According to Deadline, Starz has pulled Dangerous Liaisons, Becoming Elizabeth, and Step Up from its streaming platform.

All three shows have been canceled in recent months, but removing completed episodes from the place they called home is a big surprise.

It’s unclear whether any of the shows will materialize on another platform down the line, but for now, we should probably expect similar announcements from other streaming services.

HBO and HBO Max canceled many shows last year following the Warner Bros. Discovery merger.

Shows like Westworld, The Nevers, Raised By Wolves, The Time Traveler’s Wife, Love Life, and Fboy Island were all purged from the platform.

At the time, there were questions about where the shows would end up, and more recently, we learned that Warner Bros. Discovery plans to license them to ad-supported streaming services.

The same could be true for the trio of Starz shows, but with the news that Lionsgate is planning to spin off its studio from the premium cabler, there are probably questions about where some of these shows should air.

Stephen Amell, who stars in the premium cabler’s drama series Heels, signaled there were some changes on the horizon at the cabler.

In an appearance on Michael Rosenbaum’s Inside of You podcast, Amell revealed that the show wrapped production on its second season back in July.

“They are now in the process of, as best I understand it, ‘untangling’ that partnership,’” Amell said of the Lionsgate splitting from Starz.

“As they are untangling everything, they are figuring out which assets belong to whom.”

“So as a result, we wrapped filming [Season 2] on the first of July, and we don’t have a premiere date, let alone a trailer, let alone an indication of Season 3.”

Amell stated that the show should be on the air within the next few months but said that talks for a third season are almost underway.

What are your thoughts on the three shows being removed?

Hit the comments.

You Season 4: Meet the Cast!

Open List

The post Dangerous Liaisons, Becoming Elizabeth, and Step Up Pulled From Starz Following Cancellations appeared first on TV Fanatic.

So many shows had so much potential but failed to pull the viewership numbers to be deemed successful.

With so much content and so many channels and platforms, some shows never even stood a chance.

For some, it was a lack of promotion; for others, there was simply too much competition. Now we are left with threads dangling and no hope of closure!

Let's take a look at some of the year's most unjust cancellations.

Nancy Drew (The CW)

Unfortunately, 2022 will go down as the year we learned that the quirky and creative Nancy Drew was caught up in the carnage at The CW.

Nancy and the Drew Crew will have one more season to wrap up their criminal, supernatural, and romantic mysteries before the series concludes.

The showrunners promised fans of the iconic teenage sleuth that "Season 4 will be a worthy and resonant payoff for their continued love and support."

But as Nancy and her crew inspired such passion in their fans, no end will quite make up for a beloved series being cut short in its prime.

The Baby-Sitters Club (Netflix)

While it aired in 2021, it was canceled in March 2022, a decision that hurt the series greatly.

The coming-of-age series showed the lives of Kristy, Mary Anne, Claudia, Stacey, Dawn, Mallory, and Jessi and how they ran their babysitting business.

It showed female empowerment and real-life stories like juvenile diabetes, dating, divorce, and remarriage.

It was one of the few series directed at tween and teen girls, and we wish Netflix would have renewed it so that they could have filmed a Season 3 before the actors aged out.

DC's Legends of Tomorrow (The CW)

While it started sub-par, this kooky comedy about superhero outcasts soon became the best (and funniest) show in the Arrowverse.

With Sara lance pregnant with her wife's baby, the hilarious Donald Falson recently introduced as Booster Gold, and the whole team under arrest, so much was up in the air when DC's Legends of Tomorrow Season 7 ended.

Yet, Season 8 was not to be, probably because the show is so expensive. It's unfair! We need closure.

At least they should do a wrap-up movie. Now, Sara Lance will be forever pregnant.

Queer As Folk (Peacock)

All factors considered, the reboot was a good show.

It had captured the spirit and vibrancy of the original Queer As Folk with near perfection.

Like many shows in this list, it suffered because of a lack of promotion from Peacock, with many potential viewers finding out about it after it had been canceled.

It featured an updated look at the modern queer community without reservations. It's a once-in-a-decade show that might never happen again.

Legacies (The CW)

We had plenty of criticism for the series, but at least it kept The Vampire Diaries universe alive.

It may have been bogged down by too much teen drama and monsters of the week, but the show really found its footing during Legacies Season 4.

On top of that, we got more appearances from franchise veterans than ever, and the ending certainly hinted at a series much more in line with its predecessors.

One more season would have been great!

Saved By The Bell (Peacock)

The revival of the famed Saturday morning sitcom was far from perfect, but damn, was it fun.

The new generation of kids inhabiting the walls of Bayside High were all perfectly cast and had great chemistry together.

The first season showed a lot of potential, and Season 2 was even better in almost every faucet, but it failed to really generate a lot of buzz during its second outing.

Even though the fun was cut short, we should be eternally grateful that we got to see Zack Morris, A.C. Slater, Jessie Spano, Kelly Kapowski, and Lisa Turtle one last time.

The Midnight Club (Netflix)

Mike Flanagan's adaptation of Christopher Pike's cult (ha!) classic saw a group of terminally ill teens telling scary stories in a haunted hospice.

Audiences weren't sure what to expect as it was something of a departure from Flanagan's previous, more "adult" outings.

Part horror anthology, part teen drama, The Midnight Club deserved more of a chance than it got. There was still so much potential and material to be mined in Pike's vast body of work!

If it had been a ten-episode miniseries, we could have gotten the closure we needed on these characters — as it is, you can read what Flanagan had planned for Season 2 here.

Los Espookys (HBO)

The brilliant, twisted humor of this (mostly) Spanish-language series was an unsung miracle of existential narrative dressed up as the mishaps of a spunky group of entrepreneurs.

With biting commentary on the nature of politics mixed into the eerie coexistence of water demons and heirs to a chocolate dynasty, the cast delivered brilliant performances that accepted the world is weird and unexplainable at times.

Its abrupt cancellation left fans howling in frustration that they'll never know what was in Tati's purse now.

Made for Love (HBO Max)

HBO strikes again!

Made for Love's second season ended with so many dangling narrative threads.

What will a pregnant Hazel do with Gogol? Could Herb's consciousness be revived? We'll never know.

Audiences and critics alike enjoyed the series — it just happened to be another casualty of the WarnerMedia/Discovery merger.

Dangerous Liaisons (Starz)

Like a darker, edgier Bridgerton, this steamy prequel series got greenlit for a second season before any episodes had even aired.

Unfortunately, the series suffered from low ratings, and the renewal was revoked.

It's a shame because everything about Dangerous Liaisons Season 1 was first-rate — the direction, the score, the costumes, the acting, and the off-the-charts chemistry of Camille (Alice Englert) and Valmont (Nicholas Denton).

Even if we don't get closure on some of the new plotlines, we do know how the characters end up thanks to the 1988 original — but it sure would have been fun to see more of how they got there!

Warrior Nun (Netflix)

Warrior Nun was Netflix's hidden gem and underrated cult hit. It's a shame that the series got abruptly canceled when things were just hitting new highs!

Season 2 was a big improvement as the action and special effects picked up, the characters became more confident, and the main overarching story was gearing up for an intense holy war.

And we can't forget about the romance that finally came to be between Ava and Beatrice; their 'ship was ripped out from under us!

It's a sight to see when a TV series breaks through the sophomore slump and continues its strong momentum. Warrior Nun had plenty of stories left to tell; the series shouldn't have ended when it did.

Batwoman (The CW)

This adaptation of a lesser-known DC Comics character deserved better.

It survived the unceremonious departure of original star Ruby Rose as Javicia Leslie smoothly filled Batwoman's cowl for its final two seasons.

The series also had an enjoyable supporting cast of Rachel Skarsten, Meagan Tandy, Nicole Kang, and Camrus Johnson.

But just as the show was gaining traction while mining some of Batman's memorable characters, it was purged with way too many others listed in this feature as CW slashed costs for an upcoming sale. 

The Bastard Son and The Devil Himself (Netflix)

This was one YA adaptation that should have been a smash hit for Netflix if only they had set more than a dollar to promote the show.

The show was funny, bloody, and explosive. It featured a great storyline with good performances and a diverse cast. It is not common to see shows with Black bisexual male leads anywhere.

Like many others in this list, the show had a lot to explore more, with the first season setting up an interesting television universe that viewers could get invested in.

The Wilds (Prime Video)

Like Yellowjackets, The Wilds was a riveting exploration of young women in an unparalleled experience.

The controversial choice to add young men into the equation made sense for the sake of a twisted experiment.

And things were just getting more gripping than ever when the groups learned that they instead of a rescue, they entered a new phase of the experiment. There was so much story left to tell!

