S01.E05: The First Regency

[Pop Tart]

Quote

King Henri departs to lead an army to defend France and places Catherine in charge as Regent, allowing her to test her powers further. Catherine asks Rahima to search Mary’s room for a letter.

Air date: 10.09.22

[Spartan Girl]

Diane will live to regret taking Chenonceau.

Henri…just when he starts to show a smidgen of respect to Catherine and act like a halfway decent king (making her regent and giving her Chenonceau) he has a douchebag relapse of immense proportions. Not only does he publicly embrace Diane after she slit the tailor’s throat, he gives her Chenonceau the second she snaps her fingers and doesn’t have the decency to tell Catherine himself.

Knowing the ultimate outcome of the French monarchy, Henri and Diane should have taken his warning seriously.

Actually, the historical version of what happened with the tailor is even worse. Henri invited the tailor to speak freely promising that no matter what he said, nothing would happen to him. But then the tailor insulted Diane, and Henri broke his promise and ordered him burned at the stake. Jesus.

Edited October 9, 2022 by Spartan Girl

[PinkRibbons]

Fun fact: we know Diane took gold because it was still in her remains. I wonder if she was chugging it like in-show.

I'm interested in this narrative of Mary being a religious zealot. To begin with, I'm fairly certain she wasn't, more that she wanted to take up the Catholic cause in Scotland but figured out really quickly it was not a good path. A lot of her overt Catholicism seems to have been posturing to make herself a contrast to Elizabeth Tudor. That's also why it seems absurd that those two queens would conspire on anything, least of all on dethroning Catherine. They built up an apparently good relationship through letter-writing, that is true, but that was later on.

Although hmm...when Mary realized she had to flee Scotland, she had a choice to go to England or France. She chose England on the false assumption that Elizabeth saw her as a sister and would help her regain her throne, not imprison her. If she had gone back to France she wouldn't have much of a reason to think Catherine would do the same to her (Catherine too was politically pragmatic about religion for quite a long time, but she was firmly Catholic). Maybe not help her get Scotland back, but France would have no reason to imprison her, as she was never in fact a rival for the throne the way she was for Elizabeth. Perhaps the show is trying to set up the answer for why Mary didn't go back to France as being her fear of Catherine?

I can't even with Diane murdering someone in the King's presence and not even getting a perfunctory temporary banishment from court.

1 hour ago, Spartan Girl said:

Diane will live to regret taking Chenonceau.

Lol, she really will.

Rahima lied about not being able to read. Catherine seems to have learned to be one step ahead at all times and she told Rahima not to lie to her again. I'm guessing this is why she's setting her up.

Edited October 9, 2022 by PinkRibbons

[greekmom]

The Catholic's clergy mother is just gross. Did she just come onto her own child?
Henri is an ass.  Diane is crazy. I cannot wait till Catherine kicks out Diane after Henri dies and doesn't even let her see him one last time. Good for Catherine.
Why would Catherine throw Rahima under the bus?

[Constantinople]

7 hours ago, PinkRibbons said:

That's also why it seems absurd that those two queens would conspire on anything, least of all on dethroning Catherine.

The only source for the claim that Mary and Elizabeth are conspiring against Catherine is Catherine herself. We the viewers, like Rahima, have only been told what Catherine said was in the letter, we haven't seen the letter itself.

Catherine sent one of Mary's maids to Mary's room when Catherine knew Rahima would be there, and the letter was how Catherine convinced Rahima to search Mary's room.

Something sus is going on.

And because it cannot be said often enough, Henri is pathetic.

Has the gold already started to affect Diane? Her reaction to the tailor was cray cray.

[Scarlett45]

13 hours ago, Constantinople said:

Has the gold already started to affect Diane? Her reaction to the tailor was cray cray.

The portrayal of Diane is falling flat for me. Also the portrayal of Catherine’s retinue. Lots of scheming and backstabbing but you don’t know what’s motivating anyone. I kinda miss teenage Catherine. 

Edited my post to expand on this, Diane is Henri's long term mistress, WHY, they should at least make her compelling. We can still side with Catherine over Diane, but at least make the rivalry interesting, and show us why Henri is so attached to her.

Also, why did Angelica deflect to Mary, when she was probably actually in love with Aabis, like WHY?? Was Diane really offering her so much more money? Catherine is still THE QUEEN and mother to Henri's heirs, I think she is a better horse to back.

