We are the Garrison
Aug. 2nd, 2016 03:25 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
llywelaTrying (and failing) to get a bit better about blogging - I've not managed ongoing reviews of anything I've watched in a long while, but the last ever episode of The Musketeers just aired, and I have thoughts, so here they are.
I have loved this show so much. Yes, it can be clunky and cliched and all the rest of it, but I've never really cared, because it was never trying to be a serious drama, it only ever aspired to be light-hearted swashbuckling fun and delivers on that premise in spades, while also occasionally rising to be so much more.
This finale kind of epitomises all of that, starting out with grief and high drama before tying up all the loose ends and then leaving us with smiles on our faces - the whole episode is a love letter to found family and found home. What more could we ask?
Well, there are gaps and holes in the narrative, of course. We must fill those in for ourselves, I suppose. But overall I am satisfied. My only real regret is that Porthos's story with Elodie was so rushed. Better, perhaps, to have brought her to Paris sooner and integrated her more with the main cast, let the relationship build over several episodes instead of cramming it into one-and-a-half. I can see, though, why they wouldn't want to have any more characters cluttering up the central narrative - these last few episodes have been frenetic enough as it was. And Howard Charles did sell the relationship regardless - I just loved how the first thing Porthos did on seeing Elodie again was take the baby for a cwtch. His journey through the seasons has been about rising above his roots and finding his place in the world, and both Elodie and his promotion to general are tied in with that theme. Neither he nor Elodie needed more time to know that they could find a place in the world together, could build a family and life together. The baby isn't Porthos's, but he will love her every bit as much as Louis loved the child he knew wasn't his. Back in season one Porthos toyed with the idea of marrying his rich widow and retiring to private life, but ultimately realised that he could never give up soldiering; with Elodie he has found someone with whom he can be both soldier and husband, following the example set by D'Artagnan and Constance (a lesson Athos singularly failed to learn all season, because Athos cannot multi-task).
Kind of sad, though, that no sooner have Porthos and Elodie decided to build a life together than he gets sent back to the front - they can marry, but they go into that marriage as virtual strangers with no opportunity to get to know one another properly. Yeah, I wish they'd had more episodes together. Elodie could have returned to Paris with the Musketeers after her intro, rather than trying to raise her child in the woods - she'd have fitted in fine at Sylvie's refugee settlement and could have been involved in storylines there.
Very amused that after two full seasons of trying to keep Aramis and Anne apart, Athos here was like, "Okay fine. Fine, I give in. I admit it. I ship it. Go be together!" I think in part because learning of Sylvie's pregnancy (via a direct threat to the child) meant that for the first time he has sudden, painful insight into how hard it has been for Aramis to be denied his child - and also because he realised, long before either Anne or Aramis did, that the rules have changed now that Louis is gone. As queen consort, it was treason for Anne to take a lover (because of exactly what has come about: producing a cuckoo in the nest) - but as a widow and regent, she can do pretty much as she likes, so long as she is discreet (and, you know, avoids tell-tale pregnancies...)
Not that snogging him right out in the open in the middle of the garden could be classed as discreet by anyone's standards, but we'll let her have that one. He did look good in the blue suit (and I think he's got rid of that silly little ponytail at last).
So Aramis in this universe is Mazarin, or takes the place of Mazarin. I suppose, of the four Musketeers, Aramis is the one who has dabbled in politics the most, albeit primarily out of concern for Anne and their son rather than out of actual interest in politics, whereas Athos didn't even want the responsibility of being captain, so Aramis is probably a better choice for the job, really speaking - but then again, he is also the most rebellious and insubordinate of all the Musketeers, which could make his political career interesting, to say the least! Especially since, despite being intelligent and rational and capable of great diplomacy, he does also display terrible judgement on occasion. But it is worth pointing out that where Feron and Gaston and Grimaud and the rest of them would have chewed their own arms off to get where Aramis is now and then abused the hell out of their position, because they sought control over the Dauphin so that they could gain power for themselves, and where other men might perhaps be ruffled with pride at having fathered a king, Aramis wants only to be a dad to his son and sees the fact that the child is king as a hindrance rather than something to be used for his own ends. Anne was right when she said that his reluctance made him the ideal candidate for the job; she knows he will serve her son's best interests, not his own. I think his happy ending is as bittersweet as Porthos's, really, because he still can't acknowledge his child, and his yearning to be a father has been part of his character since season one - committing himself to Anne and the little king means he can never hope to settle down to that normal family life he's so often coveted.
