The Borgias (2011–2013): Season 1, Episode 9 - Nessuno (Nobody) - full transcript

The French army enters Rome but the Pope has a particular way of welcoming the King. Della Rovere's plan to depose the Pope faces a problem given that virtually all of the Cardinals have fled and only the College of Cardinals can remove him. The Pope's promise to recognize French sovereignty over the Kingdom of Naples seals a pact between the two. The King wants Cesare to accompany his army to Naples, effectively giving him a hostage. The Pope searches for a way of punishing the Cardinals who fled, wanting them to appear in sackcloth and ashes. He also makes them pay in another way. At Cesare's suggestion, Lucretia takes up residence in the same nunnery where Ursula Bonnadeo, now Sister Martha, has agreed to care for her. The Pope decides to do something about Lucrezia's marriage.

I had a dream,
my son.

The French armies swarmed through
Rome like a cloud of locusts.

You have heard what happened
at Lucca?

- The whole world have heard,
Father.

Cardinal Sforza, you have
a cousin married to my sister.

He would be wise
to remain steadfast.

- You will let these French
armies march to Rome.

- The arms of the house of Sforza
will remain where they belong.

- I wake up nauseous.
- You are with child.

Have you any friends
you can confide in?

There is a groom, Paolo.



We must leave this castle.

- These are dangerous roads,
fair ladies.

- We have a captive, my liege.
A Borgia.

- You have not yet told us,
Cardinal, why you are here.

- I am travelling
with the French king

to institute the deposition
of your father.

- Twenty-five thousand
French troops are marching

towards Rome.
We are facing

a battle
for our survival.

- Holy Father,
we should abandon Rome.

- We will not tolerate
this heresy!

This is the chair of St. Peter's!
We are the voice of the Living God!

Central cannons, fire!

- Your Highness, could you halt
the cannon for a moment?



We need a stratagem.
- I will not accept defeat.

- Leave that to me. It was my
brother, Your Highness. He thought

you meant to sack Rome.
I told him your goal is Naples.

- Your son's army is in retreat.
The French plague is almost upon us.

- We will stay here.
And we shall be here

when you return-
IF you return.

Must you all desert me?
- I will not leave you, Father.

Rome is like an old whore,

waiting once more
for her ravishment.

- Your brother did not fail,
Cesare; your father did.

- I want you to leave.
- I cannot. I have taken vows.

- Cowards! You're like lemmings
running to your doom!

- Take your mother to safety
in Ostia. - But Father-

GO!

- Your very presence here
attests that you were

given this office for a reason,
Your Holiness.

Well.

***

- ... formation! Corporal.
- Oui, mon Capitaine!

Ready, my general!

- When we enter Rome,
Your Highness,

we should demand an immediate convocation
of the sacred College of Cardinals.

For what purpose?

- Only the College
of Cardinals...

...can depose a pope.

- I think you may find Rome
empty of cardinals, Your Highness,

except for His Eminence
Cardinal Della Rovere.

Forward!

Canon abord!

Forward!

Tight file!

- Faster!
- Forward!

- Begin!
- Gate sentry, get ready!

- Where are
the cheering crowds?

The welcoming populace?

- I would hazard
they have fled, my liege.

- Did you not promise us,
Cardinal,

that the city of Rome would
welcome us with open arms?

- They have heard of your
military prowess, my liege.

We smell politics.

We dislike politics.

- There will be no argument and no
politics, sire. The battle has been won.

And who won the battle?

You did, sire.

- You truly are a clown,
Cardinal.

Tight file!

- You are a true clairvoyance,
Lucrezia Borgia.

- Why, thank you, Your Highness.
- And if we could impose

on your diplomatic graces
once more, we would request

an audience with your father,
His Holiness the Pope of Rome.

There are matters of importance
I would discuss with him.

- A private audience?
- Yes, of course.

- I think I know, at this hour,
where he may be found.

Company halt!

Cardinal.

Men at arms, halt!

Come, sire.

His Holiness breaks his prayers
between prime and terce.

- Miserere mei,
Deus,

secundum
magnam miseri...

