Thanks for creating a SparkNotes account! Alexandre Dumas and The Three Musketeers Background. Of the four leads, Porthos love life has been the least explored and most unfairly neglected in the BBC adaptation. The priest was branded; the Headsman himself had to brand his own brother. And frankly, with all this talk of we are the garrison and all for one, the Musketeers didnt feel like much of a team this season. Yes, he looked cool and McNulty was commendably glowering the hell out of every scene, but we know from Darth Maul that Looks Cool is not a character trait. Anne and Constance spent much of the series worrying about the men in their life, Milady barely appeared at all, and Elodie never felt like a part of the main group. TO CANCEL YOUR SUBSCRIPTION AND AVOID BEING CHARGED, YOU MUST CANCEL BEFORE THE END OF THE FREE TRIAL PERIOD. What follows is a scene of ultimate despair, the lowest emotional moment in the entire series (Im talking Toy Story 3s Furnace scene levels of sadness here). He therefore had the choice of entering the army or the church. With Buckingham's death, the Rochellese surrendered after about a year of siege. Which is to say: the Musketeers missed so many opportunities sometimes carelessly, sometimes purposefully that it started to chip away at my patience, but never my goodwill. Athos took his name from the small market town of Athos-Aspis on the Gave d'Oloron, close to Sauveterre-de-Barn and Autevielle. In my ideal finale, dArtagnan does indeed run into the burning building to rescue Constance (and the stakes are automatically upped if she is pregnant at this point, because its not just her life at risk). Theres too much right with this show to despise it for what it got wrong. Flea could have been a recurring character who resurfaced every now and then in a case the Musketeers were on, bantering with Porthos and developing the incredible chemistry they shared from that first ep together. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. All of this smacks of not having a strong clear plan for the show I know they had a lot of problems that were outside their control (Capaldis unexpected departure, budgetary concerns, a loyal fanbase but steadily decreasing viewing figures) but a strong outline from the start, even if they didnt reach their intended endpoint, would have saved them a lot of grief despite the disasters they encountered along the way. Even after multiple attempts on the others life, Athos and Milady had been dancing around a romantic reunion of sorts and, in Miladys case, a sort-of redemption arc but the relationship had never been portrayed as anything but deeply tragic, not to mention deeply unhealthy. (Franois de Guillon, Lord of Essarts, was the brother-in-law of Monsieur de Trville, who recommended him). The women of The Musketeers in general were quite poorly served in its final season, written primarily as passive secondary characters and romantic partners for the Musketeers and little more where they had before been active parts of the plot. Unhappy to be losing all his friends, d'Artagnan accepts the blessing of the promotion. Sylvie and Athos romance may have come out of left field for many expecting the most surly Musketeer to get back with his ex. Maimie McCoys real-life pregnancy effectively banished her from all but a few scenes in the last ten episodes, doing a great injustice to an incredibly compelling character and the series sole overarching villain. In one sense, however, this sort of ending is characteristic of Romance. His grandfather, the Huguenot Captain, Pierre d'Aramitz, played a highly active role in the religious wars that wreaked havoc in the Barn and the Soule at the time of Jeanne d'Albret. Pacing suffered, characters suffered, and the series as a whole suffered. Like Athos, Porthos decided to go into the army. Their romance also seemed to take precedence over (and screentime from) the series other couples, dArtagnan and Constance being the biggest victims. Get instant access to all the benefits of SparkNotes PLUS! Why they separated Constance and Anne physically and emotionally in season 3, Ill never know. So heres how I would have done it. He jumps on a guards head. This was a symptom of season 3s villain-itis:Grimaud, Feron, Marcheaux, King Louis, Prince Gaston, miscellaneous barons and a slew of uncompelling henchmen = TOO MANY VILLAINS. And Ill tell you for why, *Spoilers for Seasons 1-3 of BBCs The Musketeers, as well as Alexandre Dumas original novel and subsequent adaptations*. Representation for people of colour was rather good for the BBC, but sometimes treated those characters in problematic ways, even neglecting them entirely and it was completely lacking in diversity for LGBTQ+ characters, disabled characters, and anyone who did not