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Saturday 2 July 2016

The Musketeers 1.3 "Commodities" Review

                                            Image result for the-musketeers commodities photos
The Musketeers are entrusted with the task of escorting Emilie Bonnaire (James Callis) back to Paris to appear before Louis (Ryan Gage). Who is building a miniature ship and wishes they had French flags instead of Dutch, he wants to steal the Spanish Armada.  The Musketeers find Bonnaire at an inn and have to fight to get him from there, as well as his wife, Marie (Emma Skellern)causing trouble as she has a score to settle with him.  He asks for a moment alone with her where they fake being intimate, as she picks the lock to escape.  But Porthos (Howard Charles) waits for him in his wagon, which he wants since he wants to present his exotic wares before Louis.  He offers Porthos some wine and talks of slavery and where Portho's ancestors hail from.  His mother escaped slavery and came to France, but he was looking after himself since he was five.

They find that two scouts are following them and are met with Bonnaire's business partner, Meunier, whom he doublecrossed.  Athos (Tom Burke) tells him they can't have him cos they're on the king's business and Porthos is wounded in the fight with his men.  Aramis (Santiago Cabrera) needs to stitch his wound but he can't be moved, yet they manage to move him to a house nearby, which turns out to be Athos's mansion.  Aramis remarking on his nobility.  As he walks through the house, he has a flashback to his wife and giving her a forget-me-knot flower.  As she eventually turns around, we know that his wife is Milady de Winter (Maimie McCoy) whom he had hanged cos she was a cold blooded killer.

Aramis stitches Porthos up and he needs to rest after he's punched out to make the task easier. Bonnaire would buy this place but it's not for sale.  A shame D'Artagnan (Luke Pasqualino) didn't lift up the torn painting to see the woman's face, nor did he see the flowers in her hand, just like she laid them on his pillow at Constance's house.  Marie comes to rescue Bonnaire and they escape for a while, until they're caught and Marie is shot by the Spanish who have been following Bonnaire. Porthos must remain at the house in his condition and can't give chase so he gets bored and looks at the plans Bonnaire has been carrying.  They show the construction of slave ships and Bonnaire admits he wants to raise tobacco in the colonies, but he needs men to do it for him.  Athos knows slavery is disgusting and objectionable but he has a duty to the king and they must take him there. Saying Louis will deal with him and his slavery.

Athos dreams of Milady and of hanging her as he rides away without seeing the task to completion. She survived since she seduced Roomy as she later tells him and he remains behind to see him, but finds him dead, stabbed.  He goes back, gets drunk and sees her with a torch, she sets the house on     fire Jane Eyre style and tells him how she seduces Remi and he went back for her and revived her. But she killed his brother and put Remi (Tomas Masopust) out of his misery too since he was already half dead.  D'Artagnan returns to the house, since he did look back at it before leaving and rescues Athos from the fire.  I mentioned Jane Eyre cos in 2016 Tom Burke read the part of Mr Rochester in the BBC radio production, but I said he'd make a good Rochester in a proper dramatization, all dark and brooding.  Also thought Wuthering Heights with the scene with the tree where she was hanged.

Bonnaire goes before the Cardinal (Peter Capaldi) who tells him to tell him his plans in detail as his life depends on it.  He's impressed with the venture so the cardinal personally invests in it and he is to set sail.  Bonnaire buys drinks for everyone and the Musketeers ensure he sets sail but on a Spanish ship to Spain.  Athos gives Meunier (John Warnaby) the keys to Bonnaire's warehouse and suggests he empty it before the cardinal finds out.  Also it's treason so they won't speak of it.

Milady and the cardinal makes plans of their own and he asks if the flowers are for him, was he expecting flowers then, ha.  As she ask if he requires her services in the future as she has personal business.
Cardinal "Any notion of a personal life ended the day I picked you out of the gutter and made you my creature.  Even assassins should have a holiday now and then."  As her personal business was no doubt with Athos and the house, as well as Remi and she also makes the acquaintance of Constance (Tamla Kari) as she requires a dress made by her husband.  Mentioning D'Artagnan too.  When he returns he tells Constance he hasn't heard of Milady de Winter and Constance was afraid of her.

An episode where we get to know the background on Athos and Milady and find he was the Comte de Fere, hailing from a noble background, so Milady would've been out of place if she had told him the truth of who she really was.  But would it really have made him change his mind and not marry her, clearly he was besotted with her.  Also a bit on Porthos and his backstory, how he abhors slavery and learned to survive by himself at an early age.  Porthos: "...man is not a commodity."

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