Fight or Flight

 

Fight or Flight
Season 3, Episode 6
Air date	November 20, 2015
Written by	Lisa Randolph
Directed by	Charles Binamé
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"I may still be a queen, but I am no longer the Queen of France."

—Queen Mary

Synopsis

Mary Aligns Herself With Catherine
Mary realizes she must help Catherine in her quest to become regent, even at the risk of hurting the alliance with Scotland. Claude is determined to help Leith marry while Elizabeth struggles with the prospect of losing Dudley.

Plot

Sebastian and Charles ride into the castle. Bash offers his counsel as a brother to young Charles, who will soon be king. Lord Grenier, a member of the privy council, offers to take Charles hunting, but Bash advises against it. Charles goes anyway, lured in by the promise of a Greyhound dog. Bash fears Lord Grenier will not support Catherine in her quest of becoming Regent. Greer helps Mary as she packs away Francis' things and is moved to a lesser room in the castle. Bash goes to Mary for her help in speaking to Catherine, who is mired up in her grief and cannot bother herself with the happenings in the privy council. But Mary convinces her to fight for the Regency, even if that could cost Mary her country. Sir Nicholas informs Queen Elizabeth that Mary has destroyed the peace treaty, and Elizabeth sends troops to Mary's birthplace in response. She also begins scheming to get Lord Dudley back to the castle by offering his wife a position at court as Keeper of The Swans. Catherine and Mary burst into the privy council's meeting to find out why they're meeting without an elected Regent. Catherine wants to give up the fight against them, but Mary vows to fight the nobles for her in order to fulfill her promise to Francis. Lola and Narcisse discuss Lola's anxiety about Catherine and he begins discussing erotic fantasies with her. He would like her to be more aggressive, but she feels demeaned by his suggestion. Greer and Mary learn that Elizabeth has taken their birthplace without a fight, but Mary believes there's nothing she can do. Greer tells her that it's time she consider a suitor and an alliance in order to save their home from Elizabeth, which turns Mary's attention toward Spain. Claude calls for Leith to arrange a carriage to take her into the village, but her real reason for having him there is so she can suggest a relationship between him and a girl just above his station. She has feelings for him but wants to see him married better than he was born. Charles finds Mary in his study looking through Francis' old ledgers. He tells her that he wants his mother as Regent and doesn't trust Grenier, but he doesn't know how to defeat the nobles. Dudley returns to Elizabeth to confront her about the job she gave his wife. Elizabeth vows never to marry if she can't have Dudley and they end up sleeping together. Again. He returns to his chambers to find Amy there alone. He suggests they do not discuss Elizabeth. Greer and Mary learn that Lord Grenier and his wife are in a sexless marriage and Mary deduces it may be because his wife loved another woman, the Duchess of Anjou. Mary suggests one of Greer's employees might be able to get the information they need to stop Lord Grenier from becoming Regent. A doctor diagnoses Amy with melancholia and blames it on the fact that she and her husband do not have sex. She seduces the doctor so that he'll diagnose Amy with a mass instead so that Dudley's affections will return to her. His course of treatment involves a sojourn in Cornwall with a physician there, which will take Dudley away from Elizabeth. Claude tries to teach Leith the ways of the highborn, which includes dancing and dining. Instead, he ends up teaching her dances from the village. Dudley breaks the news to Elizabeth that he must go to Cornwall with his wife, which means their dalliance must end. Elizabeth believes Amy's illness is fate's way of telling them they can be together, but Amy has to die first. Catherine and Mary go to Lord Grenier to tell him they know about the emergency vote and about the ways he's been amassing his fortune by profiting off of the soliders who have died in the war against England. Catherine knows that if she is Regent, she will have to withdraw the troops from Scotland, but her heart tells her the troops must stay. Mary knows that helping Catherine win might jeopardize Scotland. Mary announces in front of the privy council that she relieves France and her armies of their duties to Scotland. Elizabeth learns the news of France's retreat and Sir Nicholas suggests now would be a good time for Elizabeth to abandon her fight against Mary. She decides to replace him as her ambassador to France instead. Catherine walks in on Narcisse as he's dressing to tell him that she plans to ruin his life with Lola once she's Regent. He reveals that he has a seat on the privy council and will cast the deciding vote. She ensures his vote will go to her. Claude tries to continue her plan to teach Leith the ways of the nobles but he knows there is no Juliet. She just wanted to spend time with him because she wishes they could be together. Elizabeth sends one of her prisoners to France to make Mary fall in love with him so that she can thwart her attempts at an alliance with Spain. Charles suggests to Mary that she seek a new suitor there, in France, so that Spain will see that she comes with more than just a war-torn country. - TVFanatic

