The Serpent Queen Season 1 Episode 4 Review: A New Era
The Serpent Queen Season 1 Episode 4, “A New Era,” sets the stage for a new era with fine performances, notably from Samantha Morton and Ludivine Sagnier. There’s a 15-year time jump between this episode and the last, so Morton portrays Catherine in the present and past. Does the show execute said jump with flying colors? Or does it simply pass muster?
The Serpent Queen isn’t the only series to employ the time jump as a plot device, and it won’t be the last. While it’s exciting to see more of Morton on our screens, the sublime and sensational Liv Hill is missed as young Catherine. She injected the show with vim and vigor, veering the overall tone toward more lighthearted territory.
QUEEN ELEANOR: You shroud yourself in your pain in order to feel special. Well, you’re not. The rest of us just bear it better than you.
Of course, Catherine is older now, with years of experience at court and navigating the political landscape under her belt. Understandably, the tonal quality of The Serpent Queen would mature alongside its lead. That said, it’s jarring. We lose that connection we had with Catherine in the first three episodes. There are only two distinctive fourth-wall breaks, and they feel somewhat forced. Perhaps that’s intentional, as Catherine is no longer the young girl who questions everything.
That’s not to say the comedy is lost — the Guise and Bourbon rivalry yields some comedic fruit, and the series may lean on that to provide levity among its somber notes. Morton proves to be a dynamic verbal sparring partner for Sagnier as Catherine endeavors to put Diane in her place once and for all.
The pair make for worthy foes, and you could say their tennis match-like competition is the lifeblood of the series. It hasn’t decreased in vitality or faltered slightly with the changing of the guard.
KING FRANCIS: Everything will come right when you’re crowned queen. I promise you.
The transition post-time jump is seldom smooth for any TV series. Just ask House of the Dragon. Everyone, audience-wise, tries to regain their bearings and settle into this new world with (usually) new characters. In this show’s case, countless people have left the court, were given their happy little endings, and promptly replaced with new faces.
The narrative stumbles somewhat because of this. Undoubtedly, though, this is merely a growing pain as The Serpent Queen prepares to barrel headfirst into the back half of the series.
The Serpent Queen retains the hallmarks of a deliciously wicked period piece, including political intrigue, ethereal costumes, resplendent set pieces, and an abundance of drama. Despite some bumps and a few upheavals, the show clings tightly to part of what makes it so appealing.
CATHERINE DE MEDICI: Now that I’m to be crowned queen, I thought you should stay somewhere else.
Here’s hoping episode five gets its sea legs. Here’s hoping the fourth-wall breaks return in full force. Here’s hoping the series doesn’t forget the delightfully dark whimsy that drew us to Catherine’s world in the first place.
Stray Observations:
- Rahima putting those misogynistic, serial-harassing boys in their place is such a gratifying moment. Those losers deserve their punishment. That said, Rahima needs more to do on this show.
- How is it possible for one human to bear nine children? Catherine’s poor vagina. It’s probably battered beyond belief.
- Diane de Poitiers’s colors are black and white — just like Beetlejuice. Perhaps if you say her name aloud three times, she too magically appears.
- The Guises and Bourbons are like the Montagues and Capulets without the teen love story. Their bitter enmity is also notably funnier.
- Catherine’s color is blue, as is evidenced by the moment before Henri’s coronation. She should always wear it.
What did you think of this episode of The Serpent Queen? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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The Serpent Queen streams new episodes every Sunday on Starz.
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Melody McCune
Melody loves TV. Maybe too much. Besides being a Senior Writer for Tell-Tale TV, she's the Managing Editor for Geek Girl Authority, an Independent Contractor for Sideshow Collectibles, and a Senior Writer for Eulalie Magazine. Additionally, she has bylines in Culturess, Widget, and inkMend on Medium. To top it all off, she's a critic for Rotten Tomatoes and CherryPicks.