Your Holiness!

- Miserere mei...
- Your Holiness!

- ... secundum magnam
misericordiam tuam.

Miserere mei, Deus,
secundum magnam

misericordiam...
- Forgive me, Friar.

I am seeking an audience
with the pope.

You have been interrupted
at prayer.

Our prayers are ended.

And perhaps
they will be answered.

- Can this really be
the Pope of Rome?

Pope Alexander-

- Sextus.
At your service, my lord.

And you, my lord, are?

- King Charles
of France.

It is not
as we expected.

- Does the Pope of Rome
disappoint Your Highness?

Had you hoped for gold

and silver vestments?

Display has its purpose.

But simplicity must
rule our hearts.

We are all of us naked

before God.
Even the Pope of Rome.

Even...

...the King of France.

Who's there?

I have missed
those hands.

- And I have missed
that face.

- I have brought a king
to Rome, Cesare,

from a far-off land.

I have heard.

My little sister has achieved
what the papal arms could not.

He seeks guidance

from the head
of Christendom.

Of course.

- I am sure you too,
Your Highness,

sometime long to be free
of the burden of kingship.

- To walk as a man among men.
- Ah.

- It would be sweet relief,
Your Holiness.

- Just as we long to be free
of the burden of the papacy.

The papal robes are such
a weight upon our shoulders.

One longs to be relieved
of the burden,

to be
a simple priest again,

praying
to the God of Abraham.

- We understand,
Your Holiness.

- Then perhaps Your Highness knows one
who would relieve us of this burden?

- The very thought appals me,
Your Holiness.

Really?

Why?

- We do not choose our calling,
Your Holiness.

It is chosen for us.

When called to serve,
as King of France,

and, I am sure,
as Pope of Rome,

we can only have
one response:

serviam.

I will serve.

- However imperfect
my service,

however human
my failings,

when called to serve...

- Your Highness is
troubled.

- I have exulted
in the thrill of battle.

I have turned streets

into rivers of blood.

I have played the part
of God,

and in my arrogance,

I assumed
that I served His cause.

Then perhaps

what is needed...

...is a renewal
of one's vows.

One's vows?

- A renewal
of your vows of kingship

before the Pope of Rome.

The papal investiture
of the Kingdom of France.

France,

as you must know,
Your Holiness,

has traditional claims
upon the Kingdom of Naples.

But of course!

Even better.

The papal investiture

of the kingdoms

of France and Naples.

And your solemn oath,

before God...

...to rule them
in His holy name.

- You must tell me
everything, sis.

- There are some things, brother,
it would be best not to speak of.

- Your husband,
Giovanni Sforza,

he proved ungallant?

- More than that. He betrayed
our father, the pope.

- I know of his betrayal, sis,
and he shall pay the price.

but if he misused you he shall
pay a different kind of price.

- It has been a long journey,
Cesare, and I...

And I have kept my spirits
intact thus far, but... I...

- Lucrezia... you need a medic.
- No, no, no, brother.

But you are ill.

You are faint.

- It is a common illness,
brother.

I am with child.

My God.

Does...
does anybody know?

- Only one: Giulia Farnese.
And I would keep it that way.

- Why?
- Because the child,

thank God...

...is not my husband's.

The Pope of Rome has kindly

put the Castel Sant'Angelo
at our disposal.

We can billet the troops
on the populace

of The Eternal City.
And you'll be please to know,

Cardinal Della Rovere,

the College of Cardinals will be
convened.

Gate sentry, ready!

Father.

Holy Father.

Um...

The French king-

Proved to be a man of God

in search of guidance
and spiritual solace,

like any man.

There may be kings
more handsome,

but hardly more devout.

- And, uh,
what of Naples?

- We discussed the investiture of
the Kingdom of Naples. And I told him,

there was no need
for a great army.

All he had to do was
to ask.

The College of Cardinals will be
convened not to discuss our deposition,

but to consider their shameful abandonment
of the Vatican in its hour of need.

You have returned the books,
Burchard.

- Of course,
Your Holiness.

Well, please, continue.

We have... convened
the College of Cardinals.

