In an enthralling documentary, Dan Snow and archaeologist Raksha Dave delve into the catastrophic impact of the Black Death on Britain 700 years ago, a pandemic that extinguished around half of the population, or three million people. The duo embarks on a journey to trace the origins and merciless spread of the plague, starting from its arrival on Britain's South coast in June 1348, through the bustling trade routes that brought the disease to Melcombe Regis, Dorset. Their investigation takes them to various hotspots of the outbreak, including the Old Operating Theatre in London and Wildwood Animal Sanctuary in Kent, where they explore the role of rats in dispersing the bubonic plague. Through dramatic reconstructions and visits to places like Nottingham University's biomedical laboratories, they uncover the rapid spread and deadly impact of the plague, offering a month-by-month account of how it ravaged the country, decimating cities, towns, and villages alike.
The documentary not only showcases the horrific symptoms and desperate attempts at cures through brutal medical practices of the time but also leverages cutting-edge research to explain why the Black Death remains the deadliest pandemic in history. The personal stories of victims, from princes to paupers, are brought to light, revealing the indiscriminate nature of the disease. Dan's visit to Canterbury Cathedral and Raksha's investigation into the recent discovery of mass graves beneath a tranquil London square underline the widespread desperation and devastation. Their journey through the history of the Black Death, culminating in the discovery of its indiscriminate toll and the unveiling of mass graves in London, not only sheds light on the darkest chapters of British history but also ignites a profound understanding of the tragedy, making a compelling case for why this documentary is a must-watch for anyone interested in the profound impacts of pandemics on human society.

Vlad Dracula was somewhat successful in having the upper hand during the first five-hour fight in the night attack; however, Mehmed’s army won the battle because of their strength and numbers. Vlad could not kill Mehmed II and fled the scene. After the battle, Mehmed and his army enter Târgoviște which was abandoned by Vlad Dracula. But when he entered the city, Mehmed saw a horrific scene. Muslims were impaled by Vlad in Târgoviște, and there was a ‘forest of corpses.’ In history, this is considered a sad event for the Turks. The experts said that when Mehmed saw these impaled bodies, he immediately started praying. One of the dead bodies was of his father in law Hamza Bay.
Days before, Mara and Gülbahar foiled the Wallachian plot inside the sultan’s harem. Radu Dracula takes the throne in Wallachia on Mehmed II’s orders. Radu Dracula promises his loyalty to the sultan, and Mehmed gives 2,000 men to him. We see a restless king Mehmed II back in Istanbul, because he was not successful in killing Vlad Dracula. However, after 15 years, Vlad’s head is brought to Istanbul by one of Mehmed’s soldiers at the end of the last episode of the series.

After two weeks of chasing Vlad Dracula across Wallachia, Mehmed the Conqueror and his exhausted Ottoman army camp on the outskirts of Târgovişte. Their attack on the capital is imminent. But the man known to the Ottomans as the ‘Impaler Lord’ has turned the surrounding countryside into a chamber of horrors. Raiding during the night, sentries disappearing from the Ottoman camp, being taken outside and being murdered by Wallachian raiders. An exhausting day of marching followed by a night full of terrors, but yet still, Mehmed begins to close on his prey.
Mehmed prepares to strike a fatal blow to Vlad's army. A spy is found in Mehmed's camp. Vlad Dracula planned to kill Mehmed II in his tent in a very famous historical event called the ‘Night Attack.’ Vlad ambushed the Ottoman camp with his army in a surprise night attack. His plan was to confuse the Ottoman army by using their uniform so that they could not distinguish between the Turks and the people of Wallachia, but a surprise awaits.

Vlad Dracula presses an increasingly desperate guerrilla campaign from the shadows, hoping to demoralize the Ottomans and slow their march north. After chasing Vlad for two weeks, sultan Mehmed II and his invading army find themselves caught in a nightmare come to life deep within the Wallachian forest. Many legends have arisen out of the invasion of Wallachia in 1462. One speaks of Vlad Dracula launching a biological attack against the Ottomans to slow their march to his capital city, Târgovişte. Vlad opened his prisons and released hardened criminals to go amongst the Ottomans with tuberculosis and bubonic plague so that they could infect the enemies.
Vlad Dracula also had carried out a scorched-earth policy against Mehmed II. Along with his hit-and-run campaign from the shadows has left the sultan's troops on edge. As Mehmed's army closes on Târgovişte, tensions flare in the Ottoman camp, where food and water are in increasingly short supply. But Vlad had nowhere to rely on food for himself either and there was nowhere to go anymore. He became a prisoner of his own scorched-earth policy. Radu Dracula closes in to take Princess Anastasia hostage. Anastasia commits suicide when he reach her at Poenari castle.

When Mahmud Pasha and his men were crossing the river at night, Vlad Dracula started his first attack on the Ottomans. However, Mehmed II was smart enough to know that Vlad would be waiting for them. Mehmed II counterattacks Vlad’s army, and we see the first great battle here.
After his victory, Mehmed's troops advance into Wallachia, and Vlad employs guerrilla tactics to weaken his rival. At one point, Vlad Dracula released some criminals with tuberculosis and bubonic plague in order to infect the Ottomans. He sent these infected criminals to the Ottoman camp at night, and it is considered a great tactic by the experts because we see Vlad Dracula practicing biological warfare. Meanwhile, a threat lurks in the imperial palace.

When he killed Mehmed’s messengers, it was a message from Vlad Dracula that he would not pay his yearly dues anymore and it was clear that Vlad wanted a war against the Otoman Empire. Mehmed II sends Mara to coax Hungarian King Matthias Corvinus into an alliance. Vlad Dracula’s army was less than 30,000 men, but he invaded Bulgaria and started killing Mehmed’s men in 1462. He stole the Ottomans’ uniforms for his further attacks on the empire. Vlad also destroyed many ports that were under Sultan Mehmed II on the Danube.
Mehmed had to cross the Danube in order to reach the capital city of Târgoviște and defeat Vlad. The sultan faced the challenge of transporting 100,000 men across the river. Along with men, he had to transport cannons and horses too. The first unit to cross the river Danube included Mahmud Pasha, who was the most trusted man of Mehmed II. An epic battle along the Danube River looms, and Vlad has the upper hand.