This promotion wouldn't be possible in the real world, of course - not least because there'd be too many who'd remember Rochefort's accusations, undermining not only Aramis's position but the throne itself. But this show is not set in the real world. It is set in a fictional alternate universe where happy endings are possible, and, in an increasingly grimdark world, I for one am completely okay with that.
Funny how after three full seasons Aramis is left as the only one of the four not to be given a 'proper' name. I mean, I don't think we were ever told D'Artagnan's first name, but at least it was made clear that D'Artagnan is his surname, his family name, and while the show likes to pretend that Athos, Porthos and Aramis are their real names rather than pseudonyms, at least both Porthos and Athos were given surnames/family names as well, but Aramis? Aramis has no other name, he's just Aramis. Is it his surname? Is it a nickname? Who knows? Certainly not viewers of this show!
Constance and D'Artagnan's story arc kind of reached its conclusion last season, really, so they've been much less involved in ongoing plot this season - which in a sense has benefitted them, as both have been free to develop naturally and organically in the background, unfettered by complications of plot. D'Artagnan's story throughout the show has been about maturation, and this entire season has demonstrated loud and clear, without making a huge fuss about it, just how much he has grown up - he thoroughly deserves his promotion (and I'm kind of glad that this D'Artagnan seems unlikely to ever become as cynical and jaded as his book counterpart!) And Constance too has come a long way since we first met her, from respectable merchant's wife, bold and outspoken but inexperienced and restricted, to hardened soldier's wife, herself a veteran of many battles, confident and assured, the heart and soul of the garrison. She may be reluctant to have children of her own, but she has been both sergeant and mother to the cadets under her wing, and that was clearly demonstrated here. Like Porthos, Constance has found her place in the world, unlocking her potential in a way that could never have been possible with Bonacieux.
For Athos, meanwhile, his story through the seasons has been about letting go of the past, forgiving himself, and learning to live again, which is why his happy ending had to be with someone new, rather than Milady. With Sylvie he has finally allowed himself to heal and look forward, they can have a truly fresh start, unfettered by any baggage - which is also why Athos's story ends with him leaving both the Musketeers and Paris, the place he came to escape his demons. The friendships forged will never die, but Athos is ready to move onto the next stage of his life. Unlike Porthos, who could never give up soldiering - but rather more in common with Aramis, who already has once before this - Athos is weary of the fight, ready to lay aside his emotional baggage and find contentment in the family he and Sylvie will build together, while retiring to a private life means he need no longer feel torn over the ongoing conflict of his duty versus her revolutionary leanings. They can't marry - legally, he is married already still - but I can't imagine either one will care overmuch for that.
Milady, then, is the only surviving main cast member not to end the show paired off for a happy ending, but while in one sense it's a shame for her that she hasn't been able to escape her violent past the way Athos has, in another sense that's entirely in keeping with her story throughout: the morally ambiguous antagonist, rather than one of the heroes. Milady is who she is. She came back to Paris looking for Athos only because her new life in England had gone sour, to escape the noose for yet another murder. She may have toyed with the idea of turning over a new leaf, but she hasn't really changed, she hasn't moved forward - and until she does, she can't have that happy ending.
