'Marie Antoinette' Recap: Season 2 Episode 8

Marie Antoinette is available to stream by WTTW Passport members. Recap the previous episode and previous season.
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As Louis convenes the Estates General for the first time in a century to consider his tax reforms, a riot breaks out in a factory in Paris after a rumor circulates about wage cuts; some agitators confess to being in the pay of Orléans. Antoinette wants to arrest him, but he is increasingly popular, especially as he is feeding a large portion of Paris’ hungry during a time of wheat shortage that he may or may not be exacerbating through hoarding grain. A move by the increasingly hated monarchy against the admired Orléans would backfire.

But Louis manages to win some popularity when he makes a speech to the Estates General in favor of taxing the clergy and nobility, receiving a standing ovation and cheers from the third estate, which is made up of commoners. (The first is clergy and the second nobles.) But the reforms get bogged down because the third estate objects to a voting system that they say disadvantages them. Louis’ newly returned finance minister Necker urges him not to intervene.

Louis is also trying to protect his reputation by destroying any copies of Jeanne’s book, but more keep appearing. She is in London with her husband Nicolas La Motte, secretly hiding the little money she has and wondering where he has hidden his half of the diamonds from their theft of an expensive necklace. She wants to continue her adventures with a new life in America, but La Motte wants to settle down with her in London.

Back in France, the dauphin finally succumbs to his illness, devastating Antoinette and Louis. She wants a state funeral, but Louis says it wouldn’t be right with the economy in such shambles. When Yolande comes to offer condolences, they both ignore her. Louis goes to hunt to cope with his grief, while Antoinette throws herself back into work.

Representatives of the third estate find and corner Louis, demanding that he side with them. He demurs, citing his grief, and Antoinette tries to have them removed. They warn Louis that he may soon be mourning not just a child but also a kingdom, if he doesn’t intervene in the stalemate in the Estates General soon.

He doesn’t, and the third estate declares themselves a new National Assembly. They set about drafting a constitution that will limit royal power. Necker suggests that Louis write his own constitution offering them some power, but Provence tells Louis he must impose his authority rather than compromise.

Provence has worked to undermine Louis in order to attain the throne for himself but now regrets weakening the monarchy. When his erstwhile allies Malherbe and the Madame de Rohan visit Versailles inveighing against the National Assembly, he says they’re responsible for all of this and comes close to striking Rohan before kicking them all out.

Provence is finding some clarity because he is ailing and believes he is dying. The only comfort are “powders” mixed by his wife Josephine. He is even now allying with Antoinette, who comes to his chambers bearing letters from Josephine’s lover Marguerite for her, in order to consult Provence about Necker, whom she worries is trying to overthrow Louis by encouraging him to empower the National Assembly – Necker, like Orléans, is popular among the people. Provence tells her to order military reinforcements from the borderlands, where they’re less likely to have imbibed treachery against the king, and to oust Necker, carefully.

But Louis has already done so, not at all carefully: he has sent him away under guard.

Versailles is freed from another enemy by accident. Jeanne has discovered that La Motte is hiding his diamonds in the chandelier by noticing the way the light refracted. She has bought a ticket to America and is preparing to leave when guards appear at the door. She runs to a window and looks down several stories at a passing hay cart. She jumps – and misses. A man snatches the diamonds from her dead hand.

Having finally reopened communication with Marguerite, now that she knows Provence was keeping their letters from each other, Josephine meets her lover in Paris amidst increasing unrest. Although Marguerite wants to spirit Josephine away from the ever more dangerous environment, Josephine insists on moving Marguerite back into Versailles to spite Provence. Josephine’s “powders” are actually poison; Provence is not dying of natural causes. She reveals this to him, as well as her knowledge of his scheming to separate her and Marguerite. She wants him alive to be tortured by her happiness with Marguerite. And he’s fine with it; in fact, he wants her by his side, because they are stronger together.

Despite dismissing Necker because of apparent sympathies towards the National Assembly, Louis decides to recognize the new legislative body after all. In the meantime, people attack Versailles directly, searching for grain rumored to be hoarded by Antoinette. The royal guard has been reduced because the government is short of money, so Louis wants to send his family away to safety. Provence insists that they have to stay and project their defiance and power, and Louis eventually agrees.

Many other royals don’t, and begin fleeing Versailles, Yolande among them. She begs Lamballe to encourage Antoinette to leave for her own safety as well.

Antoinette makes a last-ditch effort to salvage things, calling her enemy Orléans to Versailles. She asks him to mediate with the third estate – he is so popular amongst the public that they have begun hoisting a wax bust of him made by Madame Tussaud, while effigies of Louis and Antoinette are burned. He tells her it is too late. She begs him; he walks away.

But he also refuses to join a mob as it marches on the Bastille to release political prisoners and seize ammunition, despite Félicité’s arguments. He will watch from afar, because they are not his equals. He still holds onto the idea of a monarch above all, and believes that the people don’t actually want radical change, despite the simmering violence.

Versailles is hollowed out as a mob approaches its gates. Some guards remain, protecting the remnants of a royal family sitting in big, empty, garish rooms – alone.