conform to gender binaries. Loveless and Howard have a lovely chemistry, but far too little time to develop a meaningful romance that feels earned, and neither can quite compensate for the lacklustre writing. Thank goodness Sylvie was so active and engaging, as a character and within the plot of the season. At what point does the moral pursuit of honor above all things itself become amoral? For quite some time, I genuinely thought they were going that way with Porthos, whose most meaningful glances had been shared not with any female characters but rather with his bestie, Aramis. Athos is the manifestation of the ideal Musketeer, but Grimaud sees every Musketeer in the same light as those who attacked his mother. Grimaud has a complex relationship with his mother, but I feel he would have been more fiercely protective towards her and her renegade band of outcast women warriors she is one of his few weaknesses; perhaps his only one. Or perhaps Porthos wasnt interested in settling down at all not every character in the whole world has to ride off into the sunset with a romantic partner, after all this would also have been an interesting idea, given that, unlike his Musketeer mates, Porthos main goal throughout the show was not to settle down and start a family, but rather to return to the front lines of battle. After all weve seen of her dysfunctional (and often deadly) exes, this is her first true healthy relationship. But the Headsman then hunted Milady down and branded her as well. Athos is too weary of the world, Porthos is marrying his rich attorney's wife, for the aged attorney has just died, and Aramis is joining the Church. Not only does Grimaud hate them, he also has a whole self-loathing aspect to him where he was born of a Musketeer, thus being born from the very thing he hates. Grimauds irrational, overwhelming hatred for the Musketeers was narratively baseless in the show we got why was he so unconscionably miffed at the very sight of them? Edit them in the Widget section of the, All for What? Or maybe Grimauds change of heart could be be the first step on the path towards redemption. Cancel within the first 7 days and you won't be charged. Athos sends the four servants out to Armentieres to scout Milady's exact location, while he and the rest of their party, now including Lord de Winter, attend Madame Bonacieux's funeral. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This is a text widget, which allows you to add text or HTML to your sidebar. With the charges brought, Porthos and Aramis, acting as judges, sentence Milady to death for her crimes. Military archives have no mention of the service records of father and son, nor what became of them following the dissolution of their Company in 1646. Now dArtagnan can pass on the lessons his father taught him to his own children. Henri d'Aramitz or Aramis, born around 1620, was a lay abbot who inspired the fictional character of Aramis in the novel of Alexandre Dumas. Milady tries frantically to stave off the inevitable--bribing the servants, reminding d'Artagnan of their love, claiming that the men have no right to kill her. His lack of an ongoing female love interest, like the other Musketeers, led me to ponder the tantalising thought that Porthos may be somewhere on the LGBTQ+ spectrum; given that the series heteronormativity is off the charts, Porthos could have been a character through which to portray some much-needed representation. Instead, he gives d'Artagnan a promotion to lieutenant in the Musketeers with the name blank, and tells the young man to count himself as one of the Cardinal's friends. Every other couple ended the show with a baby in their arms or on the way except for dArtagnan and Constance. By entering your email address you agree to receive emails from SparkNotes and verify that you are over the age of 13. Save over 50% with a SparkNotes PLUS Annual Plan! DArtagnan follows him, afraid for his friend and mentor (my ideal show would have built this relationship up a lot more in season 3 to make this moment resonate). I have to confess Ive never been a fan of the Aramis/ Anne dynamic. Even Constances baby has been captured, held by one of Grimauds lackeys (maybe bowl-cut Marcheaux, as hes the only henchman with a name). All three, however, insist that d'Artagnan is the most suited to it. He succeeds, but Aramis the only vaguely medically-competent Musketeer stares at her for four seconds and then solemnly shakes his head. The remaining Musketeers, Constance, Sylvie and co are lined up and forced to their knees in front of a firing squad. By H. Faxardo, Copyright 2015 Compagnie des Mousquetaires - Tous droits rservs, The illustrated First Edition of The Three Musketeers, Conservation, and the language of the labels. In many ways, Sylvie reminded