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Season Four Episode
All It Cost Her
Season 4, Episode 16
All It Cost Her
Air date June 16, 2017
Written by April Blair
Laurie McCarthy
Directed by Holly Dale
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"Because I cannot have her blood on my hands. And I cannot let her go."
Queen Elizabeth

Synopsis[]

Mary makes a decision that will change the course of history - forever shaping the fate of her nation, her crown, and her newborn son. Mary's perilous move for her survival causes the stunning realization that perhaps she is not the only one who may not survive. Meanwhile, Elizabeth steadies herself for war and will become the instigator in Mary's demise while later realizing she and Mary might be more similar than either thought.

Plot[]

In Scotland, the guards are searching for the baby, bursting into homes and questioning every known associate of King Darnley.

Mary is waiting for her son to be found. Bothwell assures her that they are looking everywhere, but Mary is afraid Darnley will hurt their son because he isn't thinking clearly.

Lord Narcisse has returned to France and is now with Queen Catherine. She apprises him of the hell French court has turned into and the two plot to do away with Nicole. They turn to Emanuelle, one of the heretics rounded up by Queen Leeza, for help.

Henri is skipping meals and sacrificing sleep due to fretting over when the Spanish armada is coming, unaware of the fact that it is not going to show up. Nicole encourages him to eat so they have a nut soup, during which Nicole starts coughing really hard. She soon dies in Henri's arms.

While Greer lectures Mary on taking care of herself, James appears. He is there to aid in the search of Mary's son.

A disoriented Darnley is walking through the woods with his son, until Keira suggests Darnley leave him on the ground to rest. He does so.

Claude is mourning the loss of both Leith and Luc when Henri runs past her, carrying Nicole. Claude, Catherine, and Narcisse all follow him to the throne room, where he lays her on the ground for Charles to see.

Thinking Henri killed Nicole, Charles threatens Henri and draws his sword, Henri doing the same in retaliation. Catherine jumps in between them and talks them out of blaming each other and into blaming Spain, having betrayed both Charles and Henri.

While James is pointed in the right direction to find the baby, the Archduke of Austria presents Elizabeth a new marriage contract - one that is far more advantageous for him than it is for England - and Elizabeth isn't inclined to sign it. That is, until the Archduke vows to use his connection to the Spanish ambassador to spare her a war with Spain.

James returns to court with Mary's child, and Mary is so overwhelmed with gratitude that she decides to name her baby 'James'. When Bothwell comes to Mary later, she is caressing her son in the crib. Mary is now receptive to the idea of killing Darnley and after little persuasion, she gives Bothwell her consent to do it, as long as she isn't implicated.

Lady Lennox visits Darnley at his estate. Darnley begins questioning his mental state, but his mother insists that he's fine, only under a strain. She demands that he stay here and hidden, until she returns with provisions the following morning.

Elizabeth confronts Jane about the French goods given to her by Narcisse as payment for killing Gideon Blackburn. Jane reveals that she hates royals because of what Henry VIII did to her grandfather. Elizabeth tells her that neither she nor Gideon ever hurt her, but when Jane mouths off again, Elizabeth hits her in the head with a golf stick.

After chatting and drinking wine with Emanuelle, Narcisse and Catherine start losing themselves in the contents of the wine and act deliriously. Emanuelle pulls them into a makeout session that eventually leads them to bed. When Catherine realizes that Emanuelle is trying to get pregnant with Narcisse via a latin spell, she shoots Narcisse away and stabs Emanuelle several times. Emanuelle only laughs hysterically.

Elizabeth goes over the plan to go to war with Spain with Francis Drake, her new military commander. Even if they do defeat the Spanish Armada, their military will be depleted at every level after that, which will allow Scotland to invade.

Mary tries to quiet her son while she herself is close to tears. Greer assures her that she has done the right thing, having Darnley killed, because only then will her son be safe. They also discuss David Rizzio's prophecy.

While Mary is hosting a reception and cajoling the nobles in hopes of them falling to her side when they learn of Darnley's death, Bothwell and another noble try to light Darnley's house on fire. Bothwell notices that something is wrong and runs inside. Darnley wakes up when he hears his dog barking and just as he steps outside and recognizes the other noble, Bothwell knocks Darnley to the ground and chokes him to death.

Elizabeth receives Mary's letter, where she reads that Mary abdicates her claim to the English throne. Upon learning that her cousin is no longer a threat, Elizabeth calls off the marriage with the Archduke, as it is no longer of strategic importance to England.

