Chartres finds a way back to Versailles in Marie Antoinette season 2, episode 3. Meanwhile, Antoinette works on getting her own property.
Caution: This post contains SPOILERS for Marie Antoinette season 2, episode 3.
The end of the previous episode saw Antoinette realize that she needed to secure herself in France should something happen to her husband. However, the new episode starts with her learning that she has absolutely nothing. She needs her husband to buy property for her to put in her own name, and it could change everything in France.
Meanwhile, Chartres continues to find his way back to Versailles, and he will not stop until he gets there. The beginning of Marie Antoinette season 2, episode 3 ensures that has to happen.
The death of the Duke d’Orleans in Marie Antoinette season 2, episode 3
The episode opens with Chartres and his mistress by Chartres’s father’s death bed. It’s clear that all he wants is for his dad to finally die, and that happens. This is good news for Chartres, as now he becomes the Duke d’Orleans, and it means he needs to be welcomed back to Versailles.
However, while Louis is willing to welcome him back, Antoinette is not so happy about it. After all, he got angry when she didn’t respond with love after he shared his for her. When she goes to her new home, Chartres goes to see her looking for forgiveness. Well, when he doesn’t get that, he turns on her again. He knows that Antoinette was having an affair with the Swede, and he makes it clear that he will share all of this to France.
What does Chartres want to avoid sharing this, even if some of it could be a lie as this baby could be Louis’s? He wants a marriage to be arranged between his son and Antoinette’s daughter. Antoinette makes it very clear that that will not happen. Her daughter will get to marry for love.
Antoinette gets her home should something happen to Louis
As Antoinette learns that she doesn’t have anything to support her should something happen to Louis, she realizes that she needs something. Her advisor shares that there is a palace that would work, but she needs six million from Louis to buy it. We know that France is in debt, so that money isn’t going to come easy.
When Antoinette shares that she is pregnant and that it is Louis’s child, he finally realizes that she does need a place of her own. He also realizes just how vulnerable she and the children are should something happen to him. Finding out that his son’s genetic disease is getting worse also leads to Louis realizing that there is a huge issue with his lineage. He needs to keep Antoinette safe.
How does he afford this? Well, a bank offers France a loan for the 24 million they need, but how long until that comes back to bite everyone? Is this going to further bankrupt the country?
There is hope toward the end of the episode. Antoinette delivers a healthy baby boy, so while their eldest son may die, he hopes to have an heir.
Chartres is quick to turn the people against Antoinette after that. He has pamphlets distributed that claim the Dauphin is illegitimate. We are seeing the turning point for the people of France as they believe the lies and rumors — or possibly the truth, as we simply don’t know who the father of the second boy is. I am confused about why he says Dauphin, as the new baby isn’t the heir. He will be, but there are no doubts about the actual Dauphin due to the genetic disorder that also claimed the life of Louis’s brother.
Jeanne continues her manipulation in Marie Antoinette
With people getting a little suspicious about Jeanne, she realizes that she needs to do something to protect herself. She goes about distributing flowers to those who have helped her “charity,” and one of those is Cardinal Rohan. He is disappointed that the queen has given him such a bland and impersonal gift, which means that she hasn’t forgiven him for his own transgressions. He has to step up his offers to the “charity.”
What he doesn’t realize is that all the letters coming from Antoinette are actually coming from Jeanne. She is able to make him think that Antoinette likes him again, and it leads to him telling Jeanne that the diamond necklace is going to be broken up into parts and sold. This leads to Jeanne writing to Rohan to get the necklace, and it seems to work until Rohan makes it clear that he wants to meet with Antoinette in person before securing it.
Jeanne also has the problem of Lambelle looking for signs that she is lying. Well, she decides to admit that she is lying, but not about the charity. It's about how close she is to the queen, and she shares that she wishes that she was close to her. Along with that, the geneologist confirms that Jeanne is a descendant of Henri II, but from one of his illegitimate lines. So, will the women start to turn against her?
There is some personal backstory for Jeanne revealed. Her husband comes to town, sharing that he has been mourning the loss of their children while Jeanne has been scheming. Does that suggest that Cagliostro does have some sort of medium skills, or does he know who Jeanne is? When we see Cagliostro talking to Felicite, it’s clear that he sells his “skills” and makes up prophecies, like the one in episode 2, but he is also a freemason or member of the Illuminati. What is going on with his man?
Marie Antoinette airs on Sundays at 10/9c on PBS.
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