To War Rather Than To Bed
Episode 2 of The Serpent Queen follows the same flashback technique as its predecessor. The old Queen Catherine makes Rahima her maid and continues the story about her years in the Valois court. She also conditions Rahima to take revenge from those who have wronged her. The Serpent Queen has her eye on everything in the court, contrary to belief. ..
Catherine is on the cusp of a powerful position in the Valois court. She has been able to buy herself some time by speaking about her ‘visions’ to the king and begging for mercy. However, her uncle, the Pope, has recently died without completing the dowry and she cannot produce an heir either. Catherine devises a plan to keep her position secure and buys herself some time by buying herself some land in France. She breaks the fourth wall to speak about certain ‘visions’ that she has. She acts coy in front of the king and begs for mercy. She looks at the camera and tells viewers to learn to exploit other’s weaknesses for their own benefit.
Mathilde, a Catherine’s envoy, switches her loyalty to Diane for a selfish gain. She wishes to meet with Dauphin and engage in some intimate behaviour. Diane has her eye on every movement of the princess. She even finds out about Catherine’s affair with the stable hand and that Catherine is not actually pregnant with Henri’s child. Catherine immediately sorts to rectify her plan.
Henri orders Catherine to give the apple to the stable hand, in order to prove her loyalty. The royal family visits a house in the village which happens to be the stable hand’s home. There is a show of power and cruelty by the king and his eldest son as they kill the poor family. Henri’s ego is bruised when the stable hand pleads to Catherine for help. Henri slits the stable hand’s throat after realizing that his wife might be cheating on him. ..
After Catherine and Henri spent a night together, Catherine learns that she is not pregnant again. This frustrates her as her position at the court is threatened. She goes to the Sultan at his harem and proposes an alliance. ..
When Aabis and Cosimo go to the forest, they meet the stable hand’s young son and give him a puppet. Soon after, the young boy is found dead in the forest by Catherine. This incident scares her to some extent.
Catherine has a plan to get Henri to leave for war, but Diane is not going to let her go without a fight. Diane warns Catherine that she will make her life a living hell if Henri doesn’t come back safe and sound. ..
Queen Catherine gives Rahima a gunpowder and says that it goes well with brioche. Rahima plants the gunpowder onto the bread dough in the kitchen. This dough is picked up by the maid who belittled Rahima and she goes to place it in the oven. There is a blast soon after, clearly hinting at severe bodily harm or possibly death for the maid.
Queen Catherine watches like a hawk from her chambers and smirks at young Rahima’s thirst for revenge and justice.
The Episode Review
As the days go by, Catherine struggles to set her foot in the court. The story progresses rapidly as we see the court bristling in action both in the past and the present.
The Serpent Queen is a gripping, political drama set in the early 18th century. Catherine, a young girl, is forced to take on a powerful man in order to save her people. She is an excellent actress and the film’s strong focus on her performance makes for an engaging experience. The screenplay is well-written and tightly plotted, making for an enjoyable watch.
