(no subject)
TV commentary:
The Borgias- Finally finished this series. I had heard this ended before they were able to finish the whole story, but at least the show ended on a... mostly happy note? I mean, the start of the final season, the family was in trouble, what with it beginning with the aftermath of Rodrigo's attempted assassination (which he survives since Lucrezia has come a long way since the start of first season and become quite smart) and Caterina tasking Rufio with wiping out the rest of the family. Heh, interestingly enough, even though Caterina's cousin betrays her when he's caught attempting to finish off Rodrigo, since Micheletto is a bad ass, it seems the family would've survived the attempted attack anyways.
But yeah, there were some missteps, like the one defrocked Cardinal gutting the treasury when he leaves, Micheletto's lover Pascal being a secret spy, and Lucrezia being tricked and backing the wrong brother for rulership of Naples, but by the end everything came up aces. Thanks in large part to the Jews. They provide the Spear of Longinus, which increases pilgrimages, which the Vatican uses to refill the coffers in a money for penance scheme so they can pay for a crusade against the Turks who've been pirating and pillaging. A crusade which ends up not happening since the Jews also make a deal to secretly destroy the Turkish fleet in exchange for no longer having to pay taxes.
And then that one guy Mattai helps Rodrigo corner the market in sulfur, thus depriving everyone else of gunpowder. And then when Cesare investigates the plot, he takes him to Rodrigo where he helps reconcile father and son in time to finish off their enemies. Cesare learns his father does love him and think the world of him, and its only because he sees too much of himself in his son that he was worried. All that same ambition, which Rodrigo was worried would eventually been turned against him. He also reveals why he had wanted Cesare to be a cardinal, so he could succeed him as Pope. Which, you could've told him that before and maybe he wouldn't have seemed so resentful. Though if he hadn't been finally given leave of his position, Cesare couldn't have done all he could to help secure their victory.
I mean, Caterina was already on the ropes. Her plan to recruit disenfranchised families to her cause ends up failing since Cesare makes a better appeal by saying he's like them, sons left out in the cold and denied power. Heh, again the AC player in me is sad because one of his "bastards" is introduced as this great duelist, and ends up proving himself loyal by turning in one of the other guys who tries to betray Cesare. This version of Cesare was surrounded with what would've made for cool opponents in Assassin's Creed. (Also kinda AC-ish, when they find Michaelangelo's secret workshop and find his specially made arquebus. Like, didn't Ezio totally do that in AC?)
But yeah, having reconciled with his father and gained control of the Papal armies, and his deal with the French to gain an army for them, he outplays Caterina. He sneaks the French in while getting the Papal armies ready. So while Rufio does learn the Papal armies march towards Forli and warns his lady, they don't have nearly as much time to prepare as the French show up at their doorstep and lay siege immediately.
And the siege goes incredibly smoothly, thanks to the return of Micheletto, who had left Cesare service for inadvertently letting a spy trick him and leak vital information that almost got them killed. His honor does not allow him to return to Cesare's service just yet, but he points out a structural weakness at Forli that allows them to collapse the walls. It is sad that they were still not reconciled in the end, but they did acknowledge how much Micheletto did for Cesare, knowing what needed to be done without Cesare having to order it.
Its funny, because once they storm in, Cesare prevents it from being a massacre, even stopping Caterina from killing herself. Which to me is part of the slightly "happy" ending to the series, that the Borgia's most worthy enemy ends up being imprisoned in a lavish castle, and even Caterina recommends Rufio to serve Cesare. He is the future, and even she sees its a waste of Rufio's talents to die for her- better he uses his wiles in service of a star on the rise.
I mean, the only sour note is Cesare accidentally killing Alfonso. Well, not that Cesare wasn't already having Rufio do it secretly. Its just unfortunate that Alfonso started to get wind of his wife's incestuous affair with her brother and he went after Cesare. So while Cesare creepily says his sister is now all his, I don't think she was too pleased with what he did.
But yeah, otherwise, the show ends with them winning, though obviously they lose in real history. I mean Della Rovere even succeeds Rodrigo in becoming Pope! It does sound like things take a downturn according to the screenplay for the end they never got to make. From what I hear, Lucrezia pulls an Ursula and joins a nunnery, not being able to deal with Cesare killing her husband because he was a romantic rival. And while Micheletto and Cesare are eventually reunited, they die at that one battle (which any AC player would recognize since that's where Ezio fights him) with Micheletto sacrificing himself to save Cesare from one thing, but it being for naught since Cesare ends up still getting killed.
Though I supposed the show ending with them winning is more satisfying than continuing with history and seeing it all go to crap.
