The French musical Le Roi Soleil is always great to watch. We see him silent and sombre, a blank expression on his face. And so was she. Point 5: Ah, Henriettes remark about Philippes glorious death in battle. Sometimes, truth is stranger than fiction - and other times, period dramas take a little artistic license . Because the whole world gave you counsel. Duchess Henriette becomes suddenly ill when she returns from a visit to her brother in England. In between re-watching S1, of course. I risked my life for your vanity, to rescue your wifes dowry. Louis: I acted for France because I AM FRANCE! Philippe remains stoic this time its Louis getting angry and we know why. Louis summons the Dauphin to show him how to be a good king. Its stoic. They grew up knowing what their duty was as prince and princess. Coming from the quills of noted showrunners David Wolstencroft and Simon Mirren, both known for gripping series with a conspiratorial bent (i.e. This doesnt do good for her position, unloved by her husband and no one would stand at her side, should French and English go to war. poison, death and departures Versailles episode 10. I realise that you are not a fan of the historical figure but I am speaking strictly of the character. Shes genuinely quite sweet, but tenacious something Im sure our Head of Security will appreciate). You went north, I went south and she went west and by the time they righted themselves we found our way down by the mill stream. Then the camera pans to the door and Philippe enters, says to him quietly, were leaving. Does Henriette mind being used by Louis? It was very clear from episode 1 that you were not a fan of Henriette and I found that quick jarring to read in your reviews. Hi Theresa, and thanks for your comment. Around 5pm on 29th June Henriette drank chicory water, then keeled over saying Ah! The Dauphin. Another possibility is that Henriette suffered from anorexia nervosa, which is often characterised by increasing frailty and hyperactivity; the summer of 1670 had been particularly hot and Henriette would swim in the river; unable to sleep, she walked in the gardens at night. Spooks), it was no surprise when this drama arrived with a hearty dollop of sex, violence, tension, and intrigue. again, another shagging time between Henriette and Louis, when Louis friends have been murdered and she mentions the fact she was jealous of the dead woman. Pretty sure he was not the one who did the poisoning thing. Such was the hygiene of 17th century France. Husbands have being raping their wives since time began from royalty down to peasants and it was classed as taking their marital rights . She is only ever Louis sweet, nubile mistress or Philippes overlooked wife, never her own person, she isnt seductive and outgoing like Montespan or scheming like de Clermont or genuinely sweet with a backbone like Sophie, shes just a soft-spoken waif who huffs when she doesnt get her way, cries when shes put in a difficult position, doesnt seem that clever but knows exactly where to strike thatll heart the worst mentioning Francoise Parthenay when Louis has refused to talk about the Chevalier, for one. for Season 2. Its really sad, she could have been a great queen with Louis (he might not be faithful to her, but they will have live better than now), but the turns of fate, made her his brothers wife instead. Henriette is Philippes wife, his property, his to do with as he wishes. We awarded it to you for bravery. Is anyone else hoping Fabien takes her under his wing? throughout the show, we see Louis attempts to belittle and emasculate Philippe. Which one? Louis asks. Louis, who never forgave a slight, always ensured that the guilty paid dearly. Philippes distress is written all over his face, while Louis just looks angry, eyes flinty, mouth flat, jaw clenched. The camera hovers over the prone Henriette then pans up from the bed, like we are her soul being released from her body. Some were obviously written for massive impact. Because he did feel something for her, despite her repeated betrayal of him, over and over. YAAAAAY! Absolutely enjoyed your recap of the finale. *insert sound of breaking heart here*. They could be far away from the victim at the time of death, so it would be difficult to definitively pin on anyone. Or survival. he starts to pace: here comes the lecture. (For the record, I am speaking strictly of the characters in this drama, not the historical characters). Henriette wasnt asking the king to hire a hit on Philippe. Not only did they grow up together but they were first cousins and Louis was a devout Catholic. I COMMAND YOU! and the guards step back. Louis decides to go to Paris to bless the sick. Two steps behind him, as protocol dictates, is the Chevalier. Versailles - Season 1 - IMDb Though it was true that he was saddened by Henriettes death, I dont felt that he was actually that hell bent on punishing those who were or at least believed to be responsible for her death, due to the lack of evidence among other factors. Point 7: