Knightfall episode 5 recap: Hard Blows Will Banish the Sin
By Callum Gunn
Tensions are building as Princess Isabella’s wedding does not go to plan and Landry finds himself in a difficult position.
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The day has arrived. Princess Isabella of France is set to wed the Prince of Catalonia but with the threat of war from England on the horizon, King Phillip prepares his men for war. De Nogaret does not relish the idea, however, and urges the King to put an end to it. It falls on deaf ears however so he looks to settle things by seeking an audience with the Earl of Oxford.
Landry, fresh from his travels in search of answers, must oversee the punishment of his fellow brother Tancrede. Found guilty of murder, he is urged to repent or walk the Gauntlet. Tancrede believes what he has done is right and refuses.
Landry asks him again but it’s pointless. He orders the rest of Templars to hit hard, not soft, for “Hard Blows Will Banish the Sin.” Tancrede, carrying a cross upon on his shoulders, begins his walk, flanked on either side by his fellow brothers; through the tunnel/gauntlet. They hit and strike him all over his body and they hit hard. Yet, when he reaches the end, Tancrede still refuses to repent.
Joan secures legitimacy
After learning that she failed to abort her child, Queen Joan takes a different approach. Returning from her fourth visit to the King’s chamber, she believes she has secured the legitimacy of her child and that no one will suspect that it is really Landry’s.
De Nogaret is greeted unexpectedly
De Nogaret reaches the residence of the Earl of Oxford but is not greeted in the way he expects. In fact, there is no greeting at all, the earl is missing. Suspecting that he may have fled De Nogaret returns to report his findings to the King.
Adelina searches
After escaping the clutches of Roland, Parsifal escorts Gawain to place beneath the city where the Jewish people have been hiding. They seek help from Adelina but she has disappeared. After crossing Roland the wrong way and realising the consequences of this she has gone after him, alone.
An unlikely alliance
After interpreting the earl’s disappearance as a sign that a threat to the Royal Court is coming, De Nogaret makes an unlikely alliance with Pope Boniface VIII himself. Ultimately wanting the something they put their differences aside, for now.
They discuss the implications of the earl’s sudden departure and agree that it is anything but a good sign. The wedding is still to go ahead but extra precautions must be taken. De Nogaret agrees wholeheartedly when he suddenly takes ill. Gasping for breath and clutching his neck, he collapses amongst everyone, King and Queen included. He has been poisoned.
Templars are summoned
Realizing that what has happened to De Nogaret could have easily happened to him and his family. King Phillip takes some extreme measures. He calls on Landry and the other Templar Knights to help protect them.
Phillip pleads that Landry takes charge of guarding the Queen, especially since they have now reconnected. Landry, hurt by what he has heard, accepts the King’s request. He then sends Gawain to search the Earl of Oxfords residence.
Greek fire
On inspecting the earl’s home and questioning the guards how their master could disappear without their knowledge. Gawain comes up fairly empty-handed. Along with Parsifal, neither of them finding anything which may indicate what is going on.
Parsifal does discover a couple of crates which have been left behind. Neither contain anything of value; all that is inside the crates is a residue of some foul-smelling liquid. Gawain, however, recognizes the smell.
It is “Greek Fire,” a liquid which, with the slightest of sparks, will ignite anything it touches and is unable to be put out. Even by water. This discovery puts Gawain in an uncomfortable position as there is only one man who can tell him what this discovery truly means, Tancrede.
Still chained up against the cross, Gawain asks Tancrede to tell him everything that there is to know about “Greek Fire.” Tancrede explains that brimstone is the key to finding where Greek Fire has been placed as it changes color in its presence. He then explains that this weapon of choice is only used by one person, a deadly assassin who will always wear a mask.
Landry learns the truth
Undergoing his new duty of the Queens personal guard the tension between Landry and Queen Joan is mounting. The two have not been alone since they fought and once they are alone all emotions bubble over.
Landry is hurt and angry that Joan has returned to Phillip. Joan is angry at Landry for thinking she went back to Phillip happily, that Landry gave her no choice. Landry voices his confusion, why did she have no choice? She tells him, that she is with child, his child.
Changes to the plan
After the discovery of Greek Fire, the threat to the King and his family is much greater than they first realised. Landry begs the King to postpone the wedding. Phillip is not pleased with this idea after working so hard to make it happen. He has another idea, changing the wedding venue. Instead of it being at the church it will be held at the castle.
