The Musketeers - General Discussion

[justmehere]

The thing is, neither we nor the characters can ever know for sure if the baby is the king's or Aramis's.

 

 

Right. My point was in hoping Anne slept with Louis shortly after Aramis so that it is plausibly Louis' baby. Otherwise, the timing of the birth could raise questions. As Winnief pointed out, Anne was probably shrewd enough to cover it.

[thuganomics85]

By the first scene, I already figured it was all an act from the Musketeers, but it was still fun to watch.  Especially when they finally revealed it, and you got to see all of them yuck it up, behind closed doors.  I also like Treville being involved, and his amusement over some of the antics.  Good plan, guys, but you really should have been prepared that Milady would try and use Constance as leverage. Had you just kept her somewhere safe, it all might have worked out.

 

I am surprised that both Milday and Richelieu managed to avoid any major consequences, despite being exposed.  Still, I loved Richelieu's face after he realized Anne was listening to him blabbing away the plan like a Bond villain.  Whoops!  Followed by her threats.  Alexandra Dowling was actually pretty good, and I'm kind of bummed that we won't be getting stuff between her and Peter Capaldi next season, since Peter's too busy traveling around on the TARDIS.  Milday though, I don't doubt will be back to vamp it up and cause some hell.  Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if she and Athos even re-kindle the flame, in a hate-sex way.

 

Anne is pregnant!  I hope she at least slept with Louis to cover her bases, but I'm sure it's Aramis'.  He'll probably come out of the womb hitting on the nurse maids, with the patent Aramis' smirk.  I know I shouldn't be loving this, but I do.  And, of course, I loved the reveal, and Athos' "Oh, goddammit, Aramis!" look he gave him.  And, poor Porthos not knowing what in the hell was going on.  I do hope Porthos and D'Artagnan find out eventually, because their reactions would be equally priceless.

 

I'm assuming Constance isn't going anywhere either, but I do wonder what they have plan with her.  There is only so much mileage they can get out sticking with her husband out of guilt.

 

Cool that Sean Pertwee was able to show up as Sarazin, before he heads off to Gotham this September.

 

Overall, this was a pleasant surprise this summer.  I really liked the action, the eye-candy, the acting, the banter, the scenery, and the writing was better then the average summer fare.  It's sucks that the wait will be long, but I'm glad there will be another season of the Musketeers getting into mischief.

Edited August 25, 2014 by thuganomics85

[ceg1]

Plus dat voice...

[DCWash]

I watched this in "British time," so I don't know what behind-the-scenes stuff is available to y'all, but if you get a chance, watch the Cardinal's first scene with Milady again, and closely. In all the swooping and swishing of capes and clothing, Capaldi apparently got his thumb caught up in either his or Maimie McCoy's costume (I forget which) and actually dislocated it, but continued filming without missing a beat. Without missing a beat, but not without suddenly going pale and almost passing out from the pain; McCoy, whose face was mere inches from Capaldi's when it happened, couldn't help but notice something was wrong. Apparently, you can tell something's up if you know what to look for when you watch that scene.

[Maelstrom]

Thanks for the info, DCWash - I'd heard about that from somewhere else around the net, but wasn't sure exactly which scene it occurred in. I'll have to give it another watch as soon as I get my dvds!

[voiceover]

I'm back, to air my gripes with BBCAmerica here at PTV.

Dear Morons,

You've got some perfectly lovely series going on, and you could really increase the audience for them, if you'd only stop airing your DVD collection every chance you get.  I felt cheated -- again! -- when, on a series finale day, you didn't do a marathon of the season's episodes, like you used to do.  Instead, it's finale twice, then done.  Not even the Wednesday night repeat.  Who gives a rat's ass about the 98th showing of V for Aliens on Star Trek's Kitchen Top Gears?

 

*stomps off in a Cardinalesque rage*

[ABay]

voiceover, I trust you swirled your cape to emphasize your displeasure.

