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

With the King of France in Naples and a peace of sorts arrived at, Rodrigo swears revenge against those who plotted against him. Cardinal Della Rovere is poisoned, though he survives the attempt on his life. Cesare and Juan continue to fight despite Rodrigo's pleas to unite with him against their enemies. Rodrigo also decides to hold a celebration for the people of Rome on a pagan feast day featuring a horse race and a large effigy of a bull. He also discovers a beautiful young woman, Vittoria, who is posing as a boy so that she can be an artists apprentice. The Pope's mistress, Giulia Farnese, is not pleased. In Naples, plague has wiped out much of the population and Prince Alfonso, who introduced the plague, is tracked down and taken prisoner.

Previously on
The Borgias...

Habemus papam!

You are aware, Holy Father,
of the plots against you?

Oh, what would Rome
be without a good plot?

Simony!

I have evidence that
will bring this house

crashing down
around your ears.

Evidence?

Of lechery!

All of Rome knows you're
the mother to my children.

The pope must be
seen to be chaste.



God has chosen us

to sweep the Vatican
clean of corruption.

What Rome needs now is-

You.

Don't you want them to hear
that you have a new whore?

Whom can one trust,
in this Rome of ours?

I believe trust needs
to be earned, my lord.

Somebody!

Perhaps it has been.

The vultures are
circling our family.

Our Rome.

It seems Cardinal
Della Rovere has fled.

Your Royal Highness.

What do you want?



I want Naples to join
in alliance with me

to rid the papacy-

Of the stench of Borgia.

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 think it fits me,
Brother?

And Lucrezia must marry!

Bind our enemies to us!

Make friends of them.

And if my husband
proves ungallant?

I shall cut his heart
out with a dinner knife.

Lucrezia!

Have you any friends
you can confide in?

There is a groom.
Paolo.

My lady.

Young lovers are
always doomed.

Lucrezia!

I am with child.

Thank God, not my husband's.

Your Royal Highness,
King Charles of France.

I want to restore the
Universal Church.

To her former dignity.

You will have
your war!

But it will be fought
the French way.

Holy Father,
we should abandon Rome.

We will not tolerate
this heresy!

The barbarians
are approaching!

We shall outwit them.

I know little of
the art of war.

Thank God someone
in this family does.

You are either with us-

Or against us.

Fire!

We could be said to
have an understanding.

We could indeed.

The crown of Naples.

King Charles will not
remain in Naples for long.

Plague.

Did the Borgia
Pope know of this?

We should thank God
for all the blessings

he has visited
upon this, our family.

[♪]

♪ The Borgias 2x01 ♪
The Borgia Bull
Original Air Date on April 8, 2012

== sync, corrected by elderman ==

[♪]

The congregation
is poor but devout.

We shall be honoured

to celebrate the
Eucharist among them.

Come.

The commune awaits.

Quid retribuam Domino pro
omnibus quae retribuit mihi

Que Agnus Dei, et qui
Tollis peccata mundi

Domine, non sum dignus, ut
intres sub tectum meum,

sed tantum dic verbo,
et sanabitur anima mea.

Corpus Domini nostri Iesu
Christi custodiat animam tuam

in vitam aeternam.

Amen.

Corpus Domini nostri Iesu
Christi custodiat animam meam

in vitam aeternam.

Amen.

Corpus Domini
nostri esu Christi

custodiat animam tuam
in vitam aeternam.

Amen.

Corpus Domini nostri
esu Christi

custodiat animam tuam
in vitam aeternam.

Amen.

Is it the heat, Father?

No, no, no.

Corpus Domini
nostri esu Christi

custodiat animam tuam
in vitam aeternam.

Amen.

It's-something I-ate!

You may leave us,
sisters.

But Cardinal-

There is no need
for last rites

but your prayers
would be welcome.

Hush Cardinal.

I will attend you.

And you sisters,
let us hear your prayers.

Don't worry,

if you're not dead by now,
you will live.

Your tongue will be
swollen for days.

No talking, I'm afraid.

All of your prayers
must be silent ones.

Altar boys and cantarella.

Neither can be trusted.

