'The Spanish Princess' Season 2 Episode 2 Review: Did Meg's dreams foreshadow Catherine lying in pool of blood?
Spoilers for 'The Spanish Princess' Season 2 Episode 2 'Flodden'
It's almost as if Catherine of Aragon (Charlotte Hope) cannot catch a break. The titular Spanish princess turned Queen of England has been through her shares of trials and tribulations - first with her husband King Aurthur dying, and then, when she finally found love in King Henry(Ruairi O'Connor) his doubts and suspicions took over. After their wedding and coronation, she fell pregnant and gave birth to a beautiful son who died days later. And perhaps that set the precedent for the tragic history we know is about to unfold. This week we meet Catherine, pregnant and determined once again to protect England from vulture-like forces while her husband invades France. Catherine's motivation behind yet another battle remains the same: defend her husband's honour and protect their son, sadly, she can succeed at only one thing at a time, as with the end of Episode 2 comes yet another devastating loss.
Titled 'Flodden', Episode 2 of Season 2 sees Catherine 'Fight like a woman' as the tagline of the final set of episodes proclaim. Despite being pregnant and already having a difficult history with a weak offspring, Catherine feels confdent about winning the battle. As her king rides to France with their troops she plans another battle back home, far away from his scrutiny. There was no doubt that King James of Scotland would attack England the moment the king was away. It was only a matter of time as James wasn't pleased with Henry not turning up his sister and James' wife Meg's (Georgie Henley) inheritance. And none of the premonitions Meg has about James waking up in a pool of blood stops him from doing so.
No amount of heavy pregnancy will deter Catherine either, having shown immense strength, once again taking the court to address discouragement over her husband's attack on France, Catherine proves her own battle skills. She uses her pregnancy and the heir to the throne as a motivation for their ride towards their respective battlefields and although miffed that the court is perhaps taking too imposing a stance on her private affairs with her king, Catherine's loyalty to England after being betrayed by her own Spain is unwavering
In her battle with King James, Catherine is effervescent. She gets a suit of armor made strictly to protect her unborn child, she tries outmaneuvering the scheming king by agreeing to his retreat and no bloodshed offers, but planning a decoupage in the darkness of the night anyway. The fierce and bloody batte is preceded by Catherine asking her subjects to brings their knives and their axes to exact revenge on King James and in the end, she tells them "Men and women of England, this is your fight. Bring your axes and your knives, your anger, and your pride. Ride with me and my son."
When all is said and done, she pacifed James's wife - her own sister-in-law Meg saying this was bound to happen. Catherine expertly wins over Meg at this crucial moment that could have been the detriment for their bond and Scotland-England's future to come. She even brings Meg home with her eldest son who must be protected for the throne at all costs. Celebrations are in order as King Henry returns from battlefield too. Already thrilled that Catherine had sent James's coat as a token of win to him while he was at France, Henry 's tumultuous dynamic wth his wife once again suffers the blow of onlookers.
Although Henry gets her the Duke of Longueville in chains as a gift from battlefield, he declines Catherine's invitation to join her in bed later that night as he's been told it could harm the baby. A visibly displeased Catherine confronts Wosley for intruding in her life, but there are far bigger problems at hand at the feast the court is having. After Lina delivers twin sons, following a short trip back home from Oviedo, it is Catherine's time. Unfortunately, her labor isn't what one would expect to be. Rushing out of the hall, Catherine crumples up from immense pain. Henry follows her out of the court only to find her on the floor, having given birth to their stillborn son. It's another week, another time jump and another tragedy. This was only the beginning of a string of unnesuccesful childbirths - the saga of Henry's waning affections from his exceptional queen; how far will Catherine fall in the end remains to be the question.
'The Spanish Princess' airs on Sundays at 8 pm only on Starz.
