She causes her father distress, embarasssment, hurt. The moment stretches and Claudine shakes her head: she will not survive the poison. We see a shot of Philippe and Louis: Philippe is stunned and mega sad. Philippe looks up to Louis with wet puppy eyes, Louis looks at Philippe, his all flinty and hard. He certainly is darker, more angry and violent than he was in real life. Because the whole world gave you counsel. Is it fair? And suddenly Marchal has his ah-HA moment. When we are the kings enemy, we must make him believe we are his friend. Who poisoned Henriette in Versailles? The camera pans around him and yet still, not one muscle is out of place, not one twitch of emotion. Hi Laura! (since you mention here she is his love). Such a beautiful moment, with Philippe building on their complex relationship, reminding Louis of a more simplistic time. I think that if he really loved Henriette that much, he wouldnt have gotten over her so quickly and easily, once they dangled a pretty, young blonde newcomer court lady to distract him. Of course, nothing happened and the doctors said colic but nine hours later, she was dead. Monsieur de Reynaud is poisoned by an unknown entity. I cannot permit it, he says. How do we find the poisoner? It is fascinating to compare Philippes two moments of deep anguish side by side: when the Chevalier was arrested, we saw his total and complete breakdown, the slow crumple of his expression from shock, to horror, to abject grief, then as he collapsed to his knees and rocked while he wept. <3 <3 I love the outfit on the fashion doll that we see when Philippe and Lorraine flounce into the salon full of cloth and trinkets, and later we see that same coat on Philippe as they stroll the gardens :), Your email address will not be published. Whew! While making this video i was inspired by the scene when Henriette talks about her first mask ball. You really point out a lot of details one might miss when watching the episodes for the first time. Totally inappropriate time to mention it. And I see all the little things that Henriette says, her little gestures and actions that bring conflict and sadness to Philippe. Sad to hear well have to wait a year for the next season Are there similar shows to this you could recommend? I think we see fairly good evidence in episode 7 that not only does Philippe support his brother, but that he is honestly frightened of the idea of running the country and has no desire to take his brothers place (his anger at being overlooked for the regency is more due to his hurt that no one supports him or takes him seriouslyhis experience all his life). But gossip is gossip and it was particularly rife and vicious in those days. But that was the thinking of the time. But lets compare: Henriette is jealous. I find it interesting that Louis feels the need to add: she came to find me, to put the doubt on Montespans face to rest. At some stage, Musket Mike (the masked man) is outed as a Kings guard. . Philippe has been by her side throughout this. Okay, is Louvois just being a dick? In the end though, nobody was actually tortured or executed on charges of killing her. Montcourt declares he only knew her in passing, Marchal calls out his bullshit: but you knew she had malevolent intent. To which Montcourt sarcastically replies: it may have escaped your notice but everyone in this building has malevolent intent. Duchess Henriette becomes suddenly ill when she returns from a visit to her brother in England. Im no Henriette fan, but Im so sorry, no, Philippe did not win the victim sweepstakes in that marriage. So thats why I believe that the most that Louis felt for Henriette was that he only loved her a little or to some degree but not enough. I will come, says Philippe. I think it would be naive of us to assume that was the first (or only) time that happened. Pot, meet kettle. And what better way to keep Louis safe than have his Head of Security plant one of his spies in his bed? In every possible way. .. now, I am not saying that Colbert is implying Philippe poisoned his wife, but it sure sounds like it. Louis adds, almost contemptuously: you never understood politics. King Louis is in a bit of a pickle. Plus he told Louis he didnt recognise the sender of the notes which is technically true. She doesnt want to speak of him. Noemie Schmidt: Yes, totally stuck. And Marchal sees this too, his eyes flicking down to focus on them, then showing us aflashback of the dying girl, Charlotte de Parthanay, whom he held in his arms in Episode Three, where she says she saw angels. Claudine confirms poison and Louis huddles with his advisors: he wants to know if any English are at court. Arguably, as a man, it was within Philippes power to end his relationship easily enough whereas Henriette, a woman, would very possibly not have had that same power. I will also add that while Louis uses her to hurt Philippe in a very deliberate and calculated manner, I dont believe that is Henriettes intent at all. Philippe of course blames Louis for Henriette's poisoning as he was the one who sent Henriette as an ambassador abroad even though everyone begged him not to. Now this is fascinating. Anyways, he says: we cannot be seen together anymore. He rolls in bed, his cheek on a bloodied pillow, and suddenly wakes, realises what it is and follows the trail to Louis bedchamber. Royal FamilyKing Louis XIV Arranged Marriage: To Marie-Thrse Boom, Headshot! As for Philippe, I cant make out what he is. I enjoyed them very much, I must saymuch more than this series, which is good entertainement, but, God, so FAR from being historically correct, in so many ways. Right. Called it!) The one she loves the most. (Historical note: it was forbidden for the King to be in the presence of death. After doing an excellent job negotiating an alliance with England against the Dutch (which was then promptly overturned), Henriette returns to Versailles just in time to be poisoned and die in blood-soaked agony. Slavery was also an accepted practice of the day. I kind of doubt it). Henriette gasps, crying and in pain. Philippe has no interest in Henriette, is not attracted to her or in love with her. Gladly. Louis is disbelieving: And sacrifice your future to see me suffer? Philippe glances around the salon then says: What does a King know of sacrifice?, Louis cant believe it. We learn that she has loved Louis since they were children. Is it fair? Well, my thought is Philippe angrily claiming his conjugal rights may well have happened before. There is your music.. To which Marchal says: you are the daughter of a Huguenot conspirator to the King, funded and supported by William of Orange. But Sophie says her mother paid that price, she is merely trying to survive and thought Marchals protection would ensure it. It is Louis, and not Henriette, whom I see as the one who does the greatest harm to Philippe. The rape scene was repugnant and Phillipes actions were out of character with the Phillipe we saw in the rest of the season. There was no indication of poisoning, so death was attributed to cholera morbus caused by corrupt and boiling bile, which had led to gangrene in the entrails and other parts of the lower abdomen. Check back soon for my overview and wrap up of the entire season. This girl is familiar she was at Henriettes bedside as the princess related the story of her first masked ball to Sophie. I am sobbing. