The Borgias 1.04
Apr. 18th, 2011 12:26 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
selenakWherein we're back to female characters getting good screentime and interaction with each other, and I'm happy. Even if distinctly non-fluffy-events happy.
Seriously, so far I'm loving how they write and play the women of the story. Here we get some background on Vannozza, and on her relationship with her children (Lucrezia and Cesare both), and at the same time the relationship between Lucrezia and Giulia Farnese is further developed. 90% of shows would have made Giulia into the scheming mistress whose fault it was that Vannozza was banned from her daughter's wedding, but not this one. Here, it's Rodrigo's fault, while Giulia is helping Lucrezia both by trying to prepare her for the married state and Vannozza by keeping Rodrigo from being more of a bastard during the celebration. And that backstory she gave in the pilot about her husband seems to be true, given her melancholy musings during Lucrecia's wedding and(accurate, as it turns out) doubts re: the groom.
I also love how Lucrezia is trying to balance her love for her mother with her affection for Guilia, asking Guilia not to outshine Vannozza during the wedding. And her words to Vannozza during the dance. It's just, so many stories, especially in the historical genre, are all about dad & children, and this one doesn't forget there is a mother, too, and that's awesome. Cesare bringing Vannozza to the feast was also deliciously layered; it was for Lucrezia and for his mother, sure, but it was also a first power play/stand-off with his father (and he won).
The scene with Vannozza, Cesare and Theo (will have to look up complete first name of Vannozza's husband, self, because I don't remember) had several levels, too, because there was that awkwardness about Cesare being Vannozza's child with Rodrigo, yes, but I think Theo was also somewhat afraid of Cesare as a person.
Subtle foreshadowing is subtle: we get a name check on Alfonso of Naples' sister Sancia (when they talk about who will be sitting where in St. Peter) in the same episode where Rodrigo talks to youngest son Joffre about why political marriages are so useful.
Speaking of the Joffre scene, that was some neat mixture of exposition for the audience (Italy map) with character point (Rodrigo's interaction with his children, that mixture of affection and manipulation to make them do his bidding) there.
Given Rodrigo behaves pretty dastardly in the episode, it was good to see the show still showcasing his intelligence, as he guesses and anticipates Guilano della Rovere's next move (of allying with the French). And while we're talking about the future Pope Julius, showing him praying for guidance was another good character point because it's important for the story that these church officials might be corrupt as hell but seriously believe, and believe themselves to be doing God's work.
Juan continues to be the Borgia to make you go *facepalm*. Which, you know, is pretty much the reaction he gives me in biographies, so that's fine by me.
It's as good as any a place to declare where I stand on the Cesare/Lucrezia not so subtext. I love that the show doesn't play this as something ominous or twisted, complete with sinister music in the background, which again is what many versions do, but as basically the sanest relationship in Cesare's life. (So far it's also one of the best in Lucrezia's, but that... might change.) The mutual tenderness, the delight in clever wordplay, and also the honesty, it all makes it great to watch instead of playing up the sensational aspect. In the opening scene, in their conversation about Djem, Cesare lies for the first time about something serious, and Lucrezia knows it, but she stops her pushing for the truth at quite that point where he would tell her. It's also the first time Lucrezia has to deal with what her family members are capable of, and that she provided one of the reasons, and her dancing around the subject, unable to let it go and be indifferent but also not wanting to let it prove divisive, is great foreshadowing.
And then there's the dance scene, and you can see Lucrezia trying to be a good wife now that she's married by stopping herself from joking about her new husband with Cesare - "maybe kindness is enough". And Cesare understands and backs off. Of course, this makes Giovanni Sforza's behaviour even worse later. Oh, and Cesare's not so subtle hint to Giovanni Sforza that there should be no wedding night sex was well played.
Speaking of: I wonder whether the show will switch the fate of Lucrezia's husbands? I.e. historical Giovanni got an annullment, historical Alfonso of Naples got a gory Renaissance death. Given here we get Giovanni Sforza as a servant abuser and rapist, I wonder whether show!Giovanni will get the gory death history!Alfonso got instead instead of the relatively harmless annullment and long life...
What the hell, history? moment: Machiavelli as Piero de' Medici's advisor. But never mind, we're going to need him later, so why not introduce him now. Also, given we're now in post-Columbus return date territory, I think Piero was already kicked out of Florence and Savonarola had his short intermezzo of ruling. Cue lots of burned art work on the bonfire of the vanities. Well, at least Savonarola was shown, and got to make prophecies (and be not that impressed with della Rovere, which is good because Savonarola didn't like ANY of the cardinals, not just Rodrigo).
