Season 3 Episode 1
I wish I were able to recap this show in proper order. As it is, I write recaps of the episodes I managed to take notes on as I watched them. This episode, the first of the third season, I watched distractedly some time ago. I was only able to watch it again recently, and so I am writing the recap now.
Dottore Lucrezia
The episode opens with Rodrigo dying of cantarella, administered by that creepy kid who volunteered to carry out Cardinal Della Rovere's plan. The doctor says there is no cure. Lucrezia takes charge and pronounces charcoal pushed down Rodrigo's throat as the remedy. I remember watching this episode for the first time and really, really disliking the explanation of how Lucrezia knew of the remedy --- that she read it in a book.
I know very little of the Borgias of history, but among those little things I know is that Lucrezia has a reputation, deserved or not, as a poisoner. It is an aspect of her character I have been looking forward to seeing developed in the show. It was jarring that her knowledge of poison was so casually explained by her having read it in a book. The show had two seasons to set up this aspect of her character. Poison was used in the first season (an early assassination attempt on Rodrigo that killed one of the cardinals, Juan's botched attempt to have Prince Cem killed) and the second season (Cesare and Micheletto's plot to kill Cardinal Della Rovere with poison, Cardinal Della Rovere's season-long plan to have Rodrigo killed); there were plenty of opportunities to show how interested Lucrezia was in herbs and their healing, and deadly powers. The seeds of Lucrezia's interest in poison should have been planted in the earlier seasons; it is rather frustrating that they were not.
Okay, rant over. Moving on. Cardinal Sforza says he has had the city closed. Micheletto found something on the boy's room that pointed to the Dominicans. Cesare and Micheletto attack a house presumably where the Dominicans have been hiding Cardinal Della Rovere. Cardinal Della Rovere is not there, because he is already at the Pope's bedside.
The Next Pope
As Rodrigo hovers between life and death, the Cardinals discuss who the next Pope will be. There seem to be a consensus that the next Pope should be Roman. Cardinal Della Rovere announces his presence to the other Cardinals; they all hover by Rodrigo's bedside. Cesare arrives and draws blade upon seeing Cardinal Della Rovere. Vanozza stops her son, pushes him out of the room, and tells him to think of what happens next if Rodrigo dies. Cesare tells his mother to look to him for safety.
Cesare asks Cardinal Sforza about the lines of allegiance within the Vatican. Cardinal Sforza says he has a list in his apartments. I would have thought the Cardinal would have this kind of thing memorised; after all, the number of important personages within Rome capable of doing the Borgias harm cannot number in the thousands. Anyway, this is Cardinal Sforza's excuse to go back to his apartments, where Rufio is waiting for him.
Cardinal Sforza asks Rufio is he is behind the poisoning of Rodrigo; Rufio denies this, but says certain matters have been arranged. All the Borgias will die, and Rufio requires Cardinal Sforza's help, the Cardinal being blood kin to Rufio's mistress Caterina. The choice for Cardinal Sforza is clear --- either help Caterina and Rufio kill Rodrigo, or confront him after he lost his entire family to Sforza hands.
Back by the sick bed, Cardinal Della Rovere is busy campaigning for Pope. He tells a handful of Cardinals none of them can beat Cardinal Sforza. Ascanio will pit them against each other, then beat them. Cardinal Della Rovere, on the other hand, can beat Cardianl Sforza. This campaigning becomes moot when Rodrigo wakes up and heaves ash on a Cardinal unfortunate enough to be standing nearest to him.
Cardinal Rovere tries to leave but is confronted outside the Palace by Cesare and some guards, who take him prisoner.
The Borgias
Members of Rodrigo's family are under heavy guard as they walk the streets from the Pope's Palace to Vanozza's villa. Earlier in the episode, there is a scene of Micheletto carrying little Giovanni in his arms while surrounded by guards, and with the nanny by his side. As much as I appreciate seeing Micheletto holding a baby, would it not have made more sense for the nanny to carry Giovanni, and for Micheletto to, you know, protect them?