DC's Stargirl (The CW)

One of the last remaining remnants of the quickly dying down Arrowverse, DC's Stargirl was an underdog series but proved its worth.

Even though it only aired three seasons before getting canceled, Brec Bassinger and co greatly showcased their talents as the JSA and kept it going until the very last fight.

Unlike some shows that had abrupt cancellations for 2022, the cast was able to film two different endings depending on the news, and things wrapped up like a nice Christmas bow.

Fans got much closure at the end, which left the door open for a possible return in the future.

Raised By Wolves (HBO Max)

Raised by Wolves Season two upped the ante for many of the characters, and Mother's journey took many different turns.

Sadly, HBO Max often gave this show the short end of the stick, either by not advertising enough or pushing the release date.

Not only had HBO Max canceled the series after a stellar second outing, but they've also announced that they are removing it entirely from the platform.

We're sad that we won't get to know the rest of the story and wish that the show could go out on its own terms.

TV Shows That Ended Too Soon

Open List

There are so many more; this is just the tip of the iceberg!

What shows will you miss the most? Have we left out any of your favorites?

Share your thoughts in the comments!

The post 2022’s Best Shows That Got Canceled appeared first on TV Fanatic.

On Dangerous Liaisons Season 1 Episode 8, Camille makes her bed and lies in it.

Camille conveniently (too conveniently?) found a secret passageway leading to a staircase, which led to a tunnel, which led to a secret room, where Jean left “Ariadnes” for the Duke.

Victoire was set to be the next one, but Camille found her. When Jean tried to stop her, they did the only logical thing and killed him — luckily, Majordome also showed up.

Camille and Jean have been married for, what, a day? And now he’s dead. No matter how you look at it, that will be suspicious.

Luckily, Majordome — Étienne, rather — quickly became Camille’s most faithful ally, which was unexpected but welcome. She needs him in her corner. We know he never liked Jean anyway — he was only ever loyal to Genevieve, but now we know why.

Victoire: Find peace, Camille. Please, for me.

Camille: After tonight.

Victoire: Then let me help you dress for your battle.

_{🔗 permalink: Then let me help you dress for your battle.}

Finally, Camille apologized to Victoire for her behavior. About time!

We can’t blame Victoire for wanting to get as far away from this madness as possible. The new world seems like a good goal. She was all too gracious with Camille — but better to be on her good side.

Victoire’s goodbye to Étienne was touching, too. Their dynamic has always been interesting to watch, and what it evolved into was something quite special.

Étienne: I hope to see who you become in the future.

Victoire: I’m Victoire.

Étienne: You’re victorious.

_{🔗 permalink: You’re victorious.}

At the opera, we got one more little taste of Paloma Faith’s Florence de Reignier. We will miss her catty quips!

Florence de Reignier: Oh, look! The most meteoric rise since Christ on the third day.

_{🔗 permalink: Oh, look! The most meteoric rise since Christ on the third day.}

I mentioned this in my review of Dangerous Liaisons Season 1 Episode 7, but it pushes the bounds of belief that an opera like this in a day. It was gorgeous, and the music was wonderful, but it just felt implausible.

It’s clear from this episode that Jacqueline de Montrachet is not too bright, or at least extremly gullible.

Pascal’s Lucien was certainly believable, but she was sp easily convinced to write a letter confessing her feelings and Henri’s misdeed, which Lucien would then read in public. How in any way did she feel comfortable agreeing to that?

Valmont: God will always save us.

_{🔗 permalink: God will always save us.}

Pascal’s really got a way with the ladies — it’s almost like a gift from God.

It also took Jacqueline a little too long to figure out that the opera was about her.

Her confrontation with Camille was lovely up until Camille broke her brain with the revelation about Lucien. You could tell Jacqueline meant it when she said she had loved Camille.

Their reunion had less vitriol than expected — oh, there was plenty by the end, but the tender stuff was a great way to start it off.

Unfortunately, Henri is using his power as a doctor to ship Jacqueline off to an asylum. It’s hard to imagine why he thinks this would be less of a scandal than her running off with another man, but that’s probably just his excuse.

Henri gets off on power over women, including his wife, and does what he wants. As of now, he’s seen no repercussions.

When he yelled at Jacqueline about “his” child, my heart broke for her, even if only for a moment. Her choices have never been great — what she did to Camille was unforgivable — but he’s an emotionally abusive tyrant, and Jacqueline was a victim of that.

Camille: Tell your husband — the higher he rises, the higher I will climb until I bring him down.

_{🔗 permalink: Tell your husband — the higher he rises, the higher I will climb until I bring him down.}

Once again, the divide between the rich and the poor was brought to light — like the man who yelled at Chevalier for daring to put a peasant’s plight at the center of a narrative.

Then the audience proceeded to shame Chevalier for calling out one of their own. It was definitely not the reaction he was expecting!

I loved Camille giving away her jewels to the sex workers. It shows she will never forget where she came from, how hard she struggled to break free, and how she wants to make sure other women have the means to leave the life she left.

Speaking of the life she left, Gabriel and his powers of deduction come back on the scene and ruin everything. Note to the guys reading this — blackmailing a woman is not the way to win her over.

Is he just going to prevent her from ever loving anyone ever again? My guess would be, if this were to continue, Camille would eventually find a way to dispose of Gabriel once and for all. He’s just the worst.

Though, to be fair, Camille and Étienne were sloppy — surely, they had to anticipate that the body of a Marquis would be examined post-mortem and someone would notice the strangulation marks.

Giving Camille one of Valmont’s classic lines from the original — “It’s beyond my control” — in her final letter was poetic, though.

Sadly, Dangerous Liaisons was initially renewed for a second season, but the renewal was revoked, and the show is now canceled. Another network may pick it up, but with all the cancellations these days, it’s hard to be hopeful.

There are a few dangling threads that will not be resolved — the biggest one being Odette, of course.

Not only did we not get a reunion between Camille and her daughter, but Camille still doesn’t even know her daughter is still alive. It was a constant tease the way Pascal and Jacqueline could have told her on many different instances but never did.

Rose! Oh, Rose. You were going to do so much. All setup, no payoff. Where was she going with Valmont’s letters? It looks like we’ll never know.

There are other characters who show up in the original story, but we don’t know how they’ll get there from where we sit currently — Danceny, Emilie, and Cecile.

What was Ondine and Pascal’s alliance, and how would Prevan have figured in there, especially with his fiancée Cecile?

Who the hell was this Duke, and why was he killing anonymous women Jean procured for him? He will remain a mystery!

Camille met the Queen in Dangerous Liaisons Season 1 Episode 6, which never amounted to anything. There would likely have been more ground to explore there.

This was a dark finale (sometimes so dark, it was hard to know what was going on) and a somewhat uneven conclusion to a very strong series that could have been so much more had it been allowed to continue.

What did you think of the finale? Which characters will you miss most? How do you see the stories playing out? Share your thoughts in the comments.

The post Dangerous Liaisons Season 1 Episode 8 Review: It’s War appeared first on TV Fanatic.

Camille heads downstairs to find all the furniture covered. Majordome explains all the servants have left, as Jean intends to take her to Saint-Domingue, where they will reside.

Camille refuses to leave Paris, as she has to be at the opera tonight. Majordome wishes her luck, kisses her hand, and then leaves her alone.

Pascal is being held prisoner in the Montrachet home.

Azolan heads to Pascal's but finds it empty. He opens the door, only to see Ondine standing there. She steps in and searches. She asks Azolan for Pascal's whereabouts.

Azolan tells her Pascal is out. She tells him to give Pascal a message — his allegiance to Camille will be his downfall, and he should call on her, as she has a proposition. Ondine leaves.

Jacqueline asks Henri for Odette's whereabouts. He tells her the girl is hidden, to be raised by women without moral failing. Henri scolds her for trying to steal his child and potentially bringing his name into disrepute.

Jacqueline asks what he is going to do to Lucien. Henri says he will make him "disappear" and threatens to send Jacqueline to the asylum if any gossip gets out.

Abbaye meets with Jean. Abbaye asks if Jean has done all the Duke requires. Jean says an "Ariadne" waits for the Duke in the usual place, but he is done with this work. Abbaye bows and bids him goodbye — until his services are required again.

Camille returns to her room and finds Victoire's cloak. She searches the home's many rooms for Victoire but cannot find her. Camile kneels in the chapel. She notices a tapestry blowing in the wind. She looks behind it and finds a secret passageway.

Camille heads downstairs into a dark tunnel. She takes a lantern from the wall and walks further, now up some stairs. She notices a red thread on the floor and follows it. It leads her to doors on the ground, which she opens. She calls for Victoire.