Quotes

Greer Castleroy: Mary, you are not fine. You just lost the man you love, and now they're moving you to a lesser room, treating the Queen of Scotland like she's-
Queen Mary: An outsider? That's because I am.

Queen Mary: I may still be a queen, but I am no longer the Queen of France.

Queen Catherine: How can I pray to God when I'm certain he does not hear me?

Queen Catherine: My election could mean the end of your nation.

Leith Bayard: Why do you want to help me?
Princess Claude: Because you're going to end up with someone. Why not someone a step above, but within reach?

Notes

• King Francis, John Philip, Don Carlos and Mary Tudor are all mentioned, but do not appear.
• It has been 3 weeks since King Francis' death, and one week since the ending of the last episode.
• English troops took over Queen Mary's birthplace, Linlithgow.
• Don Carlos of Spain, Charles of Austria, and Meril of Enron all wish to court Queen Mary.
• Lady Grenier and her husband, Lord Grenier, are both homosexuals and appear to have entered into their marriage together as a cover while spending time with their preferred lovers.
• Elizabeth and Robert's relationship appears to be coming to an end.
• Claude and Leith's relationship has been confirmed with a kiss.
• Christophe and Catherine begin a sexual relationship.
• Queen Elizabeth appoints Gideon Blackburn to seduce Mary.

Death Toll
0

Trivia

• The episode title and synopsis were released on October 29 2015.
• The episode images were released on November 3 2015.
• This is the first episode the entire cast appears, except for Toby Regbo, who is no longer on the show.

Historical Notes

• Charles of Austria was known as 'Charles II, Archduke of Austria' and would be 20 years old, to Mary, Queen of Scots' 18 years. However, he did not marry until August 1571 when he was 31.
• Don Carlos would be 15 years old, to Mary's 18 years.
• Mary, Queen of Scots briefly met her future husband, Lord Darnley in February 1561 when she was in mourning for King Francis II. Darnley's parents, Lord and Lady Lennox, who were Scottish aristocrats as well as English landowners, had sent him to France ostensibly to extend their condolences while hoping for a potential match between the two.
• Mary returned to Scotland on 19 August 1561 after King Francis' death.

Gallery

Characters

Actor	Character
Adelaide Kane	Queen Mary
Megan Follows	Queen Catherine
Rachel Skarsten	Queen Elizabeth
Torrance Coombs	Sebastian
Celina Sinden	Greer Castleroy
Anna Popplewell	Lady Lola
Jonathan Keltz	Leith Bayard
Craig Parker	Lord Narcisse
Rose Williams	Princess Claude
Charlie Carrick	Robert Dudley
Guest Staring
Ben Geurens	Gideon Blackburn
Nick Lee	Nicholas
Clara Pasieka	Amy Dudley
Nathaniel Middleton	Christophe
Ted Whittall	Lord Grenier
Cameo
Spencer MacPherson	King Charles
Marie Ward	Helene
Deanna Javis	Servant Girl
Sarah Claire Alan	Alexandra
Robert Verlaque	Court Doctor

	Character debut
	Speaking debut
	Episode debut