“Monsters” is a deceptive title for this episode. From all the pagan sacrifices, clawed silhouettes, and crazed hissing in the shadows that’s happened on this show thus far, it’s perfectly reasonable to believe that this episode is going to be a hellish free-for-all of real, honest to goodness monsters. Now, there is some of that, between Henry’s unhinged power trip and the brothers’ hunt for The Darkness, but in a twist that ends up helping the episode, the driving action of “Monsters” ends up being the increasingly sticky web of the court’s romantic entanglements.
As Kenna reminds us with as impatience as she can muster, the only reason Mary’s ladies actually came to the French court was to find rich French husbands that would set them up for life. These ladies are of age and prominent in the eyes of court. It’s absolutely realistic that they’d be feeling the pressure to find a partner before gossip finds something to ruin them forever. Their mission’s only intensified now that Mary’s safely married, not to mention that Lola’s carrying a ticking time bomb of a royal baby. Lola’s been pretty stoic about the whole thing since Mary brought her back from their friendly woodland abortion clinic, but Lola can’t hide her desperation as her dresses get tighter, and the ticking of the clock on her secret gets louder. Anna Popplewell continues to play Lola’s desperation well, but it’s Adelaide Kane who shines this week as Mary somehow tells her both gently and firmly that Lola’s going to have to stick to the plan. Mary’s marriage (ergo the country, ergo Europe) depends on Lola squirreling away with this illegitimate kid as soon as possible.
While Lola’s preparing for the possibility of her reputation going to pieces, Greer’s actually does. We didn’t get enough time with her perfectly charming fiancé Julian to be too floored when he walks in on her and Leith making out (seemingly for the last time, but not even Julian’s buying that line). Still, Celina Sinden sells the hell out of Greer’s devastation when he walks out the door, ostensibly taking her reputation and chance at a happy match with him. Her debrief with Lola, Kenna, and Mary after the whole debacle is gut-wrenching. Equal parts shattered and resigned, Greer sighs through her tears, “Look where our hearts have led us.” Every one of them averts their eyes, like something inside them is breaking. It’s a perfectly delivered line that perfectly sums up the ladies’ conflicts. They’ve spent the better part of this season listening to their hearts, and in an unfortunate but predictable turn of events, their hearts totally screwed them over. Just ask Kenna.
Oh, Kenna, you beautiful starfish. You tangled with fire, and you not only got burned, but you got married off to France’s least favorite bastard. Not a great day for anyone, really. I want to be clear about this, though, because there’s been rumblings recently that Kenna’s deserved everything that’s coming to her because of how hard she pursued the king. This makes zero sense. Yes, she romanticized the idea of being his mistress, and yes, she decided to use her sexual chemistry with the king to secure a more suitable husband. None of this means she deserves the abuse and manipulation this new iteration of Henry has put her through. Period. It will be incredibly interesting to see how Kenna responds to this latest humiliation; as she says through a wail, marriage isn’t something he can just take back. Whatever game they were playing, the rules have changed forever. Whatever you think of the king right now, it’s hard to deny the effectiveness of a punishment that forces two people he’s unhappy with to be together, ‘til death do they part. There was a scene early on in the series where Bash and Kenna get a little drunk and flirty, and I remember liking their chemistry, but I’m guessing it’ll be an uphill climb to get anywhere near that kind of fun after the “horror show” (h/t Bash) that was their wedding.
Then there are the titular “Monsters.” Last week’s foray into The Darkness was a weird interlude that felt out of place, like we had missed a couple episodes of Bash living and loving in the woods before they decided to feed him to He Who Must Not Be Seen. I assumed we’d get more answers this week, and I was right, but I wasn’t expecting as point blank of an answer as we got from Nostradamus. Just as Clarissa wasn’t a ghost, The Darkness isn’t a real monster, but a deeply twisted human who likes to file his teeth into fangs, and then sink said fangs into vulnerable young women. You know, like you do.
Even the characters are disappointed by Nostradamus’ reveal. Quite understandably, Olivia believed she was scarred for life by some fantastical Freddy Krueger creature so she didn’t have to face the fact that any one person she meets might be capable of such cruelty. Even Mary’s keener to believe supernatural explanations, thanks to that whole thing where she delayed her marriage to Francis and tried to marry his illegitimate brother because of a prophecy. When Bash and Francis go out into the woods to find this Darkness character, Bash knows they’re looking for a person, but the Darkness’ screeching whistle sends him off into a panic, anyway. It’s amazing what a legend can do to the psyche, even after it’s been proven false. Then again, Nostradamus has been known to go back on prophecies even while he’s saying them, so really, who knows.