selenak

Back in Munich, and it's cold and wet enough to make me miss Italy immediately, so naturally I start my gigantic fannish catching up with the season premiere of The Borgias.

First season premiere not written by Neil Jordan, but actually I liked it better than the s2 premiere, which I thought pushed the Juan-Cesare enmity and Juan's complete descent too quickly compared to the state of affairs we'd left both at at the end of s1. Whereas here, the cliffhangers from the s2 finale are resolved (sort of) and the themes for the new season established in a way that feels fluently moving from where we'd left of.

Except for Giulia Farnese, who I'm pretty sure was present for Lucrezia's engagement party (and thus on the scene) in the s2 finale. I thought I spotted her in the immediate uproar of the opening scene, but the lightning was bad enough it could simply have been Vanozza and Lucrezia and the maid. Anyway, Giulia's absence here is odd, unless there was an actress availability problem. (Also absent, and have been since the s1 finale: Joffre and Sancia. Presumably they are in Naples, aka the scriptwriters can't be bothered and/or think they'd distract without contributing.) Alfonso d'Aragon, otoh, got a nod of a scene establishing him as being around and still about to marry Lucrezia.

Other the Giulia confusion, I loved how the opening scenes showcased everyone. Lucrezia using her learning and intelligence to save her father's life. Vannozza keeping Cesare in line because despite her worry, she can think ahead and is keenly aware they're friendless and screwed if Rodrigo dies, and Cesare killing Cardinals isn't helping. (Historical footnote: when Rodrigo did die, some years later, Cesare had some guards around Vannozza's house in case there were retaliatory acts but she was actually the one member of the Borgias' circle whom neither della Rovere nor the Roman nobility went after, not least because she was fairly popular in Rome.) Giuliano della Rovere making his grand (and shaven) entrance in his Cardinal's robes after having spent a season in disguise with a beard (and actually resembling his later portrait) in order to sweep up the votes this time only to be told by Ascanio Sforza at his most sarcastic and dry that he's a bit too hasty and the Pope isn't dead yet.

Speaking of Ascanio Sforza, I do hope neither his cousin Caterina nor the Borgias kill him now, as I'm fond of him and his pragmatic Faithful Lieutenant relationship with Rodrigo. Yes, he was tempted, but he was under severe pressure. I like my morally ambiguos cardinals! Please keep Ascanio around, show.

As for Still Not Pope, aka della Rovere, here the show solved the problem I was wondering about last season - how they'd face the dilemma they've manouevred themselves into by on the one hand letting him directly try to kill Rodrigo and almost succeed and on the other hand being unable to kill him since he's going to be the next Pope (someone has to comission the Sixtine Chapel paintings from Michelangelo, after all!) - by letting him be caught and then moving him off stage by third party interference while setting up the Sforzas as the true season 2 antagonists. Smart move, show, as Caterina is a great character, has been established as a great warrior and strategist, and actually did go to war against Cesare, with whom she has great chemistry. Much more entertaining than being forced to let Giuliano della Rovere try AGAIN and letting him escape AGAIN. Twice is just about the limit if one wants us to keep taking the main seirously. Her newly introduced dastardly consigliere is presumably destined for a big showdown with Michelotto at some future point near the end or at the end of the season.

Rodrigo's near death experience shaking him most of all because he had no sense of God when he almost died is great continuity with the spiritual struggles the show kept giving Rodrigo along with his worldly ambition from the get go and which make him such a fascinating character. He also continues to be simultanously great and infuriating family-wise. As big a cliffhanger as the poisoning was what he'd been about to say to Cesare after the later's confession re: Juan. Now Cesare has to deal first with Rodrigo immediately after returning to life having a blackout about Juan being dead at all (btw, that was also another great Vannozza moment, as she grabbed Rodrigo by the chin and focused him on the present), and then, in the later scene when Rodrigo was more compos mentis, with that emotional hug-slap mixture when Rodrigo first went "I renember you voice, crying father, father, I remember you holding me" and cradled his face and then delivered the cooly pragmatic news that nobody would ever know Cesare killed Juan since such a crime would have to be punished, that thus they needed a patsy, and in return to Cesare, clearly wanting to be absolved, wanting to know what his punishment would be, declaring that Cesare must find his own peace. It was yet another wonderfully intense scene between these two characters, and I like that they neither let Rodrigo push Cesare away nor forgive him.

In conclusion: you're back, beloved show! I'm so happy to be reunited with you again.