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Review: The Borgias, Season 1, Ep 105 “The Borgias in Love”

Air Date: Sunday, April 25, 2011 10PM E/P

Grade ★★★★★

 

The Pope (Jeremy Irons) and Cardinal Sforza (Peter Sullivan)

The Pope (Jeremy Irons) has a guilty conscience as evident through his nightmares about Lucrezia (Holliday Grainger). As he pulls his daughter’s pale lifeless body from the shallow pool within the Vatican walls, he asks, “Will God ever forgive me?” It’s Lucrezia’s answer that haunts him, “God may forgive you father, but I never will.” The Pope has no idea of the severity of his daughter’s current plight. Despite his attempts to ask Cardinal Sforza (Peter Sullivan) to give assurances that his cousin, Giovanni Sforza (Ronan Vibert), Lucrezia’s boorish husband, will be kind to his daughter, I think the Pope knows he’s put his only daughter into the hands of a callous man.

“The Borgias in Love” may be applied to only one of the Borgia children, Cesare (François Arnaud). He’s foolishly fallen for a married woman, Ursula Bonadeo (Ruta Gedmintas), who previously asked the good Cardinal to liberate her from her abusive and suppressive marriage. I think Cesare takes this to heart too literally. I don’t like Ursula at all. She’s up to something. She hardly knows Cesare except for the brief encounter at Lucrezia’s wedding.

Ursula (Ruta Gedmintas) and Cesare (François Arnaud)

Despite his promise to Ursula, Cesare intends to confront her husband Baron Bonadeo (Nicholas Rowe) regarding his insult towards Cesare’s mother. I think his intentions are also marred by his passionate infatuation with Ursula. Yes, he wants to defend his mother’s honor, but moreover he wants to “liberate” his beloved Ursula. Cesare’s duties as Cardinal have dulled his fighting skills. As Micheletto (Sean Harris) helps him train, I find myself curious as to why he remains so devoted to Cesare? His loyalty, though commendable, may have another agenda. After two failed attempts to kill Cardinal Della Rovere (Colm Feore), could Micheletto be a double-agent?

L-R: Cesare (François Arnaud) confronts Baron Bonadeo (Nicholas Rowe)

As one of her servants helps Lucrezia bathe, we can see the evidence of her husband’s forceful affection. Feeling alone and starved for adoration, she seeks out attention from the young stable boy Paolo (Luke Pasqualino). I don’t understand why Lucrezia hasn’t sent word to her family about her troubles? Is she keeping the abuse from her father because she feels it’s her duty as the Pope’s daughter to endure the harsh doldrums of her marriage?

Cardinal Della Rovere goes to the Duke of Milan, Ludovico Sforza (Ivan Kaye) to ask for safe passage of the French army through his land. Ludovico uses barbaric methods that are fiendishly cruel. He has another Sforza cousin, Gian Galezzo Sforza (Keith Burke), the rightful heir to the Duke title, locked in a cage and urinates on him when he refuses to acknowledge Ludovico as Duke.  When Cardinal Sforza goes to Milan to remind his cousin Ludovico of their familial obligations to the Pope, he doesn’t react the way the Cardinal anticipates. After poisoning Gian, Ludovico has no one to oppose him as Duke of Milan. The question remains – will he side with Cardinal Della Rovere allowing the French to pass through Milan?

Cesare presents Niccolò Machiavelli (Julian Bleach) an offer from the Pope -excommunication and a public burning for a bothersome priest who’s been preaching negatively accusing the city of usury in exchange for allegiance to the Pope. The lengths the Pope will go to in order to secure his power and his papacy knows no bounds. Irons delivers his lines with a frighteningly calm resolve that truly render him most chilling to watch.

The Borgias continues to amaze me each week making me anxious for the next episode. The acting, the story, the costumes, and the intrigue are superbly done.

Tune into The Borgias, Sundays at 10PM E/P on Showtime.

Photos © Showtime, 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.