[justmehere]

Yeah, BBCA seems to air just a few things all the time.  "V for Aliens on Star Trek's Kitchen Top Gears" - very appropriate! I know they did repeat Orphan Black during the year between seasons, but it does seem like they could do a lot more with their catalog than several episodes, every day, of just a couple of shows. I'm still upset with only getting two series of The Hour.

 

There was a debate in Glasgow the other day on the referendum in Scotland that has already started by post, although the voting is scheduled for Sept 18.  This could end The United Kingdom of Great Britain.  I don't think very many people even know about it here.

 

 

I'm aware! But yeah, a lot of people in the U.S. probably aren't.

 

Back to The Musketeers: I'm so glad we knew early about renewal. This show was such a pleasant surprise with its quality and genuine fun factor. I've gone back and started rewatching Heroes on Netflix to see earlier Santiago Cabrera. I remember noticing him in that series when it aired; a very different look from Aramis, but he definitely stood out.

[Athena]

We have a little while to go before S2. Casting news are not spoilers so you can use it to speculate on what will happen next. 

 

Better yet, what would you like to see the Musketeers, King Lous, Queen Anne, Milady et al. do in the next series? The wilder the better. 

[DCWash]

Go to Quebec. No all of them, maybe, but yeah, I'd like Quebec to feature fairly prominently, maybe as a long-term story arc. Historically, Quebec was high on the French agenda at this time, after all. Seeing some of the poncey types in the wilds of North America could be fun; seeing how the tough and capable Musketeers handle the wilderness could be even more fun. Can you imagine Porthos the soldier from the slums meeting an Iroquois warrior?

Go to Quebec. No all of them, maybe, but yeah, I'd like Quebec to feature fairly prominently, maybe as a long-term story arc. Historically, Quebec was high on the French agenda at this time, after all. Seeing some of the poncey types in the wilds of North America could be fun; seeing how the tough and capable Musketeers handle the wilderness could be even more fun. Can you imagine Porthos the soldier from the slums meeting an Iroquois warrior?

[ABay]

I second the motion for more Treville background. Or even a first name.

[ABay]

I've just begun watching the 3D masterpiece and paused it to share this with you although I'm not quite sure how to describe it...The narrator pronounces "Richelieu" as if it's an English word and he (the narrator) is Inspector Clouseau. I'm waiting for him to ask if Louis has a leesaahns for 'is minkey.

 

OKaaaaay. Well. That was...pretty. Very graphic novelish in visuals and the interpretation of Milady as 17th century Catwoman. How pissed would Riario be to know Buckingham got DaVinci's airship? </Davinci's Demons> MacFadyen is a passable Athos, but see below re: Sutherland and the near impossibility of ruining the role. Ray Stevens was auditioning or reprising his role in Thor, depending on which came first. Aramis was a cypher but at least not offensive. It's the hardest of the 3 to play, I think. Santiago Cabrera is definitely the best I've seen but he's also had a lot more to work with than any of the movie incarnations. This D'Artagnan was AWFUL! OMG, I was chanting "kill him kill him kill him NOW" from the minute he opened his mouth. Christoph Waltz is a forgettable Richelieu, and I've already forgotten his Rochefort. This Constance deserved this D'Artagnan although. Anne wasn't a complete waste but also not a standout. This Louis was definitely in keeping with both Ryan Gage and Jean Pierre Cassel. The less said about Orlando Bloom as Buckingham, the better.

 

I've moved on to 1993 this morning and would like to propose a rule for all future adaptations: No Americans or Canadians unless they can sound like they aren't American or Canadian. It hurts my ears. So far the best part of this version is the bumpers before commercials: there have been 24 adaptations and the novel was originally released in installments in Le Siecle.But then she pronounced the s in Dumas. Bad narrator!

