'The Count of Monte Cristo' Recap: Episode 7

The Count of Monte Cristo airs Sundays at 9:00 pm on WTTW and is available to stream. Recap the previous and following episodes.
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Edmond continues to drive a wedge between Danglars and Fernand. He mentions to Fernand that Danglars seems to have reservations about the marriage between his daughter Eugenia and Fernand’s son Albert. Fernand goes directly to Danglars, finding him at his office after being turned away at his home. Danglars admits that he has changed his mind as circumstances have changed, and asks for a delay before they sign a marriage contract. Fernand guesses it all has something to do with the appearance of the wealthy “Count of Spada,” but Danglars refuses to explain. 

Fernand hints that he could reveal his and Danglars’ secret – they sent Edmond to prison years ago – and storms out.

Danglars commiserates with Edmond, who wonders if Fernand is the same Mondego who was mixed up in the killing of Ali Pasha – whom the French regarded as an ally – in Algiers years ago. He encourages Danglars, who has contact in Algiers, to investigate. 

Danglars tells Eugenia she must marry Spada or else he will lose money, as Spada and Edmond will only go into business with Danglars on a railroad project if Spada can marry Eugenia. (Fernand helped clear the way for the railroad in Parliament on behalf of Danglars.) Eugenia cries, and her singing teacher and lover Louise promises they will find a way out of it.

Edmond also continues to set plans to discredit Villefort. Caderousse has located the son Villefort had with Hermine and tried to kill; the midwife instead saved the boy and raised him as her own. Neither the boy Gaston nor Villefort know of the connection. Gaston now lives as a pickpocket on the streets.

Jacopo brings him to Caderousse’s apartment. Per Edmond’s orders – he wants Gaston in court – Caderousse emphasizes how much money he has. Overnight, Gaston steals cash from Caderousse but is spotted by Boville, the inspector Villefort has bribed to investigate Edmond and his associates. Boville recognizes Gaston as a pickpocket and tries to arrest him; Gaston stabs him and flees, but is seen by a woman from a window and quickly arrested. 

Edmond quickly empties Caderousse’s apartment and sends him to New York City; he is compromised. You have helped restore my faith in mankind, he tells Caderousse as he gives him cash. Caderousse tells Edmond that he hopes he finds peace.

When Gaston brings Villefort and the police to Caderousse’s apartments, they are empty. The police assume he is lying about Caderousse. He may be executed for Boville’s murder.

Danglars receives a letter from Algiers implicating Fernand in the death of Ali Pasha, just as the pasha’s daughter Haydee has confirmed to Edmond. Danglars passes the letter on to the chairman of a newspaper, which publishes a story. The editor Beauchamp assures his friend Albert – Fernand’s son – that they will issue a retraction when the story proves false. But instead it is confirmed. 

Albert visits Danglars, demanding to know why he passed on the letter to the editor. Danglars says Edmond encouraged him. 

Fernand is summoned before Parliament by the king to face the allegations: while serving as the pasha’s bodyguard, he opened the gates to the pasha’s compound to let the rival Suleiman in and disappeared while Suleiman’s men massacred the household. Suleiman gave Fernand half the pasha’s gold in exchange. 

Fernand denies it all, even though he returned from Algiers a rich man. But then Haydee appears and explains that Suleiman also gave her and her mother to Fernand. Her mother immediately died, and Fernand sold Haydee into slavery. Haydee has the receipt of the transaction to prove it, as well as the receipt of Edmond buying her freedom. 

Fernand is dismissed from Parliament in disgrace. He tells Albert, who watched the proceedings, that he brought Edmond into their lives; he should be the one to remove him.

So Albert goes to the opera to find Edmond. During the first act, “Spada” secures an engagement to Eugenia from Danglars, even though Eugenia and Louise flee at Spada’s approach. At intermission, Albert confronts Edmond and challenges him to a duel, despite the attempts of both Beauchamp and Edmond to prevent it. 

Mercédès had Albert followed and so knows about the duel. She goes to Edmond in the middle of the night, telling him that if he kills her son, he kills her. Edmond explains that he must punish Fernand, and Mercédès says that Edmond should blame her then: she believed he was dead, otherwise she would have waited for him – and still is waiting. Yes, she knows his true identity; she guessed it as soon as she heard his voice again, but at first refused to believe it. 

Edmond shows her the letter Fernand wrote against him, sending him to prison all those years ago. She falls to her knees and begs him to forgive, for her sake. He says it’s impossible, so she begs him to avenge himself on the culprits – Fernand and herself – not Albert. I love you, and always have, she tells him.

He agrees to let Albert live, but says it means that Edmond himself will have to die. Albert humiliated and provoked him in front of the crowd at the opera, and Edmond cannot give up his dignity, so he will not withdraw from the duel. He would die for Mercédès. They kiss and she leaves, frustrated by his refusal to let both himself and Albert live.

So she tells Albert everything. When Albert arrives for the duel the next day, he tells Edmond he has made a mistake and apologizes to him. He knows his father is guilty, and has learned that Edmond had every right to seek to punish him. Edmond accepts his apology and everyone leaves – alive. 

Fernand demands to know why Albert has not killed Edmond. Albert won’t explain. So Fernand brings his sword to Edmond, demanding his own duel. Edmond outlines the many iniquities of Fernand in his rise to power through the military, and then shows him the letter he wrote all those years ago to send Edmond to prison, revealing his true identity. He tells him that both Mercédès and Albert know.

Fernand walks away and returns to his house to find it being packed up. His wife and son refuse to speak to him. They get into a carriage as he sits at his desk and pulls out a pistol. They hear the gunshot as they drive away.