'The Serpent Queen' Season 2 Finds Its "Judas"

Episode 4 of The Serpent Queen begins with a sad homecoming for Catherine, expecting to hear the worst about her injured son Hercule. After an affectionate but restrained welcome from her other children, she meets the court doctor, who informs her that Hercule’s wound has become infected and his life is in danger. Hercule is still conscious and tells his mother he’s okay and doesn’t know what all the fuss is about. In her distress, Catherine experiences the vision of the mirror turning into a nest and revealing a hatching snake. Later, she receives the news that he’s died, another child lost, and another terrible sorrow she must bear alone.

Alessandro: We are Medicis. We have been underestimated for generations.

After that, the chance to rip into her Privy Council is a welcome release. Francois de Guise has been imprisoned; Cardinal Charles de Guise is furious about it and wants him released to fight the Protestants. King Charles, now a supporter of law and order, agrees. Antoine de Bourbon, now without his brother, as Louis de Bourbon is busy being eaten alive by Elizabeth I of England, argues that the prophetess Edith is a terrorist, despite Montmorency’s claims she is open to reason. Edith is taking a more militant stance with her followers, advising them that violence must be met with violence. Any day now, soldiers will arrive to slaughter them.

Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor, is expected to attend Hercule’s funeral, but when Catherine suggests they seek his counsel, King Charles snaps that his advice is unnecessary. Montmorency admits that he advised the King to take that stance in Catherine’s absence. Montmorency has never lied to Catherine, so she believes he is still in her corner and lets his trespass slide. Montmorency agrees that their schism is regrettable, offers his condolences on her son’s death, and backs off.

The Cardinal visits Anjou, sulking and drinking in his room with his besties. Lemur, who is closest to Anjou, asks the Cardinal to be gentle, and it’s not altogether a joke. Anjou has followed the example of the Catholic League, deranged zealots connected to the Vatican (Charles’s definition), who enjoy drowning Protestants en masse, referring to it as a “second baptism.” Why is everyone blaming him? Drowning an innocent man may have something to do with it, so Charles suggests a PR campaign to restore his reputation. Anjou falls for it, and they pray together.

The Holy Roman Emperor (Rupert Everett) arrives to mourn Hercule’s death accompanied by his son Philip (Paulo Dos Santos). You may remember the Emperor propositioned Catherine at her husband’s funeral in Season 1? Well, becoming aroused at death rites is evidently a hereditary condition, as Philip (who is obviously mentally unstable) opens a conversation with Princess Elisabeth by asking her if she’s ever had sex at a funeral. (He has! Twice!) 

After the ceremony, the Emperor tells Catherine he believes Philip is God’s punishment, one of many psychotic heirs standing in the wings, before casually suggesting an unfortunate accident for Edith. He warns Catherine that unless something is done, she may lose more children. She’s only a saint if her side wins. Seeking any sort of real comfort, Catherine heads off to find Ruggieri, still lurking in the woods, despite the Protestants’ presence. Hercule was an innocent, she claims. Why did he die? She describes the latest vision, and Ruggieri interprets it to represent the presence of one bad apple in the lot: aka Anjou.

Checking in across the pond, Louis de Bourbon’s big adventures in England, where Elizabeth* praises and flatters him, saying he may be second in birth but first in other respects. She is very keen that Louis should befriend Edith on his return home, Louis should befriend Edith. After all, she is only a girl from humble circumstances who needs guidance. If the people desire change, new management is required. How about a Bourbon takeover? He can tell Edith Protestants will have the full support of the English! Great idea! So great that when Elizabeth visits his room that night, bearing both a contract for the trade deal and the offer of sexual favors, he signs up with great enthusiasm. (Oops. Treason.)

(*Elizabeth’s extraordinary outfit suggests a Tudor version of lace pajamas for dancing, but let’s move on.)

Catherine is cheered by the arrival of her brother, Alessandro de Medici, who is moving her court to Chenonceau, the palace she snatched from Diane de Poitiers. Alessandro is ready to get working on the new palace, which he claims will be even more beautiful. He gifts her a pendant of St. Jude (ominously, the saint of lost causes), claiming it belonged to their father.

Rahima knows a fellow con artist when she sees one, doubtful of his promises or that the pendant has any family connection. However, when Alessandro tells Rahima that Catherine gave him permission to ask her for rooms, servants, and anything he desires (even her!), she subtly rejects his advances. Game recognizes game as Alessandro takes a step back, one con artist to another.

Aabis has been spending time with her apprentice/lover Matisse, who was severely injured in the fire at Edith’s church. She drops in at the palace and approaches Dr. Fernel (Steve Furst) for medical help in exchange for sex, but he mutters they’re both too old for that and to return in a couple of days. Aabis then asks Ruggieri, who suggests poison. Seeing no other option, Aabis finds Angelica, still lurking around the palace, officially a perfumer but with a poison side hustle. Angelica goes to Catherine to suggest that Aabis could be helpful since Matisse follows Edith, believing this information will earn her job back. However, Catherine refuses, as this is a betrayal of Aabis, and Catherine, above all, needs loyalty. 

After a small spot of arson and servant torture, Emperor Charles nervously tells Philip he must behave himself while Catherine is visiting. (It sounds as though this is a frequent and ineffective request). Philip instead makes a beeline for Elisabeth on the way to the chapel, excusing his earlier weird behavior as a side effect of grief for his late wife. Elisabeth, feeling she’s misjudged him, apologizes. As for Catherine’s other daughter, Margot visits Francois in jail. On the way out, she runs into Henri de Navarre (Angus Imrie), who admires her, saying she’s the cleverest of the bunch and they will be friends. The delicate princess tells him to tell it to the sheep out back.

Margot’s next stop is to visit her mother, insisting she is in love with Francois, who is innocent. Catherine disagrees and disapproves, but she gives her version of motherly advice to manipulate the situation so they will both gain. Margot should ask the King to free Francois and put Anjou under house arrest. Margot tells her big brother, the King, that he’s wise and gentle and should show the people these qualities by releasing Francois (only a friend!) and not worrying about their mother. He gives the orders for Francois’s release, and Montmorency to lock up Anjou in his rooms.

Meanwhile, the Holy Roman Emperor and Catherine discuss tactics for establishing peace in France. Edith’s one miracle, saving her congregation from the burning church, was not enough to prevent war; it was just enough to slow down hostilities. The Cardinal and Anjou are planning to invade the camp the next morning, so time is running out. Luckily, Montmorency follows orders, and Anjou is locked in. Montmorency informs him he is not to leave until the King says so, adding Catherine doesn’t know of his imprisonment.

Jeanne d’Albret is back from England, gushing about Elizabeth and their shopping trip. She shows her purchases to her husband and son, thrilled she will get to meet Edith. Jeanne leaves as Aabis arrives with a proposition for Antoine and his son Henri: What Edith needs is another miracle, and she can help with that. Returning to the camp, Aabis finds Edith’s tent unoccupied and empties the poison into her wine. Edith returns, and Aabis says she was right; Matisse has recovered. Edith suggests they celebrate with the wine, forcing Aabis to drink most of it before she polishes off the leftovers. 

As her followers crowd into the tent, Edith announces she and Aabis have drunk poison and will be together for eternity now. Somehow, apparently unaffected, she then orders her followers to take Aabis to the lake for baptism. Montmorency is there, horrified, as Aabis is carried away.

Meanwhile, out in the stable, Philip holds a red-hot poker, prowling around a very nervous horse that senses he’s up to no good. Before he can torture the animal, the horse kicks him, and he flies across the floor and lays there unmoving. If only life were so simple for Catherine de Medici and her court.