We find their abandonment
of the Vatican

in its hour of greatest peril
truly shameful.

As must you,
surely,

Burchard.

- It is indeed most shameful,
Your Holiness.

- Your own absence has been
noted.

But we believe
that your concern was

with the most sacred volumes
of our library.

- I did my best to protect them
from harm, Your Holiness.

Well.

Well, now you must study them
carefully

and find a precedent
for us.

We think that a period
of penitence is in order

for the curia
who so selfishly abandoned us.

- What kind of penitence did
His Holiness have in mind?

- We think they should present
themselves in sackcloth

and ashes
at the next convention.

- Sackcloth
and ashes?

Yes.

Can you find

such a precedent for us?

- I will do my utmost,
Your Holiness.

- I am the convent's
benefactor. You'll be safe.

- Must I take
the cloth?

No.

But you may rest here
while you are still with child.

Must I hide myself, then?

- Perhaps,
until the child is born.

There is the annulment
of your marriage to consider.

- Can my marriage be
annulled?

- Only if it was
never consummated.

- But I am
with child, Cesare.

- Indeed.
The child is not his.

- But my marriage was
consummated.

In... the harshest
possible manner.

- I beg you not
to worry about it, sis.

I will find a solution,
I swear.

And I have a dear friend here who promised
to take the very best of care of you.

Her name?

Sister Martha.

She was once known
as Ursula Bonadeo.

I remember.

Sister Martha.

- Cardinal.
- My sister, Lucrezia Borgia.

- I remember.
I was at her wedding.

Sister.

You still look beautiful.

But you have lost
your wonderful hair.

- A woman's beauty can be
a great distraction.

As you yourself must
already know.

You will find it
peaceful here.

And maybe peace is what you need
at this juncture.

- I must warn you,
Sister,

I shall visit
at every available opportunity.

You must.

I will.

Goodbye, sister.

- There are beauteous women
in Naples, I have been told.

- Oh!
- Even for this ugly snout of mine.

- They will swear
it is divine, Your Highness.

- They can lie
in Naples?

Exceedingly well.

They hardly know what truth is.
- Hah!

A most excellent pontiff,
your father,

is he not?

- I have... no other
to compare him with.

- Well, he has suited
our purpose.

We could be said
to have an understanding.

We could, indeed.

- But in case-
just in case-

we would make a request
of Your Holiness.

- We will
respectfully hear it.

- We would have you nominate
a papal legate

to accompany our armies
to the Kingdom of Naples.

To remain with us

for the duration
of our visit.

Very well.

We will nominate a legate
of our choice-

- Oh, no! Not of your choice,
Holy Father.

Of ours.

Who would you choose?

Your son.

Cardinal Cesare Borgia.

- You would have me
accompany your army

as... a hostage?

No. God forbid.

A hostage implies
enmity.

And what does legate imply?

Friendship, surely.

And a guarantee that
such friendship will continue.

- Hmm.
- Hmm?

- What is the difference,
Holy Father,

between hostage and legate?
- As the king said,

one implies enmity,
the other friendship.

- And you will insist
on this charade?

- King Charles will not remain
in Naples for long.

How can you be certain?

- We are not certain,
but we suspect.

You should take your manservant
with you.

For entertainment.
For protection.

And if you find the rumours of an
outbreak of plague in Naples are true,

I'm sure you can
find your way home.

Are we understood?

Understood.

Good.

Because now another charade
demands our attention.

- You may sit,
cardinals.

Now, before we begin
the proceedings,

we would consider

the penitential intentions
of each member

of this college.

We would start
with the vice-chancellor,

Cardinal Ascanio Sforza.

You may kneel,
Cardinal.

My shame, I hope,

is obvious to all,
Your Holiness.

- And of what
are you ashamed?

- Of my abandonment
of Rome-

of St. Peter's,
of your...

...sacred presence.

In our hour of need.

Indeed.

- Mm.
- And in recompense, I offer all the benefices

of the Sforza ecclesiastical estates
to the Holy See of St. Peter's.

- That is kind,
indeed.

And we shall
most graciously accept.