I'm still sad about Treville, but in every hero's journey the mentor must be removed in order for the hero to step up and achieve his or her destiny. The death of Treville paved the way for all four of our heroes to step up and move on to the next phase of their lives - D'Artagnan especially, as the show began with his arrival in Paris as an impetuous youth and ends with his promotion to Captain of the Musketeers, ready to take on and train a new generation of impetuous youths, full circle achieved.
It strikes me that although all the heroes got happy endings and all the loose ends got tied up, it was a wonderfully final finale (the disbanding of our beloved brotherhood, a fitting conclusion for the show), I'm also left with a sense of there being much more story still to tell, in future seasons that won't be filmed and will exist only in our imaginations. How well will Aramis take to his new role as First Minister - and will his relationship with the queen strengthen or weaken his position? How would he react if he learned that Anne had taken Milady on as her own personal assassin? How would Athos react if he learned that the queen had taken Milady on as her personal assassin? Will Athos truly be content to live a quiet life in the country - and if he finds himself drawn back to Paris for whatever reason, how might that turn out? How will D'Artagnan fare as Captain of the Musketeers, training and leading a new generation of soldiers without his friends at his side? Will D'Artagnan and Constance ever have a conversation about his desire for children versus her resolve not to have any? How long must Porthos slog it out at the front, directing battle as general rather than wading in as foot soldier? Will Porthos and Elodie ever get to live together as man and wife - and how will they get along if they do, given how little they know one another? Will the Fronde happen in this universe - and if so, how might it play out, given how differently this universe is set-up? With the brotherhood disbanded, what happens when a new big bad comes to town?
Yeah, for a finale that rounds everything off so nicely and happily, there are just enough questions still outstanding for us to be able to imagine many more adventures for our heroes, their whole lives ahead of them still. I like that.
What lies ahead of us, I wonder?
It really doesn’t matter.
Love - or lack of it - the catalyst for both heroes and villains. That's been at the heart of the show throughout.
Guys, I would totes watch a fourth season set a couple of years later again, if only someone would make it. I can see it now: Captain D'Artagnan has settled into his new role and has trained a new generation of Musketeers to keep the peace in Paris - a new generation of Musketeers who can't quite get over the informality of the captain's close friendship with Minister Aramis, a powerful man who has the ear of the Queen (and also, rumour has it, a place in her bed - but rumour would also have it that they are secretly married, and who knows what to believe in these troubled times?). Meanwhile on the border, General Porthos du Vallon is winning glory left, right and centre, but when he gets wind of a sinister new threat to the nation's stability he decides to take the news to Paris himself, rather than entrust it to a messenger, only too glad for an opportunity to see the wife and (step)daughter he barely knows. Elodie and little Marie-Cessette have made a home for themselves at the rebuilt garrison, which now has family quarters for officers; Constance and D'Artagnan, still childless, the one bone of contention between them, have the other suite. At the other end of the country entirely, Athos has buried himself in a rural idyll with Sylvie and their young son, but they can't hide from the ugly realities of the world forever - and nor would the radical-minded Sylvie want to. Thus Athos reluctantly finds himself drawn back to Paris and the life - and ex-wife - he thought he'd left behind. So the four friends are reunited, but given how much has changed, and with distractions both personal and political on all sides, can they re-discover their old comradeship and prevent the nation from sliding into anarchy and civil war?
Yep, I would definitely watch that - still plenty of story that could be told!
I'm going to miss this show!
*gifs not mine
I have loved this show so much. Yes, it can be clunky and cliched and all the rest of it, but I've never really cared, because it was never trying to be a serious drama, it only ever aspired to be light-hearted swashbuckling fun and delivers on that premise in spades, while also occasionally rising to be so much more.
This finale kind of epitomises all of that, starting out with grief and high drama before tying up all the loose ends and then leaving us with smiles on our faces - the whole episode is a love letter to found family and found home. What more could we ask?
