The Borgias, episodes 4-8

[osprey_archer]

LUCREZIAAAAAAAA. I love all the things Lucrezia in episodes 4 to 8: the way she schemes against her abusive husband - her look of suppressed, delighted malice when he falls off his horse and breaks his leg - the way that Giulia Farnese rides to her rescue -

(Favorite non-Lucrezia scene: Giulia Farnese’s confrontation with Giovanni Sforza and his cousin Caterina Sforza, who, it is apparent, is a badass in her own right. Giulia’s self-control is stunning - let’s face it, everything about Giulia Farnese is stunning - )

But my FAVORITE, FAVORITE Lucrezia scene is near the end of episode 8. Lucrezia and Giulia Farnese are hostages/guests of the French king, and the king takes them to admire his armies and his cannon, which are all in fighting gear to sack Rome that very day.

Lucrezia’s distress rolls off her in waves as the French king shows off his cannon by firing them at the papal army which has Lucrezia’s brother Juan at the head. Lucrezia’s voice goes all high and jumpy as she struggles to control her horror - it’s this wonderful contrast to the polite chit-chat she is struggling to make.

And then she rides over to parlay with the papal army, her cloak billowing off her horse behind her.

Such bravery! If the French fired the cannons again she might be torn to bits. But she has to go, because Lucrezia Borgia - just fifteen, sixteen? - is the last best defense against the third sack of Rome.

Her problem: the French king is in such a strong position he has no real reason not to sack it. And also: her brother Juan needs a way to retreat with honor, or else he’ll just get his army killed, poor fool.

(I feel really bad for Juan. Because, first, how will Juan ever live up to Lucrezia’s and Cesare’s awesomeness? And second, though Cesare is probably right that Juan doesn’t have what it takes to lead the papal armies, this defeat is not even slightly his fault. Cesare couldn’t have done much against 25,000 French troops and cannon balls with chains either.)

And Lucrezia figures it out! On the fly, on her feet, having just seen her father’s own soldiers ripped in half by the French cannons, so distressed her voice shakes, Lucrezia comes up with a plan that would allow the papal armies to retreat with honor and the French armies to pass through Rome without sacking it.

And she not only comes up with the plan, but understands well enough how the French king’s mind works to convince him to accept it. That’s why she doesn’t ask for his permission before she rides over to talk to Juan: the king admires bravery, and there is nothing but his admiration of her to stop him from sacking her city.

At least, we hope it will save her city. If the French sack Rome in the next episode I will be sad, but still, Lucrezia gave it everything she had - and she came closer to a solution than anyone else.

Comments

[bunn.livejournal.com]

I loved that scene with Lucrezia as well. Genuinely heart in mouth stuff.

Have to admit a lot of the time I just watch Borgias for the eye candy - every scene a Renaissance masterpiece! - but this was one of the bits where I sat up and started really watching the plot.

I love the ugly French king and his amazing rolling RRRRRRs too.

[osprey-archer.livejournal.com]

Ha, well, a lot of the time there is lots of eye candy and not so much politics going on, so I think your method of watching is probably the best method.

The French king is a lot of fun! I like how he's like "I like plain speaking, cardinal," and Della Rovere is almost incapacitated by it. Plain speaking? What does he mean???

[isiscolo.livejournal.com]

I love the ugly French king, too! He's such a great character, one of my favorites of the peripheral characters in the show. And yeah, that scene is amazing. Lucrezia shows such wonderful confidence and cleverness; she's her daddy's girl, yep.

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

Wow, that really *does* sound awesome! I love that sort of heroics and political derring-do.

[osprey-archer.livejournal.com]

It's a great scene! They get the emotional impact and the visuals - this little figure on a horse galloping across the field between two armies - just right.

[silverusagi]

And Lucrezia figures it out! On the fly, on her feet, having just seen her father’s own soldiers ripped in half by the French cannons, so distressed her voice shakes, Lucrezia comes up with a plan that would allow the papal armies to retreat with honor and the French armies to pass through Rome without sacking it.

That scene was so brilliant. The way her voice is shaking even before the cannons are fired when she asks if they'll be loud, the way she just takes off across the field and Charles doesn't fire despite the officer pushing him to, the way she rides back up and is all "Oh, they're here because they thought you were going to sack Rome! How silly of them! RIGHT?"

Also, I just remembered out of the blue that I went to school with a guy whose last name was Borgia.

[osprey-archer.livejournal.com]

I especially love the "How silly of them!" part. She's making it as easy as possible for the French king to agree with her. You don't even have to change your mind, sire, because clearly you were ALWAYS planning to march peacefully through Rome! RIGHT?

Ha, perhaps he was the long-lost great-great-great (etc.) grandson of Cesare!