 

Oliver Platt is a very good Porthos, as someone said earlier. He's by FAR the best of the Musketeers in this adaptation. Sheen is the worst Aramis, possibly in the history of filmmaking. Sutherland is a crappy Athos but it's a hard role to really fuck up too badly. Curry...Tim, I love you, honey, but Richelieu as a lech is just wrong. I hope you got extra pay for the cheesiness of some of the dialogue. I liked this Rochefort, possibly even more than Chrisopher Lee, who this actor was clearly cast in memory of, and appreciated the backstory given to him. If any other actress than Gabrielle Anwar had played Anne, the character would've disappeared from the screen completely, as Constance did. Even Rebecca de Mornay as Milady was mostly a waste of time. This Louis was an unmemorable boy-king.

 

No Buckingham in 1993, no Treville in 1993 or 2011. Both use a similar plot device with the Musketeers--in one they're in disgrace, in the other the Musketeers have been disbanded. In both, D'Artagnan's father was a Musketeers. Both use the Musketeers failing to protect L13's father from assassination. I don't remember these from the book but it's been a long time since I reread it

 

Later this weekend: The 1973 classic by which all others are measured (for me) and The Man in the Iron Mask (diCaprio, Malkovich).

Edited September 1, 2014 by ABay

[Shades of Red]

Am currently re-watching all the episodes and comparing the aired (here on BBC Canada) vs the DVDs.  Can I just say how ticked I am at all the scenes that have been deleted to fit into an hour format with commercials vs an hour (approx) for the original aired on BBC.  BBC Canada had a marathon on yesterday for me to PVR so now of course I have to do due diligence and watch to see the differences. 

 

I liked the opening with Athos in his room vs the first time we see him walking down the street.  It took me a minute to figure out what was going on with the rain barrel and then realized it was frozen and that's why he punched it.  There's also a discussion between Porthos and Aramis when D'Artagnan is fighting with Athos about D'Artagnan's sword skill.  It's little things like that that help the story flow and make more sense for character development and interaction, at least for me it helps.

 

Not sure if BBC America has the same editing or not, but if they do it's worth checking out the DVDs for all the extra stuff (almost 15 minutes per episode) vs what is being aired.

[Raja]

BBC America gave them a 75 minute Sunday night time slot

[Shades of Red]

BBC America gave them a 75 minute Sunday night time slot

 

Lucky you!  Here's hoping BBC Canada does that for series two.

[ABay]

The 1973 version has been my favorite always. I watched it again for the first time in...possibly this century. The good bits on this watching: Michael York is not nearly as annoying as D'Artagnan as I remembered! It could be because I've now seen far worse in the 1993 and especially the 2011 versions. Also, the slapstick schtick is not as overwhelming as I remembered, although I still hate Spike Milligan and a few other bits.

 

However. And I think all of what follows is because my memories involve both this movie and the second one (The Four Musketeers), it was not as fun as I remembered and the characters not as vibrant, Most disappointing, I felt very little chemistry among the 3M.

[ABay]

Just finishing the Man in the Iron Mask. How I wish anyone other than Malkovich had been cast as Athos. Not as bad as Sheen as Aramis in 1993, but it really does not work for me.

 

It would be unfair to compare the movies to the series, so this is strictly from the films:

Best D'Artagnan: Gabriel Byrne

Best Aramis: Jeremy Irons

Best Porthos: Oliver Platt

Best Athos: Oliver Reed

Best Louis: the one from 2011 but it would be Cassel if I'd been able to rewatch the Four Musketeers

Best Richelieu: Charlton Heston

Best Ann: It doesn't matter, they're all just props

[voiceover]

voiceover, I trust you swirled your cape to emphasize your displeasure.

 

Bwah!  I spent all day yesterday doing it, too, just to show how I missed my boys.

[missbonnie]

I was going to ask if they would rerun it over the winter, apparently not. Such a shame because that would definitely lead to an even bigger fan base.

[SonofaBiscuit]

The funniest part of that little behind the scenes video about "The Stare" was Howard Charles "I'm not gonna do this.  No way" and "You got to pay for that."  That absolutely cracked me up.

