Welcome back TBXers. Did everyone survive two weeks with no news from Ventrishire? Speaking of news, the good is that Pantry Baby has reappeared all over this episode. The bad? His brother … well, let’s get to everything that happened on this week’s The Bastard Executioner.
We begin at Casa Maddox where, after last episode’s attention from Wilkin, Jessamy is looking for reassurance that their coupling pleased him. He tenderly tells her it did. But there’s more somber work to tend to. He heads out the door to help Ash and the Moor lay poor Calo to rest outside the shire walls.
In Love’s chambers, she and Isabel discuss the proper amount of padding to feign what now should be a three-month pregnancy. Love says they have to get it right because the Earl of Warwick is headed to the shire and more scrutiny awaits. Speaking of scrutiny — Isabel is wondering what’s up between her noble boss and the commoner Maddox, because everyone is starting to notice a certain …closeness.
A flustered Love chastises Isabel for her frankness, then excuses her and, at long last, loses her composure, sending things flying from table and shelf as her maiden listens at the door. We’ll blame in on the (non)pregnancy hormones.
The visitors from Edward’s court arrive with a decree saying Gaveston has been banished and is on the run. When he is found … well, nothing good for Piers the Leerer.
In Annora’s cave, Father Ruskin is on his fourth read of the texts she has given him to help him understand her tattoos and their meaning. He says he still feels compelled to read them again, and Annora informs him that there are nine scriptures total, all handwritten by Jesus of Nazareth. Ruskin points out that, even though he is a man of the church, these texts shatter his entire belief system.
That is why Robinus and his men pursue the seraphim like herself, Annora tells him. Because Robinus and Co. are descendants of the very men who crucified Jesus, the Knights of the Rosebud. They are insistent that Jesus rose from the dead, forgave that whole crucifixion thing and even appointed them the keepers of his history, bestowing a divine A-OK to destroy anyone who doubted the tale.
Ruskin asks what Robinus will do to Annora and her mate if he finds them and why they need his service. Not as a man of the cloth, or even a scholar, she tells him. They need a warrior. We all know there is more to Ruskin than meets the eye … but what?
And about the ‘what’s going to happen with Robinus finds them’ thing? We’re about to find out. He and his men arrive at the mouth of the cave and Robinus orders that whomever they find in there be dragged out and stripped. Looking for those tatts again.
The men draw their swords and enter the cave to find a large fire burning, a cauldron bubbling … and no sign of life. One guy finds out quickly that the curtain of dead-looking snakes is still a problem. And before lead man Absolon can stop him, another solider picks up what he thinks is a letter and untethers a pouch of the Medieval version of lighter fluid right into the fire, sending flaming men scrambling from the cave, where they land in a smoldering heap.
Devils, Robinus proclaims. Likely just the opposite, bad man.
In hers and the Dark Mute’s new digs by the sea, Annora tells Ruskin sweetly that it’s none of his business what is going on between her and Wilkin — a common problem these days — but could he please let the punisher know where she is? As he leaves, the Dark Mute tells her that the Kinghts of the Rosebud (Russula? Google isn’t much help) know that the priest came to them and now they will come for him. Annora says it’s merely his next test of faith.
Back at Castle Ventris, the Earl of Warwick tells Milus and Love that Edward’s utter disregard for sound advice has put the whole kingdom in turmoil. Civil war and destitution loom and they want to return governance to the parliament. Might cause greater troubles at first, but the planned outcome is a united kingdom.
In return for an upfront payment, they’re asking Ventishire to provide forces and access to the sea. In return, Ventrishire will never be divided or taken from them again. And about Piers the Leerer? Edward allowed him to seek refuge, but Warwick wants him captured. Pronto.
Let’s make a deal, says Lady Love. She will agree to their request if she has a seat at table of the newly-restored parliament, in the form of handling the Byth Encil rebellion as she sees fit. In her estimation, blood for blood serves to purpose to the cause. If she doesn’t get the job done, she’ll relinquish that power. Warwick agrees. Milus gives her a bit of crap, but admiringly so.
At Annora’s now-abandoned cave, Robinus and the survivors are dealing with their dead. Robinus tells Absolon that a watcher must be dispatched to tail Ruskin and “any male child in his care.” Specifically one cared for the Grey/Gray/grey/gray woman (the who?! What did I miss?) or the Templar. I’m suddenly scared for Luca. Very.
In the meantime, Robinus is headed for another abbey and Sir Cormac is to join him there.
Speaking of Luca, Wilkin and Toran are schooling the lad when Ruskin arrives to tell them of his meeting with Annora and where they can find her now. Wilkin asks Ruskin to look after Luca — oh gahhhhhhd! — and heads out the door.
Meantime, Love signs off on her deal with Warwick, and Milus compliments her negotiating skills. She says she has a bad habit of speaking dreams as if they were truths, but we’ll see. Compromise before combat. Now to the matter of finding Gaveston.
Milus has an idea. We already know what that is.
Toran and Wilkin arrive at Annora’s cave, but they’ve been spotted by the surviving rebels from the recent camp raid. Annora tells the Dark Mute that it is time the pair saw him without his cloak, in his templar’s armor alone.
Whoa, says Toran. What happened there? The scars of a fire set by the very men he swore an oath to protect and honor, says Annora. Leading Wilkin away, she says Calo is in a better place. Wilkin wonders about his own fate and his desire for Love and what good can possibly come of any of it. Annora places a hand on his cheek and he immediately has a vision: A raging nun drowning a baby she calls “unholy seed,” then getting dispatched by a faceless man in Templar’s armor as another nun plucks the infant from the water and holds him to her chest.