Jean appears, telling her they have to get out. Victoire calls from the hidden room below. Camille runs to her. Jean tells Camille to leave her, saying Victoire is an "Ariadne" now. Camille grabs a rope and attempts to strangle him.

Jean overpowers her and grabs her by the throat, holding her against the wall. Majordome appears and smashes the lantern over Jean's head. Jean falls.

Camille chokes Jean with the rope until he dies on the ground. Majordome looks over the corpse of his dead master. Camille hugs Victoire.

Jacqueline visits Pascal, who is bloody and beaten. She slaps him across the face. He stands. She tells him that her husband intends to punish him and she cannot save him, but she can save his soul. She tells him to kneel and ask God for forgiveness.

Jacqueline kneels with him and tells the manservant to leave them in private. She tells him Henri is threatening her with the asylum and wants to kill Lucien.

Pascal asks if she will go to the opera, which she confirms. He asks her to write everything about them in a letter. He will find a way to get to the opera, threaten Henri if he does not let them go together, and read the letter to the audience.

Jacqueline says this would ruin her. Pascal says Henri will not let him finish to protect himself.

Majordome says he ought to send for the guards, but Camille reproaches him for trying to seek justice for a man like Jean.

Majordome tells her that Jean took away his name 20 years ago when he brought him to Saint-Honoré, and tells her his real name is Étienne du Beurre. He assures he there will be no guards and tells her to leave this to him.

Jacqueline writes a letter to Henri about the terrible thing he did all those years ago. Suzette brings her tea, but Jacqueline says nothing to her maid.

Camille cleans Victoire up, asking if Jean did anything to her. Victoire says he didn't touch her. Camille apologizes for putting Victoire at risk and for everything she did.

Camille says Victoire is her best friend and Victoire returns the sentiment. Camille assures her they can have the life they always wanted now he's gone.

Victoire says she must go. Camille asks for forgiveness. Victoire forgives her; she wants to go to the new world to see who she can be without Camille. Victoire asks Camille to find peace. Camille says she will, after tonight.

Abbaye gives Gabriel some extra coin, but Gabriel says he has done nothing to earn it. Abbaye urges him to forget the matter of the club and focus on keeping good men safe.

Pascal, alone, struggles to free himself.

Dressed for the opera, Camille tells Victoire she worries about how she'll get on without her. Camille asks Victoire to promise they'll be together again.

Camille puts the finishing touches on her makeup. Victoire has already left.

Victoire heads downstairs, where Étienne gives her provisions for her journey. Victoire asks him to care for Camille, though she may not always thank him. Étienne hugs Victoire, and Victoire leaves.

Jacqueline heads out to the opera, but Henri is not there. Suzette tells her that she is to accompany her to the opera, and they must not delay.

Pascal manages to knock a file off the table and grabs it. He saws the rope that binds his hands.

Jacqueline orders the carriage to stop when she sees Azolan. Suzette says they must not stop, but Jacqueline insists the boy needs her charity. She gets out, gives Azolan the letter, and tells him Pascal is in her house but will be out soon.

Jacqueline returns to the carriage, and they drive away. Azolan opens the letter and reads it.

Camille tells Étienne she must leave and that Jean cannot be found in the house. Étienne says he will take Jean's body and dump it in a ditch outside Paris. Camille says that as Jean's widow, she still holds his power, and they realize he must be found.

All of Parisian society is in attendance at the Queen's opera. Florence de Reignier notes to Eloise that Camille, in her box, has married the Marquis. Jacqueline arrives and sits in her box. Camille watches from across the opera hall.

Fanfare sounds. The Queen enters, and all stand and bow before her. She sits. Chevalier Saint-Jacques steps out before the audience to applause. He informs them that the story they are about to see is true, and all the characters in the story are in this theatre.

The opera begins, and the opening number is a woman (Chevalier's male lover) singing that secrets are the greatest power of her sex.

Pascal emerges from his prison and hugs Azolan, saying they must get to the opera.

A young woman playing Camille sings onstage. Another woman, representing Jacqueline, appears and sings that they will be like mother and daughter.

Jacqueline applauds and looks at Camille in her box.

On stage, the story continues as the Opera-Camille dances with the Opera-Henri. Camille and Jacqueline both grow uncomfortable. Opera-Henri rips Opera-Camille's bodice open to reveal a corset.

Jacqueline recalls an argument with Henri when she confronted him, saying Camille insists she's with child and that he took her against her will. Henri says that Camille is lying.

Opera-Henri sings to Opera-Camille that this will be their secret.

Pascal has explained the situation to Azolan, who understands. Pascal finds himself in an impossible situation. Without giving the letter to Camille, she would think he failed. But with the letter, she will know her daughter didn't die but is still lost to her.

Opera-Camille laments her plight.

Étienne douses Jean's body with alcohol, leaves him in the middle of the street, and then hides as a carriage runs over the body.

In a snowy scene at a gate, Opera-Jacqueline confronts Opera-Camille, repeating that God does not forgive. Jacqueline grows more uncomfortable in her box.

Opera-Camille pulls out a dagger. The crowd gasps. Opera-Camille slices her wrists, and red ribbons flow from her wrists. The entire company appears onstage, singing "Even God does not forgive" over and over, slowly pointing at Jacqueline in her box.

Jacqueline looks across the theatre at Camille and whispers her name.

The crowd sits in stunned silence. Chevalier Saint-Jacques joins the company onstage. An audience member stands, angrily reprimanding the Chevalier for exalting a peasant, stating that they are their betters.

Camille looks at the Montrachet box, but it is empty. She gets up and leaves. The crowd yells "Shame!" at Chevalier.

Jacqueline walks alone through the empty entrance hall. Camille appears, removing the ribbons from her wrists and exposing her scars, and tells Jacqueline not to run. Jacqueline asks her why she did all this. Camille says Jacqueline knew what Henri did but chose to stand by him.

Jacqueline insists the consequences were too great for her, but if she could go back and change it, she would have protected Camille, for she loved her.

Camille hugs her and asks for her help. She begs Jacqueline to tell the crowd that the opera is the truth — a man like Henri cannot be at the king's side.

Jacqueline says she must leave before it is too late — she is not protecting Henri but escaping from him, leaving Paris tonight with a man.

Camille mentions Lucien. Jacqueline asks how she knows Lucien. Camille says she created him — she has paid him to make her love him. Jacqueline won't believe it.

Camille reminds her that Jacqueline fell into his arms when she was doused in pig's blood. It has all been lies at Camille's command to draw a letter from Jacqueline.

Jacqueline breaks down in tears. She asks Camille when it will end. Camille replies that it won't. Jacqueline, in a stupor, leaves, as the opera lets out and everyone else departs.

Camille leaves the opera, walking down a dark alley. The prostitutes tease her, asking if she has come to judge them. Camille removes her jewels and passes them out among the women. She bows deeply to them and walks to her carriage, where Pascal sits, still bloody.

Camille is surprised to see him. He says he's been trying to get back to her because he loves her. He takes her hand. She asks what happened to him. He says he needs to tell her about Jacqueline, but she refuses to hear.

Camille tells him she is his and that she wants to live again. They ride away.

Jacqueline returns home to Henri. He says he warned her, and she did not heed him. He rings for the guards, and they drag her away, screaming.

Pascal reminds Camille that everything is a map, and they remember their time together making love on the map of Paris. They kiss.

Rose considers the letters. A client comes in, and she tells him she doesn't work there, pushing him aside, saying she is meant for better things, and she leaves.

Abbaye informs Gabriel that the Marquis de Merteuil was found dead in the streets last night, run over by a carriage. The matter of the Labyrinth is closed. Gabriel examines Jean's body and notices the strangulation marks around his neck.

Camille leaves Pascal's in the early morning. Azolan comes in, noting Camille seemed happy. Pascal says he couldn't tell her and that they must first find Odette, and then he will tell her.

Azolan gives Pascal Ondine's card, saying she came by, that she knows all about him and Camille, and has a proposition for him.

Camille returns home. Étienne gives Camille a black cloak and veil, telling her Jean's body was found, she's in mourning, and there's an officer to see her.

Gabriel enters. He does not recognize her. He informs her that he believes her husband was murdered. Camille says a carriage ran him over.

Gabriel says Jean had a rope burn around his neck. He asks her if she found out before or after the opera. Camille says she wouldn't have gone to the opera had she known.

Gabriel notes she is not dressed for grief. She tries to hide her hands. He grabs her hands and sees the rope burns. He pulls off her veil and recognizes her.

Gabriel is surprised to see "his" Camille here as he thought she was dead. She offers him money. He insists she is hers, as he paid for her. She says she will do whatever he wants if he lets her go. Gabriel wants her to love him.

Camille refuses. He tells her she will not love any other man and bids her write to Valmont and tell him she'll never see him again. She must do this, or Gabriel will see she hangs for her crime.