Anyway, it seems that the Sforza men are holding the nanny's family hostage, and are threatening their lives if the nanny does not cooperate in the plot to kill the Borgias. At the market, the nanny meets with a guy who instructs her to leave a window unlatched when the Borgias have returned to Vanozza's villa. The nanny begs the guy to spare little Giovanni's life.
With Rodrigo alive, his family gather around him. Rodrigo asks where Juan is, and Cesare leaves. Later, with Rodrigo's faculties seemingly clearer, he tells Cesare that every crime must be seen to be punished. Basically, Rodrigo is telling Cesare to find someone to blame for Juan's murder. He also tells his eldest son he (Cesare) will have to find his own peace.
Cardinal Sforza tells Rufio to call off the assassination plot against Rodrigo's family, because Rodrigo has survived the poisoning. Rufio tells the Cardinal to kill the Pope with a dagger concealed in a crucifix inside Rodrigo's chambers.
The Plot
Cesare threatens Cardinal Della Rovere with torture, but another Cardinal frees him. The Cardinal I do not recognise, pragmatic soul, says others may succeed in killing Rodrigo and then, Rome will need Cardinal Della Rovere. Cesare is, of course, furious when he finds Cardinal Della Rovere gone.
Cardinal Sforza is frisked before entering Rodrigo's room, where he finds the dagger where Rufio said he would. The Cardinal looks ready to murder when Cesare arrives and tells him Cardinal Della Rovere escaped. Cardinal Sforza quickly tells Cesare about the plot to kill his family engineered by Caterina Sforza to happen this very night.
Would Cardinal Sforza have killed the Pope had Cesare not interrupted him? I truly do not know. After all, it is one thing to look the other way as a person is killed, quite another to wield the blade himself. I do find it interesting that Cardinal Sforza told Cesare the plot to kill his family after being told that Cardinal Della Rovere escaped. With Rodrigo dead and Cardinal Della Rovere in prison, Cardinal Sforza probably saw a clear path to the papacy. However, with Cardinal Della Rovere free, there was one man who could challenge Cardinal Sforza for the papacy, and win. Under Rodrigo, Cardinal Sforza enjoys a favoured position; a Sforza though he may be, but he is trusted by the Pope, and through that trust comes a lot of power. If Cardinal Della Rovere becomes Pope, Cardinal Sforza faces uncertainty. In the earlier scene by Rodrigo's bed side, it was established that Cardinal Della Rovere views Cardinal Sforza as a rival. As Pope, Della Rovere could clip Cardinal Sforza's powers considerably. In this instance, Cardinal Sforza decided to throw his lot with the Borgias.
Back at Vanozza's villa, the maid gives the signal, and the assassins enter. The maid tries to leave the villa, but Micheletto, standing by the stairs, blocks her way and asks her why she is not rushing to her charge Giovanni, who is crying. The maid confesses the plot.
Micheletto quickly kills one assassin. Another assassin enters a bedroom, presumably belonging to one of the Borgia ladies, and repeatedly stabs the woman lying there. He turns the face around and realises the lady is the nanny, already dead. Cesare arrives and kills the remaining assassin. The ladies and Giovanni, who have been hiding in Lucrezia's room, rush to embrace Cesare. Lucrezia actually gives Giovanni to Micheletto so she can hug her brother properly. Uncomfortable with the bloody assassin holding her grand child, Vanozza takes Giovanni from Micheletto.
Cesare meets up with Cardinal Sforza, who tells him about Rufio. Later, Rodrigo berates Cesare about the escape of Cardinal Della Rovere. Rodrigo pronounces they are at war.
Cardinal Della Rovere escapes Rome by hiding under dead bodies --- the bodies of the men and one woman killed in Vanozza's villa.
'Student of death' Rufio goes back to Caterina and tells her Ascanio betrayed them. Caterina decrees that there be no more assassinations. Instead, they are to form an alliance with the second sons of the most important Roman families.
The episode closes with Caterina on the streets of Rome.
Show: The Borgias (Showtime)
Season: Three
Episode Title: The Face of Death
Episode Writer: Guy Burt
Episode Director: Kari Skogland
Original Air Date: April 14, 2013
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