Preparations are made and searches are carried out. The castle is declared clear of any Greek Fire. But, just as the great hall is cleared a lone individual, in a mask, appears from inside the fireplace, undetected.
The Brotherhood has a request
As Draper wonders the streets of Paris he is approached by a group that Landry has been trying to contact, the Brotherhood of Light. They want their fallen brother who was murdered by Tancrede back so they can bury him properly and not until that is done will they talk to Landry.
Draper delivers the message to Landry who ok’s the return.
The big day has arrived
The wedding has arrived. The union between France and Catalonia is underway. Pope Boniface conducts the ceremony in front of a packed hall, filled with guests from all over.
It’s a bit much for Parsifal, though, who is reminded of his fiancée who was murdered. Gawain, sympathetic to him advises that he must put it behind him. He advises Parsifal to visit the tree that all initiates visit to put the past behind them and give themselves to god.
The ceremony is coming to an end and everything is looking good when Landry spots movement above them. The assassin, aiming a crossbow at the King. Landry dives in front of Phillip just in time, the arrow strikes Landy’s shoulder.
Betrayed
Chaos ensues as everyone moves to protect the King and Queen while others flee. In the panic, Princess Isabella is kidnapped by the assassin. Her newlywed husband chases after them and soon catches up with the getaway carriage.
He tries to get Isabella free but she is stuck. He climbs inside and manages to free her. But, just before they jump, Isabella pushes him back down. There is nothing but hatred in her eyes as she jumps free herself, leaving the young Prince alone. The assassin, seeing that Isabella is now free, creates a spark, sending the entire carriage aflame with the Prince, trapped inside.
Conspirators
In the aftermath of the attack, Isabella visits De Nogaret undetected. He is still unconscious from being poisoned early with no one able to wake him. Isabella slips him a drink from a small vial and just like that, he awakes.
He looks at her and asks if the plan succeed. Isabella reports that it did, just as he had planned. Isabella no longer has to marry the Prince who she has hated ever since he told everyone that they had slept together and that no one suspects a thing.
The tree
Upon Gawain’s instructions, Parsifal visits the tree to put the past behind them. He discovers a tree, filled with small tokens that people have left upon it. Clothing, jewellery, shoes etc. Parsifal takes his ring that he has to remind himself of his fiancée and hangs it on the tree. It’s time to move on.
Oxford returns
De Nogaret finally manages to track down the whereabouts of Oxford. It wasn’t too difficult for him however since it was his assassin that kidnapped him. Oxford demands to be set free but De Nogaret has another idea.
He explains that the attack cannot be made to look like it came from England. He wants peace with them. So it must look like it came from the earl and the earl alone. Oxford, realizing what is happening, tries to persuade De Nogaret to not go through with this, he implies that the pope will figure it all out.
De Nogaret agrees that there is no doubt the Pope could, but, since he himself was poisoned it looks very, very unlikely. De Nogaret bids farewell and leaves the earl to his fate with the assassin.
Adelina finds Roland
After tailing him for sometime Adelina finally tracks Roland down. She keeps tabs on him, waiting for him to be alone. She finally gets her opportunity but it’s too late. Roland has caught on to her and manages to catch her before she catches him.
Joan makes her view clear
After learning that he is to become a father, Landry organizes a meeting with Joan. He is excited at the news and promises her that he will find a way for them to be together. But Joan has another idea, it is not Landry’s child, it is the King’s child.
King Phillip is giving the news
Phillip learns from De Nogaret that it was the earl who masterminded everything. That he had plotted his revenge after he failed to secure the wedding between France and England and regrettably, before they could arrest the earl, he took his own life.
Phillip, surprised that one man could do all of this, extends the hand of peace to England and makes it clear that he is fully aware that they had no part in this attack. He also offers the hand of marriage of Princess Isabella.
And just as soon as Phillip learned the news of Oxford from De Nogaret, Joan brings the news of her pregnancy. Phillip, who fully believes it is his, rejoices and embraces Joan at the happy news.
Next: Knightfall episode 4 recap: He Who Discovers His Own Self, Discovers God
Landry meets the Brotherhood
Welling in his grief that he will have no part in his child’s life, the Brotherhood of Light decide to make their presence known. They have received the body of their fallen brother and can now meet with Landry. This meeting is not going to go Landry’s way however as just as he recognises one of Brotherhood they throw a bag over his head and kidnap him.
Knightfall continues Wednesday, Jan. at 10/9c on The History Channel.