Catherine Has "A House Divided" in 'The Serpent Queen's Penultimate Episode

The penultimate episode of Season 2 of The Serpent Queen opens with a demonstration of Edith’s growing aggression toward Catholics. Her gang, including Aabis, (who isn’t dead!) puts a dagger to the throat of an elderly priest outside his church until he renounces his faith. We first met Edith in Season 1 as an abused child; now she’s coming into her full strength as a leader and warrior, making her Catherine’s newest addition to the enemies roster.

"According to patriarchy... we must bind our kingdoms together like farmers breeding swine."

The Catholic League, hardliners with immense power directly granted by the Pope, are still lurking about the palace and, with the cooperation of Antoinette de Guise, have developed a plan to ensure the rulers of France remain Catholic. They know Charles will not live long and Anjou is an unsuitable candidate; the only solution is for Francois to marry Margot and create a new Catholic line. Much to his shock, a petition has been drawn up to make Francois head of state. However, if he doesn’t do it for France, he needs to do it to save his brother, Antoine, who is under suspicion for his fling with Protestantism, and if proven, The Catholic League has a very nasty death planned for him.

(Like Monty Python’s Spanish Inquisition, the Catholic League can do anything they want.)

Deep in the castle, Catherine talks with her physician about Charles’ diagnosis of tuberculosis, threatening to behead whoever spills the beans before leaving to meet her son and Alessandro. The latter presents a magnificent scale model of the Tuileries palace, nominally Charles’s new home with his future bride,.... not Elizabeth I! (This is news to him.) Since Charles lost the English Queen's favor along with the duel, Catherine will now marry her to Anjou. Charles is embarrassed and shocked. Meanwhile, his brand new future bride, Cici of Austria, is on her way for a visit. 

As for Elizabeth, she very kindly tells Catherine that her sister Mary died of tuberculosis; she recognizes the symptoms and knows the truth about Charles. Catherine is adamant the treaty (Calais, trade routes, Mary Queen of Scots) be fulfilled. Would Elizabeth like to marry Anjou instead? He won the duel! Elizabeth and Throckmorton seem surprisingly pleased and suggest immediately breaking the news to him. 

Hearing music on the way to Anjou’s rooms, Catherine realizes she's been trapped, but Elizabeth and Throckmorton force her to walk in, knowing they'll find Anjou mid-orgy. (Sex, drugs, and rock'n'roll, Valois style!) Elizabeth breaks the silence that falls at their appearance by suggesting some mother-son time before leaving. Anjou tells her to shut the door on her way out. Catherine leaves, barely maintaining her composure.

The following day, Catherine oversleeps and discovers Elizabeth is preparing to leave. The English Queen announces Charles being sick and Anjou having needs she couldn’t possibly fulfill, plans have changed. Catherine argues royal weddings overcome such difficulties. Elizabeth tells her word will get out (she’ll see to that), and the French will become a laughing stock. Her job here, to land England the best deal, is done; she was never getting married. Catherine is incensed, but Elizabeth breezily snaps she poses as a virgin, Catherine as a witch, but to the same end: subverting rules maintained by men. As a parting gift, Elizabeth gives Catherine the proof of Louis Bourbon's treason.

The Bourbons, seeing Elizabeth’s sudden departure and for once realizing what is going on, flee to Edith’s encampment. Their servant, Tancrede, is left behind and arrested. Rahima has also disappeared; Catherine finds her in the forest with Alessandro. Unaware of Catherine, Alessandro tells Rahima he’d asked Queen Elizabeth to invest in his New World venture. It was an opportunity he couldn’t resist; nothing against Catherine. (Catherine would disagree on many levels). It was always his goal to increase his fortune. He invites Rahima to come with him to the Americas.

Margot waylays Francois in the palace grounds and tells him she wants to go to the New World with him after their marriage. For all his supposed experience, Francois doesn’t know what to do with her. He freaks out, insisting he won’t marry her and that he’s dangerous to be around (which makes him even more attractive). When that doesn’t work, he starts insulting her before revealing he set Edith’s church on fire. (So there!) She runs off in tears and into Antoinette de Guise, who guesses the cause is her son. She tells Margot Francois was wounded during wartime and does not think he’s worthy of love. Margot could make a man of him with his mother’s help. (What an opportunity!)

Catherine goes to Ruggieri’s lair, now in ruins, and finds he hasn’t abandoned her. Catherine admits she’s been a fool, only to be given another poppet (straw charm) to protect her against her six enemies: the Bourbons, the Guises, Rahima, Montmorency, Alessandro, and one more whose identity is unknown. She drinks one of his potions, and hallucinations follow: looking in a mirror to see her face full of blood. She experiences attending a childbirth, where she holds and cuddles the newborn, a nest of snakes. It represents one of her children, but she doesn’t know which one.

Catherine is recalibrating. First on the list is Antoine Guise, to whom she admits she can’t understand why people fight over religion. Antoine suggests there are false prophets but won’t commit to naming Edith as one since God should be the one to judge. Meanwhile, Flying Squadron member Francoise (Anne Lise Maulin) seduces the leader of the Catholic League (in a confession booth, no less), from whom she extricates the Guises’ plan to take the throne. Then Catherine visits Anjou, begging him for forgiveness. She loves him just as he is, and he is the one who will save the family. 

Rahima returns, apologizing for her earlier disappearance. Catherine reminds her of her first lesson: Trust no one. Everyone must choose a side; Rahima is no longer on Catherine’s. Neither is Montmorency, who, against his better instincts, has been baptized by Edith. (He says it is a matter of negotiation, not faith.) At the next Privy Council meeting, Charles announces he will meet with Edith to broker peace by converting to Protestantism. He believes marrying a Catholic princess will balance that out. The Guise Bros are highly skeptical; Catherine gives Charles her full support and accompanies him to Edith’s camp, where she kneels, kisses Edith’s hand, and tells her she is here for faith. 

Edith is unimpressed, and the conversion of a dying king means little. Catherine admits she has little to offer since Elizabeth I backed out. Antoine Bourbon is next in line, but he’s a traitor. Why don’t they agree to marry young Henry Bourbon to Margot? Once the marriage is consummated, Catherine will sign over the Regency to Edith, making her the most powerful woman in the land. Edith suspects she’s being played but seems to believe Catherine when she says her only desire is not to see any more of her children die. Edith and Catherine join the crowd at the water’s edge, where Charles is led into the lake for his baptism, and Edith and Catherine lock eyes.

The finale of The Serpent Queen, Season 2, will air on Starz on Friday, August 30.