In conclusion: I continue to love this show.
Seriously, so far I'm loving how they write and play the women of the story. Here we get some background on Vannozza, and on her relationship with her children (Lucrezia and Cesare both), and at the same time the relationship between Lucrezia and Giulia Farnese is further developed. 90% of shows would have made Giulia into the scheming mistress whose fault it was that Vannozza was banned from her daughter's wedding, but not this one. Here, it's Rodrigo's fault, while Giulia is helping Lucrezia both by trying to prepare her for the married state and Vannozza by keeping Rodrigo from being more of a bastard during the celebration. And that backstory she gave in the pilot about her husband seems to be true, given her melancholy musings during Lucrecia's wedding and(accurate, as it turns out) doubts re: the groom.
I also love how Lucrezia is trying to balance her love for her mother with her affection for Guilia, asking Guilia not to outshine Vannozza during the wedding. And her words to Vannozza during the dance. It's just, so many stories, especially in the historical genre, are all about dad & children, and this one doesn't forget there is a mother, too, and that's awesome. Cesare bringing Vannozza to the feast was also deliciously layered; it was for Lucrezia and for his mother, sure, but it was also a first power play/stand-off with his father (and he won).
The scene with Vannozza, Cesare and Theo (will have to look up complete first name of Vannozza's husband, self, because I don't remember) had several levels, too, because there was that awkwardness about Cesare being Vannozza's child with Rodrigo, yes, but I think Theo was also somewhat afraid of Cesare as a person.
Subtle foreshadowing is subtle: we get a name check on Alfonso of Naples' sister Sancia (when they talk about who will be sitting where in St. Peter) in the same episode where Rodrigo talks to youngest son Joffre about why political marriages are so useful.
Speaking of the Joffre scene, that was some neat mixture of exposition for the audience (Italy map) with character point (Rodrigo's interaction with his children, that mixture of affection and manipulation to make them do his bidding) there.
Given Rodrigo behaves pretty dastardly in the episode, it was good to see the show still showcasing his intelligence, as he guesses and anticipates Guilano della Rovere's next move (of allying with the French). And while we're talking about the future Pope Julius, showing him praying for guidance was another good character point because it's important for the story that these church officials might be corrupt as hell but seriously believe, and believe themselves to be doing God's work.
Juan continues to be the Borgia to make you go *facepalm*. Which, you know, is pretty much the reaction he gives me in biographies, so that's fine by me.
It's as good as any a place to declare where I stand on the Cesare/Lucrezia not so subtext. I love that the show doesn't play this as something ominous or twisted, complete with sinister music in the background, which again is what many versions do, but as basically the sanest relationship in Cesare's life. (So far it's also one of the best in Lucrezia's, but that... might change.) The mutual tenderness, the delight in clever wordplay, and also the honesty, it all makes it great to watch instead of playing up the sensational aspect. In the opening scene, in their conversation about Djem, Cesare lies for the first time about something serious, and Lucrezia knows it, but she stops her pushing for the truth at quite that point where he would tell her. It's also the first time Lucrezia has to deal with what her family members are capable of, and that she provided one of the reasons, and her dancing around the subject, unable to let it go and be indifferent but also not wanting to let it prove divisive, is great foreshadowing.
And then there's the dance scene, and you can see Lucrezia trying to be a good wife now that she's married by stopping herself from joking about her new husband with Cesare - "maybe kindness is enough". And Cesare understands and backs off. Of course, this makes Giovanni Sforza's behaviour even worse later. Oh, and Cesare's not so subtle hint to Giovanni Sforza that there should be no wedding night sex was well played.
Speaking of: I wonder whether the show will switch the fate of Lucrezia's husbands? I.e. historical Giovanni got an annullment, historical Alfonso of Naples got a gory Renaissance death. Given here we get Giovanni Sforza as a servant abuser and rapist, I wonder whether show!Giovanni will get the gory death history!Alfonso got instead instead of the relatively harmless annullment and long life...
What the hell, history? moment: Machiavelli as Piero de' Medici's advisor. But never mind, we're going to need him later, so why not introduce him now. Also, given we're now in post-Columbus return date territory, I think Piero was already kicked out of Florence and Savonarola had his short intermezzo of ruling. Cue lots of burned art work on the bonfire of the vanities. Well, at least Savonarola was shown, and got to make prophecies (and be not that impressed with della Rovere, which is good because Savonarola didn't like ANY of the cardinals, not just Rodrigo).
In conclusion: I continue to love this show.
