Critic’s Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
4.5
There are period projects, and then there are shows like The Serpent Queen, which serve up drama on a silver platter with one hand while holding a dagger in the other.
After an almost two-year hiatus, the series returned with a ten-year jump after Catherine gained regency over France by rather duplicitous means.
Time jumps are an excellent way for many shows with much longer runs to push past stale storylines and introduce new life and characters to a series.
In the case of The Serpent Queen, however, the writers possibly saw an opportunity to give returning audiences a fresh start while giving new viewers an easy intro to the series.
The Serpent Queen is Serving Scandal, Sarcasm, and Satire
Related: House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 1 Review: A Son for a Son
Ever since the classic 2006 Sofia Coppola historical Drama “Marie Antionette,” starring Kirsten Dunst, there has been an influx of similar fusions of historical dramas with modern satire.
The Serpent Queen does not try to be subtle with its approach, and as a result, it reaps the reward of a show with clear themes and influences.
It’s caught the eye of critics everywhere, as this series is one of the few shows that can claim absolute freshness on Rotten Tomatoes.
Like the original series The Great, following another historical Catherine, there are subtle nods of reimagining that appeal to a broader mainstream audience.
However, where the Hulu show favored camp, The Serpent Queen maintains a vice grip of control throughout.
If you’re ever unsure if you’re watching a reimagining, look at the male character’s haircuts and styling.
I don’t care what animal by-products they worked with back then.
There’s no way to get the kind of hold these men have without studio-grade hair mousse and gel.
Related: Outlander: Blood of My Blood Season 1: First Look Photos and Everything We Know So Far
Still, the wildest and craziest aspects of a period drama are usually the events recorded by history because sometimes you can’t make that stuff up.
Catherine is One Bad Mother, but She’s in Good Company
Of course, we’d have no show without the titular Serpent Queen working at the forefront and behind the scenes with her ever-mounting agendas.
From her first line in The Serpent Queen Season 2 Episode 1, Catherine establishes herself as the bad mama-jamma she has always presented.
At the end of Season 1 of The Serpent Queen, she seemingly got everything she wanted, and the writers wasted no time showing audiences precisely what she did with it.
With years of royal experience, she stands calm and collected during the first episode, titled “Grand Tour,” as her spoiled and pampered children cower in the face of peasants.
It has been a long journey of clawing her way to the life she felt she deserved since The Serpent Queen Season 1 Episode 1, “The Medici Bitch.”
She knew what the job was and how to play it well, as the role of women in high status during that era was much like any chess game.
Related: House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 2 Review: Disturbing Developments
The king may be the most crucial piece, but the queen holds the most power with a deadly strike that she can aim at any pawn, bishop, or rook.
Women have always played a pivotal role in the rise and fall of any and all empires, dynasties, and kingdoms, which is why it’s no surprise that the women of the series are the most terrifying.
Among those lavish ladies is the powerful presence of Antoinette, mother to Françoise de Guise, who has no problem blackmailing her son as a means to an end.
And then there is Antoine de Bourbon, who said he is frightened by his wife, and for good reason because her gaze is nothing if not filled with daggers.
So, wherever the road is headed, it’ll be paved with women who use words as weapons like soldiers use swords.
You Can’t Keep a Good, or Even Bad, Court Down
One of the most exciting but expected aspects of a time jump, especially one as long as ten years, is how the characters have changed.
Children become adults overnight, adult characters usually have entirely different lives, and the world as viewers knew it could have gone through an array of upheavals.
Related: Heavy On The Rizz: The Most Charismatic Leading Men on TV
If there is one thing Starz is not afraid to do, it’s to shake up a series in any way possible to keep up with other premium television services and streamers.
The first thing we see is Catherine’s children all grown up, living as pampered as possible from their lofty perches.
Save for maybe one or two that have relatively decent hearts, it’s apparent that the kids are not as alright as the queen would like.
Then there’s her son, Charles, who is finally of age to rule but seems to have no idea how to start his royal reign.
As vocalized by his siblings, Catherine has kept a firm grip on her power over the kingdom while keeping Charles at arm’s length.
Of course, there is the classic younger brother trope who feels he is meant to rule, and if not for that blasted birth order, the kingdom would be in his rightful hands.
Whatever the case, neither Charles nor Anjou are fit to rule.
It’s likely Catherine knows this, but in all her time governing a country, I guess she couldn’t find the time to show her kids the ropes.
Related: House of the Dragon Season 1 Episode 3 Review: Reunions and Goodbyes
Either way, the imbittered prince who wants to be king over his older brother is a cliche that can be seen everywhere, from The Lion King to House of the Dragon.
The Truly Godless Rules God’s Country
The church’s presence is an unavoidable trope in period pieces, whether dramatic or comedic satire.
Although the church is a cliched, overused storytelling device, its prevalence in the series is also historically accurate.
Religion has guided monarchs for centuries, and though many countries have loosened their church-state ties, this combination will never truly end.
That said, The Serpent Queen leans heavily into its plot surrounding the divide between Catholics and Protestants.
Without offending, it should be noted that this isn’t a fight between different religions.
It’s more a fight between two flavors of the same religion, but during the 1500s, religion was all most people had.
Related: Outlander Season 7 Part 2: First Look Photos, Premiere Date, and Everything Else We Know
Hope was in short supply, and the church knew how to bankroll its operation, much as it does in the series, with lines like “Peasants are like livestock.”
And while Catholicism is nowhere near as extreme as what they were doing on Game of Thrones, The Serpent Queen is setting up for some religious rumblings.
I mean, they burned that church with all those folks inside down to the ground.
Did you see how that fiery roof collapsed at the end?
It’ll be a shock if anyone makes it out alive.
Either way, we will be at the edge of our seats to see where this historical drama with the most extra characters takes audiences after a two-year hiatus.
We have a feeling Catherine is barely warmed up to be bad.
What did you think of the time jump and the array of new actors?
Related: House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 4 Review: A Dance of Dragons
Will Charles have to fight his mother tooth and nail to gain the throne now that he is of age to rule?
Drop a comment below to let us know, and join us again when we review the next episode of The Serpent Queen!