BORGIA {BORGIA: FAITH AND FEAR}: GOD'S MONSTER (TV)
Summary
One in this historical drama series set in Renaissance Italy about the notorious Borgia family and its patriarch, Pope Alexander VI. In this episode, the cardinals are displeased when Rodrigo suggests that the incompetent Juan should be appointed as king of Naples. At the convent, Pantisilea and Lucrezia are alarmed when another sister, Lucia, appears to develop stigmata. Rodrigo again states that he misses his daughter, but when Giulia visits the nunnery, Lucrezia tells her about Lucia and her own renewed conviction that she must dedicate her life to God. Juan spends time with a Jewish prostitute, Maacah, while elsewhere Rodrigo meets with the Spanish ambassador de Haro and the Duke of Orbino to ask them to remove the last few remaining French soldiers from Marino. They agree to do so only when Rodrigo fulfills his promise to Queen Isabella and ousts the Jews from Rome, but Rodrigo is distracted by the presence of the handsome young Pedo Caldes. Alessandro is tasked with tribunal duties, and Giulia admits to him that she urged Lucrezia to stay at the convent despite Rodrigo's wishes. Rodrigo sends Pedro to convince Lucrezia to come home, though she is unmoved and dismisses Pantisilea when she expresses an interest in the young man.
Juan and Cesare visit a former palace of Nero's recently discovered underground, and though Juan tries to make amends with his brother, Cesare coldly informs him that he will never again be a leader. As Rodrigo prepares to reconstruct the basilica, Juan begs for a chance to prove himself by handling the Jews, and he tells Giovanni de Medici of his plan to avoid bloodshed by forcibly baptizing the non-Christians. Giulia reprimands Pantisilea for her failure as a spy, and Rodrigo decides to have Lucia's "blessing" proven fake in order to shake Lucrezia's faith. Juan is ordered to Confession, and Cesare, posing as his priest, is stunned when Juan admits that he arranged the murder of his half-brother Pedro Luis. Juan discovers the ruse and claims to have made it up, but Cesare is convinced. Upon hearing the news, Vannozza declares that Juan must die if he is truly guilty, while elsewhere Juan orders Corella to kill Cesare, aware that he knows too much. A doctor examines Lucia and admits that her stigmata may be real, and Pedro charms a doubtful Lucrezia, offering to be her confidante. Giulia and Vannozza discuss Lucrezia, and Vannozza points out that Giulia is fearful that Rodrigo could one day set aside Laura as well. She agrees to assist her by talking to Rodrigo, demanding Pantisilea's services as payment. Corella betrays Juan and offers to serve Cesare instead, and Juan grudgingly apologizes to Giudobaldo, who then sends his soldiers to Marino.
Rodrigo agrees that Vannozza may visit Lucrezia only if Pedro fails in his final attempt, and Giovanni's attempts to baptize Maacah go awry when she defiantly prays in Hebrew during the ceremony and Juan beats her in anger. Juan joins the attack on Marino and brings Rodrigo's enemies, including Marcantonio Colonna, to his father in chains, though Virginio Orsini escapes. Juan then receives a letter and accosts Lucrezia in a rage, telling her that his wife died at sea thanks to her machinations, though she first gave birth to healthy twins. Lucrezia desperately prays for a sign of forgiveness from God, but Lucia informs her that she does not belong at the convent. Alessandro happily reveals that Silvia is pregnant and that Cesare shall be godfather, and Corella murders Marcantonio on Cesare's orders. Lucrezia takes Pedro as her lover and then returns to Rome, while elsewhere Cesare is upset to learn that Corella has no clear proof of Juan's murder of Pedro Luis. He is then finds Fiametta working as a prostitute at Vannozza's tavern, stunned to realize that Alessandro deceived him about his son's death. Carafa announces that Naples has chosen Federigo as its king over Juan, and Rodrigo demands that the newly-widowed Juan wed Federigo's daughter Carlotta as recompense. Cesare confronts Alessandro and threatens to kill him for his lie, declaring that he himself is "God's monster." He spares his life, but informs his former best friend that they are now enemies.
Details
- NETWORK: Sky Italia
- DATE: October 7, 2011
- RUNNING TIME: 0:54:26
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: 110759
- GENRE: Drama, historical
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama, historical; Religion
- SERIES RUN: Sky Italia - TV series, 2011-2014
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Anne Thomopoulos … Executive Producer
- Steven Bawol … Executive Producer
- Takis Candilis … Executive Producer
- Klaus Zimmermann … Executive Producer
- Ferdinand Dohna … Executive Producer
- Barry Levinson … Executive Producer
- Tom Fontana … Executive Producer, Created by, Writer
- Michael Schwarz … Producer
- Petr Moravec … Producer
- Aaron Seliquini … Co-Producer
- Metin Huseyin … Director
- Kevin Deiboldt … Writer
- Cyril Morin … Music by
- John Doman … Cast, Rodrigo Borgia
- Mark Ryder … Cast, Cesare Borgia
- Stanley Weber … Cast, Juan Borgia
- Isolda Dychauk … Cast, Lucrezia Borgia
- Marta Gastini … Cast, Giulia Farnese
- Assumpta Serna … Cast, Vannozza Catanei
- Diarmuid Noyes … Cast, Alessandro Farnese
- Art Malik … Cast, Francesc Gacet
- Nacho Aldeguer … Cast, Pedro Caldes
- John Bradley … Cast, Giovanni de Medici
- Paul Brennen … Cast, Agapito Geraldini
- Lucy Boynton … Cast, Lucia di Narni
- Vincent Carmichael … Cast, Diego Lopez de Haro
- Scott Cleverdon … Cast, Gonzalo Fernandez de Cordova
- Laura Fedorowycz … Cast, Silvia Ruffini
- Radim Fiala … Cast, Gaspare Torella
- Michael Fitzgerald … Cast, Oliviero Carafa
- Erika Guntherova … Cast, Mother Superior
- Dave Legeno … Cast, Giudobaldo de Montefeltro
- Elisa Mouliaa … Cast, Pantisilea
- Amber Rose Revah … Cast, Maacah Bat-Talmai
- Victor Schefe … Cast, Johann Burchard
- Richard Southgate … Cast, Marcantonio Colonna
- Petr Vanek … Cast, Miguel de Corella
- Tereza Voriskova … Cast, Fiametta Michaelis