S02.E08: Be All My Sins Remembered

[formerlyfreedom]

Relationships are changed forever when The Royals' family history is called into question.

[omgsowicked]

Wait. So Cyrus... wait. My first thought was that he was just making moves with Prudence, trying to get back at Dutchie. But then I remembered that random scene a few episodes ago where he went to Prudence's home and asked if she was sure she was having a son. So perhaps the plan really was always to marry Prudence for show but have Violet as a private, true love? When did Violet come into the picture anyway, before or after he went to Prudence's?

 

I had been hoping to see Prudence's revenge but it seems she gave up on it. This is the second time I can remember that she looked like she was going to do something badass and then did nothing (that random scene where she had a gun in her purse in S1). Also, she didn't look pregnant, did she have the kid already? I'm sure Violet will pop up one day to cause some trouble with Cyrus and Prudence... no one's dead on this show unless they're shown without a pulse.

 

I liked all the transitions in this episode, they got creative with the editing. I'm glad they didn't drag out the who killed Dominque thing (as well as Violet) because it was obvious it was Dutchie. So cold-hearted. Ted's got the confession on camera, too (and he put flowers in Liam's room, bet there's a camera in there for some future reason). Between Dutchie getting stripped of her title and income, and Liam's sure to be popular video, I wonder if next season will be about turning things around (with road bumps along the way, of course). Also, Liam said he was sure Domino didn't kill Robert or Simon... how does he know that? Did Dominque Jr. tell him that last week? I can't remember.

 

I'm sure Helena and the twins will get back to butting heads but I really enjoyed seeing them have some emotional, honest moments. Cracked up at Helena and Cyrus fighting. "You kicked me in my balls!" "Your ball-luh!"

 

I liked the James reveal. I thought he might be a military buddy of Robert's, finally making good on a promise to keep an eye on the family, but his more simple, touching story was good. I really, really hope he's legit and doesn't end up screwing Eleanor over (which he will, on a show like this) because I love them together. Oh yeah, and I'm glad Eleanor got her earrings back. None for you, Mandy.

[GaT]

I knew it was going to be the Dutchess, and I guess now that Cyrus has shown everyone his baby mama & Helena realizes she won't be Queen, she's going to want to get Liam declared the rightful King, & will do something about the paternity tests. Of course, it will probably turn out that they really are Alistair's, so Liam won't be King anyway.

[njbchlover]

Finally, an entire episode that actually made sense and answered some questions!!  I thought this was one of the best episodes of the show!  

 

Wow to Joan Collins being "Alexis Carrington" all over again....and how sad and devastated Liam and Eleanor looked when they found out their "Duchie" was a murderer (and, now, possibly twice...).  

 

So, did Helena know about the Dutchess poisoning the horse when it happened, or did she just find out about it now?  

 

Also, loved, loved, loved the relationship that is brewing between Eleanor and James, as well.  I think he will turn out to be the father figure she needs since her father was killed.  It was apparent she respects him when she packed all the drugs away.  

 

I'm thinking that Helena will claim that the first bloodtests were incorrect (or falsified by Cyrus), and will prove that Liam is the true King, thereby putting Cyrus and his future son back to where they started....basically the spare to Liam, as heir to the throne.  I believe that the Liam and Eleanor are Simon's children.

 

I'm so happy that we are finally seeing a lot of the plot lines coming together...it's about time!!  Except - what's happening with Cyrus' daughters??  

Edited January 4, 2016 by njbchlover

[AllisonH]

I like Mr. Hill, and I think his interactions with Eleanor are adorable, but I'm worried for him.  The theme of this episode was "they always take the good ones."  That doesn't bode well for the likes of Mr. Hill.

Edited January 4, 2016 by AllisonH

[GaT]

So, did Helena know about the Dutchess poisoning the horse when it happened, or did she just find out about it now?  

She told Eleanor & Liam that she had waited 30 years for them to find out, so she must have known all this time.

[gazebo]

I wasn't surprised that Duchy ended up being a murdering bitch!  She was just so absolutely cool when she cracked that vase over Cyrus skull!  Of course she wouldn't hesitate killing anyone for her own gain!  Right now, Duchess Alexandra might be down, being stripped of her titles and money, but I don't think she's out.  She'll find a way to get even!  Yay, Joan Collins!  She is awesome!

