TELEVISION

Versailles - Season 2

Series: Versailles

4.5

(13)

Episodes

Rating

TVMA

Year

2017

Language

English

Publisher

Incendo

About

Versailles is riddled with corruption. Louis has created a new civilization, where the courtesans are desperate to get close to the Sun. Behind the rules of etiquette imposed on the court, they dream of elevating their social status, wealth and power. Any and all means of doing so are utilized which inevitably results in the deterioration of morality and the spread of dangerous and poisonous behaviour...

Related Subjects

Episodes

1. The Labyrinth

43m

Louis has every reason to be happy - his palace is expanding, and is admired the world over; his troops are preparing to invade Holland and crush Guillaume d'Orange, after Fabien saved the Dauphin from Rohan's claws. However, he is still haunted by nightmares, and his paranoia grows, whilst his brother, Philippe, refuses to set foot back in Versailles. Louis finds strength and comfort in the arms of his favourite, Madame de Montespan, who is pregnant with their child, and whose influence continues to grow, much to the dismay of the King's entourage, and, in particular, the Queen, Marie-Thérèse, who is forced to suffer daily humiliation inflicted by the favourite. Louis, however, has reason to be afraid: poisonings are rife in Versailles, murders are on the increase, and the assassins remain without trace. He lets the wolf into the sheep-pen when he welcomes the playwright Thomas into the Court, who he admits into his service to write the "official" history of Versailles.

2. A Still Small Voice

43m

The Church rises up against the King, commanding him to end his adultery with Montespan. The bishop Bossuet forms an alliance with Father Pascal, who has come to the Court at the Queen's behest to return order and morality to the Palace. But Louis remains deaf to their orders. He has managed to convince Philippe to return to Versailles, or more to the point, has coerced him, by returning to him the Chevalier who he had exiled to Italy. But on his return, Philippe must wed the bride that Louis has chosen for him: the Princess Palatine. Fabien continues to investigate the poisonings with the help of Sophie, who is spying for him in the parlours. Montespan fears that the King will lose interest in her once she gives birth...so she seeks to retain his love by following the advice and aphrodisiacs procured by Madame Agathe.

3. Quis Custodiet Ipsos Custodes?

43m

Poisonings continue to spread, and Fabien's investigations have reached a dead end. The King's decisions are criticised, such as his appointment of Cassel to the position of Minister of Justice. To ensure Cassel is kept under constant surveillance, Louis decides that he must marry Sophie. She finds comfort in the Princess Palatine, to whom she has become lady-in-waiting. The marriage of Philippe and Palatine is celebrated, but Philippe, under pressure from the Chevalier, is unable to fulfil his conjugal duty...In the Court, Madeleine de Foix is deeply offended by Cassel's appointment: she had done everything in her power to ensure the position was given to her son Gaston! Montespan welcomes her friend, the humble Madame Scarron, into the Court as the governess to her child.

4. Miasma

43m

Madeleine de Foix is thrown into prison for murder by poisoning. Before her last breath, she sends Gaston to the only person who may be able to help him win a position in Court: Madame Agathe. At the Palace, Louis and Montespan's child has become gravely ill. Whilst Scarron and Claudine are sick with worry, Montespan feigns her distress so as not to make an enemy of the King. Louis sees the illness as a sign: could it be a message from God? Louis is suffocating, the pressure from the Church is becoming intolerable. In Court, the Chevalier is getting caught up in drugs and squandering Philippe's money on gambling, in the vain hope of attracting his lover's attention. Sophie discovers her husband, Cassel's, cruelty at her own expense, who make her his prey. But the predator himself is put in danger when Thomas commands him to provide him with confidential information on Louis' plans in Holland...

5. War and Peace

43m

Louis is afflicted by terrible insomnia, which feeds his paranoia. He dismisses Fabien from his duties, and distances himself more and more from his entourage - with the exception of Montespan. Fabien goes to live with Claudine to start a new life, but Claudine continues her investigations into the source of the poisons. Gaston has made a pact with Agathe: having won back the favour of the Court, he must help Montespan to rid herself of her enemies, and expand the witch's customer base. Louis decides to assign the Dutch War to Philippe, much to everyone's surprise. But his paranoia prevails, and so, to assure his own glory, and to escape the palace that oppresses him, Louis eventually decides to go into battle himself. Philippe, humiliated, finds unexpected comfort in the arms of Palatine. Consumed with jealousy, Chevalier seduces Isabelle, Colbert's young niece, who has newly arrived to Versailles.

6. The Sands of Time

43m

The King's army wins several victories on the Dutch front, but it isn't enough for Louis, who wants to crush Holland and bring Guillaume d'Orange to his knees. But he doesn't foresee Guillaume's guile. He draws Louis into a trap and forces his army to retreat. During this time, in Court, Marie-Thérèse oversees a pious, austere rule. But her authority is questioned by the courtiers, starting with Philippe, who takes on the role of King-for-a-Day during the visit of the Sultan of Bijapur. Philippe gets caught up in the game, spurred on by Montespan, and disobeys the Queen's orders by organising a decadent evening in his quarters. Montespan takes advantage of the evening to push Isabelle, who she views as a potential rival, to the worst excesses. In town, Claudine has finally uncovered the source of the poisons, but she has also attracted the attention of dangerous criminals.