I have found a new favorite TV show in the form of this swashbuckling adventure The Musketeers from BBC based on the classic tale The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas. The show differs from the book I am told. (I'm still waiting for my copy of the book I ordered from Amazon to arrive so I can confirm the differences for myself.)
The show begins with two travelers in the rain who are on their way to Paris to petition the King to lower taxes as their farming community in Gascony can no longer afford the burden. They stop at an inn at the insistence of the younger traveler as his father is tired and he can tell. This proves fatal. Furthering my belief that motels on the side of the road are murder traps! I digress... the pair, as well as other guests of the inn are set upon by bandits claiming to be Musketeers led by Athos. (I saw this, and having the firm conviction that the Musketeers where all honorable and whatnot I starting singing the "mmm why you lying" song to myself.) The young boy attacks the bandits but they get away, he apologizes to his father, only for his father to collapse and die from a bullet wound, his last words being "Athos". The young boy with the now tragic backstory making him a main character is D'Artagnan, played by Luke Pasqualino.
(What a hottie). He continues on to Paris to find Athos and kill him for murdering his father (it's the 1630s and while dueling is currently illegal in France, his honor demands satisfaction and revenge, or whatever). Then we are taken to Paris to meet the Inseparables (aka the Three Musketeers): Athos (Tom Burke) , Porthos (Howard Charles), and Aramis (Santiago Cabrera).
(Again, what hotties, though Aramis is my favorite, look at that beard, it's so Errol Flynn.) Who are being ordered by Captain Treville to find a missing group of Musketeers.
D'Artagnan has arrived in Paris, in which he is chased and forced to jump from a window to escape being wanted for a murder he didn't commit, framed by a "completely unimportant" lady he meets in a inn. He finds a cute girl and offers to pay her to kiss him. Which allows him to escape and then face the wrath of Madame Constance Bonacieux.
Seriously I wouldn't mess with her. D'Artagnan collapses, you know because he jumped through a window like an idiot. A brave idiot, but seriously, don't jump out windows guys, even if you're running for your life, you're more than likely to break your leg, or other bones that would hinder said escape more than help. Anyways Constance helps D'Artagnan and then he goes off to find Athos because he has a one track mind. So D'Artagnan appears in the Musketeer Garrison courtyard and loudly asks for Athos of the King's Musketeers, when Athos, the real Athos, confirms who he is, D'Artagnan challenges Athos to a duel saying one of them will die here, and illegal dueling ensues. D'Artagnan proves to be a skillful swordsman, if not a little rough around the edges, but is no match for Athos, or Aramis and Porthos when they join in. The madness is stopped by Constance who arrives to scold them for fighting, Athos continues to insist he is not the man D'Artagnan is looking for, this is all interrupted by Captain Treville
and some Red Guards who are there to arrest Athos for murders and robbery. D'Artagnan convinced there is more to his father's murder than meets the eye agrees to investigate with Porthos and Aramis to clear Athos name and figure out the mystery of the rouge Musketeers, and the missing troop of Musketeers, which shocker are all related. (I really do love this show, I'm just a sarcastic little shit.)
The show has a villain of the week set-up, as well as a big overall baddie who is usually behind most of the other villains, In season one the "villain" is the Cardinal Armand Jean du Plessis, Duke of Richelieu played by the ever perfect Peter Capaldi.
Season two the villain is Douchefort Rochefort.
And season three has these two guys, Lucien Grimaud and Maquis de Feron.
Throughout all their adventure the Musketeers forge a strong bond of friendship while serving their King and Queen.
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Aramis really serves his Queen y'all
Yea that's right the Dauphin (Prince of France) is Aramis' son, not the King's, which differs from the book (so I am told) but I like the star crossed/forbidden lovers story line. All the characters have some pretty set character traits; Aramis is the romantic hero archetype who woos women and is suave and debonair but also a swashbuckling hero in this gunpowder fantasy. Athos the brooding drunk who is the one in charge of this group. Porthos the former Court of Miracles thief with a heart of gold, cheats at cards, and is basically strong as an ox. D'Artagnan is the rookie farm boy, rough but promising which completes this team of Inseparables, and of course you all know the Musketeers motto:
Just kidding, we all know it's:
I could literally spend all day looking up and posting images of Aramis, he's my favorite.
But I shall leave it at this. While sometimes the plot of the Musketeers gets a little convoluted, or implausible, overall I really like it. It's semi-historical, it has romance...fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, miracles- oh sorry that's The Princess Bride, excuse me. *Ahem* It has romance, adventure, fencing, etc, but no giants or monsters really, and as for miracles and true love, well you'll just have to decide that for yourself.
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