The second season of The Borgias ends with a cliffhanger as the plot to poison Alexander finally succeeds, and he seems to be dying in Cesare’s arms just as he realizes his own culpability in turning his sons against each other. Both history and the nature of television tell us that it is not Alexander’s time to die, and I for one am glad. I want to see where Alexander’s evolution from evil Pope to pious, grieving father takes him in the future.
Alexander’s cry of pain upon finding the dead Juan is the culmination of his arc this season: at that moment, all his work for his family and to reconcile his two sons melted away. The reaction of his other children really makes the mistakes he made by favoring Juan, especially in relation to Cesare, all too clear. Alexander’s own offspring are now too cruel for him, and it was his upbringing that did it. The entire season has been building up to the confrontation over Juan’s body, which felt well-earned as a result. Alexander’s decision to bury Juan himself was also very moving — early on in the show’s run, I’d never have thought it could have earned these kinds of deeply-felt moments. Well done, show.
The two scenes between Cesare and Alexander are also very affecting. Alexander sees that Cesare’s sin is, ultimately, his own sin because Cesare did it for the family. He made his sons what they were, and Jeremy Irons‘ acting tells me this without the script saying a word about it until a few scenes later. So he agrees readily to Cesare’s being released from his vows. Alexander admits later that Cesare was too much like himself to get his favor over Juan. Also, it’s kind of fitting that fratricide is the sin that allows Cesare to finally finish with being a Cardinal. He seems poised to go his own way now, and was actually pretty officious in stepping into the role of head of the family temporarily.
Meanwhile, Savonarola will not break, even for Micheletto, who seems practiced in torture. Machiavelli, pragmatically, is not above giving Rome a fake confession if it needs one, and Cesare ultimately agrees with this advice. Savonarola’s last words damn Alexander, which seems prescient, given the circumstance the Pope finds himself in this episode. Alexander’s grief over Juan (whom he probably assumes died unconfessed) perhaps leads to his offer of mercy at the end, but Savonarola is not having it. He even rolls his eyes when Alexander walks up to the pyre to speak to him! Even a merciful Alexander can’t tolerate being spat upon.
I recently remarked that this has been the most satisfying of the shows I have been writing about on CliqueClack. It will always be over the top, but there is a genuine emotional core there now, and I look forward to Season 3.
Notes and Quotes:
Isn’t it ironic how these mob-type paterfamilias always claim to be protecting “the family,” even as they destroy the individuals who make up the family? I remember in 24, season 8, there was a Russian mobster with two sons. THe younger son suffered an injury. The older son tried to save the injured one, risking the family’s business in the process, and the father in order to protect “the family” – shoots the injured son so that his older brother will stop trying to get him medical attention. The question I posed in my review of the episode was – how is that protecting “the family”? At that point, the concept of family has become so remote and disembodied that the father can kill his own son and still feel that he is doing it for the family. But this leads his other son to turn against him (and ultimately get killed). I guess it’s silly to expect mobsters to have any common sense, but I always shake my head when they talk about protecting this thing called “the family,” because it’s always the family that suffers.
*POST AUTHOR*
I think you are right to think of this as a mob show. I think the show has been marketed that way, too, and with reason. The lesson Alexander has learned is exactly that his way of “protecting” his family just destroys them. It will be interesting to see where his character goes next season. His poisoning ma ma make him more ruthless, but it could be that Cesare is now going to take over as the “capo” of the family,, so to speak, and that Alexander is going to ease off and turn increasingly to God. Should be interesting, either way!
This is a great, great production.