[RubyGrace]

Yeah IRL Catherine was just coming into the start of her time as a very powerful woman, before then it was Diane running the show, but this show portrayed fairly terribly.

It does seem like Claude and the twins are there to be a distraction for Catherine because otherwise there's no way she wouldn't have busted up this plot in 10 minutes flat.

I think Mary's reactions to Francis make a little more sense than his to her. We are supposed to think that Mary is just so upset at the hateful stuff that Francis is flinging her way, combined her anguish over the miscarriage and with being angry at the laws he's signing that they're almost at a complete break with each other and that's why she doesn't notice the anguish on his face.

However they aren't doing a good job in the slightest with these two at the moment, there's absolutely nothing that feels organic about their current issues, and nothing that 2 minutes chat wouldn't vastly help, if not entirely solve. I hate all drama and romcom plots that could be solved with people actually saying one needed sentence.

I do like Craig Parker but I thought the Duke of Guise was a much more believable and powerful antagonist for Francis last season. That guy blackmailed but did it because he had a very loyal personal army to back him up. He didn't too overtly threaten Francis but made him feel he had no choice to but to go along with his wishes because shear numbers meant the practical difference between winning and loosing.

[ScarletCourt]

Makes no sense for Catherine to withdraw when obviously Francis is sooooo in need of her help! One well placed poison and Narcisse is done!

ETA
Apparently the Live+7 for the week of Nov 3rd to 9th (Three Queens) shot the ratings up from .4 to .7. (source) I wonder what this rating was like for this episode?

[shebacs]

Here's my thoughts on the episode 8, it was 6.5/10 for me.

I like that were moving further along this so-called religious strife, its not even religious. Its more of men betraying each other in the guise of Protestants vs. Catholics.

Here we have Protestants killing their priest to make it seem the King wants all Protestants stopped. When in fact, the King has also done his part, albeit a little, he can't do any much more because he's also restricted. WHERE IS LEITH? I also think the Cardinal was drunk on his power. Not good.

But like I said, its all about betrayal. It wasn't about which faith is better, because they all worship one God. And likely, @reignwriters won't be able to put it into writing the nuances of both Protestantism and Catholicism. I think they don't have the chops for that writing stuff and they would have to get scholars to get their input on that.

It was more of rebelling and usurping the authority of the king from both of the supposed Protestant and Catholic leaders.

I think this is really what the Major Plot of season 2, to usurp the king or rather to alienate the king from everyone. Without the bells and whistles of Narcisse, Conde, Lola, the kid (I still don't know what the kid's name is), Mary, etc, it is what it is.

Refer to "Leave me, Leave France." Am I right, @reignwriters? And also refer to ''You don't know what you got until its gone''.

With that off my chest, Conde when you are kidnapped and then the Protestant priest threatens the crown (that's both Francis and Mary), you should have also gotten those kidnappers in for interrogation. Elementary, my dear. Those kidnappers are your first suspects as cohorts to the priest as they were the ones who brought you to the priest. Seriously, you don't just believe them right off the bat, You also interrogate them, even have them endure what the priest has endured. Heck, in some instances, you could also be done for as one of the cohorts. Literally, you are the first suspect as you were the one who brought the priest to the king. But naturally, the king trusts you.

And that goes for all of you, Francis, Mary, Bash, etc. you should also put those kidnappers in for interrogation, as well.

I swear, watching NCIS/CSI shows can help you, @reignwriters. Especially NCIS as these series are more into espionage, military, betrayals in a bigger scale, probably like running a country, you know, like what Francis and Mary are supposedly doing. But, if you can't get past these shows because there's not much pretty boys in it, sorry Gibbs, Abby, Kenzi, Dinozzo, Siva, Deeks, Gallen, Hanna, etc. you're not pretty enough for CW, lol. then you should know these are CBS shows. Aren't you part of the CBS family too? They could lend you a hand, you know.

WHERE IS LEITH? Leith has the pulse of the common people, both Catholics and Protestants. He could have helped immensely.

WHERE IS CASTLEROY? He could also be very helpful during these times.

WHERE IS CATHERINE? Yo, @reignwriters, you put Catherine in the back story? This woman has lots of experience dealing with betrayals and you don't utilize her for this? How could you? How dare you?

And Lola, if you would have said earlier that you planted the cipher, and thought about your child, you know, Bobby. I swear, Lola has become a cliched teenage mother who only thinks of herself in the most convenient times for herself.

Francis and Mary, I think I've said a million times what I think of their Scientist routine, and its still be the same thing as what is on this episode.

@reignwriters, you gave a horse-riding tandem scene to Lola and Narcisse = 1 point deduction. And its disgusting where you have placed that dialogue but then both of the characters have been disgusting, might as well put manure so more.

I'm being generous by 6.5/10 because I like themes circling around betrayal and trust.

Let's see if @reignwriters can follow through this theme of alienating King Francis. And by following through, I don't mean killing Francis and bye-bye France because that would just be so simple thinking and frankly, that's a tired cliche to do.

You hate the character, you kill it. You love the character but want shock factor, you kill it. The fans love the character but you want him gone, you kill it. Oh hai, see what I did there?