Still Star-Crossed – Nature Hath Framed Some Strange Fellows in Her Time

By: Stacy Miller

As the episode opens, Prince Escalus (Sterling Sulieman) and Princess Isabella (Medalion Rahimi) have their hands full. Escalus can’t go with his sister to Venice as she goes to meet with The Doge (Sam Pamphilon) because that extremely dangerous murderer Benvolio Montague (Wade Briggs) has run off with Rosaline (Lashana Lynch). Escalus can’t leave Verona until Benvolio is caught. Prince Escalus is worried about Isabella going to face the Doge alone, but she has no intention of canceling her trip. Isabella assures Escalus she’ll be fine.  So, it’s off to see the wizard…I mean The Doge.

When she arrives in Venice, Isabella finds that The Doge is not lacking for female company. Isabella meets a woman named Valentina, who appears to be quite cozy with The Doge. Once they are alone, Isabella offers her apologies for the death of the Doge’s brother, the ambassador.  But The Doge doesn’t accept her apology; he suggests another way she can make it up to him by offering “special comfort.”  Let me say right here that the Doge sees women as sex objects; they are only good for how they can pleasure him.  Remembering the advice Tessa (Claire Cooper) gave her, Isabella thinks she can control the situation by telling the Doge that they can talk about “them” after they have discussed matters of state between Venice and Verona. No go, kiss (or more) first, talk later.  Has Isabella bitten off more than she can chew? Later, as one of the ladies in waiting helps get the princess ready for court, Valentina (Naomi Ryan) enters. She asks Isabella whether she’s virgin. That’s pretty personal Valentina! Isabella just met you!  Valentina tells Isabella that the Doge is insatiable a/k/a sex maniac.  “For what it’s worth, I heard one or two of the girls enjoyed it,” the lady in waiting tells Isabella. Princess Isabella has dinner with The Doge, but he is more interested in going to bed with her.  How is she going to get out of this? Valentina enters and mentions that blood was found on Isabella’s bed sheets. Well, that certainly ruined having sex for The Doge! Who would have thought that the monthly visitor would be a welcomed guest? We later learn that Isabella is not having her flow; she just cut her leg to get the blood on the sheets. Prince Escalus needn’t have worried about his sister as Isabella is very smart and can take care of herself. Isabella is ready to leave, but is told by Valentina that the Doge would like her (Isabella) to stay in Venice a little longer.  My guess is that he wants her to stay until her cycle is over so he can still take her to bed. Isabella and Valentina talk about the relations between Venice and Verona. Valentina says that’s not the relations the princess is thinking about.  She knows that Isabella is a virgin and wants to hang onto her virtue. Good luck with that as Valentina tells her that there’s no way she’s leaving Venice without sleeping with The Doge.  Isabella then asks for Valentina’s help, offering to pay her well.  But at dinner later that evening, The Doge tells Princess Isabella that he knows all about her conversation with Valentina, who is loyal to him and would never accept Isabella’s money.  He angrily reminds that his brother was murdered in Verona and she should be grateful that he hasn’t started a war to avenge his brother’s death.  So, she’ll do what he wants (meaning sex) and he’ll consider signing her treaty.

Helena (Laura Dale), the lady in waiting, proves to be a good ally to Isabella.  She tells the princess that maybe there’s some useful information that Princess Isabella can use against The Doge in Valentina’s journal. So, while Isabella keeps Valentina busy, Helena searches her (Valentina) room looking for the journal. After breaking into a locked drawer, Helena finds a large amount of gold coins. She shows her findings to Isabella, who recognizes the coins as those from Milan.  Princess Isabella then tells The Doge and Valentina that there is a spy in their midst. Alone, Isabella reveals to Valentina that she knows that she (Valentina) was the one who accepted payment from Milan to act as a spy.  But if Valentina helps her, Isabella promises not to tell the Doge her (Valentina) secret. Cornered, Valentina agrees. The two of them then tell The Doge that his brother was the one accepting coins from Milan.  Valentina encourages The Doge to sign Princess Isabella’s treaty.

Having done what she set out to do, which was to make peace between Venice and Verona, Princess Isabella can return home.  She thanks Helena for her help and Helena gives her a keepsake to take back to Verona so she won’t forget her time in Venice. Helena tells Isabella when women are someday allowed to rule, Isabella will make an excellent queen. Wonder if Helena will visit Isabella in Verona?

Meanwhile, Benvolio and Rosaline (Lashana Lynch) are on the run since Benvolio has been accused of murder. It is a dark and cold night so Rosaline wants to build a fire, but Benvolio says that they could be spotted and then he would be brought back to Verona to face murder charges. Benvolio offers to share his cloak with her to keep Rosaline warm.  Benvolio is such a gentleman.  Is he developing real feelings for Rosaline? Benvolio tells Rosaline about his conversation with Friar Lawrence (Dan Hildebrand) in which the friar said to him that there were “forces at work greater than both you and I combined.” That’s both vague and ominous. Rosaline can’t believe that she took off with Benvolio, but he reminds her that unless he leaves the city he’ll be captured. Benvolio believes that in his message, Friar Lawrence was trying to tell him something and he (Benvolio) needs to know what.  Benvolio arrives at a church and asks for sanctuary.  At first, he is denied sanctuary because the church can’t hide an accused murderer.  But Benvolio manages to convince the man of his innocence and insists that all he wants to do is clear his name.

Later that evening, Benvolio and Rosaline don disguises and search the church for Friar Lawrence. They find him, but the guards also find them.  When Benvolio and Rosaline see Friar Lawrence again, he appears to be dead.  Apparently, he took the same potion that Juliet did. Benvolio believes that the friar is dead, but Rosaline tells Benvolio to wait a moment. The only good thing to come of all of this is that there’s no way Rosaline will be expected to marry him or anyone else for that matter.  By running off with a man, Rosaline has ruined her reputation and will be considered damaged. Then, Friar Lawrence awakens.  He tells Benvolio and Rosaline that he wanted the war between the Capulets and the Montagues to end.  He shocks them when he adds that Count Paris (Torrance Coombs) was healed by Rosaline’s sister Livia (Ebonee Noel) and that Paris has been working for Lady Capulet (Zuleikha Robinson). Rosaline decides that she needs to return to Verona immediately to make sure her sister is okay. Although he will be arrested if he’s caught, Benvolio won’t let Rosaline go alone. They end up in a room together and because there’s only one bed, Rosaline tells Benvolio that he’ll be sleeping on the floor. Benvolio takes a bath.  Even though she turns her back, it’s obvious that Rosaline finds him attractive. Rosaline makes Benvolio a vow, “If they find you, I would not let them kill you.”

As the episode ends, guards appear and Rosaline comes out and lies about the direction that Benvolio is heading.  She asks to see the prince. Rosaline thinks she is meeting with Escalus, but is taken to Count Paris instead. Paris tells her that Escalus asked him to oversee the search for the murderous Benvolio.