Well, there are gaps and holes in the narrative, of course. We must fill those in for ourselves, I suppose. But overall I am satisfied. My only real regret is that Porthos's story with Elodie was so rushed. Better, perhaps, to have brought her to Paris sooner and integrated her more with the main cast, let the relationship build over several episodes instead of cramming it into one-and-a-half. I can see, though, why they wouldn't want to have any more characters cluttering up the central narrative - these last few episodes have been frenetic enough as it was. And Howard Charles did sell the relationship regardless - I just loved how the first thing Porthos did on seeing Elodie again was take the baby for a cwtch. His journey through the seasons has been about rising above his roots and finding his place in the world, and both Elodie and his promotion to general are tied in with that theme. Neither he nor Elodie needed more time to know that they could find a place in the world together, could build a family and life together. The baby isn't Porthos's, but he will love her every bit as much as Louis loved the child he knew wasn't his. Back in season one Porthos toyed with the idea of marrying his rich widow and retiring to private life, but ultimately realised that he could never give up soldiering; with Elodie he has found someone with whom he can be both soldier and husband, following the example set by D'Artagnan and Constance (a lesson Athos singularly failed to learn all season, because Athos cannot multi-task).
Kind of sad, though, that no sooner have Porthos and Elodie decided to build a life together than he gets sent back to the front - they can marry, but they go into that marriage as virtual strangers with no opportunity to get to know one another properly. Yeah, I wish they'd had more episodes together. Elodie could have returned to Paris with the Musketeers after her intro, rather than trying to raise her child in the woods - she'd have fitted in fine at Sylvie's refugee settlement and could have been involved in storylines there.
Very amused that after two full seasons of trying to keep Aramis and Anne apart, Athos here was like, "Okay fine. Fine, I give in. I admit it. I ship it. Go be together!" I think in part because learning of Sylvie's pregnancy (via a direct threat to the child) meant that for the first time he has sudden, painful insight into how hard it has been for Aramis to be denied his child - and also because he realised, long before either Anne or Aramis did, that the rules have changed now that Louis is gone. As queen consort, it was treason for Anne to take a lover (because of exactly what has come about: producing a cuckoo in the nest) - but as a widow and regent, she can do pretty much as she likes, so long as she is discreet (and, you know, avoids tell-tale pregnancies...)
Not that snogging him right out in the open in the middle of the garden could be classed as discreet by anyone's standards, but we'll let her have that one. He did look good in the blue suit (and I think he's got rid of that silly little ponytail at last).
So Aramis in this universe is Mazarin, or takes the place of Mazarin. I suppose, of the four Musketeers, Aramis is the one who has dabbled in politics the most, albeit primarily out of concern for Anne and their son rather than out of actual interest in politics, whereas Athos didn't even want the responsibility of being captain, so Aramis is probably a better choice for the job, really speaking - but then again, he is also the most rebellious and insubordinate of all the Musketeers, which could make his political career interesting, to say the least! Especially since, despite being intelligent and rational and capable of great diplomacy, he does also display terrible judgement on occasion. But it is worth pointing out that where Feron and Gaston and Grimaud and the rest of them would have chewed their own arms off to get where Aramis is now and then abused the hell out of their position, because they sought control over the Dauphin so that they could gain power for themselves, and where other men might perhaps be ruffled with pride at having fathered a king, Aramis wants only to be a dad to his son and sees the fact that the child is king as a hindrance rather than something to be used for his own ends. Anne was right when she said that his reluctance made him the ideal candidate for the job; she knows he will serve her son's best interests, not his own. I think his happy ending is as bittersweet as Porthos's, really, because he still can't acknowledge his child, and his yearning to be a father has been part of his character since season one - committing himself to Anne and the little king means he can never hope to settle down to that normal family life he's so often coveted.
This promotion wouldn't be possible in the real world, of course - not least because there'd be too many who'd remember Rochefort's accusations, undermining not only Aramis's position but the throne itself. But this show is not set in the real world. It is set in a fictional alternate universe where happy endings are possible, and, in an increasingly grimdark world, I for one am completely okay with that.
