The Borgias |
The Borgias is the saga of history's most infamous crime family.
Conspiring with his ruthless sons Cesare and Juan and poisonously seductive
daughter Lucrezia, the charismatic Rodrigo Borgia will let nothing and no one
stand in the way of his relentless quest for wealth and power. Mercilessly
cruel and defiantly decadent, intimidation and murder are his weapons of choice
in his scandalous ascension to the papacy in Renaissance-era Italy.
After surviving a near fatal assassination attempt, Pope Alexander
responds with an iron will by ruthlessly purging the Vatican of anyone who
might be disloyal to him. Alexander’s true master plan is to establish the
Papacy as a hereditary monarchy across the heart of Italy – for father and son
to rule the world. But he must come to accept that his children are
independently ready to wield their own power.
Cesare (Francois Arnaud), now the
military prince and daring guerrilla fighter, is so eager for action that he
comes perilously close to war with his own father’s army. His sister Lucrezia
(Holliday Grainger) is equally frustrated when her husband, the Neapolitan
prince Alfonso, proves to be a disappointment. Feeling desperate to secure a
future for herself and her child, she enters the dangerous fray of Neapolitan
politics and learns the art of poisoning.
As their passions grow, and as
mistrust of all others becomes more ingrained, the siblings finally give in to
their desires and embark on a passionate incestuous relationship. With both
that scandalous secret and the unspoken agonies of Juan’s death lingering between
them, the family is riven by paranoia and suspicion.
Episode Summary: Season 3
Episode #1 – The Face of Death
As Pope Alexanderfights for his life after being poisoned, the
Cardinals jockey for position to take over the Papacy. Cesare and Micheletto
trace the assassination plot back to its source, but Della Rovere is ready to
make his move. Catherina Sforza dispatches her own personal assassin, Rufio, to
dethrone the Borgias. However, thanks to Lucrezia's quick thinking, the
family's grip on power may not be lost.
Episode #2 – The Purge
Pope Alexander tasks Cardinal Sforza with initiating an
inquisition among the Cardinals who were politicking against him. With the
evidence he needs, Alexander dismisses and banishes all the Cardinals he does
not trust. Meanwhile, Catherina Sforza orders Rufio to seek support from the
mercenary warlords of the Romagna families. Lucrezia is annoyed with her
in-laws to be and her situation is complicated further as she realizes her
feelings for Cesare are becoming something more than sisterly.
Episode #3 – Siblings
As the purged Cardinals are dismissed and stripped of their titles
and wealth, one of them angrily sets the Vatican treasury ablaze. Incensed by
the new King Ferdinand's arrogant refusal to accept Giovanni as Lucrezia's
child, Cesare travels to Naples to fix the problem. After Lucrezia and
Alfonso's wedding, Alfonso realizes that the political sands are shifting - and
not in his favor. Upset, he abandons Lucrezia alone on their wedding night,
driving her into the arms of someone else.
Episode #4 – The Banquet of Chestnuts
Newly appointed Cardinal Farnese is placed in the Treasury and
quickly discovers Versucci's theft. Micheletto is sent to find the wayward
Cardinal. Meanwhile, upon hearing of Venice's request for help, Alexander,
seeing this as an opportunity to replenish the coffers, dramatically calls for
a Crusade. The Cardinals participate in the "banquet of chestnuts".
Elsewhere, King Ferdinand learns that Lucrezia and Alfonso's marriage has not
been consummated.
Episode #5 – The Wolf and the Lamb
Cesare's diplomatic mission to France is a success, with the help
of his old advisor Machiavelli. Back in Rome, the seductive and dangerously
insane Bianca makes a drastic statement. Lucrezia travels to Naples accompanied
by her husband and Micheletto. King Ferdinand remains steadfast in his
determination that little Giovanni will not be recognized at court. Upon
learning this, Lucrezia plots against him.
Episode #6 – Relics
When Cesare lands in northern Italy with a French army, Alexander
is furious at what he sees as a challenge to his authority, but reluctantly
accedes to Cesare's plan to destroy the Sforza dynasty. Catherina, meanwhile,
has come up with a plot of her own: biological warfare. Concerned about the
lack of funds for his Crusade, Alexander imposes punitive taxes on the newly
arrived Jewish community.
Episode #7 – Lucrezia’s Gambit
Cesare burns Constanzo's palace in order to contain the plague.
Lucrezia, aware that the political wind has changed towards France, seeks a
Neapolitan power base for herself and her family. Lucrezia blackmails Prince
Raphael and Prince Frederigo replaces Ferdinand as King.
Episode #8 – Tears of Blood
Pilgrims are flooding to Rome for the Jubilee year celebration,
but Catherina Sforza has a plan to ruin Alexander's lucrative festival.
Meanwhile, Lucrezia senses a change in newly crowned Frederigo and realizes
that she is under constant watch from the royal guard. A plot to deceive the
Borgia family is uncovered by Lucrezia, Cesare and Micheletto.
Episode #9 – The Gunpowder Plot
Devastated by his betrayal, Micheletto kills his lover and
disappears. Cesare races to Naples to rescue Lucrezia. Brother and sister are
eventually reunited and are so overjoyed to see one another that Alfonso begins
to suspect that their relationship seems more than that of ordinary siblings.
Alexander schemes to corner the market in Italian sulfur - the key ingredient
to gunpowder.
Episode #10 – The Prince
Season 3 finale. Cesare vows that Lucrezia will now be his for
good.
The casts
Jeremy Irons as Rodrigo Borgia
Both ruthlessly ambitious and utterly devoted to his family, the
head of the Borgia clan uses his position in the Catholic church to acquire and
consolidate power, influence, and wealth. He is incredibly shrewd and manages
to outmaneuver his rivals at every turn. He also enjoys the carnal pleasures of
life, particularly the company of beautiful women. His undying devotion to his
derelict favorite son Juan has been a chink in his otherwise impenetrable
armor, and has wreaked havoc for him both personally and professionally. Juan's
unfortunate fate has left Alexander reeling and untethered, and it may have
provided his enemies the prime opportunity to destroy the Borgia family.
Francois Arnaud as Cesare Borgia
Forced into the priesthood by his father, Cesare is, in reality,
violent, dashing, and cavalier. He serves as his father's consigliere, and
carries out the most heinous atrocities to advance the family's cause. He
proves his military and strategic prowess again and again, helping his father
amass tremendous wealth and power. While devoted to his sister and mother,
Cesare has a bitter rivalry with his brother Juan, causing him to commit the
ultimate crime, thus threatening the very foundation of the Borgias' power.
Holliday Grainger as Lucrezia Borgia
A beautiful young woman who is also wise beyond her years,
Lucrezia holds a special place in her father, Pope Alexander's heart. After a
disastrous arranged marriage ended in annulment, scandal, and an illegitimate
son fathered by a stable boy, Lucrezia is determined to have control over her
own destiny, much to her father's dismay. She rejects suitor after suitor, but
finally settles on one, with her father's approval.
The Borgias Season 3
First & Exclusive on beTV (Astro B.yond ch720)
Premiering 6th July 2013, airing Saturdays at 11.30pm
Nice! I love tv shows like this, period dramas. :D
ReplyDeleteHuai Bin, me too but sometimes this drama can be quite draggie
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