Chevalier moves in on Henriette the moment her husbands back is turned. People lived for it, and reputations and lives could be ruined with one well-placed rumour. Seriously, he could have married her to any noble and they would have looked the other way at the cheating. But I also know that their greatest plan has yet to show itself. the camera pans to Louis, Colbert, Louvois (clearly worried, as he should be), who says, but what if shes merely ill? Marchal: then your appetite will be merely inconvenienced, Louvois. Bontemps appears. Philippe is the complete dysfunctional mess he is thanks to Louis (and their mother) and he would have my complete sympathy, were it not for his raping his wife in a fit of anger and jealousy. And Louis weeps. Finally, the king weeps for his love, when he is alone. Are you suggesting that she would have the power to deny the king even if she wanted to? You have never been a man whos true. So he tells Louis he will now deliver the man responsible for their deaths. Again, so so love your words. I have heard many say they see angels before they die. (Ahhh! In which case, I dont blame her one bit! She is not indulgent in it. Of course not. What a pain! And in 1671 during Louis three day visit to the Prince de Conds Chteau de Chantilly, the Master of Festivities and Pleasures Franois Vatel killed himself over the late delivery of fish, and Louis was quickly hustled away (as shown in the wonderful 2000 Gerard Depardieu movie, Vatel)), So we see Claudine striding to the bedchamber but her way is barred. Much kudos to Nomie Schmidt for a brilliantly sad scene, aided by the backing music and the strength and emotion of George Blagden and Alex Vlahos. I think the problem with him is that we still miss a decent biography, taking into accounts ALL sources and not only the same, always the same stuff as Saint-Simon and such. Versailles recap: la finale - tout le monde has gone ape-merde! Claudine doesnt know how long Henriette has left, but it is her wish to see you both. Also, Henriette has asked to be carried to the garden so that she might be surrounded by her favourite flowers. (Philippes gentle smile is so bittersweet here!) Notify me of follow-up comments by email. No, of course she doesnt. My bed your last stop before retiring. I was more appalled at Louis seeming lack of concern for his brothers life. They take her hands. Although Lord Montagu accepted this, he had misgivings. Merci! Such emotion. I know this coming years later, but to Theresa THANK YOU SO MUCH. Now she is in a marriage that will never give her any joy with a man she does not love and she should risk displeasing her lover, the king, by rejecting him? In Paris, says Colbert. Henriette was more than happy to become second only to Marie-Therese. A letter from the King of Sweden has arrived, telling Louis he has agreed to break his alliance with the Dutch and support the French. the kiss between the Chevalier and Philippe happens after the war, after Philippe has seen Louis bring Henriette to the front. A begrudging father/daughter mentor role, and she eventually warms him up a bit? You see it in Ep3 where he yells where is MY wife? You see it in Ep2 with his angry speech to Louis: do you tell yourself that when you are fucking MY WIFE? In so many subtle ways Philippe is being demeaned by Louis. Montcourt declares he only knew her in passing, Marchal calls out his bullshit: but you knew she had malevolent intent. To which Montcourt sarcastically replies: it may have escaped your notice but everyone in this building has malevolent intent. Rohan grabs her by the throat, saying it is not yet clear to him what she has done to earn her money, then demands she clean his room before leaving. But his treatment of her does make me think, rather than an actual person, the writers have quite subtly used her as a tool: she is the only person Philippe can take his frustrations out on he knows she loves Louis, and at that point Louis is still very much in love with her Philippe knows this, and punishes Louis the only way he can, but punishing his mistress. And laudanum as a sedative was much used at the time. Henriette is viewed as property. I do like that though they have their disagreements, Bontemp genuinely respects Fabien, and despite his anger, I think Louis does too. One witness observed that Henriette looked like a dressed corpse upon whom someone had put some rouge, while others thought she had death painted on her face. Whats wrong? Back with Marchal, interrogating Louvois this time. You really point out a lot of details one might miss when watching the episodes for the first time. Who's who in Versailles S1-3? A guide to the French court The next shot is of Montespan, entering her rooms, where she briefly cries then quickly gains control with a deep breath. Why should we fault Henriette for not ending her incestuous relationship with her brother-in-law, the king, but Philippe can be forgiven for continuing his homosexual relationship with the Chevalier? I also saw the subtle ways