| Toy Soldiers | |
| Season 1, Episode 19 | |
 | |
| Air date | April 24, 2014 |
| Written by | Mike Herro David Strauss |
| Directed by | Chris Grismer |
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| previous No Exit |
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- "Trust is a luxury I can no longer afford."
- —Queen Mary
Synopsis[]
For Love or Country
When Mary's uncle, the Duke of Guise (Gil Darnell), arrives in France with devastating news about her mother, Mary and Francis realize they are torn between putting their own countries first or saving their marriage. With the English throne in jeopardy, King Henry hatches an elaborate plan that will end in disaster. Meanwhile, Sebastian and Kenna solidify their marriage and begin to trust one another. - The CW
Plot[]
Mary, Kenna, and Greer have a snowball fight as Lola sits it out. Soon after, the girls join her and discuss their marital difficulties. Mary receives dire news from Scotland that Protestant rebels have surrounded her mother's castle, demanding that she surrender and cede her control of the country. Mary and Francis appeal to Queen Catherine for military aid, but Catherine tells them they have worse problems do deal with. The ailing Mary Tudor named her Protestant half-sister Elizabeth England's next ruler, a move that infuriates Henry. He berates Mary for not being pregnant yet and for draining their resources while failing to provide him with England. The Protestants demand Marie's head on a pike and Henry warns Mary to be careful, or hers might follow. Mary writes to her uncle, Duke of Guise, for help. Francis cautions her against his dangerous ambition, which led the duke to be stripped of his power at court. He has since fielded an army out of stealing recruits. Mary doesn't trust him either, but she knows his army is loyal. Penelope goes to Henry and claims to be pregnant with his child. However, Catherine calls Penelope out for lying and warns her not to push her luck, otherwise she may end up like the two dead girls before her. Greer welcomes her father and two sisters upon their arrival at court. He has come to repair Greer's reputation after her affair with a kitchen boy, as well as begin looking into suitors for his other two daughters. Bash returns to the castle after spending weeks in the woods chasing The Darkness. He begins making out with Kenna but pulls back to tell her that he cares about her sexual experience and wants it to be the best it can be, so good that it makes her forget all the other men in her life. He begins undressing her and asks her to whisper into his ear what she wants in detail. The Duke arrives at court with his army and Mary and Francis go down to greet him. The Duke cuts to the chase: he will help Mary in exchange for being anointed Lord Magistrate of France, making him the right-hand man to the King. Even though Francis doesn't agree with the terms of their deal and doubts Henry will agree to them, the door is left open by both sides. Catherine walks in on Penelope hooking up with a stable boy in the kitchen and after kicking him out, she locks Penelope in the tower to "protect" her and her baby - but Catherine believes there isn't a baby at all and lets Penelope know she will visit every month or so to watch her belly grow. Lord Castleroy offers to give Greer's sisters a royal tour, but Greer's father shunts the offer aside in favour of discussing Greer's dowry - or lack thereof. Castleroy claims to only want his future father-in-law's blessing, which Greer's father immediately gives him. Francis finds Henry maneuvering his toy soldiers on the map of Europe to plan his military strategy. His plan is to attack England from several sides beginning tomorrow. The soldiers will be marching northeast under the command of a new general, since Henry demoted the last one. Francis tries to talk him out of going through with it, as the French army is spread too thin and cannot take on England, but Henry believes that he will emerge victorious. Francis alerts Catherine of the impending disaster, only to learn that she's been in contact with the generals and that they're under strict orders not to make any moves unless she approves of them. Meanwhile, Bash continues teasing Kenna, not allowing her to take her skirt off while they fool around. Francis confronts the Duke about his realization that the Duke wants to be his Lord Magistrate – not Henry's. The Duke lets him know that he is aware of Henry's dwindling sanity. Francis agrees to the proposition, under the condition that the army will report to him and take him to Scotland with them. Mary learns of the deal and kisses Francis in joy, which Bash sees as he walks by. He then goes to Kenna and takes her on the bed, no longer taking their relationship slow. Penelope