Camille writes a letter to Valmont. She tells him he has played a game with him — she never forgave him and used him every day so that she might flourish in this world. She says her marriage has given her wealth, a title, and widowhood — all things she wanted. She says she will not see him again.

Valmont shows up at Saint-Honoré, calling for Camille, saying he knows what she wrote is a lie, but Étienne holds him back. Étienne tells him every word is true, and he should never come again. Étienne throws Pascal out.

Valmont shows up at Ondine's, asking about her proposition. She tells him it will be on her terms. He says it will be on his terms and asks her to listen.

When the matter is settled, Pascal leaves.

At the Marquis's funeral, the priest asks everyone to pray for the widow de Merteuil. After the funeral, Étienne helps Camille up. As they walk down the aisle, Ondine tells her she is sorry for her loss.

Valmont walks beside Camille. Camille tells him if he loves her, he should walk away. Valmont tells her it's war between them now and walks away. Gabriel watches Camille from the shadows.

The post Dangerous Liaisons Season 1 Episode 8 Recap: It’s War appeared first on TV Fanatic.

On Dangerous Liaisons Season 1 Episode 7, Jacqueline puts all her cards on the table, while Camille plays fast and loose with Jean's affections.

There was so much plot progression in this episode, but not all of it worked.

Camille and Valmont end up in starkly different places from the beginning (making love and promises to each other) to the end (Valmont is beaten within an inch of his life, and Camille is married to the Marquis).

The big reveal here was that Camille's baby survived! This was fairly obvious based on the way Camille told her story to Pascal in Dangerous Liaisons Season 1 Episode 6.

The darkest part of this is that Jacqueline has been raising Odette as her own all these years, presumably in secret. Is Jacqueline worried about someone finding out the girl's parentage?

It seems like it would be easy enough to explain, given Jacqueline's charity work, that they adopted a little girl from an orphanage. People will gossip that she's barren anyway. Since she doesn't have any children, it's a logical assumption.

Jacqueline de Montrachet: You’ve accused me previously of being loveless.

Henri de Montrachet: I didn’t mean it as a challenge!

_{🔗 permalink: I didn’t mean it as a challenge!}

However, being barren is no excuse to STEAL A BABY and then basically leave her mother for dead. What's more, she knew Henri raped Camille but somehow was worried Camille would destroy her marriage? That's seriously disturbing.

Jacqueline is the worst kind of hypocrite. The true face of evil hides behind prayers and piety. Jacqueline feels guilt, but only enough to go to extra confession, not enough to actually make things right, which she could easily do by finding Camille and giving her child back.

For all her banal evil, Jacqueline is still totally clueless about what's really going on. She still thinks Pascal is Lucien and has no idea he's doing this for Camille.

Valmont: I am sick with love. I wanted to possess you, to fling you down upon a bed, to hold you in my arms, to walk with you beside a river, lay flowers on your pillow for when you wake.

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Jacqueline's just a rich woman in an unhappy marriage, in love with an ideal man who doesn't exist. What will happen to her now that Henri knows she planned to run away with "Lucien" and Odette?

Unfortunately, Valmont's daring plan to extricate Odette failed miserably, thanks to Suzette's betrayal. It's odd that Pascal even thought he could trust Suzette — he tried to blackmail her before! He shouldn't have let her go back for the blanket. Including Suzette was a costly mistake.

All the servants are asserting themselves as power players, or at least trying. Azolan is frustrated with Valmont and Camille, but his livelihood depends on Pascal, so who can blame him? When he visits Jacqueline's place, he only sees the riches within reach.

Also, it's funny that Azolan is trying to mess with Camille and lying about Pascal's plans, but he's unconvincing. However, that seed planted makes Camille jump to conclusions later on.

Also, it's only barely hinted at, but Azolan's "feelings" for Victoire are probably part of why Azolan still puts up with Camille's drama.

Speaking of Victoire, she finally made an appearance later in the episode. So, Camille was right in that regard — it was only a quarrel, though she will likely be furious when she finds out what happened to the letters.

Little did Victoire know the always-skulking Rose would be there to seize an opportunity.

How will Rose's acquisition of the letters come into play? She can barely read them, but Madame Jericho can, and so could Gabriel. Will Rose and/or Jericho try to sell them to someone rich in order to procure a wealthy sum?

Technically, Camille still owes Jericho, and now she's a Marquise. Rose would have recognized Victoire from their time together.

Then, there's Ondine and Prevan, who only appeared briefly on this episode. Ondine vowed revenge — could they acquire the letters somehow?

It was a nice touch that, when Ondine's mama bear claws came out, she made it clear that she still loved and supported her son despite knowing he was gay. Ondine's a piece of work for many reasons, but you have to respect her for that.

Ondine and Prevan will likely be at the opera, which is where no doubt where everything will come to a head. The very first scene of the series took place at the opera (as well as the final scene of the original film), so it makes dramatic sense to bookend it there.

Chevalier Saint-Jacques: Why did I believe Valmont could save me?

Camille: Because he needs us to believe it fills the great dark abyss we mistake for his heart.

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Chevalier Saint-Jacques's plotline felt highly implausible. How could you be presenting an opera for the Queen and all the aristocracy the following day and still not have a plot?! It's just reckless and poor planning.

I can't believe the Chevalier would rely solely on Pascal and not have a backup plan. This is his life and reputation at stake. And then, once Camille tells him his story, he immediately sobers up and is ready to work all night and day to get it ready. Really?

It will inevitably go this way — Chevalier will magically work Camille's wild and dramatically satisfying story into his opera (which will be flawless despite only having half a day of rehearsal, and all the songs will somehow fit the plot).

It will either be an exposé of Pascal's liaisons and his deception of Jacqueline OR Camille's story of her betrayal by the Montrachets, possibly a combination of both.

It makes sense that Gabriel's boss, Abbaye, is part of the Labyrinth. Such enterprises need the police in their pocket.

What's the deal with this duke, thought? Doesn't Jean own the Labyrinth? A duke outranks a marquis, so Jean might have to answer to him.

Something even more sinister is going on here. Does Jean intend to throw Camille to the wolves, so to speak, or will he protect her now that they are married? There were witnesses to his marriage — he wouldn't just disappear her, would he?

Jean de Merteuil: Do not turn compassion into torture.

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And how did the Labyrinth shut down so quickly? Where did everyone go? And is Gabriel now the good guy? What is happening?

Too much of this episode relied on contrivances, coincidence, and conclusion-jumping.

At the beginning of the episode, Camille tries to get out of marrying Jean, and by the end, she wants to do it immediately. Why couldn't it be in a few days or the following week?

Camille makes rash decisions without all the information based on faulty assumptions. It's frustrating. She never stops to consider alternatives, nor does she ever give Pascal the benefit of the doubt — not that he's earned it by any means.

Jean de Merteuil: Do you know the thing about power, Marquise? It corrupts all of those who have it. Can you imagine what that does to the soul?

Camille: It makes you capable of anything.

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There's no reason she should, except that her entire future is at stake. Azolan's seed dropped in her mind and confirmed her worst fears, coupled with the fact that Pascal's place was empty.

It's all getting a bit Romeo and Juliet-like — hasty decisions lead to dire consequences.

There were a few little plot points that came back here from earlier in the season.

However, they were clumsily inserted and felt random — like Chevalier's opera, and the mesmerist randomly holding a burning ritual that Rose and Victoire conveniently showed up to at the same time.

We still don't know where Victoire went when she left. If we assume she went to Madame Jericho, it's possible Rose could have followed her — that would make sense. It felt like a pretty big coincidence.

Victoire should have watched the letters burn! You want to be sure those were destroyed. It was just sloppy.

Also, it was very convenient (for the plot) that Pascal didn't communicate his plans to Camille. Naturally, he wanted to surprise her, and it's possible he was worried about a letter being intercepted.

However, you'd think he would have found a way to immediately tell Camille her daughter was alive instead of springing it on her. Still, given that Camille is known for behaving rashly, he can't really be faulted.

It's the type of situation that could have been avoided with clear communication.

We know Pascal loves Camille, and we know what his intentions are with Odette. His reaction to seeing her was incredibly moving, and he made it work for Lucien. But Camille doesn't even know Odette is alive.

There's just so much information some characters are not privy to that we are, and it occasionally made this episode dramatically frustrating.

Still, we will watch the fireworks! How much will the Queen get involved?

Valmont: Mere mortals do not go to the sun.

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Who will be ruined at the opera, and whose secrets will come to light?

Will someone die in the final episode? Who knows what will happen?

How do you think it will all go down? Share your thoughts in the comments! 

