Here's what you missed.

I'm even angrier about the NBC's hatchet job on the Opening Ceremonies. I was finally able to watch the BBC version of it and things made so much more sense with their explanations. We should have known for a show as British as that was that having a British commentary would have been miles above the inane blathering of the NBC crew. Here's what you missed:

-Kenneth Branagh was playing the part of a historical figure. He was playing Isambard Kingdom Brunel, who was an English mechanical and civil engineer who built bridges and dockyards, the Great Western Railway, a series of steamships including the first propeller-driven transatlantic steamship and numerous important bridges and tunnels. His designs revolutionized public transport and modern engineering. That's kinda important to understand what what going on with the change from the green, lush landscape with children playing into the dark, smoky landscape with smoke stacks and men in top hats dancing around. It represented the change that England underwent as they entered the industrial revolution. 

-Further along in the show after the pause for the remembrance of the two world wars you see 4 groups enter into the arena. Most people picked up on the bright colored costumes of the Beatles representing the 60's but the other 3 were left without any explanation. The first was the wooden ship. Again more context is needed. The wooden ship represented the MV Empire Windrush. It brought the first large group of West Indian immigrants to the UK after the Second World War. This is important because it the role the the colonies have played on English society.  Second group was the gentlemen in bright red coats. They are the Chelsea Pensinoers. British Army veterans who live at Royal Hospital Chelsea, a retirement and nursing home.  The third group was the people wearing the black outfits with the white designs (which were actually pearls). They are the Pearly Kings and Queens,  an organised charitable tradition of working class culture in London and who raise money for London based charities. 

And that was just in the first thirty minutes.....

Check back for more explanations.