3.10 We Are The Garrison It was fantastic to see the Musketeers being placed unequivocally front and centre. All four actors embraced their final moments in these characters and each shone. Writer and showrunner Simon Allen has done a good job to ensure that no one is short-changed in the final act, although for me the stand out moment was a small one (they so often are, aren’t they) with the Musketeers bantering with Athos about his impending fatherhood. Sandwiched between scenes of significant tension it at first seemed out of place, but actually offered a rare glimpse of what we hoped these characters were like when they’re not performing heroic deeds or chasing down villains. It’s something that a writer like Joss Whedon might do as a matter of course, and here it truly shines. I would normally say at this point, ‘more like this please’, but instead it offers a glimpse of perhaps what had been missed in the preceding episodes and indeed series. However there was an equally startling small scene that in some ways betrayed what the Musketeers represent. As they go in to rescue Sylvie from Grimauld and Marcheaux they go forward stating the need for no etiquette, no mercy, no rules and no honour. Excuse me? When it really gets tough, they give up the very things they stand for – the essence of what sets them apart from everybody else and what it means to be a Musketeer. For me those thirty seconds threatened to undermine the entire episode and did a great deal of damage to the series, not just because it is said, butbecause of the flippant way in which it’s said. No ruminations on what part of their soul will be lost, no deep discussion on how this betrays their inner values, not even a look of inner reflection (what I would have given for a look of inner reflection!). No – it was a simple toss everything aside and lets crack on – and that for me was truly gutting. The rest of the supporting cast do come out of this, and the whole series, reasonably well. Anne, Constance and Sylvie all have their part to play, although it’s still a little galling to think back to the second series finale and see how Tamla Kari has been largely discarded this season. Being happily married to d’Artagnan was obviously of no interest to the writers and I get the feeling that there simply wasn’t sufficient room for both her and Sylvie. In some ways I wish they would have chosen one or the other as both ultimately suffered. Which brings me onto Milady. What a waste. If you share my thoughts on the weakness of Grimauld, you might agree with me there. Milady has consistently been one of the shining lights of this show yet to bring her in and tease her in Prisoners Of War only for her to be clearly an afterthought in this episode felt criminal. That’s not to say that the thought of the Queen controlling the person with whom the King had so publicly romped doesn’t have some ring of justice about it. But her dispatching of Gaston in such a plain manner belittled all that she’s done in the past. Perhaps her reappearance was intended as fan service. If so, this fan sorely wishes they hadn’t bothered. A quality ending of course can be happy – not everything dark is automatically good, but this wasn’t just a happy ending, it was an easy ending. If there’s one overriding criticism of this series is that time after time the show has taken the easy route – and its ultimate ending exemplifies that approach. The blame could lay anywhere but The Musketeers had enough excellent moments to want to take more of a risk on what it was and what it could have been. The BBC’s attitude was obviously to dump it, such has been the mess of its scheduling. If however they had been bold and kept to what they envisaged – an adult, modern take on the Musketeers then maybe it would have found a more sustaining audience. To be clear I don’t think that this has anything to do with budgets or indeed writing (the resources and quality were obviously there). No, the flaw here was a lack of sustained vision and a somewhat timid approach to a post-watershed series that felt at times as if it was a Saturday tea time show. Will The Musketeers be remembered fondly? Perhaps, although the more damning question is, will it even be remembered? With a little more daring this show could have been a jewel in the BBC’s crown. Instead, I’ll think back on it as ambitious, well-cast and with a handful of great episodes but rarely reaching its potential. How about you? Read Rob’s review of the previous episode, The Prize, here.
