The Borgias (2011–2013): Season 1, Episode 2 - The Assassin - full transcript

- Previously, on The Borgias...

- [Whispering]: I have waited a lifetime for this moment.

I will not forgive failure... - We will not fail you, Father.

- Maybe Papa will become pope, and you can be who you want to be.

- I shall fight you. - With any means at my disposal.

- I do tend to win whatever battles I fight.

- Cardinal Borgia has the required majority.

- You're not in mourning, mother. - But perhaps I am.

- What are we gaining? - Does Papa have so many enemies?

- As our father, perhaps not. But as pope...

We have placed the papal mitre in the hands of an ape.



I beg you now to release me of my vows.

- I would be a prince of state, Father.

Juan can bear arms for the Borgia family

- But I swear, if God does not protect us, I shall.

- Whatever you're being paid, I'll double it.

- The pope cannot love? - Not only must he be chaste;

he must be seen to be chaste.

- Simony! I charge you now in public!

- They all want you dead. - Serve this... to Orsini.

- [Orsini]: Poison. - Poison!

- The poison was meant for us. - You don't poison the pope!

You poison a rabid dog!

It offends nature, it offends God Himself!

- So, God will take his revenge, then. - With our help.



âŞ

- Excellent service.

- I fear it is not over yet. - What do you mean?

- Well, there's more to your Borgia family than father and son.

- What do you mean? - I mean we must hurry, My Lord.

Your whole family's in danger.

- Micheletto! - Am I too late?

- We were waiting for you. - Then you're too late!

[Groaning in pain] - What are you doing?!

Ah!

[Yelling]

- Allow me, My Lord.

[Muffled yelling]

- Guards!

- [Guard]: General! - With me, quickly!

Come on!

Get out of my way!

Pray somewhere else, Cardinals.

Arrest this household.

- You planned this massacre thoroughly.

- If I had planned it, My Lord,

believe me, we would not be having this conversation.

- You're that meticulous?

- Always. [Grunting with effort]

- And who planned it?

- Cardinal Orsini.

- And Della Rovere?

- I know nothing of him.

In this affair,

[Panting]

I had but one master.

- And now?

- And now I am like a stray dog,

masterless.

Unless your kind offer still stands.

- You could have... let things take their course...

Betrayed me.

Most of your kind do. - My kind?

I do not have a kind.

And I suspect neither do you.

- Your name, sweet assassin.

[Panting]

- Micheletto.

- You must prove yourself worthy of my trust, then.

- This is not proof enough? - Perhaps. Perhaps not.

Can you dispose of these corpses? - You would keep them secret?

- More than that. I would keep you secret.

Dump them in the Tiber. Meet me by the Vatican gates

in two hours' time. We shall discuss your future service.

[Whispering]: Mother.

- Are you trying to frighten me?

- I'm sorry, Mother.

- Why are you here, Cesare?

- I imagine things--

murders,

blood-spattered throats,

poisoned chalices.

- Perhaps you're not wrong. We have many enemies now.

- And Lucrezia?

- She's sleeping. You miss her that much?

- Always.

If anything happened to her, I'd...

...I'd die.

- What could possibly happen?

- I'm putting a guard on the house.

- Is it so dangerous outside?

- We are in a different city now.

- Is it still called Rome?

- I'm not sure it has a name.

Father.

Father!

Father, I've had to place a guard on the--

- The good cardinal, my son, has been expressing his shock

and dismay at this evening's outcome.

- Poison, it seems, was the cause

of Cardinal Orsini's demise.

- One shudders at the thought.

- As to who poisoned him,

I have no idea. Perhaps we should

ask ourselves, who benefits most from his death?

- And what are you implying, Your Eminence?

- I am implying nothing.

I am merely offering His Holiness any help I can

in unmasking the culprit.

Our Holy Mother Church can afford no such scandals.

- We have Orsini's household staff in irons, Your Holiness.

