As everyone attends Cardinal Richelieu's funeral, Louis (Ryan Gage) asks Treville (Hugo Speer) to take over his position and become a trusted minister. However he declines as he's not into politics but is more of a soldier and can better serve interests there. He even refuses Anne's (Alexandra Dowling) behest and Louis is clearly disappointed he had the audacity to refuse him. He'll be lost without the cardinal. So much for him being spared last series, not that we're told what he died from, aside from Athos (Tom Burke) saying "he wore out his heart in the service of France."
D'Artagnan: "It's a pleasant surprise to hear he had one at all."
As the Musketeers ride away, they come across a masked man being hanged by the villagers as he killed an inn keeper in cold blood. They protest and that he should be given justice in the proper way. Then Athos says they should hang him after he finds out it's the Comte de Rochefort (Marc Warren) the cardinals trusty man. Athos strikes him saying he wanted to know how that felt and "it felt good."
He says he needs to speak with Louis urgently but won't tell them why. There's a fight as he tires to ride away, stealing a horse and he shoots the man dead. Catching up to him, they take him to Treville where he tells them that General de Foix (Dominic Mafham) is being held in Spain and he was with him. Rochefort escaped whilst being transported elsewhere. This is dire news as he holds all of France's military secrets and strategies which will prove useful to Spain if there's a war. He's taken before Louis and Anne tells them he advised her on her marriage to Louis and he is respected at court. His plan is to go to Spain and rescue the general, but Treville says the Musketeers should accompany him and Athos will give the orders. They can't wear their uniforms which Porthos (Howard Charles) says will mean they'll be executed as spies.
Anne asks Constance (Tamla Kari) to be her lady at court, as all the others gossip about her and make fun of her as she's Spanish and Bonacieux (Bohdan Poraj) thinks she should do this. Also I thought it'd be easier for her to see D'Artagnan (Luke Pasqualino) at court as well, if ever the desire arose, especially since it' be more convenient than meeting on the street, as per their usual public displays of affection in the past. Rochefort is of course in league with the Spanish as he meets with the Spanish ambassador in secret to inform him of their plan and also that his men need to kill the Musketeers. But he and the general should be spared. A priest interrupts them and Rochefort kills him just to be safe, so no one discovered his body and cried 'murder in the cathedral!'
D'Artagnan and Constance have an awkward meeting when he suggests they should carry on their illicit affair and she tells him how hard it is for her in her position. She needs Bonacieux cos she'd be disowned bye her family and her friends would cross over when they see her. It's not easy being a woman without any income and if she left him for D'Artagnan she'd be given no benefits or pension were he to die, she'd have to live on the streets or become a prostitute and his children would be bastards. So clearly, or seemingly, this puts an end to their affair for now.
As the Musketeers travel to Spain, they are ambushed and D'Artagnan leaves them to enter the stronghold on his own, he hears the gunshots but must keep going, entering by swimming the mort. Athos is almost fired upon and tells Rochefort to shoot but he hesitates and only does so when he hears Aramis (Santiago Cabrera) and Porthos approaching, saying he didn't have a clear shot. The man speaks in Spanish to Aramis telling him nothing really and insulting them. He should've just given Rochefort away, but that'd be too easy, Rochefort wouldn't have understood his Spanish and then they'd have an entire series trying to bring him down, which would've been too easy a plot for some.
D'Artagnan climbs up the well and enters, dragging the unconscious guard with him, when a woman turns up for a bath. She says he should've taken his entertainment elsewhere, but he says the guard is unconscious. She introduces herself as Lucie de Foix (Olivia Llewellyn) the generals sister and she takes him to the general. The general plays chess with Governor Alvarez (Andy Lucas) and refuses to tell him anything. D'Artagnan ties him up. If they don't get there in time, then D'Artagnan will have to kill the general and those are his orders. He points a gun at the general as the man comes round to check on him, but luckily they arrive in time. The general tells Porthos he looks familiar to him and asks his name.
As they try and leave, they're ambushed again and it is apparent they have a traitor in their midst. However no one does anything about it for now, as once again Rochefort hides out of the line of fire. Lucie says there might be another way out and they head that way with the guards still in pursuit. Alvarez tells Rochefort this wasn't in their plan. They have to cross the ravine in a basket used for provisions and as they arrive at the other side, the general is shot, so much for rescuing him. Rochefort takes aim at Athos but fires away from him, Athos thinking he was going to shoot him. Which obviously he would've done. On their way back to France and having crossed the border, Rochefort kills Alvarez stating he was attempting to escape. Of course it was to cover himself.
At court, Louis is impressed with Rochefort and rewards him by his becoming the Captain of the Red Guard. He can now manipulate his way into getting things done his way for Spain. The general tells Treville he needs to tell Porthos who he is and he needs a clear conscience and soul before he dies. Treville doesn't think that's a good idea since they left him and his mother in the slums and she died out of despair. D'Artagnan and Lucie kiss and Constance sees them, him saying she could be with him, but she refuses.
In a reversal of saying they have honour at the end of last season, Porthos now says praise and glory are two of his favourite things. Amongst honour and money! Peter Capaldi as we know was the new Doctor Who and thus could not accommodate the schedule of both shows being filmed. Thus not returning to season 2, though he would've been more interesting to watch than Rochefort, cos basically he's just a similar character to the cardinal. Rochefort is the new thorn in their side and already we see how devious he is, even more so than the cardinal. Though in all fairness the cardinal did take lives at his own hand and to keep himself above the rest. Just like he killed his mistress Adele. There's no subtleness with Rochefort as he goes in for the kill at once and then smiles on the other side.
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