The stage is set for some serious drama!
On Dangerous Liaisons Season 1 Episode 7, Jacqueline puts all her cards on the table, while Camille plays fast and loose with Jean’s affections.
There was so much plot progression in this episode, but not all of it worked.
Camille and Valmont end up in starkly different places from the beginning (making love and promises to each other) to the end (Valmont is beaten within an inch of his life, and Camille is married to the Marquis).
The big reveal here was that Camille’s baby survived! This was fairly obvious based on the way Camille told her story to Pascal in Dangerous Liaisons Season 1 Episode 6.
The darkest part of this is that Jacqueline has been raising Odette as her own all these years, presumably in secret. Is Jacqueline worried about someone finding out the girl’s parentage?
It seems like it would be easy enough to explain, given Jacqueline’s charity work, that they adopted a little girl from an orphanage. People will gossip that she’s barren anyway. Since she doesn’t have any children, it’s a logical assumption.
Jacqueline de Montrachet: You’ve accused me previously of being loveless.
Henri de Montrachet: I didn’t mean it as a challenge!
However, being barren is no excuse to STEAL A BABY and then basically leave her mother for dead. What’s more, she knew Henri raped Camille but somehow was worried Camille would destroy her marriage? That’s seriously disturbing.
Jacqueline is the worst kind of hypocrite. The true face of evil hides behind prayers and piety. Jacqueline feels guilt, but only enough to go to extra confession, not enough to actually make things right, which she could easily do by finding Camille and giving her child back.
For all her banal evil, Jacqueline is still totally clueless about what’s really going on. She still thinks Pascal is Lucien and has no idea he’s doing this for Camille.
I am sick with love. I wanted to possess you, to fling you down upon a bed, to hold you in my arms, to walk with you beside a river, lay flowers on your pillow for when you wake.
Valmont
Jacqueline’s just a rich woman in an unhappy marriage, in love with an ideal man who doesn’t exist. What will happen to her now that Henri knows she planned to run away with “Lucien” and Odette?
Unfortunately, Valmont’s daring plan to extricate Odette failed miserably, thanks to Suzette’s betrayal. It’s odd that Pascal even thought he could trust Suzette — he tried to blackmail her before! He shouldn’t have let her go back for the blanket. Including Suzette was a costly mistake.
All the servants are asserting themselves as power players, or at least trying. Azolan is frustrated with Valmont and Camille, but his livelihood depends on Pascal, so who can blame him? When he visits Jacqueline’s place, he only sees the riches within reach.
Also, it’s funny that Azolan is trying to mess with Camille and lying about Pascal’s plans, but he’s unconvincing. However, that seed planted makes Camille jump to conclusions later on.
Also, it’s only barely hinted at, but Azolan’s “feelings” for Victoire are probably part of why Azolan still puts up with Camille’s drama.
Speaking of Victoire, she finally made an appearance later in the episode. So, Camille was right in that regard — it was only a quarrel, though she will likely be furious when she finds out what happened to the letters.
Little did Victoire know the always-skulking Rose would be there to seize an opportunity.
How will Rose’s acquisition of the letters come into play? She can barely read them, but Madame Jericho can, and so could Gabriel. Will Rose and/or Jericho try to sell them to someone rich in order to procure a wealthy sum?
Technically, Camille still owes Jericho, and now she’s a Marquise. Rose would have recognized Victoire from their time together.
Then, there’s Ondine and Prevan, who only appeared briefly on this episode. Ondine vowed revenge — could they acquire the letters somehow?
It was a nice touch that, when Ondine’s mama bear claws came out, she made it clear that she still loved and supported her son despite knowing he was gay. Ondine’s a piece of work for many reasons, but you have to respect her for that.
Ondine and Prevan will likely be at the opera, which is where no doubt where everything will come to a head. The very first scene of the series took place at the opera (as well as the final scene of the original film), so it makes dramatic sense to bookend it there.
