King Louis has summoned his brother Gaston, the Duke of Orleans who was exiled for plotting to usurp the throne three years earlier. While travelling to the Louvre, Gaston arranges to fall from his horse and is brought to a tavern where he seeks to deliver letters to a courier. When he ends up being robbed, he lashes out and kills three patrons - all of whom were demobilised soldiers - resulting in a stand-off. Christophe, the tavern-keeper and another former soldier, demands that Gaston stands trial for the murders. King Louis demands that the Musketeers find the thief. Ferron then learns that the pickpocket had stolen the letters Gaston had written to the Duke of Lorraine, which implicates several prominent nobles in another plot to seize the throne.
It's already been established that this season takes place four years after the previous one, and Gaston was exiled three years earlier. Like Ferron, it leaves you to wonder what he was up to in the previous seasons. Who's getting introduced next? Mr Poopy Butthole?
Rick and Morty references aside, this episode's pretty good, with a potent powder keg in this new Paris. There are moments when you think it can be resolved, but it instead escalates. The thief leaves Athos a note stating that they'll turn themselves in after the funeral for the victims. Like my old primary school teachers, Ferron orders the arrest of everybody in lieu of the thief, and the Red Guards disrupt the funeral to make the arrests. After another patron is shot by Marcheaux when he insults Ferron, Treville arrives and orders the Red Guards to withdraw. But the incident tips things over the edge for Christophe and his patrons, who hatch a plan to attack the palace and capture Gaston. Treville and Porthos go to the tavern to parley, but are taken hostage.
I love the climax scene as the Musketeers go to rescue Treville and Porthos. Christophe demands Gaston's trial, a Mass for the victims, and pensions for the soldiers. After being convinced that the hostages are alive, Athos ostensibly sends d'Artagnan to the palace to convey the demands, while telling Porthos to stand firm "like in Alsace". In reality, he's sent d'Artagnan and Aramis to tunnel under the cellar, based on a time they rescued Porthos from the Spanish in a similar manner. But Grimaud blows the tunnel to cut off their escape route, and they're captured by Christophe. To make matters worse, Marcheaux has orders to wipe everybody out if the rescue fails.
Speaking of which, this season has one interesting call-back; the first season had d'Artagnan as a rookie, and after being commissioned, Aramis said they were still going to refer to him as such for "as long as it's funny". But now Aramis is technically the rookie, having been a monk for the past three years. In a similar vein, we get a small moment to see how much d'Artagnan has grown across the series as he supervises Brujon sparring with another cadet, imparting the same "head over heart" advice Athos had given him in the first season.
We also see a relationship developing between Athos and Sylvie. She vouches for him at the beginning of the episode, and they grow closer with this one. It's kind of wholesome, especially when Athos smiles.
Before I go, I have to give away a big detail which carries over: When Christophe's men take up arms, Treville is against stamping them out, fearing that doing so will antagonise the large number of discharged soldiers in Paris into a rebellion. During a heated argument with Louis over the matter, the king reveals that he's dying from tuberculosis, and that the Dauphin will grow up without a father just as he did. His antics with the Dauphin is to give his son a cherished memory. Although Treville is sworn to secrecy, Ferron overhears.
It makes me wonder what will happen next.
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