Just as it looks like Louis could get out of debt, a hailstorm ruins everything. The people turn further against the Crown, and Parliament learns the truth about the debt in Marie Antoinette season 2, episode 7.
Caution: This post contains SPOILERS for Marie Antoinette season 2, episode 7.
The latest episode picks up just shortly after the events of episode 6. Antoinette is angry at both Louis and Yolande for keeping everything about the dauphin’s illness a secret. At the same time, Antoinette has given birth to a baby girl, and she doesn’t want to let her children out of her sight.
Things take a traumatic turn as Lambelle checks in on the new baby to find that she has died at some point. With the baby being painted out of the portrait that she was just being added into, it marks just how much people wanted to forget about those that had passed.
The people of France face more hardship in Marie Antoinette season 2, episode 7
During the episode, a freak hailstorm ruins all the crops of the French farmers. They were already devastated by the winter, and now they have lost what they could grow. Of course, they turn to the Crown for help, but it’s not like Louis can do anything to help.
Meanwhile, Orleans has already planned ahead for this. He was buying up a surplus of grain, and he is willing to give it out to the people. This buys him their love, as they know who to turn to the next time there is a disaster. Naturally, he doesn’t actually care about the people, but he does care about winning over France. When he’s banished from Versailles again, the people view it as retaliation. They already love him for what he did to them, and Louis is playing right into his hands.
MORE: Marie Antoinette season 2, episode 6 recap
Louis and Calonne face a heartbreak in Marie Antoinette
It seems that an illness is spreading around. Calonne and Vergennes suffer from this illness, but they continue to push through with the tax reforms. As Louis and Calonne debate things, they look over to Vergennes for backing, only to find that he has died without them realizing. It’s a haunting memory, and for Louis, it means that he is more and more nervous. He is losing supporters around him.
Calonne decides to reveal all to Parliament in a minute of madness, especially after Louis tells Provence about the debt. Calonne needs Parliament to pass through the tax reforms, or at least loan the King the money to be able to get France out of debt. Of course, Parliament is shocked, but Louis’s growing depression and mental health issues are making them all question his ability to lead.
Provence realizes the mess he’s about to get into, though. And as his wife realizes that he was involved in Marguerite being banishes, things are about to turn on top of him now.
Well, Calonne ends up kicked out as the Financial Controller, and it’s time for the man who got everyone into this mess to come back in to fix it. Yes, Necker is back, and while Louis and Antoinette aren’t happy with that, they know he stands a chance to fix the problem he caused. Plus, it’s punishment for the mess that he caused.
Antoinette steps in to rule in her husband’s place
Provence has always feared that Antoinette would end up taking over the ruling of the country, and that’s exactly what happens in Marie Antoinette season 2, episode 7. When Louis tells her that he can’t rule, Antoinette turns to her own advisor to find out the state of the country and everything she needs to know to rule.
If only people hadn’t nicknamed her Madame Deficit. If only people hadn’t already started to turn against Antoinette, and Jeanne and Rohan hadn’t already destroyed her reputation. She could have helped had Louis turned to her before all this happened. However, she will try, because not to try means accepting defeat.
Things also take a turn with Antoinette’s social circle. As Jeanne escapes prison and ends up in London, where her husband is working on destroying Antoinette’s reputation further, Antoinette tells Lamballe that maybe she was right about a lot more. Well, Lamballe tells Antoinette that Yolande saw Antoinette have a miscarriage all those years ago and left her for dead. Yolande tries to say Lamballe is lying, but it’s too little too late for her.
In the end, Necker does find a way for France to fix the debt problem, and it does mean that the tax reforms need to pass after all. The only way to do that is through the Estates General, and now Antoinette will need to encourage Louis to call it together. We know how history goes, but it’s hard not to hope that Antoinette and Louis find a way to save themselves in Marie Antoinette season 2.
Marie Antoinette airs on Thursdays at 10/9c on PBS.
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