Hot Off The Press - The Musketeers episode 7

Following last weeks lacklustre episode, I looked to my television guide to a generally positive review of episode seven. Curious, I thought further about where the last one went wrong, was it the unoriginal story, somewhat lacking production values, the script? Whatever it was, something didn't quite gel the way some of the successful previous episodes had managed to do. Maybe it was the fact that halfway through the season and there was very little idea of how it conclude; there lacked a sense of escalation which is usually what brings audiences together for the season final. While last night's episode followed a somewhat episodic format, it certainly picked things up with a sense of momentum that made for a far more engaging story. 

This time around, guest actress Annabelle Wallis plays Ninon De Larroqu, a wealthy independent woman who has made it her mission to help the other women break away from the confines of French society. However, her world clashes with the King's when one of her friends is killed when knocked down by the royal carriage. Was the women trying to attack, what were her intentions? And amongst the chaos, Rome has sent an envoy to the Cardinal with the intention of breaking France's treaty with Sweden, but when news comes of the dead woman, the envoy makes a challenging proposition to him. 

Sounds like a lot of drama right? Yep, this time there is less sword fighting (which has its place here and there when necessary) in favour of more tense drama, and the result works well. As the show moves from one scene to the next, there is a real sense of energy and excitement as the musketeers try to clear Ninon and save her from a witch burning. At times I was reminded of the excitement I found with the BBC's other show Ripper Street, which goes to show how the The Musketeers can really hit the mark when on form. 

In previous reviews I have described how Peter Capaldi has performed well as the Cardinal, and while I still believe the show has yet to fully utilise him, it is in episode seven where he finally gets in on the action. His scenes with Rome's envoy are great fun to watch, even if the pacing moves a little two quickly when France's relationship with other countries and territories has not fully been explained. Regardless, it is a shame that he will not be returning for another series due to commitments with Doctor Who, but it will be interesting to see who will fill the void when he leaves.

Coming back into the forefront having spent time quietly moving through the background, Athos featured prominently with Tom Burke giving a great performance as the tortured sole. Having grown used to seeing Aramis almost take centre stage, it made for a welcome change and Burke's scenes with Wallis were very good, boasting great chemistry between the two, something that last week's episode failed to do with Aramis. And as the action picked up, so did Athos and it was great to watch as he started to notice his former wife as she gives a false confession. 

Overall this episode was a great success. Combining the two different plot lines into one could have felt forced, but the progression felt natural and the way the story involved women's rights was handled carefully, incorporating it into the plot instead of jamming it in (the slavery episode). With only three left to go now, I hope show keeps this momentum going, setting itself up for a strong return to season two.