confesses to Catherine that she was never pregnant, but Catherine already knew that and forgives her for her deception, as she has another use for her. She wants Penelope to join her Flying Squad. Penelope would first be sent to Italy to learn the art of deception, making her well-equipped to serve Catherine as one of her ladies once she returns to court. Greer has a meal with her family and Lord Castleroy, during which her father boasts about his mines before disparaging her intelligence. Castleroy chastises him for how he treats Greer. He then reveals that he has conducted research on their mines, leading him to discover that they've been played out for years. But he plans on funding Greer's sisters' dowries to ensure they marry for love the same way he will with Greer. While Mary and Francis make love due to her gratitude toward him for going to Scotland, as well as the fact that he will be gone for months, Bash grows distant during his own lovemaking with Kenna, so much so that she tells him that she wants him to only think of her when they're together. Henry summons Francis and Catherine to his office and tells them that he knows of their thwarting his military plans. However, no more, as he ordered his troops to march to Calais that morning with a general that doesn't report to Catherine. When Francis realizes that their troops are too weak to reclaim England alone, he offers up the Duke of Guise's army to help them. He argues that if France falls, so will Scotland, so he will have to protect France first. Greer thanks Castleroy in private for being so gracious. When he produces their wedding contract and tells her that she has the final approval, she kisses him and surprises herself with how much she likes it. Mary is despondent at having heard that Francis is taking her army and her mother's last hope of survival with it. She realizes that he will always put France before her and Scotland and calls their marriage an 'awful mistake'. However, in the end, she just wants him to live through this battle and come back to her, which he solemnly swears to do. As she watches him and the armies leave, Mary tells her ladies that while she can forgive Francis for doing what he thinks is best for his country, he will need to forgive her for doing what is best for hers, no matter what that may be. |
Quotes[]
Queen Mary: Words don't bother me. Threats don't bother me, either. Losing bothers me.
Queen Mary: Trust is a luxury I can no longer afford.
Queen Mary: Nothing bothers me more than problems I've already solved coming back to be problems again.
Queen Catherine: Expect me to make you a lesson to my other problems by grinding you into the dust you no longer see fit to sweep.
Queen Catherine: I wouldn't be so smug, my dear. You just let the devil into our home.
Duke of Guise: Don't trouble yourself over niceties. I don't.
Queen Catherine: Don't make friends with rats. They bite.
Lord Castleroy: A good businessman always knows what something is worth. And to me... Greer is priceless.
Notes[]
- 'Toy Soldiers' are what children use when playing. Referring to someone who is inexperienced in war, or carless with their men.
- James Stuart is mentioned, but does not appear.
- This marks the first appearance of Duke of Guise and Greer's family.
- This episode's Timeline takes place weeks after the last episode.
- This episode spans over almost two months.
- This episode marks the first time Lady Kenna and Sebastian engage in coitus. [1]
- Penelope was locked in The Tower for three to four weeks, and Greer's family were staying at the castle for at least a few weeks as Mary was shown writing her letter to her uncle and then when he arrived, time clearly had elapsed. After he arrived, Penelope was let out of the tower, and Greer's family left court.
- King Henry mentions that he has illegitimate children all over the country.
Trivia[]
- Adelaide Kane wore a Temperley London Long Aya Show Dress in White/Gold with a Custom Made by Costume Department dying the winter snow fight. She was later seen in a Vera Wang Embroidered Silk-Chiffon and Mesh Vest, and some beautiful Oscar de la Renta Gold-Plated Lapis Lazuli Earrings.
Historical Notes[]
- King Henry had many illegitimate children, including a son with one of Mary, Queen of Scots' Ladies-in-Waiting, Mary Fleming's mother, Lady Janet Stewart in 1551.
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 | |
| Alan van Sprang | King Henry | |
| Guest Staring | ||
| Michael Therriault | Lord Castleroy | |
| Kathryn Prescott | Penelope | |
| Gil Darnell | Duke of Guise | |
| Ari Cohen | Robert Norwood | |
| Jenna Warren | Ainsley Norwood | |
| Ella Sinatra Querin | Colleen Norwood | |
| Cameo | ||
| Brendan Cox | Duke Francis | |
| Character debut | |
| Speaking debut | |
| Episode debut |