Funny how after three full seasons Aramis is left as the only one of the four not to be given a 'proper' name. I mean, I don't think we were ever told D'Artagnan's first name, but at least it was made clear that D'Artagnan is his surname, his family name, and while the show likes to pretend that Athos, Porthos and Aramis are their real names rather than pseudonyms, at least both Porthos and Athos were given surnames/family names as well, but Aramis? Aramis has no other name, he's just Aramis. Is it his surname? Is it a nickname? Who knows? Certainly not viewers of this show!
Constance and D'Artagnan's story arc kind of reached its conclusion last season, really, so they've been much less involved in ongoing plot this season - which in a sense has benefitted them, as both have been free to develop naturally and organically in the background, unfettered by complications of plot. D'Artagnan's story throughout the show has been about maturation, and this entire season has demonstrated loud and clear, without making a huge fuss about it, just how much he has grown up - he thoroughly deserves his promotion (and I'm kind of glad that this D'Artagnan seems unlikely to ever become as cynical and jaded as his book counterpart!) And Constance too has come a long way since we first met her, from respectable merchant's wife, bold and outspoken but inexperienced and restricted, to hardened soldier's wife, herself a veteran of many battles, confident and assured, the heart and soul of the garrison. She may be reluctant to have children of her own, but she has been both sergeant and mother to the cadets under her wing, and that was clearly demonstrated here. Like Porthos, Constance has found her place in the world, unlocking her potential in a way that could never have been possible with Bonacieux.
For Athos, meanwhile, his story through the seasons has been about letting go of the past, forgiving himself, and learning to live again, which is why his happy ending had to be with someone new, rather than Milady. With Sylvie he has finally allowed himself to heal and look forward, they can have a truly fresh start, unfettered by any baggage - which is also why Athos's story ends with him leaving both the Musketeers and Paris, the place he came to escape his demons. The friendships forged will never die, but Athos is ready to move onto the next stage of his life. Unlike Porthos, who could never give up soldiering - but rather more in common with Aramis, who already has once before this - Athos is weary of the fight, ready to lay aside his emotional baggage and find contentment in the family he and Sylvie will build together, while retiring to a private life means he need no longer feel torn over the ongoing conflict of his duty versus her revolutionary leanings. They can't marry - legally, he is married already still - but I can't imagine either one will care overmuch for that.
Milady, then, is the only surviving main cast member not to end the show paired off for a happy ending, but while in one sense it's a shame for her that she hasn't been able to escape her violent past the way Athos has, in another sense that's entirely in keeping with her story throughout: the morally ambiguous antagonist, rather than one of the heroes. Milady is who she is. She came back to Paris looking for Athos only because her new life in England had gone sour, to escape the noose for yet another murder. She may have toyed with the idea of turning over a new leaf, but she hasn't really changed, she hasn't moved forward - and until she does, she can't have that happy ending.
I'm still sad about Treville, but in every hero's journey the mentor must be removed in order for the hero to step up and achieve his or her destiny. The death of Treville paved the way for all four of our heroes to step up and move on to the next phase of their lives - D'Artagnan especially, as the show began with his arrival in Paris as an impetuous youth and ends with his promotion to Captain of the Musketeers, ready to take on and train a new generation of impetuous youths, full circle achieved.
