
In the first season of The Musketeers, one of the best things was Porthos. Howard Charles might have been the least well-known actor out of the four, but Porthos was fun, loyal, and deep when it mattered. He got all of the best lines and the episodes that centred on him were some of the best. Which is why this season’s Porthos-lack has been keenly felt, and it seemed like “The Prodigal Father” was going to redress the balance. Sadly, this wasn’t the most scintillating storyline, at least until the last five minutes of the episode.

Overall, the episode wasn’t thrilling. Until the final five minutes of the episode, as Rochefort finally snapped and attempted to rape the queen. It was foreshadowed in Constance’s visions back in episode four (comparing them side by side, it’s beautiful juxtaposition - where Constance saw blood and shadows, this takes place in the light with sunshine streaming through the windows). Rochefort holds all of the cards in this confrontation, as First Minister, regent in all but name and knowing the truth about Anne and Aramis. He’s gone full evil, eyepatch and all (Rochefort eyepatch first modelled by Christopher Lee in 1973, and now an integral part of any Musketeers adaptation), and there’s no way back from here.