Overview:
The final season
(hopefully that will change) of the epic series saw the “original crime
family”, “The Borgias”, band together to fight off threats from outside of the
Vatican walls and within them. After last season’s cliffhanger saw the Pope
struggling to cling to life, his ambitious son rose to the occasion to secure
the safety of his family and some other things as well.
Storyline
Direction: Neil
Jordan’s Pope Opus contained everything a melodrama could ask for; lust, greed,
forbidden fruit, epic battles, parties galore and a villain who had a pet hawk.
Anything you thought could happen probably happened and you didn’t mind. Sadly
this will be the last season of the show, should the outpouring of support from
millions of fans who want it to return, fall on the deaf ears of the Showtime
Network.
Neil Jordan just
needed 1 more season to tell the story he had originally intended to. Showtime
gave “The Big C” a farewell mini-series and turns its back on this amazing
show? That is not right.
It is made even
sadder because there was so much that was accomplished on the show and yet so
much more story to be told. As hard as it might be to believe, what viewers saw
was only half of the story in terms of what else this family got up to, both
before the Pope’s death and after. The series did deliver everything it was
given the opportunity to and that was quite a bit.
It’s not easy
telling a story, where essentially the premise relies upon following the
exploits of antagonists. However, these weren’t one-dimensional characters
doing bad things. They were the true grey characters that so many of us are
thirsty to see. They aren’t perfect people and from the outside, it seemed
impossible to understand their actions. The series provided us with greater
insight into their motives behind these actions.
It masterfully
pulled you into their world, their view of it and you caught a glimpse of what
makes antagonists so compelling. If written correctly, you understand they are
doing the wrong things for what seems like the right reasons. If you weren’t
pulling for “The Borgias” just a little, you need to tweet me or something
because I found their charms impossible to resist and would like to know how
you did it.
After 2 seasons
(now 3) the series was ignored by the mainstream press and awards ceremonies.
That didn’t slow down the ambition of the series however, as they were always
reaching for something greater than the previous season. This season saw the
telling of its most controversial plot point and one that had been tip-toed
around since its inception, the close relationship between siblings Cesare and
Lucrezia.
Was there
something more to it or were we, the audience, just seeing something that
wasn’t intended to be on-screen? It remained the lingering question for two
seasons. Having no previous knowledge of the legend of the historical Borgia
family, I’d walked into the pilot, clueless as to their story.
So suffice it to
say upon viewing the pilot episode something became rather blatantly apparent,
there was an undercurrent of chemistry between these characters and not the
strictly familial kind either. After toying and giving a wink to the audience
for so long, fans’ curiosity was finally laid to rest. There was indeed a
romantic attraction between them.
It speaks so
highly of the writers and the actors that this plot, that could have been
easily cast aside as a smutty plot twist contrived to get ratings, instead felt
so organic, so inevitable that to have ignored it would’ve ruined the integrity
of the series. For someone to have to explain it without context, it sounds
insane.
To those who say,
“That is disgusting. How could you even watch that?” I have two responses.
Firstly, the actors aren’t related; it’s a TV series so calm down. Secondly,
you really have to see the show to believe it. It contradicts everything you
think it would or could be on paper.
All of the other
plots had a challenging time of as being as enthralling as that ever present
angle and yet Cesare’s rise to power was equally entertaining to say the least.
His battle with his father was one of the soul elements of the series. Their
dynamic was always intriguing and it provided for some of the series’ most
powerful moments.
Their
reconciliation during the penultimate episode was yet another illustration of
what this series has done so well, demonstrating the battle between father and
son isn’t necessarily a battle between opposing views, rather views that are so
closely woven together it is next to impossible for either side to extricate
themselves from their respective positions to see they are the same.
Production
Caliber: One of the most
beautifully filmed shows on TV. The set design was breathtakingly rich and
adorned with meticulous accents. The costuming was phenomenal and crafted with
impeccable detail.
Performance
Quality: Led by Oscar
Winner Jeremy Irons (Pope Alexander IV) it was obvious from the beginning that
his talent would serve as a challenge for everyone else on the cast to up their
game. Every word he spoke was as grandly uttered as the last, a sermon of great
magnitude. He carried himself with the gravitas of great importance and kept
you hanging on his every word.
The charisma of
Irons is pretty much undeniable. His charm and grace redeemed a lot of antics
that would’ve crushed a number of other actors under the weight of it. If you
are fortunate to see a role where an actor is truly having fun, it elevates the
material to a whole other level and you could tell Irons was having the time of
his life, or at least appeared to be. He also imbued in the Pope, a warmth and
paternal guidance that convinced you of why his children felt such loyalty
towards him.
Francois Arnaud
had no problem holding his own against Irons as he gave one of the most
underrated performance on TV, yet again this season. He is a mega talent and
the show was wise to continue to put the amount of story they did behind him.