me of Enjolras from Victor Hugos Les Miserables: a fearless champion for human rights and societal change. Porthos had a far sweeter, more sincere liaison with Zoe Tappers widowed aristocrat, Alice Clerbeaux, in season 1 (another single-episode arc). It's entirely possible that Dumass immediate concern was simply to shock and titillate. He is especially angry at Treville (Hugo Speer), a younger cadet at the time of the crime, who reported the incident, but allowed the culprits to be relocated rather than executed. But lets be honest: if Porthos was going to end up with anyone (who isnt Aramis, and who has actually been on the show before), then clearly it should have been Flea (Fiona Glascott) his childhood sweetheart and the only person who truly seemed to understand him (other than his BFFs, of course). This way, we sympathise with his motivations, even if we dont agree with his methods. The latter seems particularly egregious when you consider that the constant threat of war between France and Spainwas a major plotpoint throughout the shows run, and thatAlexandra Dowling, a Caucasian actress, portrayed a Spanish Queen, but never addressed that Aramis was portrayed by a Latinx actor. Hell, his character as a whole has probably suffered from the least amount of screentime and storylines of the main cast, and yet Howard Charles talent and charm consistently overcame the insultingly lazy writing. No. This union produced two daughters and a son, Henry, who was the inspiration for Alexandre Dumas's famous character. Get instant access to all the benefits of SparkNotes PLUS! D'Artagnan went on to become a distinguished lieutenant in the Musketeers; he and Rochefort even became friendly, after dueling three times. Did you know you can highlight text to take a note? Please wait while we process your payment. Use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. At this, the mysterious stranger steps forward. They are clearly no longer inseparable. Her romance with Athos was also well-developed, and she ended the series leaving Paris for the countryside with him and their unborn child. For a moment, d'Artagnan's life hangs in the balance. "Escort, service and burial of the late Armand Athos Dautebielle, Musketeer of the King's Guard, gentleman of Barn, taken close to the Clerks Meadow market". Perhaps Milady decides to forsake the mission, but Joan discovers the truth and breaks things off; or perhaps Joan recognises Miladys desire to change and grow. The Headsman's accusation is this: Milady's robbery of the Communion plate, and the death of his brother, for the young priest went mad and hung himself after Milady abandoned him for Athos. The free trial period is the first 7 days of your subscription. Unforgivable things he confesses. (LogOut/ Speaking of characters who were badly mistreated by the show, we move on to Porthos, my favourite character by far since it all began. For the second time, d'Artagnan is left alone with the great man. At the heart of the matter is the dissolution of the musketeers. Grimaud strolls up and down the line of distraught faces, boasting and bragging about having finally defeated The Great Musketeers. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. We'll even send you a reminder. In the midst of joy and despair, our characters are rounded up by Grimaud (who, in my version, had returned to the scene of the crime to check if his dastardly plan had worked). Flea as a character had so much potential, and an introductory episode that seemed to scream Porthos Endgame Love Interest, but which ended up being the first, last and only time she appears or is ever even mentioned in the show. As the youngest son of Adrien de Sillgue, Lord of Athos and Auteveille, he could not hope to be the future Lord of Athos and Auteville, as the title would pass to the eldest son. DArtagnans mercy has disrupted Grimauds black and white worldview that all Musketeers deserve to die; and he cannot live with the fact that his mission was built on a lie. SparkNotes Plus subscription is $4.99/month or $24.99/year as selected above. D'Artagnan tries to convince his three friends to take the promotion instead of him, since the name is blank. She cries out in shock and the other Musketeers comfort her; they all weep together at the loss of their friend. His real name was Isaac de Portau. Despite its lighthearted opening, The Three Musketeers does not really end happily. Porthos became a Musketeer in 1643, the same year as the death of Athos. But the execution effectively brings larger questions about the work and Romanticism into consideration: when must chivalry be stopped? D'Artagnan then produces the Cardinal's letter of absolution, which Athos stole from Milady, which frees him from accountability for Milady's murder.