Cardinal...
Piccolomini.

Unburden your soul.

In our capacity
as the Chosen of God,

the Bishop of Rome,

the Vicar of Jesus Christ,

successor to the prince

of the Apostles,

Supreme Pontiff
of the Universal Church,

we invest thee,

Charles of France,

with the crowns
of France

and the crown
of Naples.

And we confer
our sacred blessing

on thy reign
in both those kingdoms.

***

- It is an august sight,
is it not?

- St. Peter's
in its full glory;

the Pope of Rome
in cathedra;

the Sistine Chapel Choir
singing;

it would bring tears
to one's eyes, Cardinal Borgia.

- I want to compliment you,
Cardinal, on your steadfastness,

your probity,
your survival, indeed.

- It did prove hard
at times.

- In fact, you proved
such a worthy opponent

that I would gladly have you
back in Rome.

- You?
- I have my father's ear,

as you must understand.

And he needs someone with
the steel that your soul has.

He has you, does he not?

- I will not be cardinal
forever.

Surely you must know that.

- And the other
cardinals?

- The Holy Father's problem is,
he surrounds himself

with weakness. And with your strength, Cardinal...
- I serve God,

and can only pray
the papacy survives

its current occupant.

- I could have killed you-
twice.

- Perhaps, then,
you should kill me now,

because my opposition
to the Borgia papacy will

only die with me.

- Micheletto, how do you
think my escort becomes me?

- Seems to be an escort worthy
of your stature, Your Eminence.

- What is my stature,
Micheletto?

- Papal legate to our new friend,
the French king, is it not?

- And as papal legate, I should be free
to ride where I choose, should I not?

- Indeed you should,
Your Eminence.

Well, then...

I shall ride!

Halt! Halt!

- Company!
- Micheletto.

It seems I am not
papal legate after all.

- Then what are you,
Your Eminence?

- It seems I am nobody,
Micheletto.

Nobody?

- Either that
or a hostage.

- Is this why we ride
without weapons?

- We ride without weapons
because they were forbidden us.

- Then I am now servant
to a hostage, Your Eminence.

There are many ways
to kill a man.

- But for absolute silence,
he prefers, um-

tell them, Micheletto.

- The garrote.
- And what is the garrote, pray?

- Ah, it's... it's
just a cheese cutter, my friend.

- You can kill
with a cheese cutter?

Most efficiently, yes.

Show me.

You wish to see?

Certainly.

How does it work?
- Like this.

Ugh!

- Where are we heading, Your Eminence?
- To Pesaro.

And Giovanni Sforza.
Come on!

- We are as shocked as you are,
Monsieur Ambassador,

by the cardinal's
disappearance.

- But as to his whereabouts,
Your Holiness?

- Oh, his whereabouts,
well...

We have no idea.

Would you inform
His Royal Highness

that we will dispatch
whatever cardinal he wishes

to replace him-

Cardinal...
Sforza, perhaps?

- I will inform His Royal
Highness thus, Your Holiness.

- And please convey to him
our wholehearted support

for his Neapolitan
adventure.

- We do not regard the conquest of
Naples as an aventure, Your Holiness.

Oh, no, no.

But maybe Naples does.

And now,

if you will excuse us,

we have another audience
to attend to.

Come on.

Walk on.
- I'll take your mount, my lord.

- Go on.
- There you go.

Make sure
you tighten that saddle.

How are my dogs?

- You missed the hunt
today.

There's always tomorrow.
Always tomorrow.

Don't eat too much.
Be ready for the stag.

- Killing would be easier,
Your Eminence.

- But some things should not be
easy, Micheletto.

Hah!

Yah!

Where am I?

- Where all roads lead to:
Rome.

Ah!

In there.

- I must protest
against this outrage!

Beaten, bound,

taken here
against my will.

Could this be true?

- Um, he did prove somewhat
unwilling, Your Holiness.

- Well, you're here now,
and you're safe.

That's the main thing,
is it not?

- And, why, may I ask,
am I here?

- Why, to discuss the annulment
of your marriage, of course.

- Annulment
of my marriage?