The Borgias- Finally finished this series. I had heard this ended before they were able to finish the whole story, but at least the show ended on a... mostly happy note? I mean, the start of the final season, the family was in trouble, what with it beginning with the aftermath of Rodrigo's attempted assassination (which he survives since Lucrezia has come a long way since the start of first season and become quite smart) and Caterina tasking Rufio with wiping out the rest of the family. Heh, interestingly enough, even though Caterina's cousin betrays her when he's caught attempting to finish off Rodrigo, since Micheletto is a bad ass, it seems the family would've survived the attempted attack anyways.
But yeah, there were some missteps, like the one defrocked Cardinal gutting the treasury when he leaves, Micheletto's lover Pascal being a secret spy, and Lucrezia being tricked and backing the wrong brother for rulership of Naples, but by the end everything came up aces. Thanks in large part to the Jews. They provide the Spear of Longinus, which increases pilgrimages, which the Vatican uses to refill the coffers in a money for penance scheme so they can pay for a crusade against the Turks who've been pirating and pillaging. A crusade which ends up not happening since the Jews also make a deal to secretly destroy the Turkish fleet in exchange for no longer having to pay taxes.
And then that one guy Mattai helps Rodrigo corner the market in sulfur, thus depriving everyone else of gunpowder. And then when Cesare investigates the plot, he takes him to Rodrigo where he helps reconcile father and son in time to finish off their enemies. Cesare learns his father does love him and think the world of him, and its only because he sees too much of himself in his son that he was worried. All that same ambition, which Rodrigo was worried would eventually been turned against him. He also reveals why he had wanted Cesare to be a cardinal, so he could succeed him as Pope. Which, you could've told him that before and maybe he wouldn't have seemed so resentful. Though if he hadn't been finally given leave of his position, Cesare couldn't have done all he could to help secure their victory.
I mean, Caterina was already on the ropes. Her plan to recruit disenfranchised families to her cause ends up failing since Cesare makes a better appeal by saying he's like them, sons left out in the cold and denied power. Heh, again the AC player in me is sad because one of his "bastards" is introduced as this great duelist, and ends up proving himself loyal by turning in one of the other guys who tries to betray Cesare. This version of Cesare was surrounded with what would've made for cool opponents in Assassin's Creed. (Also kinda AC-ish, when they find Michaelangelo's secret workshop and find his specially made arquebus. Like, didn't Ezio totally do that in AC?)
But yeah, having reconciled with his father and gained control of the Papal armies, and his deal with the French to gain an army for them, he outplays Caterina. He sneaks the French in while getting the Papal armies ready. So while Rufio does learn the Papal armies march towards Forli and warns his lady, they don't have nearly as much time to prepare as the French show up at their doorstep and lay siege immediately.
And the siege goes incredibly smoothly, thanks to the return of Micheletto, who had left Cesare service for inadvertently letting a spy trick him and leak vital information that almost got them killed. His honor does not allow him to return to Cesare's service just yet, but he points out a structural weakness at Forli that allows them to collapse the walls. It is sad that they were still not reconciled in the end, but they did acknowledge how much Micheletto did for Cesare, knowing what needed to be done without Cesare having to order it.
Its funny, because once they storm in, Cesare prevents it from being a massacre, even stopping Caterina from killing herself. Which to me is part of the slightly "happy" ending to the series, that the Borgia's most worthy enemy ends up being imprisoned in a lavish castle, and even Caterina recommends Rufio to serve Cesare. He is the future, and even she sees its a waste of Rufio's talents to die for her- better he uses his wiles in service of a star on the rise.
I mean, the only sour note is Cesare accidentally killing Alfonso. Well, not that Cesare wasn't already having Rufio do it secretly. Its just unfortunate that Alfonso started to get wind of his wife's incestuous affair with her brother and he went after Cesare. So while Cesare creepily says his sister is now all his, I don't think she was too pleased with what he did.
But yeah, otherwise, the show ends with them winning, though obviously they lose in real history. I mean Della Rovere even succeeds Rodrigo in becoming Pope! It does sound like things take a downturn according to the screenplay for the end they never got to make. From what I hear, Lucrezia pulls an Ursula and joins a nunnery, not being able to deal with Cesare killing her husband because he was a romantic rival. And while Micheletto and Cesare are eventually reunited, they die at that one battle (which any AC player would recognize since that's where Ezio fights him) with Micheletto sacrificing himself to save Cesare from one thing, but it being for naught since Cesare ends up still getting killed.
Though I supposed the show ending with them winning is more satisfying than continuing with history and seeing it all go to crap.