A mazed Catherine wanders into a party going on in the castle, where Narcisse is standing in a corner while Charles, Henri, and their advisors are planning how to destroy Spain and avenge Nicole. Catherine warns them that their plan will only invite complications. Charles and Henri, noticing that Catherine is under the influence, disregard her completely.

Catherine sees Emanuelle in the crowd and slinks away to talk to her. Emanuelle, apparently now pregnant with Narcisse's baby, is alive and well. She predicts the fates of Catherine's children and Catherine herself, giving her the choice of whether to stay on her sons' side and die, or change course with Princess Margaret by her side, and stay alive. Catherine chooses the latter.

While Elizabeth rallies her army to fight, Bothwell returns to Mary, Greer, and James in the morning and apprises them of his plan going awry. He killed Darnley, but he has a bad feeling about it, and suggests that they flee. Just as he is saying all of that, Knox and countless privy council members enter, including the noble that was present when Darnley was killed, and Knox commands that Mary and Bothwell be arrested and tried for the crime of regicide.

Twenty-one years later, Mary is imprisoned in England. She has sent to her son for aid but is yet to receive a reply.

In the English Court, Mary's son James is begging Elizabeth to spare Mary. She doesn't relent, but she does give him a choice: he can either be named Elizabeth's heir and unite both England and Scotland under his rule, or he can save his mother, but she will be held captive until the rest of her life.

As Mary is led out to the scabbord, she is told that her son has decided not to save her. A devastation washes over her as she hears of it. After she places her head on the execution block and says her last words, "I put my trust in you, my Lord.", the executioner lifts his axe and it falls on her head.

Quotes[]

Queen Catherine: Tell me, how is Mary?
Lord Narcisse: Struggling to maintain her throne.

Queen Catherine: This is Stéphane Narcisse, he's the Lord Chancellor of France. Stéphane, this is a witch that my pious daughter, Leeza, rounded up amongst other heretics.
Emanuelle: I didn't care for her. Clearly, you don't, either.

Emanuelle: Don't worry. Spain will still be a bother, but its queen won't be a problem much longer. Complications with her third child. A girl.

Emanuelle: Nicole is inches from the grave. She just doesn't know it yet.

Princess Claude: I lost both the man I loved and the man I could have loved.

King Darnley: My son, you mean... My God, I think I left him somewhere!

Queen Elizabeth: I do not require a lesson in suffering from the likes of you!

Queen Elizabeth: I am England and I need no one to save me! Not from Spain, not from the Catholic Church, not from anyone. I am Elizabeth Tudor and I will bow to no man. I will face ever threat to my reign with sword in hand. And any who shall stand in my way shall fall.

Queen Catherine: I have always put my children first. I have done terrible things. I have always done it for their good. But are they worth it?

Emanuelle: The key to your survival, should you choose it, is your daughter, Margot. Blood will flow, but it won't be yours, if you have Margot at your side.

John Knox: Men will never willingly bow to the weaker sex.
Queen Mary: And they will suffer greatly for it.

Queen Elizabeth: Because I cannot have her blood on my hands. And I cannot let her go.

Queen Mary: I put my trust in you, my Lord.

Notes[]

Unseen Aftermath
Emanuelle's predictions of the House of Valois came true.

Death Toll [1][2]
- Nicole Touchet
- King Darnley
- Mary Stuart

Trivia[]

  • Ben Geurens was credited, but did not appear.
  • Torrance Coombs was in Spain shooting Still Star Crossed during the time the finale was shot, and was therefore unable to return.
    • Had the show been renewed for a season 5, he would have returned to the show.
  • Jonathan Keltz was on set, but did not appear in any of the scenes.

Historical Notes[]

Historical Aftermath[]

Gallery[]

Characters[]

  • Credit Order
Actor Character
Adelaide Kane Queen Mary
Megan Follows Queen Catherine
Rachel Skarsten Queen Elizabeth
Toby Regbo King Francis
Celina Sinden Greer Castleroy
Craig Parker Lord Narcisse
Rose Williams Princess Claude
Dan Jeannotte James Stuart
Jonathan Goad John Knox
Spencer MacPherson King Charles
Will Kemp King Darnley
Guest Staring
Adam Croasdell Lord Bothwell
Nola Augustson Lady Lennox
Richard Fleeshman Francis Drake
Rebecca Liddiard Princess Margaret
Nick Slater Prince Henri
Ann Pirvu Nicole Touchet
Steve Byers Archduke of Austria
Megan Hutchings Jane
Cameo
Jake Foy King James VI
Catherine Bérubé Emanuelle
Character debut
Speaking debut
Episode debut


References[]

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