But you must know
by now, Cardinal,

there is no hiding place.

Even here, in the depths of
the Umbrian olive groves...

we will find you.

The French army is
ensnared in Naples.

The French king is ill,
with the Neapolitan disease.

God is in His Heaven and
the pope on his seat in Rome.

And my plea to you,
Cardinal, is still the same.

Work with us...

not against us.

The cardinal will live then?

So it seems, yes.

But I did my duty,
did I not?

I shall still
receive payment?

Of course.

Go with God,
sister.

To Rome now.

Our work here, Your Eminence,
is finished, yes?

For the moment.

[♪]

Will we meet again,
Holy Father?

Perhaps.

Am I to be your
mistress then?

Alas, no.

That position is taken.

Will I receive your
blessing at least,

for this night
we spent together?

You have already received
my blessing many times.

And is that bliss
to be repeated?

Giulia Farnese comes
back from Umbria today.

She would not
countenance this.

She is
strict then?

Yes.
And jealous.

Why?

Why?
She is a woman.

And, forgive me,
Holy Father-

she is here.

Uh, you must leave us!

Don't let her in!

No, no!

You have to leave us!
Go!

But I was promised-

Oh, oh, oh, oooh.

Um.

Now please go!

Make her vanish if
you would be so kind?

His Holiness is-?

His Holiness bathes.

We asked for hot water!

We lie in cold!

This is more to
Your Holiness's liking?

Ahhh...

Giulia Farnese.

We have missed you.

Isn't this bliss?

A crying child?

You must avail yourself
of a wet nurse, my love.

Indeed, Father.
Why?

Well, you are
hardly a commoner,

And your figure should
reflect that grace.

Aha.

Because I am yet of
marriageable age, am I not?

Nothing could have been further
from our thoughts Lucrezia.

This child, Holy
Father, lacks a father.

Or one appropriate
to your station.

And for the moment you have no
need of a marital alliance.

But if the need arose, you
would marry me to the moon.

What?

Does the sun threaten
our papacy now?

No, Father.

Mars is in a unique
alignment with Saturn.

The heavens beam down upon us.

For the moment.

But the day might come.

Now let me hold him,
come along.

Come.
That's right, that's right.

So. A wet nurse.
We insist.

Come on.
That's the way.

The French ambassador
awaits Your Holiness.

Oh God.
Isn't he dead yet?

He's not even sick.

Let's go see the
French Ambassador.

See what he's got to say.

Ambassador.

Your Holiness.

Up with you.
There we go.

Ah, fine.

There we go.

Ah.
It's nice, isn't it?

So how can we be
of assistance?

The whereabouts of-
Sh, sh, sh!

Pianissimo!

Alfonso of Naples
is still at large.

We have reason to believe that
he infected his own city

with the pestilence
that plagues it.

Oh, how can that concern us?

We would have the ambassador
gently remind the king

that Naples has the habit
of rejecting those

who would conquer it.

The Moor, the
Turk, the Norman.

Sh, sh, sh.

Why should the French
be any different?

But Your Holiness invested
King Charles with the-

Sh!
Pianissimo!

All right, darling.
It's all right.

We granted the King his wish.

Naples.

He has Naples.

He regrets that fact.

That is his tragedy
and not ours.

It's not ours, is it?

And now you've
woken the child.

Shame on you,
ambassador.

Sh.
It's all right.

It's just the
nasty ambassador.

Let's go and
find your mama.

She'll give you something
to eat and it'll be better.

So, Cardinal Della Rovere
is still alive?

I would hardly
call it living.

You need lessons in
killing, Brother?

From you?
Enough!

And King Charles of France,
what of him?

He has been struck with
the Neapolitan disease.

As we had hoped.

So...

Now is the time of reckoning
for those who betrayed us.

The Vitelli, the
Orsini, the Sforza.

All the great families of the
Romagna and papal states.

Our task is of vengeance.

We believe that the cardinals
will now, from henceforth,

do our will.

But now it is time to
make sure their families

feel the wind
of our displeasure.

Vengeance is mine,
saith the Lord.

Ah.

Vengeance will be ours.