Cardinal. - The good cardinal, my brother,

has offered to help us unmask the culprit behind this plot.

- We apprehended this wretch skulking outside by the gate.

- A plot, by definition, needs more than one participant,

does it not? - Do you recognize him?

- Didn't he pour the wine?

- [Cesare]: Do you know this man, Cardinal Della Rovere?

- I know he attended at the cardinal's table,

but there were many of those.

Beyond that, nothing.

- If this creature is indeed the poisoner,

some hours on the strappado should loosen his tongue.

- See if he talks.

[Grunting]

- I have a dilemma:

[Grunting]

whether to flay you at night...

[Grunting]

...or at dawn.

[Grunting]

[Groaning]

- I pity you your dilemma, My Lord. - Pity yourself.

- Brother. You have already exhausted yourself

in our father's defence.

Now I could spend a good hour questioning this man.

- Is that really a task for a cleric?

[Grunting in pain]

- Lock the door and go.

Up.

Up!

Would you have talked?

- Only to sing your praises, My Lord.

- Still want to earn my trust?

- Eternally, My Lord.

- Lie low for a day, then.

I can have word sent out that you couldn't be broken.

- And then?

- Then...

...get close to Cardinal Della Rovere.

Tell me what he thinks. What he plans.

- Then you must hurt me, My Lord.

- Haven't I hurt you enough already?

- To convince this cardinal, my back must tell its own story.

And I have heard that he has an interest

in the male torso.

And even I cannot convincingly whip myself.

So whip me, My Lord.

[Grunting]

Harder.

[Grunting]

Harder, My Lord.

[Grunting]

- And...

[Grunting] ...if you betray me...

[Grunting]

...you will end your days on that rack.

[Grunting] - Then it would not be in my interest to betray you,

My Lord. - Good.

[Grunting]

- Again!

[Grunting]

Again.

[Grunting]

[Door opening]

- Do you have something to tell me?

About the night's events?

- Only that...

...I will protect you.

Protect our family.

With my life if needs be.

- Well, all of the others bought and sold.

We merely proved ourselves better at the game.

But we draw the line

at murder, do we not?

- Orsini drew no such line.

- I see.

So,

we are one less cardinal this morning.

I was your age when I became a cardinal.

Seems like yesterday.

This red...

...signifies that you are ready to spill your blood in defence

of the Christian faith.

- No, Father. - Are you, my son, ready

to spill your blood in defence of the Christian faith?

I think you are!

- For the defence of my family, perhaps.

- That too. - Give me control

of the papal armies and I will protect us all. - We will have one son

in the cloth and one in armour.

You know our wishes. - But a cardinal's red?

- And Lucrezia must marry.

- So soon?

- She is 14 years old. - She is just a child.

- We must bind our enemies to us. Make friends of them.

And what better way is there than marriage

You can perform the rite-- as cardinal.

- Am I a cardinal already?

- And they tortured you for...

...how long?

- A day and a night, Your Eminence.

- And you revealed?

- There was nothing to reveal, Your Eminence.

- Ecce homo.

"Behold the man."

They scourged our saviour thus.

Is it true, what's being rumoured?

That the good cardinal inadvertently poisoned himself?

- Who would have profited from his death?

- Certainly not Cardinal Orsini.

- Who takes possession of his properties? - Borgia.

- Well, then.

- These methods are not mine.

- You think they are mine, Your Eminence?

- What are your methods?

- Discretion.

Silence.

- And you have suffered for your silence.

Why?

- Like you,

I hate this Borgia.

And if I can be of any use...

- I need someone I can trust.

- You can trust my hatred of this Borgia pope.

[Gasping in pain]

- I can trust these wounds of yours.

- They will last for a lifetime,

Your Eminence. - Indeed.

I need to assemble a gathering of every cardinal

who shares your feelings.

In absolute secrecy.

- May I thank you, Holy Father, for bequeathing to me your precious time.

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