 

Poor Violet!  I sincerely hope she's not truly dead.

 

 

[kat165]

I have strange taste in men so it's rare for me to see someone on tv that I'm attracted to, so I really missed Jasper in this episode.

 

I loved the expression on Lenny's face when she guessed right about the silver fox. He was turning to leave, she said something about a sad or befuddled or something girl and he turned around & her reaction was excellent.

 

Lots happened in this ep & we got some insight, but I was alittle annoyed at the repeated scenes even though it was nicely done cinematically. Or maybe I just wanted them to stop wasting time and get to Jasper. :)

 

So do you think that was Cyrus's plan all along to marry the previous maid or did he come up with that to get even with Duchy & Helena?

Edited January 5, 2016 by kat165

[NutMeg]

Such a quiet thread! :-)

 

Sorry to barge in like that and disturb your tea with the queen session, but I just finished binge-watching all of season 1 and season 2 to date. I was expecting something trashy and forgetable (perfect as I had pulled a muscle and needed to stay still), but instead found something much more fun than I thought, and played with gusto (well, except for the Ophelia character, who hopefully will stay in NY forever, or until whatever her evil dad is up to forces her to make a - hopefully short - reappearance).

 

What I love about this show is that even seemingly forgotten threads get to see the light of day at some stage. And that drama is not draaaaaaaged on forever but resolved swiftly. Because of course there is always another crisis brewing, and I love the multiple stories all going on at the same time. Some funny, some weird, some pathetic, some sad, some tragic, some WTF, some where are they going with this (Ted and his dead wife??? My theory is that all was less than hunky dory between them, so he had her killed somehow but made it look like the intented target was the king).

 

I also love that these people are mostly people who think rationally based on who they are. i.e. they act in character. I've way passed the point of reacting to the glaring weaknesses (everyone wanders in the "secret" tunnels! no one uses the correct protocol in adressing the royal family! even the quenn, while looking very nice indeed, looks more like an MTV version of what the queen should look like that what the real queen looks like. - Then again, if we fast forward 20-30 years, I could see queen Kate wearing these kind of clothes, so maybe the show is just avant garde in that respect, haha).

 

What I love:

- the one liners (mostly from the queen, Eleanor, king Cyrus, new silver fox bodyguard, Duchy, but all have their moments - previous girlfriend of the prince had some awesome ones)

- the actors playing queen Helena (Elena?), Cyrus, Eleanor. And Joan Collins, deliciously evil.

- the relatively tight plot - comprising shortly resolved stories and longer ones, but staying on track.

- the music!!!

 

So yeah, I'm here to stay :) 

[apgold]

I almost gave up on this show last season - found it hard to understand what the tone was - trashy fun soap (a la Gossip Girl) or more of a family drama type show.  I felt it either veered from one extreme to the other and it didn't help that Liam's love interest was really annoying.  I liked Eleanor (Lenny) from the start and I think the actress is excellent (plus she looks like she could be Elizabeth Hurley's kid).

 

I find it much more compelling that they got rid of King Simon and the infighting that resulted from his death.  The writing is better this season and plots are more coherent.  My only complaint is the use of the haunting ghost device (Simon w/Cyrus) and the head of security and his dead wife (wearing lingerie?) is a bit heavy handed.

 

Having the Dutchess/Alexis C. being the crazy sociopathic killer was genius.  She'll do anything to keep her daughter as Queen/Monarch but it backfired in her face.  It would be hilarious if she was hauled off to prison and had to wear orange.

[GaT]

(Ted and his dead wife??? My theory is that all was less than hunky dory between them, so he had her killed somehow but made it look like the intented target was the king).

Oh, I like this. That would explain why her ghost is such a bitch this season. I've been trying to figure out why since last season they were deeply in love, but this season not so much. Or, since they've turned Ted from loyal good guy head of security to Ted who killed King Simon, maybe that was his first attempt to kill the King, & she was accidentally killed instead. They've apparently rewritten a large chunk of the show this season, so why not Ted's wife's death too? 

[kat165]

Ted's dead wife is disturbing. Why is she dressed in lingerie? And so nasty? (and what was wrong with her stomach? It was difficult to watch, like part of it was bashed in or something) I keep waiting for her to break out the whips and chains. And is this really his dead wife? Or a mistress? It's hard to reconcile this portrait of the wife with what we know of how/what Ophelia felt about her mother. Seems like a completey different person.

