Well, among other things, seeing as I underestimated Heinrich's capacity for ruthlessness (on a personal level to poor Mina and on a political level to poor Poland), I think those watchers who want their woobieness undiluted by occasional jerkness are going to be incensed with him as well as with Fritz. :) Maybe Peter von Keith will be the chosen one!
More seriously, I'm no longer sure FW should be killed off mid season 2 as opposed to at the end of it. Though as in rl, he's going through two almost deaths (getting everyone's hopes up, ahem). This way, we have more narrative space for several important new cast members (in addition to Fredersdorf, there are Algarotti, your guy Suhm as a carryover from s1, and Knobelsdorff, FS guest stars in the wedding instead of the engagement episode as a way to introduce the younger Habsburgs, and there absolutely needs to be kid!Sophie playing with kid!Heinrich. (And kid Heinrich kicking Fritz under the table.)
I see that I gave the 20 something post 7 Years War years only one season, the last one, and am afraid that's not going to change, but it will include Poland for hardcore realpolitik and FW2's first marriage disaster for the dark hilarity. Also the Kaphengst saga for the later purpose. AND the big siblings reunion complete with trip to Dear Old Wusterhausen when Ulrike visits and Fritz has a rare moment of emotional sanity. However, there will be six seasons instead of five.
S3 will be Silesia 1 and 2, while also giving some screen time to the now growing up and adult siblings and the Fritz/Wilhelmine fallout plus reconciliation, plus this is MT's big introduction season as the new arch nemesis now that Dad is dead, leaving s4 for the peace years and the Voltaire trainwreck plus Fredersdorf's declining health, with the Fritz/Heinrich relationship becoming narratively important (Marwitz, the whole "I'm Dad, you're me" with Heinrich having to marry). It could end in January 1756, with Fritz triumphantly telling everyone about the new treaty with England and how MT is totally isolated now while she gets her report from Kaunitz and Versailles as the seasonal political cliffhanger, and Fredersdorff getting a bad diagnosis as the personal one. S5 is the 7 Years War season, from invading Saxony to peace at Hubertusburg, and also the occasion to get some popular Scottish character actors to play Andrew Mitchell and the Keith brothers, thereby ensuring the series will be shown in Britain after all. This season will also be known as the season of death, not just for the war deaths but because between Fredersdorf, AW, Wilhelmine, Peter Keith and Marwitz, it kills off three regulars and one popular guest star. Otoh, this is the season where a lot of viewers fall in love with new character Seydlitz and accuse the show of slutshaming him and punishing him when the syphilis news rears its ugly head.
Oh, and if s2 is when the shipping war between hardcore Fritz/Katte and new Fritz/Fredersdorf shippers satarts, s5 is when Heinrich/Kalckreuth vs Heinrich/Lehndorff vs Heinrich/Henckel v. Donnersmark becomes a thing. (And then there are the incest shippers, of course.)
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More seriously, I'm no longer sure FW should be killed off mid season 2 as opposed to at the end of it. Though as in rl, he's going through two almost deaths (getting everyone's hopes up, ahem). This way, we have more narrative space for several important new cast members (in addition to Fredersdorf, there are Algarotti, your guy Suhm as a carryover from s1, and Knobelsdorff, FS guest stars in the wedding instead of the engagement episode as a way to introduce the younger Habsburgs, and there absolutely needs to be kid!Sophie playing with kid!Heinrich. (And kid Heinrich kicking Fritz under the table.)
I see that I gave the 20 something post 7 Years War years only one season, the last one, and am afraid that's not going to change, but it will include Poland for hardcore realpolitik and FW2's first marriage disaster for the dark hilarity. Also the Kaphengst saga for the later purpose. AND the big siblings reunion complete with trip to Dear Old Wusterhausen when Ulrike visits and Fritz has a rare moment of emotional sanity. However, there will be six seasons instead of five.
S3 will be Silesia 1 and 2, while also giving some screen time to the now growing up and adult siblings and the Fritz/Wilhelmine fallout plus reconciliation, plus this is MT's big introduction season as the new arch nemesis now that Dad is dead, leaving s4 for the peace years and the Voltaire trainwreck plus Fredersdorf's declining health, with the Fritz/Heinrich relationship becoming narratively important (Marwitz, the whole "I'm Dad, you're me" with Heinrich having to marry). It could end in January 1756, with Fritz triumphantly telling everyone about the new treaty with England and how MT is totally isolated now while she gets her report from Kaunitz and Versailles as the seasonal political cliffhanger, and Fredersdorff getting a bad diagnosis as the personal one. S5 is the 7 Years War season, from invading Saxony to peace at Hubertusburg, and also the occasion to get some popular Scottish character actors to play Andrew Mitchell and the Keith brothers, thereby ensuring the series will be shown in Britain after all. This season will also be known as the season of death, not just for the war deaths but because between Fredersdorf, AW, Wilhelmine, Peter Keith and Marwitz, it kills off three regulars and one popular guest star. Otoh, this is the season where a lot of viewers fall in love with new character Seydlitz and accuse the show of slutshaming him and punishing him when the syphilis news rears its ugly head.
Oh, and if s2 is when the shipping war between hardcore Fritz/Katte and new Fritz/Fredersdorf shippers satarts, s5 is when Heinrich/Kalckreuth vs Heinrich/Lehndorff vs Heinrich/Henckel v. Donnersmark becomes a thing. (And then there are the incest shippers, of course.)