Here’s a recap of Versailles season 2’s dramatic finale. Co-created by former Spooks alum David Wolstencroft and Simon Mirren, Versailles is a Franco-Canadian historical drama set in 17th century France during the early reign of Louis XIV (George Blagden, Vikings). The series focuses on the king’s decision to move his entire court from Paris to Versailles to prevent the French nobility from rebelling. There, Louis transforms his father’s former hunting lodge into the lavish and sprawling chateau known today as the Palace of Versailles.
Those who equate historical dramas with stuffy, boring storylines shouldn’t be put off by Versailles – the show features more sex, violence, and backstabbing than the average episode of Game Of Thrones. In the second, semi-historically accurate season the king juggled everything from his childhood friend the Duke of Rohan (Alexis Michalik) trying to overthrow him and his ex-sidepiece Madame de Montespan (Anna Brewster, Star Wars: The Force Awakens) not taking their breakup particularly well to preparing to go to war with Holland.
Two dominant plots in the second season were the antics of Thomas Beaumont (Mark Rendall, Departure) – who was hired as Louis’ royal historiographer but was really a spy for the Dutch – and the Affair of the Poisons, a scandal which involved several high-ranking noblemen and women and saw several courtiers killed off. Both of those storylines concluded in Versailles' season 2 finale, with Louis’ right-hand man Fabien Marchal (Tygh Runyan, Stargate Universe) arresting occultist Madame Agathe (Suzanne Clément), who was behind the poisonings and rounding up everyone in cahoots with her.
Meanwhile, Prince Philippe (Alexander Vlahos, Merlin) was spying on Thomas at the behest of his brother Louis, but the Dutch mole soon figured out he’d been had and prepared to flee with lover Sophie (Maddison Jaizani, Into The Badlands) in tow. Luckily, before Thomas could escape, Philippe’s lover Chevalier (Evan Williams, Awkward) shot him dead after which Sophie made a quick getaway unharmed on Fabien’s orders who deemed her innocent.
Perhaps the juiciest part of Versailles’ season 2 finale was Louis’ discovery his former mistress Madame de Montespan was one of Agathe’s clients. Although she tried to deny it, Louis refused to believe her lies and the increasingly unhinged madame made an attempt on his life - and pretty much everybody else’s lives - by spiking the sacramental wine during communion at the palace chapel. Fortunately, Fabien managed to save the day before Louis took a sip and Montespan was ex-communicated for her sins. Madame Agathe, however, didn’t get off so lightly but she did provide a memorable ending to the Versailles season 2 finale which ended with her screams as she was burned at the stake for witchcraft.