The post Dangerous Liaisons Season 1 Episode 7 Review: Here Is My Soul appeared first on TV Fanatic.

Camille visits Valmont, who is still in bed. She tells him that Victoire has left her and lies down in bed with him. Victoire wants her to let go of the past, but Camille is resolute that she will make the Montrachets pay.

Camille also tells Valmont about her meeting with the Queen, and how if he can secure a letter from Jacqueline, she could show it to the Queen. Pascal says she will not get close to the Queen again, but she informs him of the opera.

Pascal suggests that he deliver the letter as Lucien and then return to his identity of Valmont for good.

Camille and Pascal make love.

After, she asks him if he can get the letter from Jacqueline by the night after tomorrow, when the opera will be.

Valmont assures her that he could, even sooner, and she just needs to leave Saint-Honoré and meet him at the Luxembourg Gardens at 8 p.m. tomorrow. She tells him she loves him.

Henri confronts Jacqueline, saying that one of the young men at his lecture was at the ball, and saw Jacqueline with another man. She plays innocent, but he sees through her.

Henri warns her that rumors like this could lead to him losing his opportunity at Versailles, and she stands to lose as much as him.

Suzette brings Jacqueline a letter. It reads, "I do not want to live without you."

Jacqueline tears it up and throws it in the fire.

Camille returns to Saint-Honoré, which is filled with an excess of beautiful flowers. The Majordome explains this is due to the Marquis's affection for her.

Camille meets Jean in the drawing room. He presents her with a bouquet and seats her at the table. The servants exit. Jean presents her with a mechanical singing bird in a cage.

Camille says she has been thinking about their marriage and feels awful that she has manipulated him into loving her while he was still grieving, and she begs him to take more time to decide if this is what he truly wants.

Azolan gives Pascal a letter from Jacqueline. It reads, "Don't write to me again."

Pascal, as Lucien, approaches Jacqueline on the street, asking about the orphanage. She defers, saying if it's funding he's after, he should ask her husband. Pascal requests to speak with her privately. She gets in her carriage, and he follows.

Pascal tells Jacqueline he regrets that he didn't make love to her the night before when he had the chance. She admonishes him for his wickedness. He kisses her hand. She thanks him for saving her from herself and tells him their business is concluded. She opens the carriage door, and he leaves.

Pascal says he will go to Jacqueline again tomorrow, as he made a promise to Camille. Azolan scolds him for taking such risks for Camille's revenge and warns him his love for Camille will destroy him. Azolan leaves Pascal alone.

Jean approaches Camille, saying he is more certain than ever and offers to bring his priest within the hour. Camille stresses that she wants to plan her perfect wedding day.

Camille writes to Valmont, urging him to hurry. Servants bring her a box full of the addresses of the aristocracy, with a note from Jean telling her to invite them all. She goes through the box and finds the card of the Vicomte de Valmont.

Camille writes in her letter that she promises to avenge Pascal just as he avenges her.

Camille pays a visit to the Vicomte, Prevan, and presents him with a wedding gift. It is a picture of a naked man with a large member. Prevan expresses confusion, saying this is not to his taste.

Camille explains to him that she knows of his liaisons at the Labyrinth. He asks he what she wants for her silence. She tells him he must return the title of Vicomte to the rightful heir, Pascal.

Gabriel presents the ball of thread to the chief, Abbaye, and explains about the Labyrinth club.

Gabriel recounts how a surgeon he knows has found another girl's body in the river who choked on a ball of thread like this. He requests permission to question all involved at the Labyrinth.

Abbaye warns him to leave this alone and return to his "work." Gabriel gets angry and leaves. Abbaye tucks the ball into his pocket.

Jacqueline and Suzette go to give alms, but Lucien is already there, playing with the children. Jacqueline tries to leave, but Lucien pursues. She tells him she is going to Versailles with her husband.

Pascal says he merely wishes to thank her and apologize. He says he mistook her devotion for loneliness and realizes that she must be happy in her marriage to Henri. She calls him out for praising her husband, as yesterday he said he wanted to make love to her.

Pascal confesses he is still sick with love for her and tells her he is leaving Paris. He walks away. Jacqueline runs after him. She asks what will happen to her if he leaves, and he tells her confession should be fine.

Gabriel visits the Labyrinth, but it is empty. He searches the halls with a lantern. He finds a ball of thread stuck on the wall. Jacqueline writes a letter to "Lucien," telling him she must see him before she leaves Paris.

He arrives at her house, and Suzette shows him in. Jacqueline says they will discuss the orphanage. She shows him into the drawing room. He tells her he will name the orphanage "The Children of Jacqueline." She tells him she doesn't want to discuss the orphanage. 

Jacqueline says he is wrong in his charitable thoughts of her husband — she is alone in her marriage. He says he is happy o hear it, though he condemns his soul to say so. Silently, she leads him down the hallways through the many rooms until they are in her bedroom.

Pascal shuts the doors, and they begin to kiss. They sink onto her bed, but she sees the bloody dress and tells him she must give her confession before they make love.

She tells him that Camille was her servant and Henri defiled her and got her pregnant. Jacqueline says she could not let Camille destroy her marriage. Pascal says God forgives her.

Jacqueline takes Pascal to another room, where a young girl — Odette — lies asleep. Jacqueline tells him that this is her soul. She explains that she is barren and took the child when Camille was sleeping.

Pascal walks away. She asks if he will have her now. He is silent, trying to hold back the tears. She embraces him, saying she wants to be with him, not go to Versailles. Finally, he can speak, saying he will find a way for them to be together.

Pascal leaves, overwhelmed, in tears. He tells azolan to send a letter reminding Camille they are to meet. He tells him to send a letter to Jacqueline, wait for her reply, hire a cart, pack up, and meet him at Montmartre.

Pascal writes to inform Jacqueline of the plan — he will come tonight under the pretense of discussing the orphanage, and Henri must be there. While they are speaking, Suzette should take Odette to the carriage — Jacqueline must tell them she plans to surprise Henri with a carriage ride to watch the fireworks before leaving for Versailles.

Azolan delivers the letter and tells Jacqueline he is to wait for her reply. Pascal continues — he will go with Odette and Suzette, and then Jacqueline should meet them in a half hour, and he will pay for Suzette'e silence. Jacqueline tells Azolan, "Yes."

Majordome shows Azolan to Camille's room. Majordome leaves. Azolan says he first asked for Victoire, but Majordome said she was gone. Camille says if he has a message for Victoire, she'll see that Victoire gets it.

Azolan asks how she'll do that as Victoire has left her. Camille says they have simply quarreled. Camille gives him some of her things to take.

Azolan says Valmont says she shouldn't come tonight, as he's better off as Lucien. Camille doesn't believe him, and she insists she loves Valmont. She says she will see him tonight, as agreed. Azolan leaves without taking the bag.

Prevan tells his mother, Ondine, about Camille asking him to relinquish his title. He explains he has a secret life, and she will ruin him. Ondine is furious, but not at Prevan, who she knows and loves, but she will destroy Camille.

Camille goes out for the evening, but as she leaves, she notices Abbaye is in the front hall, sniffling.

Majordome lets Abbaye in to see the Marquis. Abbaye tells Jean that one of his men keeps pulling "Ariadnes" from the Seine. He says he's closed the club, but Gabriel will not look away for long.

Jean tells him to approach the Duke. He says the Duke must only be served, and Jean must find a girl who leaves no trace. Abbaye suggests Camille. Jean says he will do nothing more, and Abbaye insists Jean will do whatever is asked of him.

Pascal arrives at the home of the Montrachets. Suzette takes Odette from her bed. Jacqueline and Lucien meet with Henri to discuss a donation. Lucien assures him that even the Montrachet name would be a boon.

Henri tells him to leave the details with Jacqueline, and they will help however they can.

Lucien heads down to the carriage, where Suzette and Odette are waiting. Odette is asleep. Suzette says she has forgotten Odette's blanket and must go back to get it. Pascal tells her to go.

Pascal tells the sleeping child that he is taking her back to her mother. Suzette returns without the blanket. As soon as Pascal notices, he is pulled out of the carriage and beaten by Henri's servants. They drag him away. Suzette returns Odette to Henri.

Camille waits alone in the gardens.

Camille heads to Valmont's apartment, but it is empty. Chevalier Saint-Jacques is there, drunk, saying Pascal cannot be found. He laments that he has no story. Camille is surprised as the opera is tomorrow.

They both complain of Valmont's betrayal. Camille tells him to sit, and she'll tell him a story. She begins.

Victoire and Rose both show up at a street show — it is the mesmerist, Antoine, bidding people burn the things they do not need. Victoire throws Valmont's letters into the fire. Rose pulls them out before they can burn.