in which Henriette (and Louis) talked about him, how they wished he was not there. Maybe that is where she got the poison she used on Fabien? but it would cause her too much pain. These reactions perfectly suit and says a lot to their characters, plus George Blagden and Alex Vlahos as hugely talented actors. Season Two Mike and the last of Rohans men are massacred in a last stand by the musketeers, led by Fabien Marchal. Slavery was also an accepted practice of the day. So do I believe that our enemies would dare to poison King Charles of Englands sister? Thanks for your great reviews! Its my weekly sin, I confess, Im too addicted to this period to miss it. Louis is a shit to Philippe. Nor can I hold her responsible for the fact that Louis uses her as a weapon against his brother. I especially like the pairing of her and Marchal. Im merely suggesting you might save some time. Marchal persists, pointing out that Louvois always disagrees frequently and loudly with the Kings decisions. There was no indication of poisoning, so death was attributed to cholera morbus caused by corrupt and boiling bile, which had led to gangrene in the entrails and other parts of the lower abdomen. And in the context of the show, I did find it a nice touch, the apology to him. Louis stands outside: her life is in your hands, he says ominously. You clever, clever bastard. Feel free to comment if any details are wrong. Now that *would* be naive. BRILLIANT acting. Quite a few. ), (*WTF. The historical notes you added were my favourite of all, I love knowing whats accurately portrayed and for the parts that were tweaked, what the actual history was. What a total prick ). Henrietta was born on 16 June 1644, on the eve of the Second Battle of Newbury during the Civil War, at Bedford House in Exeter, a seat of William Russell, 5th Earl of Bedford, who had recently returned to the Royalist side. Im genuinely having real trouble understanding your position here. AAAAAAHHH. We are back at the sickbed, where Henriette sleeps and Montespan silently weeps at the bed. I just binge-watched all 2 seasons and now painfully waits for each episode of Season 3 to come out. Historically, poison was definitely suspected in Henriette's death and briefly, here's how it went down: It was 1670 and Henriette was pissed off she couldn't be with Louis at Versailles, and of course Monsieur knew this, so he ordered her to accompany him to Saint Cloud. But to his brother? I was searching online for reviews/explanations of this show I was never educated about Frances history because I come from the other side of the globe and coincidentally stumbled upon your website, much to my delight. I was merely pointing out how such treatment of his wife would hardly help warm her feelings towards him. Louis reels off a list of people who were with Henriette on her journey, people that must be interrogated. But gossip is gossip and it was particularly rife and vicious in those days. Now, if she had been his second cousin, and never saw each other until she married his brother, then I can maybe see them having an affair. Another scene now, with Rohan getting ready for his ride, and a servant girl by the name of Marie entering, demanding her money. We are shown much more of Philippes inner mind and his relationship to Louis than anyone else. And Louvois being the pompous ass he is, says haughtily: Before you speak to me, I suggest you speak to the king. Marchal: I am his Majestys eyes and ears, Msieur Louvois. But Marchal continues calmly. UGH. Learn how your comment data is processed. Philippe and Henriette are quite possibly the two people Louis loves most, and yet he uses and hurts them both repeatedly to get what he wants and because he is paranoid about his brother. Thanks for the correction I listened to that audio over and over but couldnt quite get the last word! These scenes are odd for me to watch, but by now, I have totally put aside any frustration when the show deviates from what I know of the actual history. It is featured in several shots when Louis & Philippe are arguing and she reveals shes preggers as well as when Louis comes to confront her about not wishing to live with the doubt about the child. Pity that they made his character too emo, too frustrated and angry with the world, when he actually was full of joie de vivre, always smiling, always chattering, always ready to find the good in every person and every sistuation. Her intent is not to hurt Philippe by sleeping with Louis, she simply doesnt care (and I dont blame her). It was all out there. Yet even on her deathbed, she reaches for Louiss hand first. I really like him as a character, even though he tortures people. VERSAILLES TV Drama on BBC2: The Real History Behind The Show - Greg Jenner And I do not regret it for an instant. Like he is trying to justify himself. I am sobbing. Its just that his anger and upset (and yes, jealousy I think) affects him so much, because its just another way for his brother to control and belittle him, make him less. First