The Serpent Queen season 2 episode 5 sees many changes as the story ramps up (Recap)

We're now more than halfway through the second season of the royally delicious drama, and boy is it jam-packed! The Serpent Queen season 2 episode 5, "Time With the Family" really ramps things up as there's three more episodes left. Ready for a recap? Let's jump right in! SPOILERS BELOW.

Shaking up the privy council

Montmorency is very angry at Catherine for attempting to poison Edith, which he learns about. And the privy council, as well as King Charles, do too. In an attempt to play everyone as she does best, Catherine decides to resign and asks Anjou to join the table which is what he's always wanted. This is a calculated move to keep the Bourbons, the Guises, and the royal brothers all constantly bickering and at odds so they don't gang up on her. And it works. Even though Charles was initially nervous about his mother going away and no longer having her guidance. But as she tells him, time to step up.

Before Anjou can take a seat though, Catherine tells her son that he needs to blame his friend for what happened at the lake at the end of episode 3, claiming it wasn't the royal's fault for drowning the Protestant man. Not only is this his friend, but Anjou's best friend. But he does go through with it and is executed.

Those sneaky Bourbons, and Charles' (religious) change of heart

Catherine confronts Louis when he returns from England and asks him how the discussions of the trade agreement went. He of course hides his own agreement with Elizabeth and lies to Catherine saying the queen just wants peace. The Bourbons think they're so smart and got to Edith's camp to tell her that their family and the queen of England are ready to support her cause.

Though Edith is skeptical that the Bourbons really have a partnership with the royal as she's made her way over without telling them. Edith asks for protection and weapons for her people as well to consider their proposal. Then she does something crazy. She burns Antoine's hand for being a sinner. She's definitely going overboard.

Edith's influence is increasing so much that Cardinal Charles de Guise actually starts believing in her, having survived two attempts on her life. He really starts thinking that she could be sent by God. And even by the end of the episode, he shows up at their camp, renounces all sin, and allows Edith to re-baptize him. Interesting. Could the head of the Catholic church now become a Protestant?

A surprise wedding

The most interesting part of the episode to me were the scenes where Catherine gets Rahima and other women servants to go around and give drinks, and seduce, quite a few men - King Charles, Anjou, Antoine, Louis, and Francois. Catherine and the Holy Roman Emperor decide that the best thing they can do to prepare for war is to unite both of their families through marriage. And she knew she needed the coast to be clear for that to happen.

Her daughter Elizabeth agrees to marry the Holy Roman Emperor's (former?) sadist son who is now incapacitated. It's a hasty and quick wedding, and this way they can support each other in a religious war if it were to come to that. And off Elizabeth goes with her new father-in-law and husband, whose hand twitches even though he hasn't been able to move since that horse rightfully kicked him.

The next morning, as the royal siblings gather and find out what their mother schemed up, they tell her that the Protestants won't be happy about this alliance. But on the contrary, they will be happy when they find out who's going to be King Charles' wife. Queen Elizabeth of England herself arrives! And Charles surprisingly looks happy.

The Serpent Queen season 2 airs/streams Fridays on Starz.