The Musketeers

[ZariusTwo]

The penultimate episode has aired

Spoiler:

A base under seige story, and boy was it bloody brilliant. The Cardinal is deliciously insane, destroying the reputation and livlyhood of a noble family based simply on a drunken ramble from the King. I had to groan at the moments D'Argtanian was close to finding D'Winter after picking up her fragrence, only to be called away before he could closely inspect the room.

I'm not particulary fond of these random unrequited past love interests showing up in these episodes just to add on some additional angst. There wasnt much room for a juicy catfight between the pair of Aremis' two intendes either due to the nature of one of them as a nun, and then she goes and gets offed. I suppose if it were to set up Aremis and the Queen mucking about it did it's trick though...obviously the Queen will now fall pregnant miraculously with Aremis' child and she'll probably announce it at the end of the finale next week.

Doesnt Aremis turn evil later on in the books or am I remembering things wrong? This is a perfect set-up if it is.

[MsMarvelDuckie]

Nope. Aramis and the other three Musketeers all died at the end of the third book, "The Man In the Iron Mask", some years after rescuing the king's twin from the Bastille. There was also a second book in between which really doesn't get enough love- it was titled "Twenty Years After". I don't recall specifically which one, but one of them died in a battle, from being hit by a cannonball. Don't remember how the others died.

[Hero]

Already pre-ordered this on blu-ray.

Last s1 episode next Sunday. Sean Pertwee guest stars.

[ZariusTwo]

The finale has aired

Spoiler:

Well, this finale was a bit...I dunno, underwhelming. Very predictable "oh, let's trick M'Lady into thinking we'll split up...oh wait, she's got her own plan just in case, HIJINKS ABOUND". Ultimately, it just fizzled out. There was no major comeuppance for The Cardinal as the Queen beleives him too important to France to be hanged (which is insane given Capaldi isnt sticking around next year), and M'Lady is given the usual "change of heart" routine from Athos and is likewise allowed to go scott free.

Yes, there's the artificial barriers for the star-crossed pairings like D'Argtanian and Constance and Aremis and the Queen, but I didnt find them all that depressing because there's a whole second series where they will undoubtedly find themselves drawn back to each other. Aremis had the nicer ending of the two what with him vowing to look over his and the Queen's son. Poor Constance has to stay on suicide watch with her husband the rest of her married days.

Maybe I built it up in my head a bit too much...I know one thing though, Sean Pertwee stole the show and it's a shame he was killed off at the end

[Hero]

Sean Pertwee is slowly becoming his dad. Bring on the Worzel Gummage revival

[ZariusTwo]

Series Two has commenced.

Spoiler:

Interesting set-ups so far, D'argtanian putting his foot in it calling Constance up on her cowardice (though it feels like a retcon, she stayed with her husband because he threatened to kill himself, but here she acts like she can't cope with D'argtanian's lifestyle)

Rochford shouldn't have been made to look like too much of a "Oh dear, he's behind you" sort of deal to the audience, though I liked that he had Athos good as dead on two separate occasions and didn't take the chance. He's bound to know a lot about him and D'Winter's history (she shows up next week) and is thus sparing him for further exploitation.

Porthos's family has shady history eh? Good idea keeping the freed captain lingering, gives it that nice sense of continual serialization.

I did crack a "Lucy in the sky" joke while she was hanging on the line...no diamonds, but boy what a tight arse, woof.

All in all, rollicking good fun