| Higher Ground | |
| Season 1, Episode 20 | |
 | |
| Air date | May 1, 2014 |
| Written by | David Babcock Daniel Sinclair |
| Directed by | Sudz Sutherland |
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next Long Live the King |
- "We stay and finish this, or we die trying."
- —Prince Francis
Synopsis[]
Mary Gets Blood on Her Hands to Save Scotland
Mary enlists a mercenary to help her, which forces her to realize there are sacrifices and lives she is willing to risk to save her country. Francis embraces his role as Dauphin to lead France in a brutal battle against England, and finds a new ally in Leith. Meanwhile, as Lola grows closer to Lord Julien, she gets increasingly suspicious that he is going to betray her. - The CW
Plot[]
Prince Francis and his guards arrive at a deserted outpost. The few remaining soldiers inform the Dauphin that their commander is dead and they've lost half their company, leaving them with no resolve to continue fighting. However, they regain their spirit when Francis gives up his protected position of a royal and becomes their new commander in the field. At the castle, Mary and Greer are strolling. Mary has been isolating herself due to her worry over Francis, but she is miffed that he took an army meant for her mother nonetheless. The girls walk past a guard whom Mary recognises as one of the men who acted in the whorehouse massacre. Catherine's cousins, Hortenza and Roman de' Medici have come to visit the castle. While Catherine is pleased to see Roman, she doesn't share the same fondness for Hortenza because of Hortenza's past with Henry. While the guests are shown to their chambers, Mary pulls Catherine aside. She has received a letter from her mother, in which she read that her mother is under siege. Mary asks Catherine for money from her secret fund, but Catherine claims that there is no secret fund. Back in her chamber, Mary meets with a mercenary named John Priveaux who is known for getting the job done. Mary charges him with finding Catherine's secret stash of gold and stealing it for her. She only has one condition: no innocent blood is to be spilled. While taking a confession at a church, Catherine is abducted. A game of soccer between Julien, Kenna, and Sebastian gets interrupted when Lola begins to have stomach cramps that closely resemble contractions. Meanwhile, Francis and his men are ambushed by English forces a few miles away from the English line. Francis would be stabbed if not for Leith Bayard, who killed his would-be assailant before he could kill Francis. Although John Priveaux has not revealed his identity as her kidnapped to a blindfolded and tied-up Catherine, it doesn't stop her from quickly piecing together that her kidnapper doesn't want to kill her, he wants something from her - that something being gold from a secret fund that Catherine presumes he was hired by Mary to steal. Catherine offers him double the deal Mary offered him if he brings her Mary's head. Lola is taken care of in the infirmary. Both mother and child are fine. Lola wants Julien to be at her side when she gives birth, but he withdraws from her as soon as she says it. He shrugs it off by claiming that she is strong enough to go through with it on her own. |
Quotes[]
Hortenza de' Medici: I always enjoy his company. As I know he greatly enjoyed mine.
Queen Catherine: Except for the day when he left you in tears because he decided to marry me. Oh, life is full of surprises, isn't it?
Queen Catherine: You're a queen. Don't beg.
Prince Francis: I am in your debt, Leith Bayard.
Lord Julien: You have a strength you have yet to realize.
Prince Francis: We stay and finish this, or we die trying.
Greer Norwood: If the end of your story is a happy one, then does how it began really matter?
Leith Bayard: No one risks their life for some lord's strategy. We do it for those we love.
Hortenza de' Medici: I don't mind getting the heel of my shoe bloody.
Prince Francis: I have lost good men, and I'm not prepared to sacrifice any more, especially if I can help it. Live, Leith Bayard. Live.
Queen Catherine: I suppose innocence is all relative. I wonder how long Mary's will last. Because once gone, it can never be reclaimed.
Lord Julien: All I have to offer you... is me.
John Priveaux: They're monsters.
Queen Mary: Indeed they are. But they're my monsters now.
Notes[]
- 'Higher Ground' refers to what is desired to win a battle. Whoever is on the higher round often wins.
- King Henry and Duke of Guise were mentioned, but do not appear.
- Over three months have passed since the last episode. [1]
- Francis Killed around a dozen English soldiers. [2] [3]
- Francis and Leith, and a company of 12 men helped take back Calais from the English.
- John Priveaux's only reason for not double crossing Mary was that he didn't want people to know his loyalties could be swayed so easily. However, he still brought Catherine the head of the person she thought set up her kidnapping. So to everyone beside Mary, it appeared as though John killed his original dealer.
Trivia[]
- The opening credits have changed once more.
- The battle scenes between England and France took 3 days to film. The scene between Francis and Leith after Leith got hurt took 7-8 hours.
- Adelaide Kane wore a Maje Duree Lace Blouse with R.J. Graziano Double-Star Pave Earrings.
Historical Notes[]
- On the 7th of January 1558, under Francis, Duke of Guise, the French took advantage of a weakened garrison and decayed fortifications to retake Calais.
Characters[]
- Credit Order
| Actor | Character | |
|---|---|---|
| Adelaide Kane | Queen Mary | |
| Megan Follows | Queen Catherine | |
| Torrance Coombs | Sebastian | |
| Toby Regbo | Prince Francis | |
| Celina Sinden | Greer Norwood | |
| Caitlin Stasey | Lady Kenna | |
| Anna Popplewell | Lady Lola | |
| Guest Staring | ||
| Tahmoh Penikett | John Priveaux | |
| Jonathan Keltz | Leith Bayard | |
| Giacomo Gianniotti | Lord Julien | |
| Shauna MacDonald | Hortenza de' Medici | |
| Matthew MacFadzean | Roman de' Medici | |
| Cameo | ||
| Unknown | Beatrice | |
| Character debut | |
| Speaking debut | |
| Episode debut |