Hazel goes with Fiver and Bigwig to raid the farm. At the farm, they attempt to free a doe named Clover and her friends, but they are forced to retreat after being attacked by a farm cat. Hoping to put Hazel's mind at ease, Fiver turns to his visions, finding pain and death but assuring Hazel that the does will be freed in the next raid.
Back home, Strawberry digs out a warren for the rabbits. Kehaar flies off, overlooking the countryside and noticing a large warren before returning and informing the rabbits of the nearby warren. That night, Holly, Blackberry, and Bluebell head for the warren. On the way, however, they are stopped by Captain Orchis and his soldiers before being escorted to Efrafa. They are brought before General Woundwort, where their request for does is denied and they are imprisoned. The following night, Holly’s group makes a break for it, taking advantage of an oncoming train to aid in their escape. At the same time, Hazel goes alone back to the farm, but finds that the cage has been moved inside the farm. He sneaks through the farmhouse and finds the does, managing to free them. When the cat attacks them, Bigwig and Fiver come to the rescue, but they are chased throughout the house while the farmers are alerted. While attempting to save Clover, Hazel is shot by the farmer and collapses into a storm drain.
The others search for Hazel, but find no sign of him. In a state of limbo, Hazel is visited by the Black Rabbit of Inlé, the Lapine grim reaper, and she assures him his time has not yet come.
Characters[]
- Bigwig
- Blackberry
- Captain Holly
- Black Rabbit of Inle
- Clover
- Hazel
- Fiver
- General Woundwort
- Sergeant Sainfoin
- Captain Vervain
- Captain Orchis
- Hyzenthlay
- Thethuthinnang
- Nettle
- Strawberry
- Kehaar
- Hawkbit
- Dandelion
- Strawberry
- Haystack
- Blackavar
- Laurel
- Boxwood
- Mrs Cane
- Mr Cane
- Puss
- Bluebell
- Lucy (Mentioned)
- Threarah (Mentioned)
Cast[]
- James McAvoy as Hazel
- Nicholas Hoult as Fiver
- John Boyega as Bigwig
- Ben Kingsley as General Woundwort
- Tom Wilkinson as Threarah
- Gemma Arterton as Clover
- Peter Capaldi as Kehaar
- Olivia Colman as Strawberry
- Mackenzie Crook as Hawkbit
- Anne-Marie Duff as Hyzenthlay
- Taron Egerton as El-Ahrairah
- Freddie Fox as Captain Holly
- James Faulkner as Lord Frith
- Lee Ingleby as Captain Campion
- Miles Jupp as Blackberry
- Daniel Kaluuya as Bluebell
- Rory Kinnear as Cowslip
- Rosamund Pike as the Black Rabbit of Inlé
- Craig Parkinson as Sergeant Sainfoin
- Daniel Rigby as Dandelion
- Jason Watkins as Captain Orchis
- Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje as Captain Vervain
- Lorraine Bruce as Farmer's Wife
- Gemma Chan as Dewdrop
- Lizzie Clarke as Haystack
- Rosie Day as Thethuthinnang
- Henry Goodman as Blackavar
- Peter Guinness as Silverweed
- Murray McArthur as Farmer
- Sam Redford as Man
- Charlotte Spencer as Nettle
- Christabel Abdy Collins as Doe
- Michelle Rodda as Doe
- Barry Aird as Owsla
- Tom Bidwell as Owsla
- Nick Brimble as Owsla
- Steve Cannon as Owsla
- Rod Chisholm as Owsla
- Mark Ebulué as Owsla
- Luke Neal as Owsla
- Nicholas Tennant as Owsla
- Andrew Walton as Owsla
- Beatrice Aitken as Kit
- Eloise Aitken as Kit
- Walter Beaumont as Kit
- Wenty Beaumont as Kit
- Lola Rose Lawson Johnston as Kit
- Grace Lawson Johnston as Kit
- Arun Kapoor-Parsons as Kit
- Judi Dench as Tab/Cat
- Raul Kapoor-Parsons as Kit
- James Alexander as Scabious / Additional Characters
- Jake Francis as Owsla