Camille concludes her story. Chevalier is grateful, saying he will have a fantastic opera. He tells her she is best off without him.

Camille asks Jean to send for his priest. They marry that night.

In their bed-chamber, she asks him to take her to the opera tomorrow. She wants all of Paris to know who she is — the Marquise de Merteuil. They go to bed together.

Victoire returns to Saint-Honoré.

Rose reads the letters as best she can, though she has trouble.

Jean wraps the sleeping Camille in a thread.

Victoire makes a fire in her room. Jean hears the noise and goes to see. He approaches Victoire silently. She backs away. He assures her it's alright. Overcome with fear, she faints.

The post Dangerous Liaisons Season 1 Episode 7 Recap: Here Is My Soul appeared first on TV Fanatic.

Starz has canceled Dangerous Liaisons, despite picking up a second season earlier this year.

Deadline first reported the news, revealing that the final three episodes of Dangerous Liaisons Season 1 will air as scheduled.

The series had been renewed ahead of its series premiere in November.

While it has been reported that Starz felt the show was in a strong place creatively, the numbers were not strong enough to sustain the series any longer.

The series has been below 100,000 viewers for its live + same-day ratings, even going as low as 52,000 viewers.

The premium cabler has not reported any delayed viewing numbers, likely meaning the show didn't make much of an impact post-airdate.

The second season was expected to begin production in Prague in 2023.

“‘Dangerous Liaisons’ is addictive, provocative and beautifully rendered,” said Kathryn Busby, President, Original Programming at STARZ said when the show was picked up for Season 2.

“This prelude to the famed 18th century novel illuminates pre-revolution Paris at its most decadent. We are confident that by the end of season one viewers will be craving more scheming and seduction.”

“We’re greatly appreciative to STARZ and Lionsgate for their ongoing support of the show."

"We’re very excited to share Harriet Warner’s brilliant vision for season two, which will see our world expand and the relationships between our characters deepen in thrilling, dangerous new ways,” said executive producer Colin Callender.

Dangerous Liaisons is described as "a bold prelude of Laclos’ classic 18th century novel focusing on the origin story of how his iconic characters, the Marquise de Merteuil and the Vicomte de Valmont, met as passionate young lovers in Paris on the eve of the revolution."

"Alice Englert and Nicholas Denton portray the notorious lovers: Camille who is taken in by the current Marquise de Merteuil (played by Lesley Manville) navigates her own path in a world of men, using the power of secrets to take back control, and Valmont who will stop at nothing to regain his title that was recently taken from him."

"Their on-again off-again love story is the heart of the series. It’s not love… it’s war."

What are your thoughts on the cancellation?

Hit the comments.

You Season 4: Meet the Cast!

Open List

The post Dangerous Liaisons Canceled as Starz Reverses Season 2 Renewal appeared first on TV Fanatic.

On Dangerous Liaisons Season 1 Episode 6, we finally got to the heart of Camille's obsession.

There were revelations, attempted murders, and words spoken that can never be taken back.

We must address the biggest reveal of the episode, which had been building for the entire season thus far. What happened to Camille before she landed at Madame Jericho's? Why does she hate the Montrachets?

The fact that Henri raped Camille is not surprising. What's interesting is how focused Camille is on Jacqueline. Henri has sometimes felt like an afterthought.

Perhaps it's because men are just expected to be evil, in Camille's eyes, but Jacqueline's betrayal — a woman who should have protected her — was just as bad.

Did Jacqueline truly believe that Camille had seduced her husband or that she intended to? Some pieces are still missing here, including what Jacqueline truly believed about Henri, Camille, and Camille's baby.

The saddest and most shocking part is that Camille had a baby, and the baby died, after which, Jacqueline immediately threw Camille out. Couldn't they have taken her back to the orphanage, at least, rather than leave her to freeze in the snow?

It seems a bit sloppy on Jacqueline's part, honestly, because if that story gets out — Henri raped a maid, she had his baby, and Jacqueline left her to die — that's a hell of a scandal.

It's a shame Camille has no proof because it's a truth that would ruin the Montrachets.

But what if the baby didn't die?

We didn't see her die. We only saw Camille fall asleep and then wake up, and her baby was gone. The Montrachets didn't let Camille bury her.

That feels like a hint. What if the baby got sent to an orphanage, and Jacqueline checks on her and supports her financially?

Speaking of Jacqueline, she is DTF! She's in danger of losing Lucien forever, so she goes for a Hail Mary and asks him to meet her at the masked ball.

Pascal seemed to be falling for Jacqueline, too, until he learned Camille's truth. We know he has a thing for pious, "pure" women (the original story/play/film is proof of that), and maybe because he knows she truly wants him, he will not have her.

Pascal has succeeded in awakening the lust of a woman willing to turn her back on God to sleep with him.

Jacqueline has given her life for her husband and God, even though she probably suspects that what Camille said about Henri was true. She wants to obey her "soul" and give Lucien her body. 

Camille and Valmont's relationship had a wonderful progression on this episode.

Their first conversation was in a crypt (because, at that point, their love was dead). Near the end of the episode, the revelations and declarations of love renewed took place in a garden.

The symbolism here was subtle but beautiful — their love has grown alive and lush again.

Secrets and sharing of trauma can be a turn-on — at least for Pascal. Note how he began falling for her once he told Jacqueline the story of his mother's death. I'd be curious to know if Pascal has told Camille that story.

Camille: I require your advice.

Jean de Merteuil: Don’t you know everything already?

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Damn, Camille's magic worked on Jean, and now she's in deep with him. How will she navigate this?

The Jean/Camille relationship is strange and unsettling. The power dynamic is all over the place. She's trying to seduce him, but she doesn't seem like she wants to. He seems to find her attractive, but it's a cold sort of attraction. There's no affection in it, not until the end.

His love for her blossoms when he realizes how smart and clever she is — she will be an" equal" match for his secret-collecting life. But unfortunately, she doesn't have the letters anymore because…

Victoire took the letters! Again! She did steal them in the first place, so it's poetic that she stole them back. Poor Victoire — she finally had enough. Good for her. If anything, holding out this long was a testament to her patience.

Camille: Destruction is power in the wrong hand. Control is power is the right one.

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Camille nearly stabbed a man in the neck. Victoire has been trying to get her to see reason this whole time. She still cared enough for Camille to go to Valmont for help, but once Camille treated her like a servant, Victoire knew they were done.

Victoire was the one who rescued Camille in the first place. She knows how to survive on her own — though, again, we know almost nothing about her life before Camille.

Where will she go now? Will Camille be able to find her and win her back? Victoire is not a fan of either Jean or Valmont, so Camille's got a lot of damage control to do there.

A masked ball is always a great place to play with animal metaphors — Henri the wolf on the hunt, Jacqueline the innocent lamb, Camille the sly fox, Pascal the dog — they all fit.

Madame Berthe: Perhaps the real crime is that men do not suffer for their own failings, only the failings of their wives.

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Madame Berthe knows the score. There is so much gossip in her dress shop that Berthe and Leonard must know everyone's secrets. The difference is they have fun with it. They don't hope to gain anything from it — they just delight in the knowledge.

Madame Berthe seems content with her own set of circumstances. She's everyone's friend, ever impartial, and enjoys being on the periphery of scandal but never a part of it. As long as she does that, she'll make money from all of them.

Maria Friedman takes her moments and savors them, but, like Berthe, she knows when to fade into the background gracefully as it suits her.

The costumes and masks of Andrea Flesch are next level. She tops herself with every episode. The opulence defies belief. It made sense to bring in the poor, protesting the shameless injustice of it all.

For all the gorgeous spectacle of aristocracy, we cannot forget the bodies these richly ornamented feet are stepping on.

Ondine is out for blood, particularly Camille's. Colette Dalal Tchantcho makes a meal out of every delicious line.

Ondine de Valmont: Paris is a lonely place without friends, but a lethal one with enemies.

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Her bold play for Henri felt overt, what with the hand-kissing, but this masked ball was the place to do it.

Queen Marie Antoinette: Do you ever have this feeling as if you cannot seem to draw quite enough breath?

Camille: Often. I believe it is called a corset.

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Camille's now got a friend in the Queen, herself. Camille may not have recognized her, and so spoke freely, which she might not have done had she known who the woman was.

If she'd known, she might have realized the friend the Queen spoke of was Christine.

Pascal says Camille doesn't care who she hurts, but most of the time Camille is very deliberate in who she decides to hurt. Emilie was collateral damage in Christine's downfall, and Emilie was never anything but kind to Camille.

Surely, Camille must feel some twinge of guilt about her friend's ruination. The Sevignys were only briefly mentioned during this episode, but it makes sense now, and Emilie's "future" as it is in the original seems more plausible now.

