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'Marie Antoinette' Recap: Episode 5

Daniel Hautzinger
Choiseul dances with Marie Antoinette at a ball
Marie Antoinette is asserting herself at court with a ball and a favored candidate for prime minister. Photo: Caroline Dubois - Capa Drama / Banijay Studios France / Les Gens / Canal+

Marie Antoinette airs Sundays at 9:00 pm on WTTW and is available to streamWTTW Passport members can stream the whole show. Recap the previous and following episodes.
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Marie Antoinette is tired of black. She has suffered through the dreary mourning rituals of Versailles in the wake of the old king’s death for two months now, with the strict Madame de Noailles scolding her through it all. When Antoinette learns the official mourning period lasts a year, she goes to her husband, the new Louis XVI, and asks him to end the mourning so that he can begin his reign in earnest. He agrees.

Flushed with power—and color and light, now that the curtains have been opened and dark dresses have been replaced with pastel gowns and extravagant hairstyles—Antoinette names Lamballe to the discontinued position of superintendent of her household. That puts Lamballe above Noailles, who refuses to accept the demotion and thus leaves Antoinette’s household.

Antoinette also forms a “style council” consisting of friends such as cousin Chartres and the Black violinist Saint-Georges (a real historical figure). They set about planning a ball to launch her reign, despite Lamballe’s worries that it is too soon, too close to the old king’s death.

Louis does not know how to start his reign—and he can see its time ticking away, in the form of an elaborate watch devised by him for Beaumarchais, the former king’s personal secretary. He starts by clearing out the piles of records in the late king’s office with Beaumarchais’ help, and learns that the secretary was also in charge of the king’s network of spies. Among the reports of those spies is one on Madame du Barry’s attempt, abetted by Provence, to send Antoinette back to Vienna. 

So when Provence asks Louis for a seat on his ministerial council, Louis demurs, telling him he can join Antoinette’s style council. Provence reminds Louis that their father always thought Provence should be king. 

And yet Louis is at least working hard: he is too busy to visit Antoinette in the evening despite a promise, sending her a gift instead: the Petit Trianon, a villa for the king’s favorite. 

Provence tries to get his supposedly pregnant wife Josephine to join Antoinette’s style council at the Trianon, in order to report on its workings, but she objects and embarrasses him in front of Antoinette and her friends. She won’t follow her husband’s orders. Fairly, one must say: he’s a tyrant but lacks a spine, as shown by his complaints about Saint-Georges on account of his race, which lead to Saint-Georges challenging him to a duel and Provence shying away.

Provence refuses to attend Antoinette’s ball, and Louis arrives late, so he’s not visible to Antoinette as she performs a musical work she has practiced with Saint-Georges. While Antoinette is the center of attention, encouraging everyone to dance, the apparently anonymous Louis is ignominiously jostled. He leaves before Antoinette can find him and present her preferred candidate for prime minister, the previously exiled Choiseul. 

Antoinette and the Austrian ambassador Mercy like Choiseul because of his Austrian sympathies, which is why the French royal family dislike him—along with the fact that Antoinette is seizing so much power. They prefer Maurepas, and present him to Louis at the same time that Antoinette presents Choiseul.

There are others who dislike Antoinette: notes begin appearing throughout court defaming her. (Her mother, the Empress, has also written to her with criticism: of her love of parties and lack of an heir.) When a note is brought to Louis, he goes to his wife at the Petit Trianon and tells her they don’t have time for a private life; she must come back to Versailles and play by the rules of court. She can’t prioritize her happiness; he doesn’t even know what happiness is.

He asks Beaumarchais to find out who is responsible for the notes, thus appointing him his spymaster. Beaumarchais steals through rooms, searching for information—and finding plenty of dirty secrets. But the biggest comes when he has to hide under the bed in Provence’s room, because Josephine has come in suddenly and pretended to have a miscarriage. She was never pregnant, and now Beaumarchais knows. He informs Louis.

Marie Antoinette sits with the bedridden Josephine and tells her how sorry she is; she is there if Josephine needs her. Josephine turns her head away from the queen. 

Louis speaks to both candidates for prime minister and finds Choiseul dismissive. Beaumarchais tells Louis that Choiseul’s ties to Austria would hurt Antoinette at court if he were appointed. 

So Louis announces—after being rudely ignored and talked over by Antoinette and Chartres—that Maurepas will be his advisory minister. Choiseul will leave court. Louis himself will be prime minister, mentored by Maurepas. Antoinette leaves in a huff and packs her things to retreat to the Petit Trianon, breaking protocol, to Lamballe’s worry. 

Antoinette has begun to favor a new female friend, the striking Yolande, Countess de Polignac. The young woman is married to a count but is also rumored to have a lover with whom the couple spends all their time. Antoinette invites her to the Petit Trianon, even though Lamballe points out that Yolande’s husband is related to Antoinette’s hated Maurepas. Antoinette asks Yolande to take up residence at Versailles—if she does, Antoinette might enjoy it there more. Yolande agress on the condition that both her husband and her lover must come along, and Antoinette acquiesces.

Lamballe gives Yolande a small, bare room for lodging. Yolande goes directly to Antoinette to get an upgrade. 

Antoinette has returned to Versailles following a visit by Mercy to the Trianon. The Austrian ambassador showed her a sample of the slanderous notes about her that are blanketing Versailles, and relayed an order from the king to return. Mercy suggests that she take du Barry’s old apartments so that she can be near her husband. 

Back at Versailles, Antoinette berates the king. What kind of husband are you? she yells. He tries to have sex with her, despite her cries to stop, and the assault only ends when she slaps him. 

This isn’t working, is it? he says quietly. Please don’t go, Antoinette responds. He leaves. 

Louis tells Maurepas that he and his wife are not suited for each other. Maurepas suggests ending the marriage, and promises to speak to Mercy. The Austrian ambassador desperately writes to the Empress for help.