The Musketeers Marathon - Wrap-up

 

The Musketeers is not one of the greatest shows around, but I still enjoy it all the same. It's not exactly a faithful adaptation of the works of Alexandre Dumas, but there have been so many other adaptations that there's a need to develop an identity. One of my classmates once described it as "fan fiction". Is that accurate? I'd say so. But is that a bad thing? Not at all. I started out writing fan fiction too.

The show utilises plenty of swashbuckling tropes and clichés in both action and story, often playing them straight. But I love those tropes and clichés, and make use of them in my own writing while also looking for opportunities to utilise them in a different way. I guess the show spoke out to me because of its "pulp" nature, and I consider myself to be a pulp writer. I love the action, and I love the camaraderie between the main characters which produces a ton of witty lines. I previously cited the dynamic between Santiago Carbrera and Howard Charles as an influence on Kestrel and Scar. Hell, I could even see the pair playing my characters if my stories ever got adapted to screen.

This is where I'd normally do a "Top 5 Best Episodes". Instead, I'll look at each season in turn, and choose my favourite episode along with a runner-up.

Season 1

Overall, the first season consisted of self-contained stories. The overarching stories consisted of d'Artagnan becoming a Musketeer and Cardinal Richelieu's machinations in the name of France. As stated before, Richelieu is essentially Peter Capaldi reprising his role as Malcolm Tucker (except with less foul language and even fewer scruples). While the first episode paints him as wanting to destroy the Musketeer regiment, subsequent episodes have him working with the Musketeers.

For my "pick of the season", I'm tempted to go with "Commodities". We get some insights into both Athos and Porthos, a "villain of the week" who is kind of fun to be with but still provides a source of tension, along with some more dramatic strides than the previous two episodes. However, I'm going to make that one the runner-up in favour of "Knight Takes Queen". It shows how far the Cardinal is willing to go to further his national interest, and there's some great action as Aramis and Athos are besieged in the convent. It also kick-starts many of the events of the later seasons as Aramis ends up sleeping with Queen Anne. We also get some insight into Aramis' past, with elements I hope to utilise for Kestrel.

Season 2

The second season followed a similar path, but with a more distinct formula: King Louis blaming the Musketeers for failure while praising the Comte de Rochefort. We also get some running plot threads with Aramis spending time with the Dauphin (despite knowing that admitting fatherhood would be treasonous), and Porthos learning about his parentage. Rochefort is something of a contrast from the Cardinal. While the Cardinal is methodical, Rochefort seems a little more impulsive. While Richelieu acts in a mix of national interest and self-interest, Rochefort is working for Spain but purely in self-interest. However, Rochefort does have an endgame - to seize the throne and forge an alliance with Spain - while the Cardinal's plots were often about maintaining stability ("The Exiles") or doing things to help France on the world stage ("Commodities").

My runner-up for "pick of the season" would have to be "Keep Your Friends Close". It kicks off the aforementioned plot threads, and I love the action as the Musketeers and Rochefort spring General De Foix. As for the winner, hands down it has to be "Through a Glass Darkly". The tension as the royal court is taken hostage is thrilling. But I also love how Marmion ultimately comes across as sympathetic.

Season 3

The third season took a much darker turn, with the war between France and Spain serving as a backdrop. Again, there's an overarching conspiracy; a plot to install Gaston as the new king. Some episodes work towards this, but others don't. Grimaud is a menacing villain with his ruthlessness, seemingly indestructible nature, and his ability to disappear. It makes him almost other-worldly but he's a little bit one-note. He's essentially a bogeyman, but we do get some insights into what made him that way. Working with him does seem Faustian in nature, as Ferron and Lorraine found out the hard way.

I think my runner-up for "pick of the season" would go to "Death of a Hero". It has nail-biting peril for all the characters, and the reveal for most of the cast of the king's condition, but it also gives Ferron some development. As for my winner, I'm going with "The Prize". It was great to see Treville running rings around the villainous triumvirate, and the ending was truly poignant.

Well, that's about it. It was fun to look at a show that has been an influence on my writing. Tomorrow is July, which mean's it's once again Camp NaNoWriMo. I'll be dedicating that month to working on The Pirate King, the follow-up to my previous Kestrel and Scar adventure, Gentlemen of Fortune. I'm hoping to finish it before I go to Swanwick this year.

Happy writing. Or perhaps "All for one and one for all"?