We shall subdue the arrogance
of those papal states,

one by one by one.

We will force them back
into the arms of Rome.

But above all,
the Sforzas.

Their betrayal of our
papacy shall be avenged.

By who?
This headless cock?

Will you stop this discord!

We are family!

We are one!

And we will only
triumph as one!

For we have a second task.

It is called renewal.

We would restore Rome
to its former glory.

Under the Borgias
it will shine

as it did
beneath the Caesars.

But if we are to
achieve this greatness-

your birthright-

it will be together.

As one.

As family.

Now let me hear you
speak that word.

Give me your hand, Cesare.

Family.

Family.

Family.

Family.

I have had new duelling
blades designed, Brother.

Thin, and as sharp as
will be our vengeance.

Show me.

Hear how they sing.

A blade looks incongruous
in a cleric's hand.

Why?

A cleric prays.

He doesn't fight.

Well this cleric does both.

Prove it.

You must attack
me then, Brother.

Because I would
never attack you.

Never?

Our father has forbidden
discord between us.

Even in jest?

In jest?

Attack that which can
hardly defend itself?

That's an insult,
I believe.

Come on, Cesare!

Can you not keep your
horse still, my love?

Could you ask my
horse the same?

The troops are cheering,
Brother. Why?

They cheer their leader.

Do I detect anger in
those blows, Brother?

No anger.
No envy either.

I have been long steeled in
all the cardinal virtues.

You must need them,
wearing a clerical collar-

And I know the one sin my
father would never forgive-

is fratricide.

A big word, Brother-

It is a big word,
Your Eminence.

But pray.

What does it mean, my Lord?

Something to do with killing.

Ah. Killing.

We will have none of that.

Not today.

You are brothers,
after all, are you not?

Your Eminence.

You have found your prize.

Sh sh sh...

But it may have led
you to a greater one.

Look.

Those Romans knew
not monogamy.

No.

Mm.

That came with Our
Lord Jesus Christ.

One would hope.

We must preserve these.

For posterity.

Not for pleasure?

No.

You alone are our pleasure.

Indeed.

Can I hold him?

And wake him?

That would be cruelty indeed.

I must hold you then.

Tell me again, my love.

Who was his father?

A groom.
Paolo.

But I called him Narcissus,
so divine was his face.

Should I envy him then?

You have read your romances,
dear brother.

You must know that such
love is impossible.

Impossible loves.

I am very much afraid they
can become an addiction.

There is one your heart
must find room for, Cesare.

One you must love before
you can love anyone.

And that one would be?

Yourself.

Will I live long enough

to see the one who caused
this pestilence punished?

The humours of this city

have been rife with
disease for centuries.

Its pestilences
come and go...

So I should not blame
that inbred prince?

It is His Highness's privilege
to blame whom he chooses.

And I choose to
blame Prince Alfonso.

You knew his father,
King Ferrante?

I was his physician,
Your Highness.

You have heard, then,
of his torture chambers,

his house of pain
below us here?

I had the sad duty of working
within it, Your Highness.

You were subjected
to its horrors?

No, Your Highness.

I had to keep alive those
unfortunates who were.

And King Ferrante's
supper table.

You had a hand in that?

It was my duty to prepare the
corpses for the taxidermist.

When they died.

When my best efforts had
failed them, Your Highness.

Do not fail us, Doctor.

Or that house of
pain may await you.

That Borgia pope!

He set a trap for us in
league with Prince Alphonso.

Naples, I hate it now forever.

Now even the king is ill
with this pestilence!

So we must have all the
frescoes removed, intact.

Ah, careful!

We will install them in a
chamber in the Vatican

dedicated to...

-pleasure?

Remarkable.

-dedicated to history
and the renewal-

Loosen these, carefully.

-the Eternal City.

Turn it over a little.

What is that?

Apis.

Sacred bull of
the goddess Isis.

Could be the Borgia Bull.

Some say that Isis
is the predecessor

of our own Blessed
Virgin Mary.

We are all to
worship Isis now?

No.

But we could find a way to
worship more like the ancient.

With joy.

I mean, instead of
constant prayer.

