Still Star-Crossed – The Course of True Love Never Did Run Smooth

By: Stacy Miller

Prince Escalus (Sterling Sulieman) has made hard choices when it comes to obeying his father the king’s wishes for the good of Verona.  As we see in a flashback, it shows why Escalus left Verona for Venice.  It seemed that the king knew that his son was in love with Rosaline Capulet (Lashana Lynch), but the royal family didn’t want to be caught in the middle of the feud between the Capulets and the Montagues.  So, it was bye-bye lady love.

In the present day, Escalus and Rosaline are in a lip lock, but that doesn’t stop him from telling her that regardless of their feelings for each other, she has to marry Benvolio (Wade Briggs). Giving away the bride has taken on a whole new meaning here. Rosaline can’t believe that the man she loves is ordering her to wed another. How could things possibly get worse? Well, I’ll tell you Rosaline.  Guess what, your uncle Lord Capulet (Anthony Stewart Head) wants you move into Juliet’s (Clara Rugaard) room. He gives Rosaline some explanation about now that she is to be wed to royalty, she must reside like a lady. In truth, it’s easier to spy on Rosaline there.  Lady Capulet (Zuleikha Robinson) can’t believe her husband would suggest such a thing, it’s like it doesn’t matter to him whether Juliet is dead. But Lord Capulet has other problems (namely money) on his mind as building a cathedral is a costly venture.

News travels fast as Livia (Ebonee Noel) learns that her sister is moving into Juliet’s room. Does that mean now she is supposed to be Rosaline’s servant? That would be awkward. All that aside, Livia asks Rosaline to take her away with her when she becomes Benvolio’s wife.  Rosaline has no intention of marrying Benvolio, reminding her sister that the Montagues were the ones who murdered their father. Rosaline decides to speak with Escalus again to convince him not to force her into this marriage.  Rosaline runs into Princess Isabella (Medalion Rahimi) and tells her how she needs to talk with Escalus. Isabella invites Rosaline to a feast and she can talk with the prince at that time.

Meanwhile, Benvolio is not excited about his upcoming nuptials either, preferring to spend time with a woman at a brothel.  Of course, Lord Montague (Grant Bowler) catches him there because the lords and ladies on this show are totally into stalking their family members. Lord Montague reminds Benvolio that the marriage is a business arrangement for the power and Capulet money. He also wants Benvolio to find out why the building of the Capulet’s cathedral has been delayed. Benvolio goes to the church and arrives in time to stop a little girl attempting to steal money from the architect working on the cathedral project. But she gets away. Benvolio talks to the architect about the cathedral building and learns about Lord Capulet’s financial problems. And as it turns out, Benvolio arranged for the attempted theft as a way to get close to the architect to speak with him. He tells Lord Montague the information he found out and gets an invite to the feast.

Livia and a servant are helping to care for a wounded Count Paris (Torrance Coombs). His condition is bad, but because Lady Capulet ordered her to tell no one, Livia is unable to call for a doctor. She treats Count Paris herself by pouring some sort of healing liquid onto his wound. Luckily, Count Paris wakes up.  In his weakened state, he mistakes Livia for Juliet.  Holding Livia’s hand, Count Paris thanks the girl for saving his life.

Lady Capulet is mourning the death of Juliet and having a difficult time as she is unable to find any meaning in why Juliet would have killed herself. She sees Friar Lawrence (Dan Hildebrand) and questions him about why he thinks Juliet did the terrible deed. Friar Lawrence tells Lady Capulet that only God knows where Juliet would have gotten the idea to kill herself. You lying friar, God also knows where Juliet got the poison she used to kill herself.  Lady Capulet reasons that there had to be someone who gave Juliet the idea to take her life (And Lady Capulet you’re looking at him). While someone is destroying Romeo’s body and writing the cruel comment “Death to all Montagues,” Lady Capulet is searching Juliet’s room for any clue that will tell her why her daughter took her own life.  What will Lady Capulet do when she learns of Friar Lawrence’s responsibility?  The holy man will definitely need to pray to God for mercy!

Escalus and Isabella debate over whether he will be as good a king as their father. Isabella feels that if her brother can be a strong king and make tough choices, he’ll live up to the legacy of their father. So, she believes that the order for Rosaline to marry Escalus will work to their advantage. Rosaline will be a lady and the marriage will help to bring peace to the Montagues and Capulets, which can only help Verona. But why must Escalus set his feelings aside for the sake of Verona? Because that’s what a good king does.  And if Escalus wants to be as good a ruler as his father, he’ll have to do things he doesn’t want to do. Like marrying off the woman he loves to another man. And ordering the deaths of two men accused of murder.

So, the night of the big feast finally arrives. Again, Isabella tells Escalus that he must show strength and be willing to make sacrifices to be a great king. In attendance at the feast are Rosaline, Lord Capulet, Benvolio and Lord Montague as well as other influential Verona families. Escalus makes a speech urging everyone to unite in order to defeat any enemy of Verona.  Lord Montague says he thinks that it is a good idea if the wedding of Rosaline and Benvolio take place at the Capulet cathedral. Is that the same cathedral in which construction has been delayed due to Lord Capulet’s money troubles? Well, I guess the wedding won’t be taking place any time son then. Of course, Lord Montague already knew this and is just baiting Lord Capulet. So much for maintaining peace between the two families!  Soon, the Capulets and Montagues are raising their voices and disrupting the nice meal. But Escalus is having none of that.  And in order to stop the shouting, he jabs a fork into the hand of some guy sitting next to him. I bet that guy regrets sitting next to Escalus.  He declares that there will be peace or death.

Isabella brings Rosaline to Escalus. Rosaline again pleads with him to change his mind and not force her to marry Benvolio.  Escalus tells her that he doesn’t have a choice. Angrily, Rosaline reminds that she is the one who doesn’t have a choice as he can force her to marry a man she doesn’t love.  Escalus tells Rosaline that he loves her and wants them to be together.  Then, he says that he changed his mind and she doesn’t have to marry Benvolio after all. Soon, the lovers are in a passionate kiss and end up spending the night together. But only because they both ended up falling asleep in Escalus room; it looks like nothing happened between them. In the morning, Escalus tells Rosaline that she must say that she stayed in Isabella’s room, not his. And, of course, he changes his mind again and tells Rosaline that the wedding is back on. He threatens to ruin both she and her sister Livia if Rosaline doesn’t marry Benvolio. In order to protect her sister, Rosaline reluctantly gives in and says she’ll marry Benvolio.

Lord Capulet orders that the architect complete the cathedral even though Capulet doesn’t have the money to pay him. He tells that man that he’ll go to Escalus and says the problem with the cathedral is the architect’s fault. “You will take the fall,” he says.  It is official, Lord Capulet IS NOT a nice man!