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. It was all out there. She cant honestly say that the death of the man to whom she is shackled in a loveless marriage, who feels no attraction for her and never can but can easily enough rape her, who stands between her and the man she truly loveswouldnt be entirely unwelcome. After all, everything she did was unacceptable at that time for women and it was certainly acceptable to beat a woman, especially if she was a wife, sister or daughter. She is only ever Louis sweet, nubile mistress or Philippes overlooked wife, never her own person, she isnt seductive and outgoing like Montespan or scheming like de Clermont or genuinely sweet with a backbone like Sophie, shes just a soft-spoken waif who huffs when she doesnt get her way, cries when shes put in a difficult position, doesnt seem that clever but knows exactly where to strike thatll heart the worst mentioning Francoise Parthenay when Louis has refused to talk about the Chevalier, for one. Do you even think hed allow her to end things? Hold onto this moment, I told you. Protocol demands that he stays, Philippe says tightly. I have heard many say they see angels before they die. (Ahhh! Thank you so much for your in depth response to my question. For her lot to improve, she could only hope for things to happen. It is so interesting to watch, given a discussion I had on Twitter earlier with some fellow fans. But I said lets make it our fort. For once in your life you played along. Rohan. Bontemps is still confused: you told us Montcourt was to blame. How can he be so sure? Still, Louis suspicions had been aroused and he ordered an autopsy, which was performed by French doctors and witnessed by others sent from England. Hi Janet! You said everything that should have been pointed out a long time ago, with counterpoints and parallels that shone a light on some arguments and favoritism that , within the context of the show not history, were just mind boggling. The Dauphin. plus its almost as if he has something to say, to hide. For the record, I dont think Henriette would actually like to see Philippe die, but she would like to be shot of him. But his treatment of her does make me think, rather than an actual person, the writers have quite subtly used her as a tool: she is the only person Philippe can take his frustrations out on he knows she loves Louis, and at that point Louis is still very much in love with her Philippe knows this, and punishes Louis the only way he can, but punishing his mistress. UGH D: Hi Jules, I have thoroughly enjoyed reading your reviews as much as I have enjoyed watching Versailles. The next shot is of Montespan, entering her rooms, where she briefly cries then quickly gains control with a deep breath. Not only did they grow up together but they were first cousins and Louis was a devout Catholic. And then down by the promontory. We are shown much more of Philippes inner mind and his relationship to Louis than anyone else. Did not see this one coming! I know this coming years later, but to Theresa THANK YOU SO MUCH. Louis strolls over to the fireplace and picks up a poker, calmly summarising whats happened on his roads, his people dying, attempts on his own life, and now his beloved Henriette. Another grabs him, covers his mouth, and more appear to shoot a guard. Louis turns in slow-mo, the expression on his face revealing nothing. We establish right from the start that she has no powershe was forced to marry a man she did not want because the king wants to keep her close. Lot of time on my hands at the momentLULZ. Philippe, despite their mutual loathing, was upset and distraught, so suspicion then fell to the absent Chevalier de Lorraine, who at the time was still in exile in Rome. Henriette feels nothing for Philippe, he not having put any more effort into endearing himself to her than she to him and he also complicating things for her where Louis is concerned. These scenes are odd for me to watch, but by now, I have totally put aside any frustration when the show deviates from what I know of the actual history. Louis: you are grieving. Philippe shakes his head: I grieve alone. Louis swallows then says: You will marry again. Philippe interjects: I simply want to live. Louis: It is your duty. Philippe hisses: I have had my fill of duty. The sudden onset of Henriettes illness, the severe pain and the short time between the onset of her symptoms and her death suggested to her contemporaries that she had been poisoned. The Chevalier is still silent, still focused on Henriette. Also, his relationship with his brother was much less complicated than we see in this show, Philippe was a very simple person when it came to feelings, he was affectionate and friendly. Colbert and Louvois look considerably worried. In the days when it was only you who /truly/ had my back. Only a year or so to go until a new season arrived on fledgling network Ovation, its U.S. cable home. After reading your review on epsiode 10, and reading that it ends with Philippe leaving Versailles, I thought back to epsiode one and the moment he finds Louis at his favorite spot in the woods. Claudine tries to give her something for the pain but she wont swallow, her throat is closing up. Henriette wanted to go!). Later on, we see the portrait back in Louiss chamber She allows grief but only briefly. Ah, but not so devout that Louis followed all the teachings. for Season 2. I have one comment / correction on what you wrote on Henriettes death scene. He looks nervous and steps to Cassel, but Cassel rises and bows, along with everyone, as Louis enters. It felt like if the whole world came running for us his voice thickens with emotion, we might fend off all who would take us ill. He finally looks up, at Louis.