The Musketeers 2.10
Mar. 28th, 2015 09:41 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
selenakAs opposed to the excellent episode last week, the finale feels a bit like an anti climax to me, though some good stuff happens.
First of all, I'm glad the show noticed it's ridiculous that Treville didn't kill Rochefort by the end of the teaser and tries to give it an in-story justification with the conversation later where Constance says that if they kill Rochefort before exposing him, the King will never stop believing his lies. But there's really no reason why they can't first kill him, then expose him. (The important person to keep alive at this point is Vargas.) The only reason why no one kills Rochefort is Doylist, i.e. he's the main villain of the season and can't be dispatched by a supporting character in the opening sequence. And speaking of Rochefort's demise, it took too long. Again, I get that they wanted everyone to contribute to it, so Aramis stars and everyone takes their turn until D'Artagnan finishes it because Rochefort is just that much of a Terminator, but if you do that kind of thing in costume it's hard not to make it look involuntarily ridiculous, with all the stabbing going on. (Mind, it underlined my suspicion that this entire version of Rochefort owes its existence to Silva in Skyfall.) Also, is there any reason why D'Artagnan thinks he's the most entitled to Rochefort's demise other than in the book, he's the main character and Rochefort is (at first, they team up in the sequels) his particular nemesis? Because in the show, you can make a case for Aramis, you can make a far better case for Constance, you can make the best case for Anne, but D'Artagnan?!?
Otoh I liked that Anne never gave in and neither actually felt nor pretended to feel sorry for Rochefort; that "I want you to know something; in all those years, I never thought of you even once" in reply to his tale to how the thought of her was his safe place during torture before Vargas broke him was such a burn, and managed to make you feel Anne had the emotional upper hand even when she was at the mercy of a sadistic creep. And when he was dead, she forbade Aramis to close his eyes. To quote an actual 17th century catch phrase, and so die all enemies of the Queen.
Constance was great, too, joining the Porthos-helping, Vargans-snatching mission and later going up against Rochefort with Aramis to save the Queen. (Oh, and I'm glad she brought up Lemays death as her personal Get Rochefort reason.) That she and D'Artagnan actually got to marry in this episode was lovely in itself, but it makes me worried about her survival chances again.
On the boo-hiss side of things: Marguerite. Not that she died - I always expected her to - but that she died without anyone (read: Aramis) acknowledging her fate had been his fault as well as Rochefort's. I mean, you could fanwank and say Aramis' decision at the end to keep his vow made in prison and join the church was in atonement for Marguerite as well as the danger to Anne and the Dauphin, but the episode itself gives you no reason to. And it wouldn't have been hard to add one or two lines of dialogue in that regard.
This said, I thought the show actually found a good way of letting Aramis do something his Dumasian original did, and in a well-set up way. Becoming a monk now, after having screwed up so mightily through the season and being faced with the consequences for everyone he cares about (and someone he never cared about, humph) makes emotional sense. Now, given that the Templars are no longer an option at this point in time (although given this show's historicity or lack of same, it probably wouldn't be a problem...), becoming a warrior monk is out, and I assume the very end of the episode, with the Musketeers deciding that if someone told Aramis the war with Spain is on he'd postpone this becoming a monk business and riding off to find him, means the producers want to keep themselves several options re: Aramis. But he'll end up as a Jesuit in the long term just the same. Or: maybe he changes his name upon ordination and shows up next season calling himself Mazarin. :)
Athos and Milady: now see, this is wanting to have your cake and eat it, show. I.e. wanting the characters ready to give it another go but not wanting to deal with the story consequences if they do, so they pull the "fate intervenes and prevents their meeting" ploy of melodrama stockage. Otoh, Milady's annoucement that she'll go to England might mean we'll get Buckingham next season? (Not least because there's a central villain position free. In the novel, Buckingham actually isn't one, he's Anne's devoted lover, but not only did that partly shot in Bamberg extravaganza with Orlando Bloom making him one, so did a hilarious Doctor Who audio adventure.) (And if Buckingham is a villain, Milady organizing his demise keeps her morally ambigous which they now seem set on.) Also, Athos dissing English food is one of those things us continentals never get tired of hearing.
Treville giving Porthos his blade after having been promoted to minister of war was a nice wrap up to their arc this season (Porthos isn't Treville's biological but emotional son), but I still say the whole "Porthos must find out the truth himself" instead of just telling it eons ago was extremely clumsy writing. BTW, that Treville promotion scene cracked me up and was the perfect counterpart to the one in the season opener. "You will not refuse me again" from Louis and then Anne making sure that Treville doesn't. Yes, he's learned his lesson there.
I liked that Vargas actually was given a good Watsonian reason to confess to Louis about Rochefort - Rochefort getting Anne killed was so not the plan, and no, Anne's brother, his king, would not have forgiven him that one -, but I would like to know what they did with Vargas afterwards. I mean, if you have the top spymaster of a country whom you're about to declare war against in your power, you don't just send him back, even in fantasy France, surely?
All in all: not bad, but not nearly as tense as the previous one because you know what would have to happen too much in advance - i.e. of course Constance gets saved, of course Anne gets saved, - that said, both actresses sold their charcters NOT knowing this but being brave in the face of death beautifully - , of course Rochefort dies, of course Athos wouldn't leave with with Milady. Where they could have gone outside the box (Marguerite), they didn't. Still, roll on, Rochefort-free season 3!
