TV Review: The Royals (2×01) “It is Not, Nor it Cannot Come to Good”

Previously, on The Royals: a seasons’ worth of recaps.

THE SITUATION:

It’s two months after the death of King Simon, and Liam and Eleanor have been reinstated as the prince and princess. Jasper returns and is reinstated as bodyguard. Now if only we had Ophelia and Marcus…

A Deal with the Devil

Tired of being at odds with Eleanor and Liam, Helena and Cyrus decide to reinstate their royal titles, on the condition that they act with proper decorum. Liam tells Cyrus to go to hell, but Eleanor apologizes, even deigning to kiss her uncle’s ring. Eleanor did it to get access to the palace again so they could figure out who killed Simon and Robert. The ultimate goal is to dethrone Cyrus and Helena before they can figure out how to get rid of them.

“I Prefer Bodyguardian Angel.”

Jasper’s appearance at the polo match creates a confrontation between him and Eleanor. He’s been stalking her as she partied throughout the world, concerned at her lack of security. “Where I am or how I am are the concerns of a boyfriend or a bodyguard–neither of which you are anymore,” Eleanor says. Jasper wants her forgiveness, but Eleanor is standing strong with her stance on his sleeping with her mother. See below gif.

Liam’s doing a little stalking of his own–he’s after Mr. Holloway, the man who provided Cyrus’s alibi for Simon’s murder. Jasper apprehends him, allowing Liam to threaten him with a gun. Holloway admits he was lying but demands protection–Cyrus had promised that he would be Prime Minister but backed down. After they let him go, the boys bro-out and talk about their lady troubles.

Cyrus’s Activities

Prudence, sporting a very pregnant belly, surprises Cyrus while he’s eating one of the palace swans. She demands that he recognize their unborn son as her rightful heir. They could make him a more legitimate ruler, since his daughters are a laughingstock. He gives her forty pounds and tells her to go back where she came from, signing off with a famous quote: “I’ve got ninety-nine problems but a bitch ain’t one.”

Helena’s Bigger Plan

Helena is making moves on her solo plan. She tasks anti-Royalist Mr. Moorefield with siccing his charms on Cyrus’s daughters. He starts with the younger sister, leveraging the anti-Royalist/monarchy forbidden romance angle. Next step: blackmailing the prime minister. She demands that he use his power to change the order of succession, making it so that if anything happens to Cyrus, the monarchy will go to her and not his daughters.

Helena is upset to a fire off in the distance. When she asks her mother if she thinks “they” did it, the duchess responds in the affirmative: “Of course they did. WE killed one of theirs, they killed two of ours. The question is, what do you plan to do about it?”

Jasper the Bodyguard, Once More

Liam visits Price and requests that Jasper be reinstated, this time as his security detail instead of Eleanor’s. Liam informs Jasper of his new post, asking him what happened between him and Eleanor, and acting suitably disgusted when Jasper mentions sleeping with Helena. Jasper explains that he followed Eleanor around the world because there’s a killer on the loose and he was worried about her–especially considering the fact that she spent so much time crying alone. Also: he has feelings for her. For the moment, Liam is more concerned about trusting him so they can work together to figure out the necklace.

Jasper stops by Eleanor’s room to tell her that he’s been rehired and that he’s sorry before taking his leave. She thinks about it for a moment and goes after him, only to find Beck instead of Jasper. Beck informs her that he’s left his wife for good.

Random Things of Note:

• Gemma is now engaged to a rich software programmer–according to Helena, Liam loses the crown, he loses the girl.
• Marcus the royal payroll as soon as Cyrus was crowned.

ON THE PLUS SIDE…

• Liam told Eleanor about the necklace with the symbol on it that he woke up with after Ophelia rescued him.
• When Liam visited Price to request Jasper, Price assures him that he can come talk to him whenever he needs–about his feelings, any ranting, etc. It’s such a nice moment, considering Ted spent the better part of last season trying to convince Ophelia to stay away from him.

HOWEVER…

• With King Simon dead and his daughter ignoring him while living in America, Price has started drinking heavily–and talking to the ghost of his dead wife.
• Ophelia is still in New York and has been ignoring both Liam’s and Price’s calls. She didn’t even make an appearance this episode, and now her phone is disconnected.

The second season of The Royals kicked off in a quieter fashion than I was expecting, but I think the action will quickly ramp up over the course of the season. The exploration of how Eleanor and Liam were dealing with their father’s death was relatable and not too over-the-top. Cyrus continues to be the worst, but Helena seems to be making moves against him. As much as I want Eleanor and Liam to succeed, I would settle for Helena dethroning him.

Episode Rating: 7/10.

Advertisement