off let me say that I absolutely love your reviews of Versailles, Ms. Jules. And before we can check ourselves and reach for the tissues, the priest murmurs, Amen and Philippes expression tightens, his head gently shaking before he steps away from the bed, leaving Louis there. There is, replies Louis. Anything Henriette had done to Philippe, he had done to herand worse. At the time of her death, it was widely believed that Henrietta had been poisoned and the prime suspects were her husband, Philippe and/or his lover, the Chevalier de Lorraine. Rohan slits the other guards throat, watches from a distance as the young prince has a sack put over his head then bundled off. Im going to be stalking these recaps in the arduous wait for season two. *Deeeeeep breath* Okay. Societal expectations do not alter basic human reality. Thatd do it. Also thanks for your detailed and in depth reviews. It could possibly be the same spot from Ep1, when he confronted the wolf and Philippe rode in to rescue him. They had children. Marchal is still ordering: Get his Majesty to safety, at once! His guards rush in to remove him, they scuffle and Louis yells: get your hands off me! They fear she might have been poisoned, so King Louis XIV shuts all access To Versailles. God knows the wolves might have taken us but what did we know? Guilt often manifests itself in an outward show of rage. Toodles. Point 10: The abnoxious snog in front of Henriette. (Historical note: this happened and wasnt at all odd) The door suddenly opens, the Queenis standing there. So how could you be scared? Do you believe these women feel less pain and violation because the behaviour is condoned by the society in which they live? Such a beautiful moment, with Philippe building on their complex relationship, reminding Louis of a more simplistic time. Nice one, Montcourt. Just airing in the U.S. and Im having surgery Friday so I dont know if Ill catch it. Should Claudine be villified for showing up her father? Women were not allowed to practice medicine at that time and her father clearly disapproves, particularly as she grows more skilled and knowledgable than him. oh sorry, wrong show). (its only 16mins and 50 seconds in not that I was counting *innocent whistle*) Filmed in the Chteau de Maisons in Maisons-Lafitte, in the Salon dHercule, he strides past Montcourt, demands to know what he is doing. forgot to add the bit about similar shows. Oh, Louis most definitely would choose France over his brother. And even after watching both seasons 1 and 2 of Versailles, I wouldnt say that he loved her a lot but on the show it was to a certain degree. I first read your reviews right after watching the entire series and then again after recently rewatching all 30 ep again. Exactly. Director Daniel Roby Writers Simon Mirren David Wolstencroft Stars George Blagden Alexander Vlahos Tygh Runyan See production, box office & company info Louis looks mega pissed. See production, box office & company info. Menu. There is your music.. Because no one knows that Cassel is one of the conspirators (and UGH I dont know WHY the Chevalier just didnt tell Marchal or Louis???) For one thing, Anne of Austria, Henriette and the Comtesse de Scissons and even Louis XIV partly himself were in real life all part of a plan to distract the court and other gossip mongers from spreading further lies, gossip, rumors and to provide a cover up for Louis and Henriettes affair which was more of a fling than an actual full fledged affair. yet so satisfying to watch because.. yeah. He should be he has not given up either of their names for the part they played in his arrest. plus its almost as if he has something to say, to hide. Here it is, mes amis! No one enters. You said everything that should have been pointed out a long time ago, with counterpoints and parallels that shone a light on some arguments and favoritism that , within the context of the show not history, were just mind boggling. All I could find were negative. How do we find the poisoner? For her lot to improve, she could only hope for things to happen. Philippe raping his wife. Hi Laura! Check Ovation for times and how you can watch Ovation in your area. I will try, but I trust you wont publish it if you find it too long. This was served to Henriette by her unsuspecting maid. From the bed, Henriette says pitifully, Dont leave me and straight away, we know who that is aimed at. Philippe is jealous. Much kudos to Nomie Schmidt for a brilliantly sad scene, aided by the backing music and the strength and emotion of George Blagden and Alex Vlahos. . I just wanna smash his smug ferret face. Bontemps: For you, Sire. Shine on Bontemps, you unsubtle diamond, you. Philippe has been by her side throughout this. But his family and France are divided. Claudine confirms: We have no choice. Thank you so much for your in depth response to my question. Is he justified in his behaviour towards her? I am tired of waiting for you to keep it, says the Queen casually as she gets into bed with Louis then settles down.