The Musketeers S1E6 - "The Exiles" Recap

The Musketeers are tasked with bringing a mother and her child to Paris but whilst en route, the baby is taken by some armed men for yet unknown reasons. Aramis and D'Artagnan arrive in time to keep the mother, Agnes, from being killed. Meanwhile, the banished Marie de' Medici, King Louis' treacherous mother seeks him out seeking protection from an assassin. King Louis is furious and emotional at seeing her again. The Cardinal warns him that if he kills her, it will prove unpopular to the people, while his wife states that the threat must be real for her to risk her life to ask him for help.

Aramis accompanies Agnes and they encounter some villagers who react negatively to the sight of her, claiming she is in cahoots with the devil. D'Artagnan follows after the men who have kidnapped baby Henry. Yet another attack is made on the life of the Louis' mother, leading her armed escorts, including those under orders of the King himself, to bring her back to King Louis' palace. King Louis still holds a grudge on her for trying to steal his throne but it seems to be more complicated than that. She claims that she felt guilty for the burden placed on him for needing to be King at such a young age and had hoped only to carry the burden until he was ready. It's a touching scene between mother and son but we've yet to learn whether or not her claim is sincere. But it's not long before we see her speaking with the Cardinal in private, saying that they should be allies, so it would seem that she's a baddie.

Agnes confides in Aramis that the reason the villagers hate her is that her late husband was malformed.  Aramis promises to reunite her with her child. Constance poses as a wet nurse to infiltrate the baddies' lair and get to baby Henry. Once she reaches the room, she signals from the window to Aramis and D'Artagnan so they may know which room the baby is in along with how many men are in the lair.

We also learn that King Louis' mother Marie is the mastermind behind the kidnapping of baby Henry. Agnes recognises her when she heads into the lair and tells the Musketeers that Marie was her husband Phillip's mother. The Musketeers now realise that Phillip was Louis' brother and that the baby is of royal lineage. Meanwhile, a mysterious priest visits the Cardinal to let him know about Louis having a twin and about baby Henry. The Musketeers infiltrate the lair and fight off the men inside. Aramis reaches Constance and the baby. She has Aramis hold the baby while she reties her dress (she had just been feeding him) and one of the men comes in trying to get the baby. Aramis tells her to take the baby but she manages to grab his sword and fight him off all on her own - no doubt using the skills D'Artagnan has been teaching her. It's a much welcomed moment to show more strength with the often secondary female characters on the show.

The Musketeers orchestrate a rouse to fake baby Henry's death, causing much emotional turmoil to his mother (since they failed to let her know about the plan in advance). When word gets back to the Cardinal, he's more than happy to let Marie know, as she had planned to use the baby to usurp the throne from Louis. The Cardinal orders the execution of the man who informed him of the baby's existence. Agnes if overjoyed when the Musketeers reveal that baby Henry is not dead and is reunited with him.

The inclusion of this baby allows for the possibility of his returning when older to threaten Louis' place on the throne but it would have to be a considerable amount of time before doing so unless the show-runners decide to have a rather significant time jump. Though the show has already been renewed for a second series, it's still uncertain how the show's format will continue and/or change seeing as how they will already have to accommodate Peter Capaldi's leaving to be the next Doctor. It is a loss for The Musketeers, since the Cardinal is an interesting villain that continues to demonstrate his cunning, scheming ways. But with the abundance of talent available in London, there is little doubt that someone will be able to step in and do the show justice.

The Musketeers airs on Sundays on BBC One at 9PM.