- You must admit,
it did prove a disappointment.

The promised help
of the Sforza family

to the papal states
simply never arrived.

And the marriage bed,

we are told,
was far from happy.

- You'll never get
away with this.

- On the contrary,
canon law is admirably clear

on these matters.

Dear Burchard will
elaborate.

- It is written
as if in stone.

There can be only one ground
for the annulment of a marriage.

- And that is?
- Non-consummation.

Non-consummation?

You'll never be able
to prove it.

Let me finish.

If the marriage can be proved
never to have been consummated,

why, then,
Your Holiness,

it never existed
as a marriage.

Lady Lucrezia,

you have intimated
some grave disappointment

on your wedding night.

- It was disturbing,
Your Honour,

in the extreme.
- Would you be so kind

as to elaborate?
- I blush with shame to speak of such matters

before this august company,

but, sadly...

...tragically, my husband
revealed himself to be...

- You may speak frankly,
Lady Lucrezia.

These are grave matters.

- My husband...
turned out...

Please proceed.

Turned out...

...to be impotent.

Ah.

Monstrous. This is monstrous! I can prove it! On the wedding night

- Yes?
- You said, on the wedding night...

- I say she lies.
- Indeed.

But you just mentioned...
proof.

She lies.

Ah.

There are precedents,
Your Holiness,

for a demonstration
of proof of...

...potency.
- Oh.

- The Lord Sforza could
demonstrate the truth

of his claims to full potency with the Lady
Lucrezia before a gathering of canon lawyers.

- No, no, no. That would
surely be distasteful

to the lady herself-

indeed,
as would the lord. Hmm?

- The very thought is
an outrage.

- Well, then, there remains
one more possibility.

A public demonstration
of the Lord Sforza's prowess,

with 1 or 2
willing maidens

would also constitute
proof of potency.

- Public?
- Indeed.

In a place of the college's
choosing before a gathering

of canon lawyers and a selection
of the Roman public.

You mean courtesans?

- We will spare the Lord Sforza
such public humiliation.

A demonstration here,

before our brother cardinals

would suffice.

- Would His Holiness see the Lord
Sforza with one or both of us?

Burchard?

- One demonstration will
suffice.

Me first, then.

Do these thighs
not please you?

Enough!

Give me a divorce.

But on what grounds?

Impotence.

- We must hear it
from the Lord Sforza's own lips.

For the record,

on the wedding night...

- On the wedding night I did not
consummate my marriage.

Did not, or could not?

Did not.

And could not.

- You were on that night
and remain...

Impotent.

We declare

the marriage
between the Lady Lucrezia Borgia

and the Lord Giovanni Sforza...

...to be invalid,

as if
it never existed.

Farewell, my lady!

Cockadoodle-doooooo!

- Is there a room
in this kingdom

that doesn't stink
of death?

What is this pestilence?
- I know not, my liege.

Noooooo!

I will die on this bed.
- No, you will not!

Do not let my child die!

- Nobody will die!
- You must push, my lady.

Cesare!

Mother.

How is she?

Alive still, at least.

- I came
as quickly as I could.

Stay back.

Plague.

Did the Borgia Pope know
of this?

- More effort, my lady.
Water.

Water!

God is with you.

Mother!

- Hello, Mother.
- How are you, Cesare?

- Has she had it yet?
- No.

A boy, I hope.

- I tried, but I could not
keep him away.

He insisted.
- Indeed.

Ah.

- He loves
each new arrival.

But try to tell him
of the birthing pains.

- No, no, no, no, no.
Not now, Vanozza.

- With Juan
I was in agony for days.

Do you remember?
- Mmm. I remember...

...the joy of holding him
in my arms.

A brother for little Cesare
at last.

We did love our children,
did we not, my dear?

To a fault.

My God.

Lucrezia!

My darling.

May I... hold?

A boy.

Yes.

Your Holiness.

We should
give thanks.

- Whom
should we thank?

God.

We should thank God

for all the blessings
He has visited upon this,

our family.

He's beautiful.

Mmm.

***

Closed Captioning by SETTE inc.