 

I'm not sure how successful The Musketeers was in terms of viewing numbers on BBC America, but sometimes BBC America will take their more successful TV shows and air them either at the same time they are showing overseas, or at least very close to the premiere overseas.  I think that they do that with Doctor Who and if The Musketeers was a ratings hit, I could possibly see them airing it sooner over here. 

 

 

Anyone else waiting for Aramis to say to Anne, I'll look after him as if he were my own?

 

Yes, I totally thought that those exact words were going to come out of his mouth.  Poor Aramis...having to watch King Louis raise his child (we don't know for sure, but I'm assuming that it's probably his child). 

 

I didn't really like Athos in the beginning, but I actually found him kind of entertaining in the last few episode, so bravo show.  After his supposed death, I liked all of the men agreeing with Aramis that Athos was pretty moody.  If you are going to pretend to be dead, though, you probably shouldn't be hanging around in dark taverns while people you know are milling about.  Athos did have his hat covering his face, but I wouldn't say that his disguise was particularly stealthy.

 

Oh Constance, can't you see that your husband's suicide threats are just being used to manipulate you into staying with him ?  I guess that sets us up nicely for lots more Constance/D'Artagnan angst in the future as they must resist being together so the husband doesn't kill himself (which doesn't bother me, but I know will irritate the hell out of others :).  My prediction is that the husband ends up dead and D'Artagnan will be Prime Suspect #1.  I don't know, I haven't read the books, but I could totally see this happening. 

 

 

[ABay]

If I was Constance, I'd be helping dear hubby tie the noose and checking for a beam that would hold him.

[Shades of Red]

Have to say I LOVED Aramis being the one to think to go looking for wealthy patronesses, and his line about the money that lady gave him, "Believe me I earned it."  Oh, I'll bet he did...anyone else's mind go to a really dirty place?

 

Trust me, you're not alone in that boat - LOL!

 

I'm going to join in with all the people who think D'Artagnan and Constance are stupid with all the PDA. 

 

 

[Shades of Red]

Not specific to this episode as it seems to happen in all of them, but am I the only one who is waiting for a wardrobe malfunction on the part of the ladies and their tops?  I keep waiting for one of them to have a breast pop out or a nipple accidently show up.  I know editing plays a huge part in this, but I wonder how often the ladies or someone from wardrobe has to stop the scene to pull up their bodices?  I don't care if you want to show cleavage, but this has been bordering on uncomfortable (physically not mentally) for me throughout the entire series.   I actually fidget on my couch and want to reach out and yank up their tops especially when one of them has a heavy breathing scene going on. 

 

I have to say I've really enjoyed the series, especially as they don't seem to take themselves seriously.  After watching my DVDs on the weekend I really noticed a lot of times when everyone seemed to be having a good time and doing a few things tongue in cheek.  Some of the facial expressions are priceless and no dialogue is required to get their point across.  I like that the women aren't "damsels in distress".

 

The DVDs have a really great "behind the scenes" segment  about this episode.  It shows the prep that went on for the rescue scene for Constance with the horse and buggy and the ambush.  It's a little odd and hilarious to see all the actors in their regular clothes practicing their moves and then to see them in full costume but it is fun to see.

[Athena]

A place to discuss particular episodes, arcs and moments from the show's run. Please remember this isn't a complete catch-all topic -- check out the forum for character topics and other places for show-related talk.

[missbonnie]

Wheeee! I will have the season one DVD's in my hands in 48 hours. It's going to be a swashbuckling weekend for me.

[missbonnie]

Have to say I LOVED Aramis being the one to think to go looking for wealthy patronesses, and his line about the money that lady gave him, "Believe me I earned it." Oh, I'll bet he did...anyone else's mind go to a really dirty place?

Oh honey, I just hear the word Aramis and my mind goes off to the land of naughtiness.

[ABay]

I don't understand the question. What else could they possibly be implying. That line was not exactly cloaked in subtlety.