Why not thank God for
Rome's deliverance

from the French
with celebration?

For the common people?

You would give them
bread and circuses again?

No, no.

We would give them what is
lacking in their lives.

Joy.

Is His Holiness
lacking something?

What?

Does my presence no
longer fill him with joy?

Oh, no, no, no.

Don't say that.

Do you normally
work at night?

Your Holiness!

Come here where
I can see you.

I must practise my art in
secret, Your Holiness.

I am as yet a mere artisan.

Any moment I can snatch
to perfect my line, I do.

You are apprenticed?

To the master of Bramante,
Your Holiness.

But I am as yet the
least of his pupils.

Ah.

Come here.

I won't bite.

You're very young.

But youth fades.

Beauty doesn't.

Turn your face
to the light.

What is that smile?

Your Holiness.

Please.

You are more
Eve than Adam.

Forgive me...

Why would one
hide such beauty?

As an apprentice,
I must be male.

Or appear to be...

What is your name,
fair apprentice?

The master knows me
as Vittorio.

And God knows you as?

Vittoria.

Well, Vittoria.

We have to keep you a secret.

We may have a
commission for you.

On the 25th of June

the ancient Romans
celebrated the Ludii Taurii.

The Games of the Bull.

Now, that is also,
by coincidence,

the feast day of St. Bernard
of Vermicelli.

We propose to hold a
celebration on that day

for the entire
populace of Rome.

The church, the nobility,
but above all,

for the common people.

Can a pagan feast day,
Holy Father,

be reconciled with
a Christian one?

If you knew anything of
your history, Cardinal,

you would know that
Easter, for example,

was celebrated long before
our Saviour's death.

No, the ancients knew what
we seem to have forgotten.

That Rome is its people.

Which is why we propose
a celebration

for the people of Rome.

It shall include a horse race,
a public feast,

a masked ball on
classical Roman themes.

And-

We have commissioned
a monument, in wood,

to light up the celebrations.

The Borgia Bull!

And these celebrations,

this Bull, Your Holiness,

does anyone have any
idea of the cost?

Can one put a price on joy,
Cardinal Sforza?

No, Holy Father.
It is priceless.

So, whatever the cost,
we shall have a bargain.

Let Rome be full of joy!

Interesting.

Thank you, Madam.

But your animal lacks
physical concreteness.

That creature is more
cow than bull, surely.

Pardon me?

You have, how should I put it?

Desexed the creature.

It is a bull, surely, Madam.

It looks like a bull,
it stands like a bull.

But it lacks something
of the male vigour.

Like you, perhaps.

Your name, Maestro?

Vittorio.

I am as yet no maestro.

No?

Then a mistress, perhaps?

My lady.

Giulia Farnese.

And you, Vittorio, have so
cleverly disguised your hair.

Why the deceit, fair lady?

A woman cannot be apprenticed.

I know.

To any trade other
than wet nurse.

And you would
sit on Parnassus,

with your master,
Bramante.

I beg you, my lady.

Yes.

You may yet beg.

And I am your lady.

At least the pope is not
tempted with the sin of sodomy.

His Holiness-

-claimed to know nothing.

Is he a fox, or a
holy fool, that pope?

He is definitely
no fool, my liege.

But if he thinks he's
fooled me, Ambassador,

he'll find he's wrong.

This room was King
Ferrante's joke,

a parody of the last supper.

Do you find it amusing?

I find it repellent, my liege.

But the Judas seat is empty.

It awaits its occupant.

That Judas who betrayed
his own people,

infected his own city.

Prince Alfonso of Naples.

There has been a
sighting, my liege,

on the slopes of Vesuvius.

Hunt him down, wherever he is.

Bring him here.

Unharmed.

I would see him in this chair.

Come on, higher!

All right, ready, move!

No, where it is!

Bring it down!

To that side!

Come on.

Higher!

Come on!

Give me some more rope.

His Holiness has ordered
that Rome be full of joy.

And how much
does joy cost?

Two hundred and fifty
thousand ducats so far.

Wrap it in muslin now!
Tightly!

And counting.

Ha! Come on!

Come on, Brother!

