Is Melmont's store real? The Inspiration and Ending of the True Story in English Explained

The English managed to subvert the western genre in a way that has rarely been seen before, and some of it, like Melmont's Store, feels so real that many viewers wonder if it exists in real life. This miniseries, from Amazon Prime Video and BBC One, centers on a British woman, Lady Cornelia Locke (Emily Blunt), who teams up with a former Native American boy scout, Eli (Cashke Spencer) to avenge her son killed in the American. Wild West. The series is a love letter to the Western films that became popular in the 1940s and 1950s, but adds many new elements.

If there's one thing that The English makes it clear, is that the The Wild West of the 1800s was a difficult time and place for many people. Women and Native Americans, who serve as the series' protagonists, face hardships but also experience a captivating love story that many Western films have never portrayed on screen. The English never shies away from portraying the beauty and sadness found beneath the endless Western skies. But as realistic as it is, is it based on a true story?

What happens at the end of English

All the tension comes to the surface

After five episodes of tension, The English comes to an end in episode six. Cornelia is diagnosed with syphilis, which she contracted from David Melmont, who had previously sexually abused her. At the beginning of the series it is revealed that Cornelia's son died at age 14 due to complications from the disease.

In the final episode, Cornelia, alongside her lover, Eli, who is a former Pawnee Scout, finally tracks down Melmont. She discovers that Melmont also suffers from syphilis and realizes that she cannot kill him. For Cornelia Melmont it represents the only part of her dead son that is still alive so she can't kill him. But a woman named Martha Myers attacks Melmont, who has also sexually assaulted her in the past. Eventually, Eli stabs him to death.

But the story doesn't end there. Sheriff Marshall knows he needs to arrest Eli and Cornelia for their roles in Melmont's murder. However, he decides to free them if they agree to go their separate ways. Eli chooses to go to Nebraska and try to claim back part of his homeland. Cornelia travels back to England where, 13 years after the final confrontation, she is succumbing to syphilis. She wears a veil over her head to hide the symptoms of the disease.

While in England, Cornelia attends a traveling circus that recreates stories of the Old West, including her history with Eli. While watching the play, she discovers that her old friend, White Moon, is playing Eli. The two are reunited with a kiss affectionate while White Moon removes Cornelia's veil. Then the show cuts to present day, in a parking lot where the “Melmont” general store sits over the graves of countless murdered Cheyenne.

Is Melmont's store real?

It doesn't exist in real life, but it serves as a metaphor

The short answer is no, Melmont is not realI. But it is symbolic and reflects how America was taken from various native tribes so that people like Melmont could build estates on their rightful lands. It is worth noting that The English is not based on real facts, but Elements of the story are based on fact. The English chronicles the Sand Creek Massacre, which actually happened in 1864 and killed many Native Americans. Other aspects The English are also based on real historical organizations, such as Eli being a former Pawnee Scout, but Eli himself likely never existed.

English is not based on a true story (but is based on history)

Creator Hugo Blick consulted with members of the Pawnee and Cheyenne tribes

Hugo Blick wrote and directed the six-episode series due to a lifelong obsession with the Old West. He was born and raised in the United Kingdom, but at age 18, in the early 1980s, he embarked for Montana to learn about the American Wild West. With the help of a former U.S. Air Force captain, he learned to hunt under the wild skies of Montana. His interest in the Old West and time spent in Montana inspired him to make The English (through The Guardian).

Additionally, Eli was based on one of Blick's Native American friends he met while living in Montana. Blick based a lot of Cornelia and Eli's relationship on this specific friendship. He was also concerned about creating an accurate representation of the series' Native American tribes, and therefore sent his first draft to representatives of the Cheyenne and Pawnee tribes, which had a note: they insisted that Eli not be killed. Tribal representatives claimed that “the Indian always dies before the end of Westerns.” Blick took the note seriously, as Eli does not die in the series.

English pays homage to the Western genre

It also subverts westerns by making its protagonists a woman and a black person

The English It's unique because it never forgets that it's a subversion of the Western genre. The two main characters are a woman and a person of color, two demographics that rarely take center stage in Old West stories. The story also does Cornelia and ElI individuals and not stereotypes. When Cornelia first arrives in Kansas, she is wearing an ornate pink dress and speaks directly about not wanting to be raped, again, probably not a sentiment that 19th century women would have expressed.

Additionally, Eli is torn between having Pawnee roots and his role as a former Calvary Boy Scout, which gives him depth as a character. In the Western genre, Native Americans are often stereotyped or simply made into the story's villains, but The English Don't fall into that trap. The series also pays homage to classic westerns, especially that of Clint Eastwood. Unforgivablesince both plays are about revenge hunts and effectively subvert the Western genre.

The stunning landscapes, gunfights and horse riding typical of the genre are certainly present in The Englishbut the series knows exactly what to update and what to pay homage to in westerns. The series is also aware of the fact that life was still bad for many people, especially the series' protagonists. The homage comes to a head at the end, when Cornelia is watching the Wild West game and can see that its story is part of a long tradition of mythologizing the American West.

The true meaning of The English End

Reflects America's complicated history

The EnglishThe film's ending is meant to not only reflect what the characters have been through, but also examine American history. After Cornelia watches the play, she is able to make peace with all the turmoil she has suffered by reconnecting with Wild Moon, who represents the last remaining facet of her romance with Eli. She can succumb to her illness, knowing that she will be part of history forever and did everything he could to avenge his son.

The appearance of Melmont's Lodge is a metaphor for the white men who conquered the United States while so many Native Americans perished to protect their lands. The superstore is named after the series' villain, a white man who killed countless natives. Melmont is a man who, in countless American history books, would be described as a hero, despite his heinous acts of violence. The Melmont Superstore was also built over the graves of countless Cheyenne souls, which drives home the true meaning of The English home: America was built on the backs of innocent Native Americans.