It strikes me that although all the heroes got happy endings and all the loose ends got tied up, it was a wonderfully final finale (the disbanding of our beloved brotherhood, a fitting conclusion for the show), I'm also left with a sense of there being much more story still to tell, in future seasons that won't be filmed and will exist only in our imaginations. How well will Aramis take to his new role as First Minister - and will his relationship with the queen strengthen or weaken his position? How would he react if he learned that Anne had taken Milady on as her own personal assassin? How would Athos react if he learned that the queen had taken Milady on as her personal assassin? Will Athos truly be content to live a quiet life in the country - and if he finds himself drawn back to Paris for whatever reason, how might that turn out? How will D'Artagnan fare as Captain of the Musketeers, training and leading a new generation of soldiers without his friends at his side? Will D'Artagnan and Constance ever have a conversation about his desire for children versus her resolve not to have any? How long must Porthos slog it out at the front, directing battle as general rather than wading in as foot soldier? Will Porthos and Elodie ever get to live together as man and wife - and how will they get along if they do, given how little they know one another? Will the Fronde happen in this universe - and if so, how might it play out, given how differently this universe is set-up? With the brotherhood disbanded, what happens when a new big bad comes to town?
Yeah, for a finale that rounds everything off so nicely and happily, there are just enough questions still outstanding for us to be able to imagine many more adventures for our heroes, their whole lives ahead of them still. I like that.
What lies ahead of us, I wonder?
It really doesn’t matter.
Love - or lack of it - the catalyst for both heroes and villains. That's been at the heart of the show throughout.
Guys, I would totes watch a fourth season set a couple of years later again, if only someone would make it. I can see it now: Captain D'Artagnan has settled into his new role and has trained a new generation of Musketeers to keep the peace in Paris - a new generation of Musketeers who can't quite get over the informality of the captain's close friendship with Minister Aramis, a powerful man who has the ear of the Queen (and also, rumour has it, a place in her bed - but rumour would also have it that they are secretly married, and who knows what to believe in these troubled times?). Meanwhile on the border, General Porthos du Vallon is winning glory left, right and centre, but when he gets wind of a sinister new threat to the nation's stability he decides to take the news to Paris himself, rather than entrust it to a messenger, only too glad for an opportunity to see the wife and (step)daughter he barely knows. Elodie and little Marie-Cessette have made a home for themselves at the rebuilt garrison, which now has family quarters for officers; Constance and D'Artagnan, still childless, the one bone of contention between them, have the other suite. At the other end of the country entirely, Athos has buried himself in a rural idyll with Sylvie and their young son, but they can't hide from the ugly realities of the world forever - and nor would the radical-minded Sylvie want to. Thus Athos reluctantly finds himself drawn back to Paris and the life - and ex-wife - he thought he'd left behind. So the four friends are reunited, but given how much has changed, and with distractions both personal and political on all sides, can they re-discover their old comradeship and prevent the nation from sliding into anarchy and civil war?
Yep, I would definitely watch that - still plenty of story that could be told!
I'm going to miss this show!
*gifs not mine
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no subject
Date: 2016-08-05 06:16 am (UTC)I felt S3 had a few weak episodes, in the early-mid part of the season especially. But overall I've just loved it - even the weakest of episodes has been fun to watch and either developed character or moved the plot forward. This is not a show that has ever cared about realism or accuracy, so it seems unfair to hold it up to standards it was never trying to achieve - like criticising a 400m runner for not winning the 800m race, which they never entered. Unrealistic or not, I'm happy that everyone got a happy ending - open-ended enough that I can imagine years worth of adventures still ahead of them! And those happy endings were entirely in-keeping with the tone and nature of the show.
I've always thought that Ryan Gage was excellent in the role of King Louis - he brought so much charm and nuance to a part that could easily have been two-dimensional, Louis was always more than just a buffoon. This season really gave him some meat to get his teeth into, and he did a fantastic job. I think he was the actor who stood out for me most throughout the show, even when I didn't like the character I always enjoyed the performance. Most of the cast was new to me, going in - I think Peter Capaldi, Hugo Speer and Santiago Cabrera were the only ones I'd ever seen in anything else.
So, yeah - there are gaps and holes in the narrative, places we might wish they'd taken a different tack, but that's inevitable with any show. Overall, I have loved this show from beginning to end, I've loved every one of the characters from beginning to end, and that's you can really ask of any show. I already miss it!