1) His Holiness is in town
Hearing the stunning news that the Grail might be in France, the Pope has hightailed it over to Paris to advise the Templars and salivate over the thought of re-taking the Holy Land. While he’s at it, he officially makes Landry the Temple Master, plays matchmaker for Princess Isabella, and takes confession. And by “takes confession” I mean he swiftly shuts that noise DOWN.
“NO NO NO DON’T TELL ME. I absolve you.”Source
Doesn’t he know that confession is good for the soul? But his busy schedule doesn’t end there. He also bandies words with De Nogaret, officiates Godfrey’s funeral, and deftly, though inexplicably, avoids assassination.
2) Secret Secrets are no fun, Secret secrets hurt someone
Despite being dead, Godfrey is still leading the boys on a merry chase. He conveniently left a key in his entrails for them to find and good old Draper naturally figured out. The key-that-isn’t-a-key leads them to the rundown home of the de Coux (NO IDEA if I’m spelling this right) family, who have been receiving mysterious payments from the Templars from the last 14 years. Hmmm…
There they learn from the surly doorkeeper that Marcel De Coux WAS IN FACT Godfrey himself and that before finding God and the Grail he was a nasty piece of brother-stabbing work. Surly doorkeeper turns out to be the aforementioned stabbed brother, who, NBD, was healed from his wounds when he drank from the Grail. Just your average miracle, guys. Instead of finding the Grail like they hoped, they are instead presented with yet another clue (at least no bodies were desecrated to find this one, right?). This is starting to feel like an episode of Dora the Explorer, because no sooner do they grasp the scroll than Swiper the Fox swoops in, kills Godfrey’s brother and flees….to the next room. A chase ensues, and the boys are left with a pile of ashes and a wounded Saracen assassin.
So the Saracens are also apart of the chase! It makes sense why they would want to find it first, or ensure it’s never found. No Grail reduces the likelihood of another crusade. Smart move on their part. The assassin wakes up long enough to give the Knights a dire warning about the Grail being the source of their destruction, everything will burn, blah blah blah. Then someone slits his throat. This show has a bad habit of killing people off right after delivering a cryptic message.
And so the plot thickens! Godfrey has known where the Grail is for 14 YEARS. Why doesn’t he want it found? Poor Landry. He’s feeling so betrayed. Who knows what else Godfrey has been keeping from him.
And they still haven’t explained the blasted orange thing.
3) De Nogaret Be Schemin’
So he’s obviously a cold, murdering bastard, but De Nogaret is quickly becoming one of the more interesting characters on this show. He’s shrewd, calculating, pragmatic, manipulative and devious, but he does it all with a humor and wit that is deceptively charming. He’s ruthless and immoral in his pursuit of control and power, but oddly humanized by his unrequited love for Princess Isabelle. She, at least, seems to be the one area of his life where he draws the line: she’s untouchable. But not unwatchable, apparently. Just, ew.
De Nogaret has been a busy boy the last two episodes. He’s ordered the assassination of the Pope as calmly as you’d order your morning bagel. Exploited a contention between Gawain and Landry and tried to recruit Gawain as a spy*. Plus negotiated with diplomats and sought to strengthen France’s position in the world and avoid war. That bit’s not so bad, actually. But the rest is pretty terrible. I mean honestly, who tries to kill the Pope to keep him from marrying a girl off to the wrong Prince?
*Side bar: I’m sad about this. Landry is being such an ass to Gawain. And Gawain has some serious bitterness built up. I just need them to kiss and make up so everything will be ok.
4) Someone didn’t use the pull-out method
Where is Claire and her tansy oil tutorial when you need her? Joan is rightly devastated when her pregnancy is confirmed, in what appears to be a highly scientific pee test. But I mean, come on…she knows how babies are made, right? And she thought it was smart to lead an affair AND completely stop sleeping with her husband? I’m dying to know what happened two years ago that caused the rift between Philip and Joan and/or caused her to take up with Landry. It’s mentioned that Landry saved them from brigands two years ago but that still doesn’t explain much, on Joan’s end at least. Landry made it quite clear that #EGBTTG (Everything Goes Back To The Grail). Lose the Grail -> God has abandoned you-> fill that gaping hole in your soul with fornication. With your friend’s wife. Like a normal person.
Joan has a brief fantasy of finally being able to run away with Landry and raise their love child, but alas, he squashes that dream when he does the right (but admittedly heartbreaking) thing and ends their affair, before even learning that she carries his child. We last see her succumbing to her grief and drinking the tonic. A heart-wrenching decision, but a 14th Century woman doesn’t have a lot of options, does she?
5) Parsifal is the worst
Not content to stay on the farm and grieve quietly, Parsifal rides off in a huff to exact his badly-executed revenge. And he is terrible at it. He couldn’t sneak up on a dead man. He blunders his way through cornering the mercenaries, leaving Landry to have his back and clean up his mess. Contrary to expectations, plunging a crucifix through a rapist’s mouth does not make him immediately feel better. Maybe the celibate life of a warrior monk will.
Parsifal also has a run in with Adelina, the Jewess from Episode 1. Didn’t she and her father flee Paris? Regardless, she’s back, stealing bread to feed the less fortunate and making awkward ball jokes. He encounters her again at the royal banquet as she relieves a man of his purse. In what has to be the least seductive pick up line ever (a gold ring matches his eyes? Really?) she steals his ring and we learn that she’s using it to lure him to Roland’s men. Roland, if you’ll recall, is the Mercenary-in-Charge and the one ultimately responsible for Godfrey and Marie’s deaths. I’m having to dig really, really deep to find any sense of worry for his well being, because honestly that kid is whiny and annoying and he can just GO ALREADY.
What were your thoughts on episodes 102 and 103?
