In the penultimate episode titled “A House Divided” of season 2 of The Serpent Queen, there are dramatic developments such as betrayal, political schemes, and shifting allegiances. This episode full of conspiracy and dramatic action provides the in-depth perspective on power and betrayal in the Sicilian court of 15th century France.
The Serpent Queen Season 2 Episode 7 Recap
The episode begins with Edith’s increasingly aggressive behavior in regards to Catholics. Now, however, Edith has become a considerably powerful character; in Season 1, she was portrayed as an abused child. With help of her two-headed loyal friend/assailant Aabis next to her for some reason alive now, Edith stages quite forceful performance. Their ‘art’ entails kidnapping an old priest and making him recant outside the church at gun point. This act of aggression shows that Edith is no longer a victim that Catherine (Samantha Morton) can manipulate, target or bully, but someone ready to fight Catherine and is now one of her most potent enemies.
Catherine is still threatened by the Catholic League, a faction backed by the Pope which is working to bring her down. Since Charles’s health weakens and Anjou considered to be unfit to be the king, the League comes up with a strategy to make sure that the French throne is always held by Catholics. Their plan is to have Francois marry Margot with a view of procreating a new Catholic line. There Francois receives a proposition to become the head of the state, which could help his brother Antoine to avoid the wrath of the Catholic League, who suspects Francois of Protestantism and has his own problems.
In the palace Catherine is hysterical when she consults a physician about Charles’s tuberculosis. She insists that there is to be no word of Charles’s affliction because of the political consequences. She then gets together with her son Charles and Alessandro; the latter presents Charles with a miniature of Tuileries place where the latter is expected to live n shortly. However, the surprise is revealed: Charles will marry Cici of Austria out, they have changed the bride to be from Elizabeth I. Satan informs Charles about this and this annoys him more when he finds out that the future wife will not be Elizabeth.
Elizabeth, who has now come back to tell Catherine about her sister Mary’s death owing to tuberculosis, is aware about Charles’s ailment and seeks to take benefit of it. Catherine then attempts to subvert the partnership she has with Elizabeth wherein she proposes Elizabeth goes through with marriage but with Anjou. However, Elizabeth, keen to secure the best deal for England, reveals her true intentions: she has never in her right mind was planning to get married and as soon as the ceremony is over she will be gone. Her departure is related with a gift for Catherine – the evidence of Louis Bourbon’s betrayal.
The Bourbons, perceiving Elizabeth’s going, scoot to Edith’s tent. Tancrede, their servant and friend, is abandoned as well as arrested. Rahima tries to escape and also disappears, she is, however, later found in the forest with Alessandro. Alessandro, informing Catherine about his plans of establishing a New World company, asks her to become his partner and wife, but in fact, he is not loyal to her.
When Margot gets back to the palace, she confronts Francois telling that after their wedding she wants to go to the new world. Francois, on the other hand, has an impaired personal appeal and pushes her away recounting what he regards as his dangers and imperfections. Margot frustrated finds Antoinette de Guise, who gives her tips how to deal with Francois, saying that with her help, she would turn him into a worthy partner.
Catherine’s visit to Ruggieri’s now-ruined lair yields another poppet for protection against her enemies: the Bourbons the Guises Rahima Montmorency Alessandro and one other man. She takes one of the potions given to her by Ruggieri and has visions of blood, childbirth and a brood of serpents – these signifying her concern for her children.
During the meeting with Antoine Guise, Catherine vents out on religious disparity and although, she attempts to persuade Antoine into naming Edith as a false prophet, he does not respond positively to this. Francoise from the Flying Squadron (Anne Lise Maulin) have sexual relations with the Catholic League leader in a confessional and get essential information about the Guises’ plot to take the throne.
Catherine filled with last passion asks Anjou to forgive her and with all her words she tries to convince him that she still loves him. Rahima comes back saying that she has left because that was what she wanted to do When Catherine scolds her saying that she cannot afford to be disloyal Rahima notices the new dress that Catherine has bought. As has already been mentioned, having been baptized by Edith Montmorency is not an ally of Catherine anymore.
The final scene of the episode shows a Privy Council meeting where Charles plans on meeting Edith in secret and converting to Protestant so he may wed a Catholic. Machine Edith wonder if Catherine wants to help, is enticed by the idea a business proposal of marrying young Henry Bourbon to Margot. For this Edith, Catherine will give her the Regency and thus Edith would be the most powerful woman in France.
The last scene of the episode shows Charles’s baptism in a lake where Edith and Catherine are present. The intensity of the stare represents the danger and the change of power relations that will take place in the final season finale.
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