Ha! Ya! Ya!

Come on!
Ya! Ya!

Given up already, Cesare?

A wager,
for the race tomorrow.

My brother or me.

You...

...if he doesn't cheat.

Do you hear that
roar, Brother?

I think it's for me.

Who else?

Ready!

You think you can
beat me, Brother?

Always!

Ya! Ya!

Give them the scent.

Take the scent!

Come on!

Give them the scent of
who was once their ruler-

what was his name?

Prince Alfonso!

Allez avec moi.

Maintenant!

And they know him well.

Borgia!

Caltrops.

After him!

Get him!
Up there!

Coward!
We'll get you!

Go get him!

Come down, you coward!

I claim the right
of feudal privilege!

I shall bow to no
common soldier!

You will bow to a king then!

Let me guess, my love.

An owl?

Yes, Your Holiness.

And an owl signifies?

Oh, I am the owl of Minerva.

Oh.

Goddess of magic and wisdom.

[♪]

Who is my dear
sister tonight?

I am Echo.

I may not be Narcissus.

But may I dance with Echo?

My Narcissus could not dance.

He could not read nor write.

Could he make you smile?

Can you?

I can try.

Ah!

Hush now.

Unhand me!

Hurts!

I must protest,
Your Highness,

at my treatment
by your captors.

The laws of chivalry
demand I not be bound.

Even a prince cannot
eat in handcuffs.

Soldat.

I, sadly,
cannot partake.

His Highness feels poorly?

Yes.

A strange pestilence
has laid me low.

Has laid the whole
of Naples low indeed.

Ah.

What a pity.

His Highness will recover?

We have been so assured.

Oh goody!

I cannot wait to
show His Highness

the delights
of our fair city.

What remains of it.

Father.

You are Apollo, my son?

No, Father, I am Mars.

Oh.

But no warfare
tonight we trust.

No.

Tonight is for celebrations.

Who are you tonight, Father?

We are Janus.

The guardian of
the keys of Rome.

Of the gateway to paradise.

So there's no
pope here tonight?

The pope has have
two faces, my son.

One looks to the future
and the other to the past.

We are the
gatekeeper to both.

Pah.

People are born
and people die.

They breed like rabbits
here, Your Highness.

Naples will recover and
her splendour always does.

Perhaps the Prince will give
me a tour of its delights.

It would be my utmost
honour, Your Royal Highness.

And perhaps he would
begin with a tour

of his father's dungeons.

My father's dungeons?

We have seen
his banquet room,

where King Ferrante
liked to dine

with those
who displeased him.

But the ingenuity
of his torture chambers...

for that we felt
a tour was necessary.

A tour?

Juno?

Well spotted,
Giulia Farnese.

And you are?

You may call me Minerva.

Ah.
And to think.

You were Venus once.

And I soon may be
a vestal virgin.

You fear for the constancy
of your lover's affections?

And, if I may be so bold,
I would ask for your advice.

When his eye wanders?

As it did from me to you?

You must hate me.

No.

And if you would take my
advice, don't do as I did.

Rage, remonstrate.

Play the wounded wife.

No?

So what is the
Goddess Juno's advice?

He is Janus tonight,
is he not?

He looks both ways.

Allow him his fancy.

Let him look both ways.

But be sure one of those
gazes falls on you.

And this ingenious
construct, my Prince.

Has it a name?

It is called...

a Judas Cradle.

What an elegant name.

Do not let me think you have
dressed as Hermaphodite?

No, my Lady.

I am Vulcan, god of molten
metal, of the artisans.

Ah.

A humble station.

You would do well
to maintain it.

And His Holiness is?

You would find out
who His Holiness is?

Follow me then.

And this?

It-is called the
Pear of Anguish.

And its use?

It can be inserted,

into the mouth, or into the...

rect...
rect...

Aha, he means the
rectum, does he not?

The rear.

The back passage.

I believe he does,
Your Highness.

[♪]

[♪]

[♪]

You are now Aphrodite.

Lover of Hermes.

Mother of Hermaphrodite.

It almost harmonizes.

Sing, sing.

== sync, corrected by elderman ==