(VIDEO) 'The Borgias': Humbled by Impending Defeat

Season 1, Episode 8 -- "The Art of War" Review

By Aphrodite M.

Like Sun Tzu’s bible on military strategy, “The Art of War” is the apt title of Episode 8 of “The Borgias.” Rome is overtaken by French soldiers heading straight for the Vatican and Pope Alexander (Jeremy Irons) is overwhelmed with anxiety and despair. His daughter, Lucrezia (Holliday Grainger), has been abducted by the French troops marching on Rome after she flees from her torturous marriage to Giovanni Sforza (Ronan Vibert).

King Charles of France (Michel Muller) is taken with Lucrezia’s youthful charm and grace and allows her brother, Juan (David Oakes), to withdraw his outmaneuvered troops instead of launching a deadly assault on them. Although King Charles longs for battle, he shows his skill in the art of war as he heeds Sun Tzu’s maxim that “to subdue the enemy without fighting is the acme of skill.”

The drama and suspense inherent in this episode makes it one of the best of the season. It’s an emotional display of the carnage of war, questionable loyalties and the humbleness which comes with impending defeat. It has the feel of a major motion picture in its scope.

Pope Alexander sees the inhabitants of the Vatican and Rome flee and his allies refuse to come to his defense. The Pope tries to rally the College of Cardinals into positive thinking much like the coach of a losing team giving his motivational speech in the locker room. In this case, the team is losing miserably and is unwilling to stand its ground. Only a miracle will help them now.

The kiss the Pope gives the Spanish ambassador on the lips, as a symbol of the betrayal he views the Catholic kings and queens are showing by their inaction, is a somewhat comical display. Unlike a similar scene from the film “The Godfather,” where the anger and turmoil is obvious in the kiss, this is a mere touching of lips which doesn’t really illustrate the emotion which should be present. It would’ve been a much more powerful display if the Pope had taken his anger and misery out in that kiss of betrayal.

Just as Nero played his fiddle while Rome burned, Juan opts for a long lustful night in a house of ill repute instead of strategizing how he will lead the papal armies to victory. Cesare (Francois Arnaud) must retrieve his brother and Juan smugly states that “lechery and debauchery are the marks of nobility.” This is one of the few honest statements to leave his lips. If anyone were to question Juan’s ability to lead any army in a victorious battle this scene surely foreshadows his defeat.

As unpleasant as it is to watch Paulo (Luke Pasqualino), the stable boy, be whipped by Sforza, after he realizes Lucrezia has abandoned him, it is refreshing to see someone stand by one’s convictions. Paulo endures the endless whipping to save Lucrezia, which is in direct contrast to the nobility and the College of Cardinals who flee at the first sign of personal injury. The so-called peasants have more integrity than the holy men of the Vatican.

There are some pretty gruesome scenes when men are annihilated and ripped into bits by France’s chained canon balls. More shocking to see, though, is the Pope finally giving up the finery of his rich attire and jewels in favor of a lowly monk’s robe and sandals. The Pope wants to be prepared for his role as a martyr and thinks it very Christ-like to receive his accusers simply attired. Contradictions abound as this action packed episode ends in suspense.

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