 

Welcome, Nutmeg, excellent post!

 

It is quiet in here usually. I keep hoping for more interaction.

Edited January 7, 2016 by kat165

[NutMeg]

thanks, kat165, I'm sure I'll be back! It does feel weird having to wait for the next episode after binge watching the 18 so far :)

[kat165]

You're welcome, NutMeg! I find this show delicious. Even though I could also chime in on some of the ridiculous

plotting and storylines I'm enjoying it too much in general to bother. I really look forward to the show. I hope you

will stick around, maybe we can get a dialogue going. Although I get the impression that not many of us watch

this show. It's certainly a lot more entertaining than much of the other stuff that's on.

Edited January 8, 2016 by kat165

[BkWurm1]

since they've turned Ted from loyal good guy head of security to Ted who killed King Simon, maybe that was his first attempt to kill the King, & she was accidentally killed instead. They've apparently rewritten a large chunk of the show this season, so why not Ted's wife's death too?

 

This is basically what has driven me in here to post.  I watched the first season and enjoyed it for what it was.  I've been watching the second season in binges, letting four or so episodes pile up and then getting in the right frame of mind for something kind of over the top and yeah, I've really enjoyed this season.  It's better written and though I didn't mind Ophelia, I don't miss her in the least since the Twin's lives are way more interesting than hers.  So I'm fine with her being sent back to the US but this reveal that Ted killed Simon...I just don't buy it. 

 

It makes no fricken sense.  He blamed the monarchy for the death of his wife so he spent the next decade plus estranged from his daughter so he could protect them?  And then after waiting more than a decade, he decides to kill the heir only after he left home (cause apparently that would have been too easy) and somehow arranged to kill Robert when he was thousands of miles away in the military?  Oh and he decides to kill Simon when he wanted to abolish the Monarchy, the thing he apparently hates but he still made sure to keep Liam and the evil Queen and even Cyrus safe and out of the papers?  Simon he gets all stabby on, the only purely good guy on the show?  The one we saw Ted when no one else was around trying to solve his murder?  But the Queen who he despises, and the new King (also despises)  he follows instructions to the letter?  Sigh.   

 

I don't mind the dramatic twists, it's just this is a very badly sold one. I'm doing my best to ignore how badly this is being retconned and just go with it since I'm enjoying the rest of the show but "who killed the king" was a big deal and Ted is such a cop-out and let down.  I told myself until this episode that it wasn't true, that he was leading on the Domino Gang, but apparently not.  I suppose we are supposed to think he's going insane but Cyrus isn't being portrayed that way and he has had the same level of delusions.

 

I think I am more annoyed than I realized.  Part of it is the show is clearly trying to rehab both Cyrus and the Queen and make them more sympathetic, I get it, it's a lot easier to write for character that have some good qualities but I didn't like them because they were good and their "goodness" comes at the expense of throwing a perfectly solid character under the bus and rewriting his entire history.  That kind of weak writing tends to make me lose confidence in the writers and show runners. 

 

I need to stop analyzing it and just go with it.  I was enjoying it then.  Now I'm dwelling too much and everything is falling apart. 

 

Oh well, poor Violet.  I knew things weren't going to end well for her when they did that Royal's Uncovered special and everyone talked about how much they "loved" the character and actress -- past tense.  Oops! 

Edited January 9, 2016 by BkWurm1

[grisgris]

Does anybody know if this has been picked up for a third season or is what we're seeing the final wrap-up?

I'd miss this show, for sure, but I don't know where they'd go from here.

[formerlyfreedom]

Does anybody know if this has been picked up for a third season or is what we're seeing the final wrap-up?

I'd miss this show, for sure, but I don't know where they'd go from here.

 

Might want to go look in the Media thread...

[NutMeg]

While waiting for the next episode, I'm thinking that the head of security (is he Ted?), IF he killed king Simon, didn't do so by stabbing him but by interfering with one of the tubes he was hooked on after being tranferred to the palace.

Remember the scene when Head of security shooed Former minion of the queen who had become minion of Cyrus from the room Simon was comatose in? )By telling him Family only", if memory serves) I thought Former minion had evil intentions, but maybe Head of security was the one with evil intention...

(I'm very sorry but I never seem to remember the names of second tier characters :-( unless I post right after the episode, this will be the best I can do)