First of all, I'm glad the show noticed it's ridiculous that Treville didn't kill Rochefort by the end of the teaser and tries to give it an in-story justification with the conversation later where Constance says that if they kill Rochefort before exposing him, the King will never stop believing his lies. But there's really no reason why they can't first kill him, then expose him. (The important person to keep alive at this point is Vargas.) The only reason why no one kills Rochefort is Doylist, i.e. he's the main villain of the season and can't be dispatched by a supporting character in the opening sequence. And speaking of Rochefort's demise, it took too long. Again, I get that they wanted everyone to contribute to it, so Aramis stars and everyone takes their turn until D'Artagnan finishes it because Rochefort is just that much of a Terminator, but if you do that kind of thing in costume it's hard not to make it look involuntarily ridiculous, with all the stabbing going on. (Mind, it underlined my suspicion that this entire version of Rochefort owes its existence to Silva in Skyfall.) Also, is there any reason why D'Artagnan thinks he's the most entitled to Rochefort's demise other than in the book, he's the main character and Rochefort is (at first, they team up in the sequels) his particular nemesis? Because in the show, you can make a case for Aramis, you can make a far better case for Constance, you can make the best case for Anne, but D'Artagnan?!?
Otoh I liked that Anne never gave in and neither actually felt nor pretended to feel sorry for Rochefort; that "I want you to know something; in all those years, I never thought of you even once" in reply to his tale to how the thought of her was his safe place during torture before Vargas broke him was such a burn, and managed to make you feel Anne had the emotional upper hand even when she was at the mercy of a sadistic creep. And when he was dead, she forbade Aramis to close his eyes. To quote an actual 17th century catch phrase, and so die all enemies of the Queen.
Constance was great, too, joining the Porthos-helping, Vargans-snatching mission and later going up against Rochefort with Aramis to save the Queen. (Oh, and I'm glad she brought up Lemays death as her personal Get Rochefort reason.) That she and D'Artagnan actually got to marry in this episode was lovely in itself, but it makes me worried about her survival chances again.
On the boo-hiss side of things: Marguerite. Not that she died - I always expected her to - but that she died without anyone (read: Aramis) acknowledging her fate had been his fault as well as Rochefort's. I mean, you could fanwank and say Aramis' decision at the end to keep his vow made in prison and join the church was in atonement for Marguerite as well as the danger to Anne and the Dauphin, but the episode itself gives you no reason to. And it wouldn't have been hard to add one or two lines of dialogue in that regard.
This said, I thought the show actually found a good way of letting Aramis do something his Dumasian original did, and in a well-set up way. Becoming a monk now, after having screwed up so mightily through the season and being faced with the consequences for everyone he cares about (and someone he never cared about, humph) makes emotional sense. Now, given that the Templars are no longer an option at this point in time (although given this show's historicity or lack of same, it probably wouldn't be a problem...), becoming a warrior monk is out, and I assume the very end of the episode, with the Musketeers deciding that if someone told Aramis the war with Spain is on he'd postpone this becoming a monk business and riding off to find him, means the producers want to keep themselves several options re: Aramis. But he'll end up as a Jesuit in the long term just the same. Or: maybe he changes his name upon ordination and shows up next season calling himself Mazarin. :)
Athos and Milady: now see, this is wanting to have your cake and eat it, show. I.e. wanting the characters ready to give it another go but not wanting to deal with the story consequences if they do, so they pull the "fate intervenes and prevents their meeting" ploy of melodrama stockage. Otoh, Milady's annoucement that she'll go to England might mean we'll get Buckingham next season? (Not least because there's a central villain position free. In the novel, Buckingham actually isn't one, he's Anne's devoted lover, but not only did that partly shot in Bamberg extravaganza with Orlando Bloom making him one, so did a hilarious Doctor Who audio adventure.) (And if Buckingham is a villain, Milady organizing his demise keeps her morally ambigous which they now seem set on.) Also, Athos dissing English food is one of those things us continentals never get tired of hearing.
Treville giving Porthos his blade after having been promoted to minister of war was a nice wrap up to their arc this season (Porthos isn't Treville's biological but emotional son), but I still say the whole "Porthos must find out the truth himself" instead of just telling it eons ago was extremely clumsy writing. BTW, that Treville promotion scene cracked me up and was the perfect counterpart to the one in the season opener. "You will not refuse me again" from Louis and then Anne making sure that Treville doesn't. Yes, he's learned his lesson there.
I liked that Vargas actually was given a good Watsonian reason to confess to Louis about Rochefort - Rochefort getting Anne killed was so not the plan, and no, Anne's brother, his king, would not have forgiven him that one -, but I would like to know what they did with Vargas afterwards. I mean, if you have the top spymaster of a country whom you're about to declare war against in your power, you don't just send him back, even in fantasy France, surely?
All in all: not bad, but not nearly as tense as the previous one because you know what would have to happen too much in advance - i.e. of course Constance gets saved, of course Anne gets saved, - that said, both actresses sold their charcters NOT knowing this but being brave in the face of death beautifully - , of course Rochefort dies, of course Athos wouldn't leave with with Milady. Where they could have gone outside the box (Marguerite), they didn't. Still, roll on, Rochefort-free season 3!
no subject
Date: 2015-03-29 07:01 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-03-29 09:34 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-03-29 09:58 pm (UTC)He could make just touching Anne...
Just touching Anne, just touching Marguerite, just touching Constance, just repeatedly trying to strangle Milady.... That's on top of the actual attempted rape, and the unnamed sex worker he lingeringly murdered. And ALL THE OTHER rapist characters. Jesus, what a season.
I was trying to explain the situation to my father, who said, "I sound like Kalinda needs to travel back in time and murder him again." Which reference I only half got, but I'm all for it. I'm disappointed that one of the women didn't get to finish him off. Though I suppose Anne has people for that kind of thing.