The Musketeers Marathon - S3E10: We are the Garrison

 

Well, it's the final episode, here at the end of all things.

Treville has shattered the alliance between Gaston, Grimaud, and Lorraine. But he has done so at the cost of his own life. The Duke of Lorraine is dead, and his army has withdrawn. But Gaston and Grimaud are both still at large. And Grimaud is seeking a final reckoning before he leaves, and has the Red Guards at his beck and call. They attack the tavern where Treville's wake is being held, and demolish the Garrison. When the Musketeers survive, Grimaud and his men invade the refugee settlement. They demand the Musketeers surrender, threatening to kill Sylvie, who is pregnant with Athos' child. When that fails, Grimaud attempts to blow up Notre Dame during a blessing ceremony for King Louis XIV.

Overall, this feels less like a finale and more like an epilogue. The biggest threat to Paris was stopped last episode, so now we're just tying off a few loose ends. Grimaud doesn't really have much left to gain other than the aforementioned reckoning. He's not the sort of person who gets satisfaction. That said, it's still a good episode, with the characters at their lowest points.

The wake scene is particularly poignant, as d'Artagnan tears up while giving a speech about Treville. It shows how much they all saw him as a mentor and father figure. One big surprise is seeing Athos sober during the whole event. It's a small moment, but it says a lot. And when the attacks happen, things get tense as d'Artagnan realises that Constance was at the Garrison. Once again, we have the "is Constance going to die?" tension that seems common for season finales. Granted, it pulls off a "Disney death", but it was still tense. We get a rousing speech from Athos about how "We are the Garrison", which is a little cliched, but that's expected for a series like this.

There's still some great action. When Grimaud invades the settlement, he had assumed that d'Artagnan was killed at the Garrison. Porthos realises this, which allows them to use it to their advantage. They fight off the Red Guards, Grimaud is wounded but escapes, and I got a great sense of catharsis from seeing d'Artagnan kill Marcheaux. We then get a somewhat more subdued climax as Grimaud attempts to blow up the cathedral. Athos and d'Artagnan are able to extinguish the burning fuses (a classic swashbuckler set piece), and Athos decides to have the final duel with Grimaud.

Once everything's resolved, we basically get what Wayne's World called a "mega-happy ending". It's a contrast from the darker and edgier tone this season has taken, but I think it's well-deserved:

• Athos takes a leave of absence and decides to retire to the countryside with Sylvie
• D'Artagnan is appointed the new Captain of the Musketeers (complete with a nice hat), and is tasked with rebuilding the Garrison with Constance.
• Porthos is made a general, and returns to the front lines with a newly-commissioned Brujon. Before leaving, he marries Elodie, the widowed mother whom he'd bonded with in "Fool's Gold" who had come to Paris seeking him out.
• Aramis accepts the position of First Minister, allowing him to mentor the king as he grows up. While also rekindling his affair with Queen Anne.
• Even Milady gains a new position as Queen Anne's personal assassin, taking care of Gaston and thus wrapping up the final loose end.

Well, it's been a ride. Finale or epilogue, or whatever's in-between, this was still a good episode. I'll post my wrap-up later today.