OK. I am a HUGE fan of John Jakes' trilogy "North & South", as well as the first two installments of the miniseries ("North & South", and "Love & War"). This chapter -- "Heaven & Hell" must be confusing as all get-out for people who haven't read the books. The book on which this installment is based is actually mirrored pretty well in the movie. However, as a sequel to the first two chapters of the TV miniseries, it makes no sense whatsoever (because Books 1 & 2 strayed about as far from the novels as they could and still say they were "based on" John Jakes' classic trilogy).
I've got to set the record straight on several things, though. First of all, for those of you who are stomping your feet because Patrick Swayze didn't return for Part III, his character, Orry Main, is killed by a Yankee soldier at the end of Book 2 (a Northern soldier has been shot, Orry goes to help him, and the "blue belly" shoots him dead). Another commenter said that Orry was shot in the head by Elkanah Bent, but that is just not the case. So, there was no part for him in the third installment. Second, even in the book, Billy and Brett are hardly mentioned; their progress in California is referenced occasionally in Madeline's diaries, then they show up at the end -- with their FIVE children -- for the big Main/Hazard family reunion. Third, Elkanah Bent (who is WAY more depraved in the books than he is in the movies) really is that, well, BENT on the destruction of the Main and Hazard families. If I have any quarrel with the books, it's his storyline. GET OVER IT! Fourth, the "relationship" between George and Madeline really does just ... happen. It all happens right at the end of the book and is more because they've both lost their beloved spouses and have turned to each other for comfort (too old to "play the field", I guess). Fifth, why on Earth the character of Cooper Main was left out of Books 1 & 2 in the first place, I'll never know because he was a pretty major character (Orry was turned into sort of an amalgam of the two Main sons), but it makes his appearance in Book 3 all the more confusing. In the books, he's a liberal of sorts, who thinks that the practice of slavery is wrong and one that is outdated. He and his father never see eye to eye, so he leaves, moves to Charleston and takes over a shipping company that his father gives to him (just to get him the heck away from Mont Royal). He's the one who's convinced that Northern industry is the key to the future. He becomes interested in shipbuilding and, in fact, ends up serving the Confederacy by building ships with the help of industrialists in Britain. On the return trip, his son drowns and, after that, Cooper pretty much has a nervous breakdown and goes all to pieces and turns into everything that he said he hated about the South. Sixth, Book III ("North & South: Heaven and Hell") focuses primarily on Charles Main and his struggles after The War. Much like Cooper, Charles is pretty much a mental wreck after the end of the war. For those of you looking for more focus on the major players from Books 1 & 2, it's just not there.
All of this said, the production value of this installment is really, really cheesy and not remotely up to the level of the first two miniseries. While I don't think it's quite as bad as some others have stated, there are still plenty of better ways to spend your time. Do yourselves a favor and read the series instead. You'll be glad you did!
I've got to set the record straight on several things, though. First of all, for those of you who are stomping your feet because Patrick Swayze didn't return for Part III, his character, Orry Main, is killed by a Yankee soldier at the end of Book 2 (a Northern soldier has been shot, Orry goes to help him, and the "blue belly" shoots him dead). Another commenter said that Orry was shot in the head by Elkanah Bent, but that is just not the case. So, there was no part for him in the third installment. Second, even in the book, Billy and Brett are hardly mentioned; their progress in California is referenced occasionally in Madeline's diaries, then they show up at the end -- with their FIVE children -- for the big Main/Hazard family reunion. Third, Elkanah Bent (who is WAY more depraved in the books than he is in the movies) really is that, well, BENT on the destruction of the Main and Hazard families. If I have any quarrel with the books, it's his storyline. GET OVER IT! Fourth, the "relationship" between George and Madeline really does just ... happen. It all happens right at the end of the book and is more because they've both lost their beloved spouses and have turned to each other for comfort (too old to "play the field", I guess). Fifth, why on Earth the character of Cooper Main was left out of Books 1 & 2 in the first place, I'll never know because he was a pretty major character (Orry was turned into sort of an amalgam of the two Main sons), but it makes his appearance in Book 3 all the more confusing. In the books, he's a liberal of sorts, who thinks that the practice of slavery is wrong and one that is outdated. He and his father never see eye to eye, so he leaves, moves to Charleston and takes over a shipping company that his father gives to him (just to get him the heck away from Mont Royal). He's the one who's convinced that Northern industry is the key to the future. He becomes interested in shipbuilding and, in fact, ends up serving the Confederacy by building ships with the help of industrialists in Britain. On the return trip, his son drowns and, after that, Cooper pretty much has a nervous breakdown and goes all to pieces and turns into everything that he said he hated about the South. Sixth, Book III ("North & South: Heaven and Hell") focuses primarily on Charles Main and his struggles after The War. Much like Cooper, Charles is pretty much a mental wreck after the end of the war. For those of you looking for more focus on the major players from Books 1 & 2, it's just not there.
All of this said, the production value of this installment is really, really cheesy and not remotely up to the level of the first two miniseries. While I don't think it's quite as bad as some others have stated, there are still plenty of better ways to spend your time. Do yourselves a favor and read the series instead. You'll be glad you did!