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A grand illusion and treacherous sibling rivalry – Review: The Borgias “The Beautiful Deception”

Review: The Borgias, Season 2, Ep. 203 – “The Beautiful Deception”

Airdate: Sunday, April 22, 2012 10:00PM E/P on Showtime

Rating: ★★★★★

 

“Rome is more than just her walls. She is the eternal city and she will not be raped and deflowered!” ~ The Pope

Michel Muller as King Charles, Gina Mckee as Catherina Sforza, and Ronan Vibert as Giovanni Sforza

Pardon me while I pick my jaw up off the floor. Wow! “The Beautiful Deception” is exactly that – a beautiful and glorious ruse! The confidence and steel bravado Cesare (François Arnaud) exudes is magnificent. I literally was on the edge of my seat engrossed by the palpable confrontation between Cesare and King Charles (Michel Muller). As Giovanni Sforza (Ronan Vibert) and his cousin Catherina (Gina McKee) look on dumbfounded, I had to chuckle. If they only knew those damn canons mounted on the walls of Rome are made of plaster and painted to look like bronze. But if they did, it wouldn’t be called “The Beautiful Deception” then, would it? And it’s wonderful when the Pope (Jeremy Irons) finally puts a little faith in his son Cesare.

The episode begins on a much more morbid note with the finding of poor Paolo (Luke Pasqualino), who has been killed by the treacherous Juan (David Oakes). When I saw Lucrezia (Holliday Grainger) inconsolably sobbing over Paolo’s lifeless body, it gutted me. The anguish in her cries is so heart wrenching. She doesn’t care if anyone sees her. Her class of station vanishes when she sees the man she loves lying dead on the ground. What I love most about this episode is how Lucrezia—after convincing her father, the Pope, that Paolo’s death is not suicide but murder—morphs into a vengeful woman. I relished in the cold looks she gives Juan. She knows he killed Paolo. And what she does to him in kind is downright sinister. It’s a shame a woman lies atop Juan’s body when the chandelier falls. I’ve begun to despise Juan, which is a great testament to Oakes’ acting. But, I’m ok with him surviving. He brings an added tension among the three siblings that increases the dramatic nature of the series. The sibling rivalry between Cesare and Juan is one thing but now Lucrezia joins in, making it far more intriguing. We always knew Lucrezia and Cesare had a closer relationship so it’s only natural that they’re united in their mutual growing animosity towards Juan.

Colm Feore as Cardinal/Brother Della Rovere

With Juan departing for Spain to find a bride, I’m curious about what drama will unfold in his absence. Of course, there’s the old standby dramatics of Cardinal Della Rovere (Colm Feore) and his plot to kill the Pope but until he does anything more than feed his Capuchin monkey, it’s not too enthralling. I’m hoping this story arc will gain momentum soon. In the meantime, for some juicy drama, I like the story line of the fair Vittorio/Vittoria (Jemma West) revealing her own beautiful deception to Cesare. After realizing what Vittoria is, Cesare smiles coyly, asking, “Is nothing in this damned city what it seems?”  I would love to see Cesare find a new love interest and why not Vittoria? She’s beautiful and a skilled artist who seems to be able to hold her own in many unique and tense situations. I wonder if the Pope will be jealous if Vittoria ends up with Cesare.

Observations:

Vanozza (Joanne Whalley), “La Madre” as her children affectionately call her, is a beautiful dark haired woman. The Pope, before he went gray, was a man of dark hair as well. So, do they carry a recessive gene of fair skin and light hair? It’s not gone unnoticed how Lucrezia’s skin tone and hair color are so vastly different than that of her two brothers. Historical references don’t elaborate much on this fact; however, it is said there was a possible incest among the family; even claims that Lucrezia’s baby, Giovanni, was sired either by her brother Cesare or her own father, the Pope.

It made me squeal with delight watching the Pope as he jumps across the table lunging at Juan after learning Paolo’s identity. You know he wants to beat the crap out of Juan but with “La Madre” present, things don’t get too black and blue. The warning the Pope gives Juan, “Be careful, be very careful or you might find yourself wearing peasant shoes,” made me giddy with excitement.

I admire Lucrezia’s vehement devotion to Paolo, even in death. She begs her father to give Paolo a Christian burial because his death was not suicide, but murder. The suicide note pinned to his sleeve could not possibly have been written by Paolo. Lucrezia explains to her father, “He could not read or write, father! My Paolo could not even pen his own name!”

***

After the celebrations in “The Borgia Bull,” the funds are now depleted and even though the French and Sforza armies retreated at the surprising sight of the deceptive Borgia canons, the Pope will have to find a way to make real ones. I don’t think the Sforzas or King Charles will postpone their revenge against the Pope for too long.

The drama, intrigue, suspense, and treachery within “The Beautiful Deception” make for a superb episode. The acting is top notch, as usual.

Tune in to The Borgias, Sundays at 10:00PM ET/PT, only on Showtime.

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Photos © 2012 Showtime Networks, a CBS Broadcasting, Inc. company. All rights reserved.

 

 

Judy Manning

Dream chaser extraordinaire! Judy tends to be a tad sarcastic and kind of goofy! She is an avid admirer of all things supernatural, paranormal, celestial and mystical. She loves to read, write, and watches way too much TV. She enjoys many genres of film and music (and let's be honest, most music from the 80s). She also has a wicked sweet tooth. Cupcakes beware.

Judy Manning

Dream chaser extraordinaire! Judy tends to be a tad sarcastic and kind of goofy! She is an avid admirer of all things supernatural, paranormal, celestial and mystical. She loves to read, write, and watches way too much TV. She enjoys many genres of film and music (and let's be honest, most music from the 80s). She also has a wicked sweet tooth. Cupcakes beware.