At the end of Season 2 Episode 3, The Empress, Franz made Maximilian the new Viscount of Lombardy-Venetia, which was a moment of victory and peace. But politics are still unstable, and there is a new storm brewing in the royal household. Although Napoleon is far away, Elisabeth and Franz are setting out on a journey to Hungary. They have no idea of the tragedy that is to come.
The Empress Season 2 Episode 4 Recap — “The Stars During the Day”
The fourth episode starts with a peaceful family moment. Franz, Elisabeth (Devrim Lingnau), and their young daughter Fienchen play teatime together. But Franz seems to be thinking about other things. He is worried that Maximilian won’t be able to handle the revolution in Lombardy-Venetia and the growing unrest in Hungary. He decides to go to Hungary to find a solution, and Elisabeth suggests that they bring the kids with them.
Sophie, on the other hand, is strongly against taking Fienchen because she is afraid of the dangers of the trip. Sophie gives Fienchen kittens as a gift to try to change the child’s mind about leaving. Sophie’s behavior makes Elisabeth more sure that she wants Fienchen to go on the trip, so she confronts Sophie about it.
Leontine (Almila Bagriacik), on the other hand, decides to stay behind and says she is sick. Leontine is pregnant and trying to figure out what to do next but Elisabeth doesn’t know this. Charlotte finds out her secret and questions her plans in a sneaky way. Meanwhile, Elisabeth agrees to let Leontine rest and get better, even though she doesn’t know the truth.
Though the trip to Hungary is long, it doesn’t go badly. When they get there, Fienchen says he has a stomachache, which Elisabeth thinks is from being sick in the car. Liz and Franz take their daughter for a calm walk by the river to help her feel better. Franz picks up a smooth river rock and calls it a “fallen star” when Fienchen asks why the stars can’t be seen during the day. The softness of the moment shows how close the family is.
Sophie is busy in Vienna because her son Luiwizi is interested in a young baron. With the Cardinal’s help, she puts strict rules in place, like canceling Luiwizi’s piano lessons and making him say sorry to keep him away from the baron.
In the meantime, Leontine keeps up her secret activities. She tells Alexander that she wants them to leave the palace and live in a village where it is quiet. Alexander is annoyed by how unpredictable she is, so he doesn’t know that she is pregnant. Leontine goes to an orphanage while pretending to be running an errand for the Empress because she wants to make plans for her unborn child. She learns there that the orphanage takes babies— which makes her want to leave the palace even more.
Fienchen’s health gets worse when she goes to Hungary. At first, Doctor Seeburger thinks her symptoms are just from teething and tells Elisabeth not to worry. Even though the doctor doesn’t seem to care, Elisabeth stays alert because she trusts her instincts as a mother.
Fienchen seems to get better the next day, and Elisabeth goes with Franz on a short trip to meet Hungarian landowners. Their diplomatic mission works out, but they are called back when Doctor Seeburger realizes he was wrong about what was wrong. A pediatrician in the area confirms that Fienchen has typhoid fever.
Fienchen is still sick, so Elisabeth and Franz stay by her side. Elisabeth is heartbroken but determined, so she stays with her daughter all night and won’t leave her. Franz stays too, giving support in a quiet way.
When the real Leontine’s father shows up out of the blue in Vienna—Alexander’s world falls apart. When Leontine’s true identity is revealed, it breaks his heart. Alexander confronts Margarete because he wants to know what’s going on, but her heavy drug use makes her unreliable. Alexander finally talks to Leontine face-to-face and gives her until morning to leave the palace without being seen. Leontine has no choice but to run away, leaving Alexander heartbroken as he watches her go from afar.
Hungary is hit by tragedy. Elisabeth takes a short nap because she is tired from taking care of Fienchen. After waking up, she finds that her daughter has died from the illness. The Empress and Franz are left to deal with an unimaginable void after the loss.
Episode 4 of The Empress is a heartbreaking chapter that mixes close family ties with terrible tragedy. As political tensions rise and personal secrets come to light— the death — of Fienchen casts a shadow over the royal family and Franz and Elisabeth are sad. An emotional and political storm is about to happen, and the episode ends on a sad note.
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