by Helen Langdon
Everyone’s had one of those nights where they get absolutely wasted and then wake up sprawled in the mud next to a melon and a corpse. No? Possibly just Porthos then, who in this week’s episode found himself sentenced to death and rescued in the space of a couple of minutes. But it wasn’t our usual brave boys doing the rescuing – this week Porthos’ past came back to haunt him in the form of the Court of Miracles.
Everyone’s had one of those nights where they get absolutely wasted and then wake up sprawled in the mud next to a melon and a corpse. No? Possibly just Porthos then, who in this week’s episode found himself sentenced to death and rescued in the space of a couple of minutes. But it wasn’t our usual brave boys doing the rescuing – this week Porthos’ past came back to haunt him in the form of the Court of Miracles.
This wasn’t quite the Disney Court of Miracles, but it did stand out in a few ways. Firstly, given that the rest of Paris has been suitably grimy, you’d expect the “wart on the face of Paris” to be even dirtier. It wasn’t. It was a bit dustier, and darker, but that was due to the tattered sheets hanging from everything. And the people, especially Flea, looked like they were having baths several times a day. It was a very trendy version of a thief court, even down to Flea not wearing many clothes. Apparently she only wears a jacket during the day, which just engenders mothering feelings of wanting to get her a cardigan. The only people who looked even vaguely like they were living in slum conditions were the men in the leather masks. The set dressing was slightly better in de Mauvoisin’s house. Just to emphasise his demonstrative Catholicism, there were religious statues everywhere, even as he clutched onto a rosary and a crucifix. It was subtle enough to be noticeable, but not so over the top that it intruded upon the action, which is pretty much the perfect balance.
Plot wise, this week The Musketeers were back to being detectives. This could have led to a boring episode, given that it was basically a rehash of episode one (a musketeer is wrongly sentenced to death, but the others will find some evidence to clear his name!), but it did well, cramming in a few red herrings along the way. But they weren’t just there to distract us. The subplot about Catholics and Protestants just added to the world-building, reminding us that this was a time in French history where Protestants had only recently been tolerated. It was a nice touch to make de Mauvoisin’s family Huguenots, giving a reason for his relative poverty, like a little history-geek bonus. The script was definitely ambitious, taking in thieves, the court, religious intrigue, capitalism, murder, urban cleansing and the printing press. Which might explain how the plothole slipped through the net. Part of Porthos’ alibi relies on the fact that the young de Mauvoisin couldn’t have been killed in the street, as there was no blood or brain matter in the mud. But when Porthos finally has a flashback to his forgotten night, he sees the murderer in said street, leaning over the corpse. Either the murder happened in the pub and no-one noticed, or in the street and very cleanly, or the de Mauvoisins went elsewhere to have their fight, before de Mauvoisin Senior and Charon moved the body to the street. Essentially, none of the possible explanations really work. So why mention the lack of blood in the first place?
Plot wise, this week The Musketeers were back to being detectives. This could have led to a boring episode, given that it was basically a rehash of episode one (a musketeer is wrongly sentenced to death, but the others will find some evidence to clear his name!), but it did well, cramming in a few red herrings along the way. But they weren’t just there to distract us. The subplot about Catholics and Protestants just added to the world-building, reminding us that this was a time in French history where Protestants had only recently been tolerated. It was a nice touch to make de Mauvoisin’s family Huguenots, giving a reason for his relative poverty, like a little history-geek bonus. The script was definitely ambitious, taking in thieves, the court, religious intrigue, capitalism, murder, urban cleansing and the printing press. Which might explain how the plothole slipped through the net. Part of Porthos’ alibi relies on the fact that the young de Mauvoisin couldn’t have been killed in the street, as there was no blood or brain matter in the mud. But when Porthos finally has a flashback to his forgotten night, he sees the murderer in said street, leaning over the corpse. Either the murder happened in the pub and no-one noticed, or in the street and very cleanly, or the de Mauvoisins went elsewhere to have their fight, before de Mauvoisin Senior and Charon moved the body to the street. Essentially, none of the possible explanations really work. So why mention the lack of blood in the first place?
If the plot was trying to do lots in terms of actual action, the treatment of the only main female character was a bit clichéd. Of course she had to be involved in a love triangle, although Porthos’ surprise at the kiss was a good change. He was all geared up for a verbal fight, as opposed to being sure that his cockiness could win her into bed. On the negative side, it was a really stupid place to kiss him. If your boyfriend is the king of thieves, don’t cheat on him in the street. Life lesson there. Back on the cliché list, of course she was going to end up injured, because women always jump in front of a gun for love. At least she didn’t die. The Musketeers does seem to be trying for slightly more realism in injuries, so long as they don’t result from jumping out of a window. It was so here, as Flea’s gunshot wound was enough to send her sprawling, but not enough to kill her or even make her flail for attention. Sorry to keep banging on about female representation in The Musketeers, but given that it follows Call the Midwife, BBC One’s most female-heavy current show, it would be nice to have more than just two female characters per episode.
In next week’s episode... well, it’s kind of difficult to tell. It looks like we’ll be getting another load of history thrown in, with the appearance of Marie de’ Medici, Louis’ mother. She’ll be having friction with the Cardinal! Constance’s fighting lessons will recommence! Aramis will say one thing and do another! Baby! I counted at least three women in that teaser! But the most pressing question is this: will Aramis’ saddle-mounted hat stand make another appearance?
In next week’s episode... well, it’s kind of difficult to tell. It looks like we’ll be getting another load of history thrown in, with the appearance of Marie de’ Medici, Louis’ mother. She’ll be having friction with the Cardinal! Constance’s fighting lessons will recommence! Aramis will say one thing and do another! Baby! I counted at least three women in that teaser! But the most pressing question is this: will Aramis’ saddle-mounted hat stand make another appearance?
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