The Borgias 1.6-1.7
1.6:
What I didn’t like:
1. That the only scene with dialogue that Giulia had was a sex scene.
2. That Sancha didn’t even get one scene that wasn’t about sexing up Juan. (Also, I have a bizarre and VERY WRONG adoration that that had sex on a table in a room FULL OF STUFFED CORPSES. Having sex outside while she was talking to Joffre…well, that was crass and wrong of her AND REALLY QUITE AWFUL, but given that she was almost literally sold to the Borgias I have difficulty holding going after the one she wants when she’s never even spoken with Joffre before against her, but having sex with your [literally] kid brother’s wife in [literally] the next room is a whole other level.)
3. Juan is an idiot. Wait, that’s not a dislike, just a fact.
4. The apparent setup of Lucrezia vs. Sancha.
What I liked:
1. Sancha’s UTTER SHAMELESSNESS. I am so eager for Sancha/Cesare that I have no words. I’m so sorry, Joffre.
2. Ursula DOES NOT DO ANYTHING BY HALVES. Needs a knight in shining armor? She goes for CESARE BORGIA. Learns that her boyfriend has been lying to her and killed her husband and dumped his body in the river? BECOMES A NUN OUT OF PENANCE. And tells him to sod off when he becomes all sociopath-obsessive-devoted-stalkery. … 15th century Italy is probably lucky that she (A) is fictional and (B) was a woman. Can you imagine that those extremes in someone with social and legal power?
3. Lucrezia thinking maybe Sforza wasn’t so bad after all when he said he misjudged her, and then having sex with the stable boy in a creaky bed DIRECTLY OVER HIS HEAD when he said he “forgave” her icky Borgia blood.
4. The TOTALLY SUBTLE cutting between Lucrezia and Cesare having sex with their respective lovers for the first time. Oh, this show and its idea of “absolutely no incest.” (And was I the only one who was raising her eyebrows over Sancha and Alfonso? Or am I still just keyed to Cantarella?)
5. Rodrigo may be a hypocrite, but he’s the best kind. “Forget the fact that I ditched her and hooked up with a-woman-of-undetermined-age-but-who-definitely-is-not-16-because-no-one-wants-Jeremy-Irons-sexing-up-a-teenager-all-the-time-no-matter-how-much-they-love-him-sometimes-historical-inaccuracy-protects-the-brain five minutes later, HOW DARE YOU HUMILIATE YOUR MOTHER IN HER HOME OR ELSEWHERE YOU ARE THE WORST SON EVER GO GROVEL TO YOUR MOTHER THIS INSTANT OR I’LL SIC YOUR BROTHER ON YOU AND YOU KNOW WHAT HE DID TO THE LAST PERSON WHO INSULTED HER! Also, I’m still made at you. THWAP!”
6. The look Vannozza gave Giulia. Please let them have scenes!
1.7:
1. IT IS FORBIDDEN! FORBIDDEN! I am sad we are not keeping Ursula forever.
2. Sancha tops. No matter how much Juan wants to.
3. CATERINA SFORZA. We need more of her. And not just because I like Gina McGee. I love how utterly irrelevant Sforza was in the scene with Giulia, and neither one cared if he knew it.
4. I love Lucrezia’s hardcoreness about keeping him out of her bed. Almost as much as I love her glee at his pain.
5. They are keeping Giulia hiding Lucrezia during her pregnancy! I was so worried we wouldn’t get that.
6. Cesare seems to have cut back on the black leather. Pity.