Er, Annora and DM … is that you? And is Wilkin your baby? It would make a world of sense. I think so, anyway.
Annora assures Wilkin that the greater one fights for the love they deserve, the stronger the bond will be. Wilkin says he’ll need a strong bond just to keep his head on his neck if he acts on his desire for Love. They’ve shared too many personal things already. Annora says the true reason for their bond will “only come to light when there are no more secrets,” and he asks if that’s the case with her and the Dark Mute, too.
“When you have lived as long as we have,” she smiles, “the only secrets you do not share are the ones you can no longer remember.”
And about that “we are safe here” thing. Yeah, not so much. The rebels are thundering their way. The mute ushers Annora into the cave and a mighty battle ensues. Wilkin and Toran dispatch the first wave, then go to check on Annora’s welfare as the mute stares down an advancing contingent. It looks pretty hopeless, but when they get closer, he simply kneels before his sword.
Wilkin and Toran handle the men in the cave. while Annora winces through a frantic vision, then race out to see what has become of the mute. He is still kneeling. Surrounded by the bodies of his attackers. “Bury them in the soft sand,” he instructs, heading back to the cave. Toran finally realizes the guy’s not mute after all.
Back at the castle, Milus summons the Lusty Twins. Why are you traveling, they wonder. Something to do with the visitors perhaps? Yes, he tells them, then sets his trap. He says they’ve found the exiled Gaveston and are readying his demise. The ladies exchange glances of concern for their half-brother and quickly take their leave.
Busted. As the twins prepare to head out to their brother, Milus strolls up. Nothing good can — and will — come of this. The girls are locked in Wilkin’s chamber, but Milus is of no mind to wait for his return to mete out the punishment. He says Tell will do it instead, choosing a twin for a date with the Judas Cradle then seeing to it. (Good luck sleeping tonight if you decide to look that bugger up, by the way. It’s icky.)
Tell protests. Fine, says Milus. Then Locke will take the lead with Tell as his apprentice.
Returning from the morning’s funeral, the Moor finds his boss (how did it take me this long to notice that the actor who plays him is an artistic explosion of a guy named Scroobius Pip?), chanting in a secret room. He doesn’t take kindly to the intrusion. Hmmm. The man is covered neck to wrist to ankle at all times. Might he be sporting tattoos, too? Moor says his secret is between him and his God.
Milus returns to the punisher’s chamber to find Tell bloodied, the most unfortunate twin a ruined corpse and the other sobbing in the corner of the cell. Tell says “she” finally gave up the information — the tortured twin or the other watching it happen, I wonder — then shakes his head and leaves. The earl of Pembroke hides Gaveston at a monastery in Deddington.
Milus tells Love of the events and the plan to go get their captive. He’s taking Maddox, Toran and Ash, too — good fighting and tracking skills, there. Tell protests. Love protests. Milus overrules them, then warns Love again about her affection for Wilkin. Scandal would undo the strength and power she has gained.
In the hallway, Tell presses the issue and says neither he nor Wilkin should go on the hunt for Gaveston. It’s beneath him and above the others. Milus regards him cooly and Tell sets his chin, then leaves.
Wilkin finds the evidence of the torture and the twin a ruined and shaking mess. And here’s Jessamy with the baby and Luca. Luca gently leads her away. They enoucounter Isabel in the hallway, bringing a letter from Love. Jessamy simmers. News of brutal work, says Maddox. Go home and fix dinner while he addresses the intent of the letter.
He finds Love in the tombs and she tells him the details of the order and what it might entail. She says she feels compelled to trust him with everything — ah, love! — then lays his hand on her wool-padded belly. She says Annora helped her concoct her plan and its success and he makes a joke of the ruse. Then she tells him that the whole shire is talking, but they fall into a passionate kiss anyway.
And here comes Jessamy again. How does this dame have such free reign of the castle?
She lunges for Love, howling that he is her husband and that she serves and did her penance. Wilkin stops the attack and in the process tears her dress, revealing the scars of the original Maddox’ cruelty. “I deserve him!” she sobs.
Jessamy is put to bed in Isabel’s chambers, lulled by a bit of “tonic” from the priest. Wilkin and Love thank him for his help and his discretion and Wilkin asks after Luca. Safe with the choir, says Ruskin. Oh that it were so.
Ruskin leads Luca from the chapel as the choir sings a kyrie and as they enter his quarters …as Wilkin, Ash, Milus, some soldiers and the surviving twin ride off to find Piers the Leerer … they are set upon by Robinus’ men.
New episodes of The Bastard Executioner premiere Tuesdays at 10/9CT on FX.
I am getting increasingly disappointed with this show! I am a fan of Sutter’s work but this show has become a mess! There are so many storylines that are uneven and characters that are undeveloped. Why is Wilkin not torn and guilted by all the terrible things he must carry out? None of these characters seem to have any sort of moral fiber. I’m beginning not to care beginning not to care what happens to any of these characters besides Ruskin and Luca. I will continue to watch though because I desperately want it to get better.
In case it wasn’t clear, the Moor found his boss reciting a Jewish prayer while wearing a Jewish prayer shawl in that “secret chamber”. Might become meaningful, but argues against the possibility of Nazarene tatts maybe?
I wondered about that — thank you for the clarification. This show is so above my pay grade in required smarts, but I love it something awful, so I keep chugging along. 🙂
Your delicious insights provide ample proof that your “smarts” leave nothing to be desired.
A trick I’ve found immensely useful when watching shows of Bastard’s complexity and tendency to obscure historical references (I’m curious to know if you do it too) is to turn on Closed Captions — the people writing them usually have access to some version of the script and therefore provide the correct spelling of names, places, etc. Helps with the Googling!
Love it. Thanks for the tip.