This was a tight, focused episode where all the major characters (except for Gabriel and Majordome, taking the week off) could be in the same place together and watch the fireworks go off — literally and figuratively.

Will Valmont attempt to seduce Jacqueline in earnest now that he knows what she and Henri did to Camille?

Jacqueline is a hypocrite, but from a storytelling perspective, it was wise not to have us learn this information until Pascal had already "saved" her.

Will she see reason or give it all for the possibility of being with Lucien? Valmont can likely still manage it, and now that he knows what Jacqueline has done, he will do it to Camille.

Where do you think Camille will go from here?

If Pascal is offering her devotion, would she still move forward with marriage to Jean, even though she doesn't have the letters?

It's more likely than you'd think, but how do we get there? What path will Camille ultimately take, and who will she have by her side?

Share your thoughts in the comments!  

The post Dangerous Liaisons Season 1 Episode 6 Review: You Are Not My Equal appeared first on TV Fanatic.

Camille asks why Christine matters to him. Valmont realizes that Camille will destroy anyone to get what she wants. He leaves, disgusted.

At Madame Berthe's, Leonard asks Ondine what happened at Rambouillet. Ondine asks Camille what she knows of a letter. Camille acts clueless, saying she saw the same thing as Ondine. They remark on the ruin of the Sevignys.

Ondine mentions that she hopes the masked ball will not be overshadowed by any scandal, as the King and Queen are meant to be there. Camille subtly declares that she is now engaged to the Marquis de Merteuil.

Ondine follows Camille, insulting her and warning her of the dangers of her actions. Camille maintains composure.

Madame Berthe takes Camille to the back, where she shows her the masks for the masked ball. Madame Berthe selects the masks for each guest to reflect their personalities. The women will arrive first, the men will come next, and the game will begin.

Camille asks who will wear which masks, saying she does not want to offend, but Madame Berthe assures her anyone can get away with almost anything at the masked ball. Camille asks if Madame de Montrachet will be there.

Berthe confides that Jacqueline will be a lamb, as will all the pious — Henri will be a wolf.

Pascal bathes, thinking of Camille and Jacqueline. There is a knock at the door. He calls for Azolan, but he is not there.

Half-dressed, Pascal answers the door — it is Jacqueline. She tells him she will be going to Versailles with her husband, who has a new position with the king. She asks Pascal to come to the ball, as it may be the last time they see each other.

Pascal tells her he doesn't want her to leave. She confides that she will be wearing a lamb mask.

Camille gives Victoire a bracelet. Camille and Victoire argue. Victoire doesn't want her to marry Jean or Valmont, but Camille no longer wants to be a maid or a whore.

Camille says she will do as Genevieve did, carving out a life, keeping her and Victoire safe. Victoire tells Camille that she should stop making enemies. Victoire threatens to leave. Camille says she doesn't want her to go.

Camille finds Jean staring out at his estate. He cannot look at her. She says he should want to show her off at the ball, but he thinks it is the other way around, given that he has an ancient title. Jean suggests that he might be safer as a widower.

Jacqueline writes a letter to Valmont, telling him she wants to sleep with him at the ball.

Valmont receives the letter. Azolan plays with the mask. Valmont burns the letter with no intention of attending the ball.

Camille is intent on winning Jean back. She visits him in his study. She asks how tight she should cinch her corset. She says she's going to the ball, but he tells her she can't get in without his invitation.

Camille offers to share some of her secrets with him. Jean sits down beside her and touches her leg. She gets up. She tells him she was not born to be alone, and if he doesn't want her, she'll find someone else.

Camille turns her back to Jean. He tightens her corset and kisses her neck. She tells him to get ready for the ball.

Camille and Victoire ride to the ball in their carriage and pass crowds of poor people screaming and begging.

They arrive at the ball. Camille sees Jacqueline de Montrachet arrive. Victoire realizes that Camille did come for them after all. Camille explains that, as Marquise, she will outrank the Montrachets, which is part of her revenge.

Camille gets out of the carriage. Victoire does not follow but instead rides away.

The women arrive at the room where they will get their masks on. Camille finds her fox mask and puts it on. She sees Ondine and Jacqueline. Camille recalls trudging through the snow after Jacqueline.

Camille, the fox, pursues Jacqueline, the lamb.

Victoire goes to Valmont. Valmont doesn't want to see her. She asks him how to help. He says Camille is no longer his concern.

Victoire tells him that Camille is going to marry Jean. Victoire says she cannot live with them because Camille is obsessed with Jacqueline, which makes Camille unwell. Victoire insists that the Montrachets wronged Camille, though she doesn't know the details.

Valmont tells Victoire that Jacqueline did nothing wrong — it was just that Camille wanted to marry Henri de Montrachet. Victoire tells him that Camille intends to destroy Jacqueline at the ball and begs him to help.

The men arrive at the ball. Dancing and festivities begin. Jean shows up, finding Camille. She shares some secrets with him about various guests, ones he has never been able to discover himself.

Camille says he should thank her with an engagement ring, but he says it's just gossip. She says she has written proof — private letters — that will be his when they marry.

Chevalier Saint-Jacques addresses the guests and conducts a piece from his new opera dedicated to the Queen.

Jacqueline looks for Lucien. Camille watches Jacqueline.

Pascal arrives, in his dog mask, saying he is a guest of Monsieur Montrachet. The doorman allows him in, but not Azolan and Victoire.

The music concludes, and the guests applaud. Pascal greets Saint-Jacques, saying he is disguised in name as well as mask. Pascal tells his friend his music is wonderful and he shouldn't worry.

Saint-Jacques confides that the Queen doesn't like the story. Pascal says he will help with the story, but for now, he is searching for a lamb. Saint-Jacques points out the wolf and lamb, Henri and Jacqueline.

Another dance begins. Henri thanks Jacqueline for being at his side, given that she is offended by the excess of the aristocracy. She says she is not offended, merely bored.

Pascal and Jacqueline dance together.

Camille spies Henri and watches him dance with Ondine. Ondine recognizes him, though he does not recognize her. She kisses his hand, introducing herself as the Widow Vicomtesse de Valmont, and asks him to call on her.

Camille remembers dancing with Henri long ago.

Pascal leads Jacqueline down an empty hallway. They take off their masks and find a dark room. They kiss, then realize there are others in the room having sex. Pascal apologizes, having brought her here by mistake.

They kiss again. Jacqueline tells him that God did not intercede, though she prayed. Pascal stops her, saying she is too good. He pulls away, saying adultery is a mortal sin. He helps her up and offers to get her out.

Pascal leads Jacqueline to her carriage, and she leaves. Pascal puts his mask back on.

In the powder room, the women gossip. Ondine notes that it's interesting how anyone in the way of Camille's marriage dies or is disgraced.

Ondine announces that Camille and Jean are engaged. Madame Berthe says the Queen is supposedly already there.

Leonard announces that Henri de Montrachet has been appointed the king's physician and will be going to Versailles.

Camille puts her mask back on and surreptitiously grabs a pair of scissors, concealing them in the fabric of her dress. She returns to the ball.

Victoire enters the ballroom and finds Camille. Camille tells her to go home. Victoire says Valmont told her there's something between her and Henri and begs Camille to tell her the truth. They argue, their voices raised, and people watch.

Victoire resents being treated as a servant. Camille tells her a servant should not speak to her that way and walks away, leaving Victoire among the dancing guests.

Camille searches for the wolf, and Victoire walks away. Camille remembers walking in the snow and dancing with Henri.

Camille finds her wolf and holds the scissors to his neck, saying she is the girl he raped. But it is not Henri, the wolf — it is Pascal, the dog. He removes his mask. Camille is aghast and falls into his arms, sobbing.

Pascal takes her outside to the garden and asks her to tell him what happened.

Camille explains that the Montrachets took her in. They were kind to her. Henri was kind, but it was a lie. Henri raped her and made her swear not to tell. He got Camille pregnant, and Jacqueline dismissed a stablehand.

Camille told Jacqueline that it was Henri's baby and that he had forced her. They kept her out of sight until she gave birth. Camille wanted to die until she felt her baby girl in her arms and saw her eyes — she wanted the baby to be hers forever.

Camille fell asleep with the baby in her arms, and when she awoke, her baby was gone. They told her the baby died, and they didn't allow her to bury her baby, and then Jacqueline cast Camille out. Camille cut her wrists and passed out in the snow in front of the Montrachet house.

Valmont vows to kill Henri himself. Camille insists that she wants to ruin them. She realizes she is not powerful enough to destroy the king's man tonight.

Valmont says he will ruin Jacqueline, and Camille doesn't need to go back inside. Valmont tells her to go back to Saint-Honoré tonight, then meet him tomorrow, where they can go off and have a life together. He proclaims his love, and she says she is his. They kiss, and he leaves.