[Catlyn]

It's been a while since I read the book, but the impression I got was that it was fairly normal for women in those days to have men on the side.  Can anyone verify or correct me on that?   I vaguely remember it being mentioned that rich ladies also very normally financed their men, even with husbands in the picture

Yes, in the book, it was common for high born women, wedded or not, to have lovers and to be patrons to them. Unwedded had to be more discrete because they still wished for a good marriage (good meaning one to a rich high born husband).

 

Apparently in those days, soldiers had to outfit themselves with arms, horses, etc. Aramis had Madame de Chevreuse, Porthos had his rich (albeit lower ranking) mistress (and at that time not a widow), d'Artagnan had Constance (although the money came indirectly from the Cardinal not Constance.). Athos had no mistress and in one part of the book while the rest were getting their equipment , Athos did nothing and said if the equipment didn't come, he'd start a fight with a Cardinal guard and commit suicide that way.

[DCWash]

The last one was more "family friendly" and this new series will have more "post-watershed" content. Ahem.

 

Having just gone through updated threads, my first thought upon reading that was, "Oho! Somebody's going to get their wardrobe malfunctions!"

[ABay]

It would be nice, but probably too much to hope for, that any nudity be equal opportunity and not just naked women.

[voiceover]

Okay, move this if necessary, but:

Our boys are back!!

 

BBCAmerica is rerunning the series, 9am CT, weekday mornings -- looks like M-Th right now.

[Maelstrom]

This interview about season 1 from Collider is several months old now, but still a fun read for anyone who hasn't seen it.

 

Does it make me unforgivably old-fashioned to say that I have "darker, edgier" fatigue, and that I liked the first season being more family-friendly? Ah well. As long as season 2 doesn't change quality-wise, I'm still in!

Edited October 22, 2014 by Maelstrom

[ceg1]

Woo. The swagtastic dark haired princes will be back in one month! S2 starts Jan. 2.

[justmehere]

Different location? This says it returns on January 17:

 

http://www.bbcamerica.com/musketeers/

[ceg1]

OMG. So USAians don't have to wait as long as last season? X-Mas has come early. 

[scarynikki12]

Heh I'm taking this as a birthday present.  I didn't know BBC cared!

[justmehere]

Ah, I see! I did think it was much earlier than last year. (A little slow on the uptake here, heh.)

[missbonnie]

I thought surely this is a mistake because I read it was starting in the UK in January and we had to wait until June. Best Christmas present ever!

[Souris]

I'm so excited! Can't wait to see the boys again.

[Athena]

The Musketeers are given the task of retrieving Comte de Rochefort, the Cardinal’s man in Madrid who has escaped from a Spanish Prison. The need to work with Rochefort to rescue De Foix before important information falls into the wrong hands.

 

Airing BBC January 2nd, 2015. Airing BBC America January 17th, 2015.

[voiceover]

Eeeeeeeeeeee!  Just saw the ad on Doctor Who!!

 

Best Christmas present I got all day!!

[ennui]

I'm happy this show is back, too.  Is this another 10-episode season?

[ennui]

This interview about season 1 from Collider is several months old now, but still a fun read for anyone who hasn't seen it.

 

Does it make me unforgivably old-fashioned to say that I have "darker, edgier" fatigue, and that I liked the first season being more family-friendly? Ah well. As long as season 2 doesn't change quality-wise, I'm still in!

Is being old-fashioned unforgivable?  Hmm. I, too, liked the tone of the first season. I hope it doesn't change too much.

[Athena]

I'm happy this show is back, too.  Is this another 10-episode season?

 

Yes, we're getting ten more episodes. I wonder how the move to the later time slot will change the content of this season.

[Llywela]

It's the same time slot as last season - 9pm - but airing on a different night, Friday instead of Sunday. Last season they weren't expecting to air after the watershed, though, so pitched the content slightly younger; this season they know when and where they are airing, so can pitch accordingly - we'll find out soon enough what difference it makes!

[Athena]

The UK premiere of the second series starts today. The BBC America premiere will be on January 17th.

