Based on episode one of the new run, I can say with some confidence that the show seems to have grown in all the right ways. Without spoiling any story elements, you could characterise this episode by its need to tie up loose ends, reacquaint everyone with the characters and then introduce some new villains to set up the rest of the season. It does every single one of those things perfectly well, even if the result feels a little workmanlike, battle scenes aside. Don’t get me wrong – this is still a very entertaining hour of television but by the nature of the purpose, its ambition is somewhat…constrained. It appears that The Musketeers’ showrunners (now plural after creator Adrian Hodges left at the end of season two with Simon Allen and Simon Ashford picking up the reins) and writers have been listening to a few fan concerns. Danger, tension, uncertainty are all traits that any adventure show should have. However, because the characters in The Musketeers are so well known it’s difficult to put them into any peril without feeling a little overconfident that all will be well in the end. The problem with invulnerable characters is of course the action surrounding them becomes largely meaningless no matter how much peril you’re going to put them in (and unlike the DC shows that kill and maim their way through their supporting cast to inflict a different kind on pain on their leads, the full Musketeers cast still seems pretty safe). The writers have also addressed the problem with, as they put it, the ‘end-of-level bad guy’. Each season has had a big bad, with a slow-burn build to the final confrontation. This time they have multiple villains which overlap, interact and generally do very bad things to the Musketeers. Having seen some of them in action it’s clear that there are most certainly troubling times ahead, and I’m sure the show will benefit from it. Finally, this is the last series. The previous two have done an amazing job of breathing life into an old idea, whilst still remaining true to the spirit of what the Musketeers should be. I have a sneaking suspicion that this run might just knock it out of the park, if for nothing else, a definitive ending and closure raises the stakes, not to mention the entertainment value. The Musketeers series 3 starts on Saturday the 28th of May at 9.30pm on BBC One.