Camille sees and hears Jean searching for her. She moves back into the dark of the garden and comes upon an upset woman sitting alone on a swing.

The woman explains that she lost a friend recently. This friend betrayed her, but her absence is a worse pain. She has a challenge acting unaffected. Camille assures her that she is only in pain because she loved fully. Camille advises that she will love and be loved again.

The woman hugs Camille and heads back to the party.

The fireworks explode in a grand spectacle. The woman returns to the crowd, and the guests bow — she takes off her mask, revealing her face as the Queen. Camille sees her and smiles.

Victoire writes a letter. Camille cries with mixed feelings on the carriage ride home.

Camille returns home, calling her apologies to Victoire. She finds a letter addressed to her.

Victoire has written to say she is leaving Camille, as they are no longer friends, but she will always love her. Victoire has taken Valmont's letters so Camille can no longer endanger herself and vows to destroy them.

Jean comes home and finds Camille. He realized when he couldn't find her that he does love her and wants to marry her. Jean gives her a ring. Camille smiles, and he kisses her hand.

The post Dangerous Liaisons Season 1 Episode 6 Recap: You Are Not My Equal appeared first on TV Fanatic.

On Dangerous Liaisons Season 1 Episode 5, more secrets come to light — perhaps the most damaging ones yet.

Valmont and Camille come to a head, torn for the first time between morality and manipulation.

Camille is an expert at pivoting and recalculating based on what's thrown at her. She's always there waiting for something, ready to receive information and use it for her needs.

See how her tactics and goals shifted seamlessly throughout the episodes. First blackmailing Jean, then looping in Ondine to bring down Christine, then after Pascal's confrontation, she moved on to her next power move — securing Jean de Merteuil for herself.

Alice Englert is deft and specific in her performance, ruthless when she needs to be, and allows herself a few brief moments of transcendent rage, collecting herself quickly afterward.

Lucy Cohu was absolutely made for this. What a stunning, devastating arc she had here as Christine de Sevigny.

Christine de Sevigny: If you are hunting something dangerous, be sure to finish it off, or much like a wounded enemy, it will do you more damage. Do you understand?

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Christine started the episode with power and, by the end, was disgraced and shunned, even by her family. Throughout it, she maintained that haughty dignity and pure confidence, but you could see it all crumbling away as her secrets came to light.

It's amazing that Christine was not more guarded with the fact that she was having a sexual affair with the Queen, though, considering she only called her "Marietta" and signed her letters "M" for Musket, she probably thought she'd be fine.

Christine's dalliance with the Queen has proven to be the most dangerous liaison so far. What else could top it?

Side note: just how many people have Pascal been sleeping with? And don't they all know each other? He's playing pretty fast and loose.

Eventually, someone other than Camille and Victoire would have figured it out, surely? One of his lovers might have let it slip eventually.

Or perhaps not. When secrets and scandals are so detrimental to one's standing in society, people will do anything to protect themselves; anything except, you know, stop doing the thing that could get them in trouble.

This is Olly Blackburn's first episode as director after four superb hours with Leonora Lonsdale at the helm. Blackburn loves to play with the camera and uses tricks and techniques to significant, dramatic effect.

Christine de Sevigny: He is a fine shot.

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This episode is fantastically shot.

That aerial view of the geometric garden was gorgeous. The use of perspectives in the scene between Christine and Camille in the dining room was deliberate and spot-on. The way Jacqueline was framed in her vast, opulent drawing room made her look so small, tragic, and lonely.

But the piece de resistance was the hunting scene in the forest, done in one continuous take (or at least it gave the illusion of it). I counted three and a half minutes without a cut.

The music in this scene was incredible and aided in amping up the tension. It really felt like someone was going to get their head blown off. I can't imagine how much rehearsal went into filming this scene, but everyone was on their game, so to speak.

It was a cinematic tour de force.

Chevalier Saint-Jacques: I saw the Marquis has a long pistol, that is all.

Ondine de Valmont: That is often enough, Chevalier.

Chevalier Saint-Jacques: I favor technique.

Chevalier Danceny: It amounts to the same thing. The loss of beautiful birds.

_{🔗 permalink: It amounts to the same thing. The loss of beautiful birds.}

The relationship between Jacqueline and "Lucien" is deepening. Van Houten and Denton have a different sort of chemistry, but it's there, and it feels oddly innocent and sweet compared to Valmont's many sexual affairs.

Valmont is allowing himself to get to know someone who reminds him of his mother, and now he's having a crisis of conscience because of her humanity.

Valmont spends so much time with Jacqueline that he is ready to believe her story over Camille's. His misjudgment of Camille may cost them everything, as he thinks she is in love with Henri de Montrachet, which is her reason for wanting to ruin Jacqueline.

Henri is definitely giving off some creepy vibes. His office looks like Frankenstein's laboratory. Not saying he's doing anything untoward, but he's awfully comfortable around corpses. I don't trust him. However, he did have a great, subtly relevant quote.

Henri de Montrachet: Some still do not trust the knowledge in medicine. I hope rationality will eventually banish fear and superstition.

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The way Camille remembers Henri does not seem like she wants him back. Her whole response to Pascal after the accusation that she could be in love with Henri makes it appear likely that he did something terrible to Camille and probably lied to Jacqueline about it.

Jacqueline no doubt behaved the way Camille remembers, but only because she believed her husband's side of the story.

Jacqueline de Montrachet: Her name is Camille. She’s a scar upon me.

_{🔗 permalink: Her name is Camille. She’s a scar upon me.}

I'm still trying to figure out what's up with Gabriel's left hand. Initially, I thought it was an extra finger. Does his hand just not work? Why does Henri want to remove it? Maybe he is building a monster, a la Frankenstein.

Okay, probably not, but still, it's weird that we keep drawing attention to it. It had better have some plot significance later.

We also got our Greek mythology lesson here courtesy of Henri and Gabriel, so now we can correctly assume that the corpse was an Ariadne. How long until Gabriel discovers the Labyrinth?

Camille: You’ve been looking in the wrong place for your power. It lies in the secrets of women.

_{🔗 permalink: You’ve been looking in the wrong place for your power. It lies in the secrets of women.}

Having lost Valmont, Camille restructures her priorities and goes after Jean de Merteuil herself. It's happening, so we'd all better get on board.

Finally, after all her machinations, Jean sees what Camille is capable of and caves to her pressure. He puts his initial prejudices aside and finally listens to what she has to offer. And it's good. 

Camille and Jean have left Ondine in the dust, but she's no better or worse off than when she started, and she's doing a damn sight better than the Sevignys. She'll be fine unless Prevan's proclivities come to light. 

Ondine thought she could outsmart Camille, but Camille was one step ahead of everyone the whole time, adaptable and resolute.

Jean de Merteuil: I will save you the trouble of pursuing me, Widow Valmont. I knew your late husband, and I assure you, death was a comfort to him.

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We got some more wonderful moments from Fisayo Akinade's Chevalier Saint-Jacques. He doesn't seem to have any enemies (except his "leading lady") — in fact, he's everyone's friend.

Chevalier Saint-Jacques: She kissed my hand, so that you might kiss it, and receive the kiss she has left for you.

_{🔗 permalink: She kissed my hand, so that you might kiss it, and receive the kiss she has left for you.}

If he plays the game properly, this could work out well for him, but it has the potential to backfire if he's forced to choose loyalties. Regardless, he's always a joy to watch.

Additionally, Kosar Ali's delightful and self-assured Victoire continues to act as a voice of reason but is not above stealing a biscuit or two. She's much more terrified for her and Camille's safety, perhaps rightfully, and usually suggests doing the right thing.

Victoire: These people mean to do you harm. It scares me that you can’t see that.

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Unfortunately, she has no sway over Camille, and it's hard to know long she will be able to stand Camille's repeated disregard for her advice.

She's not scared of Ondine or Christine, but Jean is a different matter, and she wants to see him brought down, which is why it's devastating to her when she realizes that Camille and Jean are now allied.

Emilie seems like a genuinely good person and was humiliated through no fault of her own. Danceny tried continually to be her hero, but it never really worked out.

So, now that Jean and Emilie have split up, can Emilie and Danceny (who are painfully, obviously in love) be together? Sources say — probably not!

This was a roller coaster of an episode from start to finish. Where does Camille go from here? Will anyone dare come after her? Have we heard the last of Christine de Sevigny? Will Jacqueline cave to her lust for Valmont?

Let us know what you think in the comments!  

The post Dangerous Liaisons Season 1 Episode 5 Review: The World Should Be Afraid Of Us appeared first on TV Fanatic.