Chevalier Saint-Jacques: Why did I believe Valmont could save me?
Camille: Because he needs us to believe it fills the great dark abyss we mistake for his heart.
Chevalier Saint-Jacques’s plotline felt highly implausible. How could you be presenting an opera for the Queen and all the aristocracy the following day and still not have a plot?! It’s just reckless and poor planning.
I can’t believe the Chevalier would rely solely on Pascal and not have a backup plan. This is his life and reputation at stake. And then, once Camille tells him his story, he immediately sobers up and is ready to work all night and day to get it ready. Really?
It will inevitably go this way — Chevalier will magically work Camille’s wild and dramatically satisfying story into his opera (which will be flawless despite only having half a day of rehearsal, and all the songs will somehow fit the plot).
It will either be an exposé of Pascal’s liaisons and his deception of Jacqueline OR Camille’s story of her betrayal by the Montrachets, possibly a combination of both.
It makes sense that Gabriel’s boss, Abbaye, is part of the Labyrinth. Such enterprises need the police in their pocket.
What’s the deal with this duke, thought? Doesn’t Jean own the Labyrinth? A duke outranks a marquis, so Jean might have to answer to him.
Something even more sinister is going on here. Does Jean intend to throw Camille to the wolves, so to speak, or will he protect her now that they are married? There were witnesses to his marriage — he wouldn’t just disappear her, would he?
Do not turn compassion into torture.
Jean de Merteuil
And how did the Labyrinth shut down so quickly? Where did everyone go? And is Gabriel now the good guy? What is happening?
Too much of this episode relied on contrivances, coincidence, and conclusion-jumping.
At the beginning of the episode, Camille tries to get out of marrying Jean, and by the end, she wants to do it immediately. Why couldn’t it be in a few days or the following week?
Camille makes rash decisions without all the information based on faulty assumptions. It’s frustrating. She never stops to consider alternatives, nor does she ever give Pascal the benefit of the doubt — not that he’s earned it by any means.
Jean de Merteuil: Do you know the thing about power, Marquise? It corrupts all of those who have it. Can you imagine what that does to the soul?
Camille: It makes you capable of anything.
There’s no reason she should, except that her entire future is at stake. Azolan’s seed dropped in her mind and confirmed her worst fears, coupled with the fact that Pascal’s place was empty.
It’s all getting a bit Romeo and Juliet-like — hasty decisions lead to dire consequences.
There were a few little plot points that came back here from earlier in the season.
However, they were clumsily inserted and felt random — like Chevalier’s opera, and the mesmerist randomly holding a burning ritual that Rose and Victoire conveniently showed up to at the same time.
We still don’t know where Victoire went when she left. If we assume she went to Madame Jericho, it’s possible Rose could have followed her — that would make sense. It felt like a pretty big coincidence.
Victoire should have watched the letters burn! You want to be sure those were destroyed. It was just sloppy.
Also, it was very convenient (for the plot) that Pascal didn’t communicate his plans to Camille. Naturally, he wanted to surprise her, and it’s possible he was worried about a letter being intercepted.
However, you’d think he would have found a way to immediately tell Camille her daughter was alive instead of springing it on her. Still, given that Camille is known for behaving rashly, he can’t really be faulted.
It’s the type of situation that could have been avoided with clear communication.
We know Pascal loves Camille, and we know what his intentions are with Odette. His reaction to seeing her was incredibly moving, and he made it work for Lucien. But Camille doesn’t even know Odette is alive.
There’s just so much information some characters are not privy to that we are, and it occasionally made this episode dramatically frustrating.
Still, we will watch the fireworks! How much will the Queen get involved?
Mere mortals do not go to the sun.
Valmont
Who will be ruined at the opera, and whose secrets will come to light?
Will someone die in the final episode? Who knows what will happen?
How do you think it will all go down? Share your thoughts in the comments!
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Mary Littlejohn is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow her on Twitter.
You can view the original article HERE.