He proved he is more than capable of carrying a show, he is a leading actor.
His characterization of Cesare was amazing to behold as he evolved the character
through a multitude of stages, seamlessly latching them all together.
It was the
epitome of a grey and brooding performance. You wanted him to be good and yet
he portrayed that fall into the dark side with such resonance that you could
almost feel the gravitational pull that had him on a collision course with it.
This was outstanding work and the industry buzz surrounding him should be
deafening. He currently has two indie films in the works.
He also proved to
have a talent that has sadly became a rare gift in TV and movies today; he
shared mind-blowing chemistry with his co-star, Holliday Grainger. Hopefully
someone in the universe is working on getting these two reteamed as soon as
possible and hopefully in roles where they aren’t related.
Their performance
together was an exemplary display of a lightning-in-a-bottle chemistry. There
was nothing forced about their interactions. It makes all of the on-screen
romantic pairings that Hollywood has tried to force on us apparent in its lack
of authenticity.
Why the chemistry
between actors playing siblings is superior to those who are playing in
non-incestuous relationships that we should be rooting for, is another
question. As the season waged on, it provided viewers with one of the most
sexually charged sequences in recent memory.
As Lucrezia’s
marriage consummation to her husband Alfonso was put on display, it was the
clandestine moment between her and Cesare that took center stage. It was a
scene that relied completely on eye contact, a connection that transcended
anything physical and they nailed it.
Grainger, who has
already lined up gigs in a Bonnie & Clyde mini-series and the new
live-action Cinderella movie starring Cate Blanchett, is a star on the rise as
well. Her angelic presence made Lucrezia’s devilish deeds all the more hard to
believe despite having just seen her commit them.
Her vulnerability
and screen partnership with Arnaud highly elevated the depth of her
characterization. It is so interesting to look back at how far she too, evolved
her interpretation of Lucrezia from innocent coming of age girl to victimized
child bride to woman scorned and eventually, a sexually awakened vixen.
Her performance
developed from what she planted at the beginning of the series, that of a naive
daddy’s girl who was trying to comprehend all of the rapid changes around her
and the loss of her innocence amidst her families’ battle for power. Add to
that her portrayal of Lucrezia’s steady confliction that took root as she
battled for her happiness and exactly what that would require and you had a
sensational character study.
Rounding out the
cast was Sean Harris as the deadly assassin Micheletto who did “The Borgias”
bidding through three seasons as he morphed the sociopathic killer into
something deeper than a run of the mill psycho, it was a performance that
echoed the sentiments of a samurai doing his perceived duty.
Joanne Whalley
was sympathetic as the mother of the Pope’s children, a performance filled with
maternal warmth and feminine ambition. Colm Feore was missed this season as the
focus shifted towards Borgia nemesis Caterina Sforza played with defiant
strength by Gina McKee in a gripping performance. She was a worthy adversary
for “The Borgias” as she rivaled them in charm, grace and overall likability.
It was a fierce portrayal of a woman warrior.
Musical
Score: The original
score offered the perfect amount of dramatic flair and was a wonderful accent
to whatever was happening on-screen.
Overall
Grade: A+, an always
engaging series that featured political intrigue, historical drama and at all
times the exploration of family dynamics. This show never held back and for
that reason the ride was always an entertaining and unpredictable one. The reason
they were able to venture to controversial territory was due to the cast Neil
Jordan assembled.
While other shows
push storylines that their cast simply isn’t talented or charismatic enough to
pull off, “The Borgias” never suffered from any of those issues as it easily
had the most charismatic ensemble on TV. There were no limits to where things
could venture to and that made it dangerous and exciting to watch. This show
deserves to tell the rest of its story. Here is to hoping Showtime changes their
mind.
What do you think
about “The Borgias?" I want to hear from you about this TV Report Card and
any other Eclectic Pop topic. You can do that by tweeting @EclecticPop
or commenting below this post.
If
you want to join the cause to #SaveTheBorgias please sign the following
petitions:
You
can vote to save the show here:
Special thanks to
@DaughterOfLaeta
and @Fay_TheGreek
for sharing these links with me on Twitter!
[Images by Showtime]
[Images by Showtime]
I thank you for so eloquently expressing what I have been thinking for three plus years.
ReplyDeleteWe cannot understand why everyone on Gods green earth doesn't see what we see..
I believe it is because the casual viewer would have moved on to a vampire or superhero.
The Borgias requires attention, focus, a thinking process, and time for revelations slow unfolding. A willingness to be caught up, enraptured by a power bigger than your conscience and the fortitude to recover from the gut wrenching impact Mr Arnaud has on your emotions. Casual will not do.
Thank you for the kind and incredibly thoughtful comment. I completely agree that 'The Borgias' pacing cannot be appreciated without long term focus. It's a truly human drama and those are hard to come by these days.
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