[Constantinople]

2 hours ago, Scarlett45 said:

Diane is Henri's long term mistress, WHY, they should at least make her compelling. We can still side with Catherine over Diane, but at least make the rivalry interesting, and show us why Henri is so attached to her.

I agree. I don't find her interesting in any way. I understand in real life that Henri was devoted, if not addicted, to Diane, but I'm baffled as to why TV Henri is.

[Haleth]

I love that Catherine did an end run around the Guises and Bourbons, but that poor merchant who thought he was safe just could never get a break. 

I’m reading a novel, The Marriage Portrait (Maggie O’Farrell) about Lucrezia di Medici, Duchess of Ferrare. She lived about the same time and must have been related to Catherine but I can’t figure out how. 

[tennisgurl]

On 10/9/2022 at 9:54 AM, Spartan Girl said:

Actually, the historical version of what happened with the tailor is even worse. Henri invited the tailor to speak freely promising that no matter what he said, nothing would happen to him. But then the tailor insulted Diane, and Henri broke his promise and ordered him burned at the stake. Jesus.

I swear, every time I think someone on one of these Starz historical shows is too crazy to be real, I find out that, not only was it real, what really happened was even crazier. 

Just when I start to respect Henri just a tiny bit, he goes right back Diane even after she slits a guys throat right in the middle of court. Oh yeah, Diane might be feeling herself now, but she is really going to regret grabbing up Chenonceau. Just like the French nobility will one day regret not listening to that tailors warning...

What is with this show and its creepy sexual moms and mother figures? 

[andromeda331]

Oh Catherine just take out Diane and Henri. Take out  Antoniette too.  I hate Diane killed that poor tailor. What a bitch. He was right too. She's no better then he is.

I love how she dealt with the council by going around both groups to get what she need. That was great. Henri appreciated until of course Diane went off. I really want to know why he's so into Diane? Every time he takes her advice it's gone wrong. Every time he's taken Catherine's its been right. When he didn't take her advice it was a big mistake.

[taanja]

On 10/10/2022 at 8:59 AM, Constantinople said:

I agree. I don't find her interesting in any way. I understand in real life that Henri was devoted, if not addicted, to Diane, but I'm baffled as to why TV Henri is.

I think they showed in the early eps that Diane is the aggressor in bed. She is also his pseudo mother. Henri most deff has mommy issues and Diane exploits every single one of them to her advantage.

Catherine was young when married. Unimaginative when it came to sex. They showed her just laying there. (not the first time but after that) It came across as Henri just doing his duty when having sex with Catherine and actually enjoying the act when with Diane.

it's as simple as that. 

[CountryGirl]

On 10/10/2022 at 7:16 AM, Scarlett45 said:

The portrayal of Diane is falling flat for me. Also the portrayal of Catherine’s retinue. Lots of scheming and backstabbing but you don’t know what’s motivating anyone. I kinda miss teenage Catherine. 

Edited my post to expand on this, Diane is Henri's long term mistress, WHY, they should at least make her compelling. We can still side with Catherine over Diane, but at least make the rivalry interesting, and show us why Henri is so attached to her.

Also, why did Angelica deflect to Mary, when she was probably actually in love with Aabis, like WHY?? Was Diane really offering her so much more money? Catherine is still THE QUEEN and mother to Henri's heirs, I think she is a better horse to back.

While I'm still enjoying the show (I've watched through E5), I quite agree that the show mis-stepped in time jumping to older Catherine and Henri. I wanted to see more of teenage Catherine and Henri, the young marrieds, having children, etc. 

I also agree that Diane is far too one-note. Other than serious mommy issues, I cannot see what Henri sees in her. 

On 10/25/2022 at 5:16 PM, taanja said:

I think they showed in the early eps that Diane is the aggressor in bed. She is also his pseudo mother. Henri most deff has mommy issues and Diane exploits every single one of them to her advantage.

Catherine was young when married. Unimaginative when it came to sex. They showed her just laying there. (not the first time but after that) It came across as Henri just doing his duty when having sex with Catherine and actually enjoying the act when with Diane.

it's as simple as that. 

But the first time, she did try to take the lead and he flipped out. I think he was so used to Diane being the aggressor in the relationship, that anyone else even attempting to do so was an affront to him.