Series 3 began with the Musketeers still fighting against the Spanish and the usual battle scenes we've seen before. This time Athos (Tom Burke) notices a hooded man upon the battlefield and it appears he's the new baddie who kidnaps General Lantier (Terence Beesley) and the plans for the route the weapons wagon will be taking, lopping off the general's hand as he doesn't oblige him. The three give chase and the new baddie, aka mercenary Lucien Grimaud (Matthew McNulty) gets his chance to hijack the weapons shipment.
We get to see Aramis (Santiago Cabrera) in his monk attire as he takes back some orphans to the monastery and one of them, Luc (Sam Clemmett) pretends to be a soldier and play acts fighting. Of course Aramis won't hear of it and Luc comes across the raid. Aramis must protect him from the mercenary and tells him they're only children and won't remember anything. Grimaud wants the wagon taken to the monastery where they can hide it until the Spanish arrive to pick it up. At the monastery the Abbot (John Woodvine) tells Aramis he's not ready to take his vows, all he does is tend to his beard, which funnily enough he does again as soon as he remarks on it. Obviously the Abbot, stubborn as he was, was going to end up fodder considering he wouldn't listen to Aramis when he told them they must leave before the mercenaries get there.
Too late as they arrive and lock up the monks and the Abbot is stabbed by Grimaud as he attempts to close the gate himself and get the men out. Aramis takes the children into the cellar in a bid to get them out through a secret tunnel but looks like he took a long time getting them ready. And yes I know I tweeted this but it did look The Sound of Music, what with him hiding out in the cellar like they did with the children in the Abbey and then leading them out into the woods, only this time they'll be caught. Okay jumping the gun a little.
As the Musketeers approach Luc gets out and rings the bell for help, which they hear and head for the monastery as Luc escapes through the secret exit into the woods and brings the other three back.
Whislt D'Artagnan (Luke Pasqualino) and Athos are happy to see him, Porthos (Howard Charles) holds a grudge cos Aramis wasn't there to watch his back and really isn't in the hugging mood. They devise a plan to wait until dark and get the children out. As night falls, they lead the children out, The Great Escape style by getting them to follow a rope even though the monastery is surrounded. As Porthos and Aramis are left to take the wagon out after they fight the men at the monastery and also free the other monks. They explode the wagon and the Spanish flee. Athos also having recognized Grimaud as the man he saw on the battlefield.
As Aramis takes the children away, after praying and realizing that God has chosen this destiny for him after all, he is tracked by the men and must fight them off, showing once again as D'Artagnan reminds us earlier, that he's the best shot out of all of them.
Aramis: "I thought I understood your plan. Now you seem to be showing me another path. In the middle of all the excitement today, you were closer to me than any time in all my years here. I've never felt so alive. This is what you made me a Musketeer." As Athos listens to him.
They head for Paris and Treville (Hugo Speer) introduces the three to Feron (Rupert Everett) and he thinks they're a bunch of old men who've had their day. As D'Artagnan reunites with Constance (Tamla Kari).
So we now get bastard brother of Louis (Ryan Gage) and new governor of France with his dastardly plot to overthrow Louis no doubt, but Treville stands in his way as does Constance. Who stops one of the cadets from being beaten up in a fight with the Red Guards. Feron calls him a wimp and sends him home. As Treville seeks audience with Louis to tell him what's really happening but Feron stops him and brings a pony for the dauphin so that Louis will be distracted. Meanwhile Feron's in league with Grimaud. Who gives him some drug to ease his pain, as well as saying he's sticking around in Paris too.
This was an episode which promised much in its opening and seeing as this is the final season, it has plenty to deliver and live up to. The new villain seems a man of few words, but plenty of venom and I can't help but think back to The Paradise and Jamaica Inn when I see Matthew McNulty in anything, with varying degrees of characters in both shows, he still manages to seem the same to me in his portrayals and playing a baddie here doesn't do much for me I'm afraid. Also he rather reminds me of a poor Sir Guy of Gisborne from Robin Hood (played by Richard Armitage) or the Sheriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood Prince of Thieves, yes I'm into cliche territory here, but that's my opinion.
It was good to see the comrades reuniting and Porthos finally putting aside his grudge with Aramis for not being there for him, though we all knew Aramis was not destined to be a man of the cloth and he finally sees that for himself. It's no surprise, once a Musketeer, always a Musketeer. With Porthos even having to get in the, "one for all" line (yeah BBC One for all with the licence fee still being forced upon us! ha) Plenty to look forward to, so just sit back and enjoy the final series, let's hope it goes out blazing! But the BBC took along time screening it cos usually we get shows here first, it's ten months since I talked to Luke Pasqualino about the show and it's taken this long for it to air!!
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