Versailles Review: The Book of Revelations (Season 3 Episode 7)

Versailles Season 3 Episode 7, “The Book of Revelations” opens with a breakneck chase through the woods on horseback, and things only get wilder and more intense from there.

There’s definitely something to be said for the fact that this show just wants you to have a good time. Versailles revels in its own ridiculousness, throwing out affairs, betrayals, murders, religious reformations and attempts to overthrow the royal line of succession on a virtually weekly basis.

Now, it’s true that sometimes these stories make very little sense. But since Versailles very rarely asks its viewers to take any of its stories all that seriously (there was an attempted exoricism a couple of weeks ago!), it’s easy enough to just roll with what happens. It’s the cotton candy version of history, but man it sure is fun.                 

This is a lot to say that “The Book of Revelations” has some definite issues, which include plot holes and questionable characterization. But it’s certainly an entertaining ride.

Continuing a theme from last week, the real mystery we should be investigating is how Fabien Marchal has such a reputation for justice when he’s so bad at his job. After he finally figures out Sophie’s guilt, he takes off after her and the Hapsburg princess who are riding for the border and freedom.

(Sidebar: Why, exactly, does Leopold’s daughter feel the need to flee France? Is she being officially kept as a political prisoner now or would she have been able to depart normally with her dad?)

Thanks to his elite and magical tracking skills, Fabien follows the girls through the forest — Sophie does deserve some credit for being a rather excellent horsewoman — and eventually tracks them down to an abandoned house.

Because Marchal is an idiot, he ultimately decides to let Sophie go, even though she attacks him, admits to being a spy for Leopold and all but says she killed Queen Marie-Therese.

But, she also says she loves him, so I guess that’s okay then.

As a person who is partial to Sophie and Fabien as a romantic pairing, even I don’t know that I can get completely on board with this resolution. Mostly because it makes Fabien look so incredibly stupid, and asks Sophie to take zero responsibility for her actions.

It’s not entirely clear why Versailles takes such pain to ignore that Sophie is a regicide, and that other than crying near Marie-Therese’s deathbed, has not been held accountable for that action in any way.

And as for Fabien, it makes no sense that he would basically help fake the death of someone who murdered a queen just because he slept with her that one time.

Furthermore, the show’s attempt to give Sophie a motive by way of blaming Louis for her mother’s death — when Madame de Claremont was actively trying to kill the king herself – is also extremely weird. Especially since she spent all of last season distancing herself from her mother’s legacy and trying to succeed at Louis’ court.

Perhaps this will all be made worth it when someone figures out that Fabien lied to protect her, but there’s also no guarantee that’s what will happen. If so, what a disappointing ending for a fabulous character.

Au revoir, Sophie.

Elsewhere, Phillippe drags Louis into his Man in the Iron Mask obsession, which automatically makes everything a lot more fun.

Not because the story suddenly starts making sense (it only gets more confusing, honestly), but because this is the first time all season that Phillippe and Louis have really shared any significant amount of screentime.

The relationship between the royal brothers has always been a backbone of the show, but for some reason Versailles has struggled with what to do with Phillippe this season. He’s broken up with the Chevalier, barely talks to Liselotte, and avoids his brother, for the most part.

Putting him back together with Louis instantly makes me care about his story again, in a way that late night sword fights and meetings with that random Parisian shoemaker can’t manage.

As the brothers Bourbon investigate the Man in the Iron Mask mystery, things get weirder and weirder.

They meet the blind midwife who attended the birth of their illegitimate brother and can verify his existence. But, surprise, he’s not the Man in the Iron Mask, because he is dead and buried in her backyard.

Phillippe, because he has been insane generally this season, can’t let the Man in the Iron Mask thing go, and after sending Fabien out to stalk Bontemps and track him to the prisoner, who is ultimately revealed to — surprise! — be Louis’ father.

On the plus side, the version of this legend you usually hear involves a secret twin that’s been hidden away all his life. (Or sometimes an older, illegitimate brother — which is the version of this story it looked like the show was going to tell.)

The theory you hear a lot less is that the man was Louis’ natural father, an argument based on the idea that King Louis XIII had been estranged from his wife for over a decade and couldn’t have produced a legitimate heir on his own.

The idea is kind of a wild one, but does explain a lot, including why the masked man was kept prisoner instead of just being killed and allowed to live generally comfortably.

How exactly Versailles will handle all of this, particularly in a season that’s been so focused on the idea that Louis is chosen by God to rule and how that affects his leadership, is anyone’s guess.

But it’s certainly exciting to contemplate.

Stray Thoughts and Observations

• Surely we could have found something more interesting to do this season with the Chevalier de Lorraine than have him attempt to romance a random rich woman and run interference for the Protestants at court?
• It’s honestly not the worst idea in the world to give the Chevalier a story and goals outside of Phillippe, but the problem here is that neither of his two Season 3 storylines particularly fit his character. Out of literally everyone on Versailles, the Chevalier is certain to care the least about religion – or even the safety and well-being of others, come to that. And after spending two years getting us to invest in his romance with the Duc d’Orleans, it feels strange to pivot to a story that tries to sell his feelings for Madame d’Angers as legitimate. (It was easier when it was at least about the Chevalier wanting money.)
• There was more Les Miserables-style unrest with the poor people of Paris this week, as Guilliame fires Bastien for being too much of a rebel. I’m sure someone new is going to riot soon, but I can’t really bring myself to care.
• I hope that the show is planning on digging into how exactly the Catholic Church knows that Louis’ father was not the king, how they came to discover that this random prisoner existed in the first place, and why they’re okay with such a massive deception.
• Seriously stop being mean to Bontemps!!
• Are we meant to assume that the Man in the Iron Mask is also Phillippe’s father, in addition to being Louis’? Maybe?

What did you think of this episode of Versailles? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Versailles airs Saturdays at 10pm on Ovation.

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