 

PTV uses the original air dates. The show is airing fifteen days behind its UK original airing. Since there will be overlap in airing, I will mark the US and UK air dates in the first post of the episode threads. Please remember not to spoil yourself by going into future episode topics beyond the ones you have watched. Out of respect for American viewers, be careful in the character, media, and non-episode threads.

 

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to ask me. Thank you!

[Asha124]

This episode was a mess. The queen gave a birth in one scene and in other she is up and running around the palace looking like she was never pregnant at all. Tamla's and Alexandra's new hair look terrible, it makes them look much older than they really are. (Btw. Did anybody else see silver streaks in Santiago's beard or was I just seeing things?). Not interested in the new love interests (Lucy? and the nanny who was given "the stare"). Rochefort was rather cringeworthy. I can't believe his schemes went unnoticed by the boys. It really is a shame that Capaldi had to leave the show, he was the best villain. The best scene of the episode was orchestrated by him after all (Adele's grave). Next episode looks even messier.

[Athena]

I don't watch this show for its plots or writing, but they crammed a lot into this. I didn't like Rochefort's style at all. He killed like two dozen people in cold blood in one episode! I'm going to blame the writing and that awful hair for most of the episode. I watched Marc Warren in "Hustle" so I know he can be a bit more subtle.

 

Tamla's and Alexandra's new hair look terrible, it makes them look much older than they really are. (Btw. Did anybody else see silver streaks in Santiago's beard or was I just seeing things?). Not interested in the new love interests (Lucy? and the nanny who was given "the stare").

 

What was up with the hair and makeup? Both Tamla and Alexandra looked worse than they did the first series. The King does too! I know the Queen just gave birth, but her makeup looked different too. I wasn't keen on D'Artagnan's new one; then again, I never cared about his love interests. It's obvious that something is going to happen with Aramis and the Royal Nanny. Not looking forward to that.

 

I'm not understanding Rochefort or the Spanish ambassador's machinations that much either. Everyone this show seems to forget Anne is Spanish. She mentioned it in this episode, but neither the ambassador or Rochefort seems to care about this. Wouldn't their King Philip IV   be wary of making things worse for his sister Anne? Or will they bring Anne over? It's a bit confusing if they are making Anne more devious or keeping her as good character. I guess time will tell.

 

On a positive note: the boys are back. My favourite bits were Aramis looking at his son, Aramis making eyes at the Queen, and Aramis speaking Spanish. So the usual highlights for me.

[Grace284]

I'm not understanding Rochefort or the Spanish ambassador's machinations that much either. Everyone this show seems to forget Anne is Spanish. She mentioned it in this episode, but neither the ambassador or Rochefort seems to care about this. Wouldn't their King Philip IV   be wary of making things worse for his sister Anne? Or will they bring Anne over? It's a bit confusing if they are making Anne more devious or keeping her as good character. I guess time will tell.

 

 

They made a few references to Anne being Spanish, I assume to remind the audience for plot reasons. Now that Anne has given birth she is secure on the throne and it's a good time for the Spanish to use that. Rochefort and Anne have a history which he can exploit in order to gain favour with her and by extension the King. That way, should an unfortunate but fully believable accident befall Louis, Rochefort could be in a prime position to influence the new King of France and the Queen Regent on behalf of the Spanish.

 

I think my favourite moment was Treville blatantly rolling his eyes at the King. Someone's going to get themselves beheaded if they're not careful.

Edited January 3, 2015 by Grace284

[Llywela]

I'm just hoping that Louis XIII isn't dead yet.  It sure looks like that's where they're going in the previews, which would make it the year 1643.  Maybe they didn't want to keep Louis without Richelieu.

I'm almost certain the 2.02 previews are a fakeout - Louis will be believed dead for a time and then return unharmed in the end. He looked to be on the run with D'Artagnan - no way will they have D'Art responsible for the king's death. It'll be Louis' version of the episode where the Queen was stranded in the wild (minus, presumably, the Musketeer sex!).