Knightfall episode 9 recap: Fiat!
By Callum Gunn
Landry seeks out support in the latest Knightfall, but will he get it or will he have to face the Pope and the church alone?
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With the identity of who has been behind all that has fallen upon Landry and the Knight Templars now known, what will our crusade Knights do? Will they do the unthinkable and declare war on their very own church and what will King Philip do when Queen Joan returns from Navarre?
After learning that the Pope is the mastermind behind everything that has happened and is now in possession of the Grail, Landry quickly brings his fellow Knights up to date on this harrowing truth.
Asking them if they will stand with him with what they must now do is no easy decision for the Knights to make. Siding with Landry could be seen as an act of betrayal against the church which could see any of them convicted and burned at the stake.
While they decide, Tancrede and Landry, reunited after surviving the Pope’s assassins, have a lot to discuss. Landry wishes to know where Tancredes loyalties now stand, with the Templars or The Brotherhood of Light?
Tancrede explains that his loyalties are with protecting the grail. Landry, satisfied with such a response offers him his Templar robes back which he happily accepts, but under one condition, that his mission with the Brotherhood of Light is not compromised in any way. Landry accepts, happy to have his fellow brother back.
Queen Joan returns
Queen Joan returns to France and it is not something she is looking forward to. Having no plans on staying for too long she fully intends to get in, get Isabella and leave King Phillip and return to Navarre.
Phillip is waiting for her when she returns who declares to everyone of how well she did in Navarre. He then turns his attention to how the baby is. Joan answers all of his questions happily but can’t help but notice how odd his behaviour is.
Isabella is later summoned to Joan’s room where Joan informs Isabella that she must pack, and quick, as both of them must leave France as soon as it is possible. Isabella is not keen on the idea and is hesitant. Joan attempts to pressure her into it by telling her that she knows of her involvement with the young Prince’s murder. Her efforts do nothing but anger Isabella.
Landry rides out for support
Landry makes plans to travel and seek an audience with the Grand Master. He is convinced that once he tells him what the Pope has done he will come to Landry’s aid. If this happens Landry is sure that the rest of Temples scattered across Europe will join him to.
As Landry makes his way to leave many Knights soon declare that they are not able to follow. They declare the brother’s privilege which Landry accepts as it is their right to do so. The number of Knight’s refusing to stand by him is minimal however compared to the many that have decided to stand by him and travel with him.
The Grand Master
Upon their arrival at the Grand Masters temple, they are greeted by an entire army of Templar Knights. Word has spread of Landry’s denunciation and an arrest warrant is out for him. Nevertheless, Landry is still a Master and is given the chance to speak to the Grand Master in order to explain himself.
Landry doesn’t waste any time when he gets the chance. He explains that the Pope planned and orchestrated the death of Godfrey. That he plans to use the Grail to create a united Europe all ruled by God and therefore by default him. He has become mad for power and he will also launch a fresh crusade to the Holy Land.
The Grand Master puts it to Landry that surely this is a good thing. Europe will no longer need Templars then and then the Templars can return to the Holy Land, something that they have always wanted. He offers Landry the chance to withdraw his accusations against the Pope, he refuses to do so which confirms what the Grand Master was told. He then gestures to the door at the end of the room, the Pope then walks in and Landry is arrested.
The trial
Landry is charged with breaking five of the nine great crimes that a Templar can commit. When he is asked how he pleads Landry responds by telling everyone within the courtroom what the Pope has done.
But whatever effect Landry was hoping for was not the one he got, the Pope happily admits to everything Landry accuses him off. The Pope explains that Godfrey was nothing more than a traitor who conspired with Saracens and withheld the Grail from the church. Therefore everything he did was right and just whereas everything Landry has done is not.
It gets even worse for Landry as the Pope plays a card he has been keeping secret from everyone, Gawain. Not seen since he attempted to kill Landry after they located the Grail, Gawain has now come to bring down Landry.
He tells the court of all off Landry’s discretions. Of how he made a deal with Saracens, how he handed over brother Tancrede to them, how he attempted to kill him and how he lay with another man’s wife and fathered a child with her.
It’s the final nail in the coffin for Landry who is quickly found guilty of all accounts. Landry is then sentenced to excommunication and death, by burning at the stake.
Joan’s betrayal
With Joan putting her plans into motion to leave Paris for good, she entrusts her maid Sophie with a letter to take to Landry explaining her intent. As she waits for her return the King summons her for a feast that has been made in her honour.
It’s a strange event as the King has requested she wear a specific dress and have her hair styled in a particular way. It becomes even more concerning when the Phillip becomes more abrupt with her and forces Joan to dance with him.
Sophie is then suddenly dragged into the middle of the dance room floor and laid at Joan’s feet, beaten to a pulp. Phillip has arrested her because the concoctions that Joan had her acquire to abort her child so long ago was discovered in her room.
Phillip believes this is an attempt to murder his unborn child and begins to punish her. Joan quickly puts an end to it by confessing it was her who acquired it. That she tried to abort the child.
With the help of Isabella, Joan aids Sophie to her feet and leaves the ballroom. They try to make their escape but Phillip has other intentions. He arrests both Sophie and Joan but not Isabella. It becomes clear pretty fast that Isabella has been telling Phillip everything that Joan has been saying.
Joan is taking away with the look of heartbreak from betrayal marked across her face.
Landry is broken
The excommunication of Landry begins but is stopped as someone has come calling, pleading for his life. Landry’s mother has valuable information about what the Grail can do and in exchange for it, Landry is to be released.
Whatever it is she confides to the Pope has the acquired effect as he puts a quick stop to everything and declares that Landry is to be freed. He commands everyone out of the room as he needs a private audience with him.
He is unable to do so however as during the commotion an attack has taken place and the Grail has been stolen once again. As everyone, both Templars and the Pope Guards set off to find the thief and Landry is left alone, still chained to his chair.
He is not entirely alone though as after everyone leaves in search of the thief a lone man emerges before him. Gawain has returned carrying a huge battle hammer. He faces Landry and mocks him that he always said he knew of Gawain’s pain, and now he can truly suffer with it and smashes the hammer against his leg, twisting into an ugly shape.
Next: Knightfall episode 8 recap: IV
What did you think of this week’s episode of Knightfall? What was your favourite moment? Leave a comment below with your thoughts.
Knightfall will return with its season finale, Wednesday, February 7, 10/9c on The History Channel