Of Swords and Parasols

 93 x The Borgias (early season 2)
57 x Person of Interest (early season 1)

  


( here )

Show, do you not realize I was using Sancha to sell you to Cantarella fans at WisCon? What’re you doing, only having her in the last 2 minutes of the finale in these episodes? And in a group scene at that!

I hope you are wise enough to make her a regular next season!

(The “not enough” complaint also applies to Vannozza in these episodes.)

Episode 9 was a good wrap-up for the season, but episode 8 is probably my favorite episode of the season, and I love how about 60% of the problems and tension that were building throughout the season were basically resolved by Lucrezia Jedi mind tricking everyone and singlehandedly preventing wars, with Giulia looking on approvingly. (I was spot on when I declared Yan Yu in Paladins in Troubled Times to be wuxia Lucrezia, according to this version of .)

Also, I find this show’s idea of “no incest at all no really” to be hilarious when every single scene with Lucrezia and Cesare is shot with such standard “Epic OTP Of AAAAANNNNGGGGSSSTTTT” framing.

Observe:

   

I mean, really? (This gets a bit awkward when you’re shipping her with their father’s mistress and him with a nun, too. Also, I am looking forward to Sancha/Cesare with ridiculous glee, though I have no idea how long it’ll take to get to that. This multishipping thing is an interesting new experience. Also, lols at Cesare asking Lucrezia if Sforza was “ungallant.” She was all “Oh yes, he was going to cut my husband to pieces if he was ‘ungallant.’ Hmm…how much do I hate him again?”)

Also, I am completely shallow enough to be pleased at the return of Cesare's black leather.  It seems to be his "knight in shining armor off to vanquish wicked husbands" pants.

Start soon, season 2!

You know, I actually think this is a pretty good, largely solid show? Far from perfect, but a good watch and…better with history than other things. But really, I think 80% of my enjoyment is completely shallow? I may let out a little sigh every time Giulia or Lucrezia shows up in a gorgeous outfit. Which is most of their scenes. Also, Cesare spends an awful lot of time running around in black leather for a cardinal.

Also, this show makes me multiship all over the place, which is a bit odd for me, given that I don’t actually consciously ship that much. But, currently, I ship Lucrezia/Giulia, Lucrezia/Cesare, Lucrezia/Francesca, kinda-sorta-I’m-so-glad-they-aged-her-about-a-decade-Giulia/Rodrigo, and I-think-this-is-actually-a-carryover-from-Cantarella‘s-triangle-of-Doom-Cesare/Michelotto. And, naturally, Sforza/Death. And possibly Vannozza/Me. (Joanne Whalley somehow got hotter in the last 25-ish years. I wasn’t sure that was possible.) Also, I currently like Lucrezia/Paolo and Ursula/Cesare, but that’s more the plotline of a woman in an awful situation using what resources are available to her to try to get out of it, and less with the character interactions, those there’s a chivalric/courtly aspect to Ursula and Cesare’s interactions so far that I appreciate. (Of course, since she’s a fictional character and nor an actual historical lover of his, I suspect they’re going to kill her before the end of the season.)

And they have already mentioned Sancha! I…really hope they keep her friendship with Lucrezia. I mean, they kept the Lucrezia/Giulia relationship (OMG do they keep it) but I am just so used to fiction automatically pitting any women who could have a rivalry against each other that I’m scared to hope. Actually, while I’m excited for Sancha, I’m also nervous? So far, with one exception (that one thing from the pilot) I’m pretty pleased with how the show is handling the women, but Sancha does go through all three Borgia brothers, and we know how things like that tend to go down.

But really, I’m not sure I’ve been then spoiled with women and women interacting in an English-language period drama since Downton Abbey. Well, except for Mists of Avalon and He Knew He Was Right but those are both a bit older. And short.

It needs more caterina Sforza, though. Granted, mostly just because I like Gina McGee, but still.

( Spoilers for the episodes and a bit of history we haven't gotten to yet. )

Today I watched the preview episode of Camelot that aired a few weeks back,and the pilot episode of The Borgias that leaked.

Camelot

( I think most of these spoilers have made the rounds but just in case... )
In short and with no spoilers: I can only assume we are meant to root for Morgan, and that this version of Arthur and Merlin exists purely to encourage us to do so. Morgan is awesome, Lot is quite the nice arm decoration, Kay is adorable, Leontes has potential, I have hopes for Ygraine but not necessarily faith in the writers, and, sadly, there is no Guenevere worth speaking of yet. It’s not necessarily good (seriously) but it largely entertained me and keeps saying things I always want to be said. Also, since the official premier is supposed to be 2 hours, I assume that what aired is only the first half, especially with the abrupt ending.

The Borgias

I have less to say and no spoilers here, but I…largely uncritically enjoyed this? I know enough about the history to know the historians will understandably be sobbing and ripping hair out, but not enough to rip my own hair out. Except for Juan (who I’m not supposed to like) I enjoyed pretty much every character. I have…issues with something that happens near the end, but it made sense in context. I’m told Cesare’s actor says there is no hanky-panky between Cesare and Lucrezia. I assume that his agent told him no incest-sex, and he hadn’t read the scripts yet. Because if you take out the times he refers to Lucrezia as his sister, every line and every camera shot plays out like epic childhood-love-that’s-soon-to-be-forbidden-but-is-still-70%-innocent.

No, really.




(I had things running in the background, so the picture glitched at times, and this was obviously one of hose times.  But you get my point.)

Jeremy Irons is, of course, Jeremy Irons, and so awesome. But no one told me Joanne Whalley was in it! (As Mama Borgia, whose name I cannot spell without looking it up.) She has aged quite well! And, uhm, may be my favorite.

Also, I have to remind myself that Cantarella absolutely is not the proper thing to compare this too or or go “but in Cantarella…

Both shows either technically do or do not pass Bechdel, depending on your interpretation. Because there are, like, decorative men in the background, but they’re pretty much inconsequential to what are some of the best scenes in the respective shows. The Borgias is technically the better of the two, as such things go, but Camelot is more likely to engage me on the met narrative level.

Hmm...I am now reminded that I tracked down the 1981 BBC Borgias series a while back and haven't watched it yet...