Hot Off The Press - The Musketeers episode 6

A little late than originally intended, I returned to The Musketeers episode six and came away with mixed feeling this time around. While solid in execution, there was something about the latest episode's plot regarding the true (baby) king of France that felt a little messy.

That said it was still interesting stuff as the musketeers are once again caught amongst royal drama between their king and his banished mother. His mother plans to overthrow him through a baby who is the legitimate first heir to the throne, but as the cardinal suspects, she would use this to her advantage with darker intentions. I think this time around, the best parts of this episode involved Peter Capaldi, even though he has yet to have anything for him to really get his teeth into.

While far from groundbreaking, the cardinal's scenes added some intrigue to the story. But it still wasn't enough to quite carry through the sense of scale the show hopes to achieve. I know I keep referring to it but Game of Thrones, yes Game of Thrones, is a show that understands how to make the audience believe that a show with a budget that barely scratches that of a Hollywood motion picture can reach the same scale, and more. Here however, we get a few extras and some pretty buildings. If the king's mother is the threat she is, we should see an increase in security, creating a sense of high alert where one misstep could turn everything into chaos. Instead the atmosphere felt a little flat when tension should be high. Still, the chemistry between the musketeers themselves was entertaining, if overshadowed by everything else going on around them.

The political thriller elements certainly showed potential, and seeing how the musketeers must act under strict authority remained engaging regardless. It's these scenes when episodes focus around the king, that the musketeers find themselves caught between a rock and a hard place that really keep the show going.

Performance wise, the guest appearances remained good throughout, but I wasn't entirely sure about the king's, presenting a more childish side that flew in the face of what we've seen so far. The musketeers themselves continue to do a very good job, with Luke Pasqualino showing more and more charisma as d'Artagnan. Another mention should also go to Santiago Cabrera as Aramis who owns the role, as does the ever charismatic Howard Charles as Porthos. Tom Burke, however, while good as Athos, seems to have been placed in the background, which feels odd considering how his character is often presented as the leader of the group. Nonetheless, all do a fine job and their interaction keeps the show alive.

So despite the political drama not quite hitting the mark, the episode showed undertones of a darker side, particularly with the cardinal, that I hope are developed further to create a real sense of drama.