The Musketeers: Series 1, Episode 2 – “Sleight of Hand” (2014)

 

Well, D’Artagnan has officially joined the folds of the musketeers now.  His first major task involves getting himself imprisoned – talk about hazing the new guy.  No, he’s actually undercover, investigating a possible assassination plot against the king and queen.  While the musketeers take bodyguard duty, D’Artagnan tries to gather intel and pass it on to his new friends/associates.

 

The musketeers are proving themselves to be cocky but capable.  They’re a very swashbuckling trio (now quartet, of course, but D’Artagnan has a pretty different temperament.)  They enjoy a bit of action – in both the violent and amorous senses – and they don’t have much problem flouting authority, but they’re definitely loyal to the crown, and when it comes to getting the job done, they deliver.

 

Richelieu is a little less dastardly in this episode.  He liaises with the musketeers about the assassination plot, and you get the sense that he really considers his ultimate goal to be for the best of France – it just so happens that France is “best off” when he is in a position of power as the king’s puppet master.  Funny how things work out like that.

 

In a way, he’s like Malcolm, who is unscrupulously devoted to his party and feels it can only stay on top if he’s running the show.  Richelieu isn’t as entertaining or awesome as Malcolm, but the parallels are there.  We’ll see how much his ambitions actually benefit France, and how much he just uses France to justify his pursuit of power.