Season 1
13 episodes
52 min. per episode
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As occupation tightens, a local struggles between loyalty and survival, revealing dark secrets that test their humanity.
Episodes
In June 1940, the islanders of Guernsey await the German invasion following bombing raids. Dr. Philip Martel is invited by John Ambrose on behalf of the bailiff to join a negotiating committee in anticipation of occupation, leading his daughter Clare to accuse him of collusion. After the Germans arrive Dr. Martel and the committee face the invaders under Major Richter, who refuses to recognize the island as a demilitarised zone and puts it under martial rule. Clare's boyfriend Peter Porteous and local fisherman Peter Girard attempt to escape by boat but the Germans fire on them, killing the young fisherman. Peter Porteous escapes but the Germans are aware that somebody has tried to elude them.
Major Richter rejects Hauptsmann Reinicke's suggestion that reprisals be taken until Peter gives himself up as he wants to court local goodwill. Peter's mother tells Oberleutnant Kluge that Peter would never try to escape as he is her carer but Kluge is suspicious and purposely falls against Peter to prove that he has a wounded shoulder. Reinicke antagonizes librarian Cecily Brown by placing several innocuous books on a banned list. They struggle over a book each wishes to keep hold of and the Nazi falls and cuts his head. Cecily is arrested and Richter agrees to let her go if she apologizes to Reinicke but, despite Dr. Martel's urgings, she refuses on principle and is sentenced to two years in a French prison.
Reinicke organizes a dance for soldiers and local girls to attract good publicity. Anton Schen, a young Austrian, takes a shine to Marie Weston, whose widowed father, a lawyer who fought in World War I, has had his car requisitioned by the occupiers and does not want Marie to attend the dance. She nevertheless goes behind his back and dances with Anton but, on the way home, fights off his advances and accuses him of rape. He is court-martialled and claims that Marie was willing but Richter finds him guilty and he is shot. Next morning Richter orders Reinicke to give Mr. Weston his car back.
Aware that it was Peter who tried to escape, Richter relays a message from his high command to Dr. Martel to warn anybody hoping to follow his example that reprisals will be taken. Dr. Martel's son Clive lands secretly on the island to spy out the German position, hiding with his old business partner Teddy Lupus. Clare meets Willie Kessler, a Luftwaffe pilot, whose face was burned in an air strike. He is attracted to her and they become friends but when she goes to meet Clive and sees him watching them she throws a stone at him, causing him to fall to his death and float away in the sea.
As Clare tells her parents what she did Kessler's body is found but it is assumed he died in an abortive raid on the island by the British led by Clive. There are many casualties and Dr. Martel hands over the critically wounded Major Kirk to the Germans to save his life,whilst bringing food to Clive, who is in hiding. Bar keeper Fat Molly names fisherman Joe LeBeq as organizing the raid, though she knows he is innocent,because she holds him responsible for her husband's death, and the Germans arrest him and threaten to shoot him. This flushes Clive out and he is sent to a P.O.W. camp. The handling of the situation, however, brings the enmity between Kluge and Reinicke to the surface.
During the Second World War, the inhabitants of Guernsey, one of the Channel Islands, try to cope with the German occupation.