Athos is drunk
Athos has taken Milady hostage because he is out of his mind, drunk. D’Artagnan, who only knows her as his mysterious benefactor and the woman he slept with once, rushes to her aid, only to get a shot to the chest by Athos. Come on Athos, we’re pretty sure shooting each other in the chest is against the Musketeer handbook or something.
D’Artagnan is a Musketeer
D’Artagnan is officially a Musketeer now and while he laments that the others have taken this as an opportunity to constantly impart “wisdom” on him, we find it amusing, and frankly, really sweet.
Milady causes trouble
As Milady says, “Musketeers don’t die easily.” Even with a shot to the ribs, D’Artagnan makes it out alive. The next morning Milady calls on him. Sent by the Cardinal, her mission is to kill the Musketeers, which she has apparently chosen to do by having them kill each other. Where better to start than with Athos and D’Artagnan who clearly already have beef.
The thing is, you can never really believe anything or anyone on The Musketeers. The whole duel was part of the plan to get Milady off their tail. Trick her into thinking they all hate each other? Check. And the final nail in the coffin—so to speak—staging a duel between D’Artagnan and Athos, where the latter “dies.” The whole plan is very complicated with a host of different side plots. Milady even has a backup plan, where she enlists her former mentor from her thievery days.
After convincing her that Athos is dead, D’Artagnan demands to be taken to the Cardinal. The two work out a deal: D’Artagnan steals a letter implicating the Cardinal in the assassination attempt on the Queen. In exchange, D’Artagnan ensures his safety and gets a commission with the Red Guard.
Aramis and Porthos pretend to accept the exchange when really they’re tricking the Cardinal into a full confession of his part in the assassination. Of course, who would believe the Musketeer’s word over the Cardinal’s? Definitely not the King, who is wrapped right around the Cardinal’s finger. But you know whose word the King would believe? His Queen’s. And she just happens to be right around the corner, listening in on the whole thing.
Constance is kidnapped
Milady has kidnapped Constance as a bargaining chip, in case her plan doesn’t go well. So when Cardinal hands her over to the Musketeers, she uses her as bait to lure them all into a trap. Before heading into the ambush that’s surely awaiting them, the Musketeers finally utter their famous phrase: “All for one, and one for all.” We’ve seriously been waiting all season and it was just as glorious as anticipated. Really, Milady’s men had no chance. Athos is apparently feeling forgiving that day as he lets Milady go with the stipulation that she never return to Paris. And with that, The Musketeers series 1 is officially over. We’ve had love, laughs, and surprisingly good acting on the part of Athos, Porthos, Aramis, and D’Artagnan. Someone give these guys an Emmy.
Next season on The Musketeers: Our only question is, did Aramis really impregnate the Queen?
image courtesy of Roger Wong/INFphoto.com