Atlantis S2E3 - "Telemon" Recap

Ariadne is formally crowned as Queen and must select a champion for her Coronation Games. She is pressured to ask Jason to do so and she eventually relents. He begins to train and Hercules confides in Pythagoras about Pasiphae being Jason's mother. While the trio are training in the woods, they come across a man named Telemon, who is headed to the city to compete in the Coronation Games. They help him fight off some attackers and accompany him back to the city. Pythagoras remains suspicious of him.

As the tournament begins, Telemon is revealed to be a prince. Ariadne invites him to stay in the palace and Telemon admits that his father would not approve of his entering the contest. He and Ariadne appear to have at least a it of chemistry, though it pales in comparison to that of Jason's. Another competitor in the tournament, a badass lady named Areto, approaches Telemon. She believes she has recognised Telemon from the salt mines but he denies any connection. Pythagoras overhears the conversation so he approaches her privately and she says that even if he denies it, she knows he was there. Unbeknownst to both of them, Telemon has overheard the conversation.

Telemon approaches Jason and thanks him for saving him again, also sharing his intentions to win Ariadne's heart. He also tells Jason he thinks Ariadne shares the interest. Pythagoras tells Hercules about Areto's claims about knowing Telemon from a prison. They note how Areto had a brand on her wrist and Telemon wears an archer's brace on the same wrist but it's the wrong wrist for an archer (and he's not even an archer that they know of).

Ariadne seeks the council of Dion to ask about whether she should accept Telemon's marriage proposal. They decide that it's in Atlantis' best interest to form alliances through this marriage. Areto turns up dead and Pythagoras immediately assumes that Telemon killed her. He thinks that perhaps he killed her with a thin blade and believes that perhaps Telemon isn't a prince at all. Pythagoras confronts Telemon about his brace and the brand hiding beneath it. Telemon admits to being in the prison and says that he ran away at 18 and fell in with some pirates. His father branded him because he was not to be granted special treatment.

Telemon asks Ariadne again as to whether she has another suitor. She admits there is someone but that she cannot marry him. Telemon suggests that perhaps she can feel something for him instead someday. Jason is injured in one of his fights in the tournament. Ariadne goes to visit him after the bout and she tells him that her feelings for him haven't changed but she is the queen. Telemon witnesses the exchange. When Telemon beats Leonidas in a fight, Hercules and Pythagoras become suspicious so they Hercules confronts Leonidas who admits that Telemon bribed him to lose. He and Pythagoras realise that Telemon needed to win so that he can fight Jason and kill him in battle - thus eliminating Ariadne's only other suitor. Jason remains unswayed and still insists on fighting.

It's the finals and even with Telemon's attempt to cheat, Jason wins the fight. Telemon coldly says that though Jason was lucky, he won't always be that way. Unfortunately, Ariadne still decides to accept Telemon's marriage proposal.

Atlantis S2E4 "The Marriage of Two Minds" will air on Saturday, December 6 at 20:15 on BBC One.