Matthew reprimands Philippe for allowing the witch to hurt Diana before Diana saves herself. Claiming she should never have had to save herself when he was there. We find out though Philippe did not invite the witch to Sept Tours, when the opportunity arose to test Diana, he availed of it and did not involve himself. While it does sound maniacal and insane. Philippe does have a point, “Lives will be lost because of your union.” So he needed to test her. But he then sees Ysabeau’s ring on Diana’s finger and realises that he is not immortal. She would never bequeath that ring to another, let alone a witch. Not as long as he was alive.
Now knowing this information, Philippe writes a note for Ysabeau. A game they have played over the countless centuries. When one was away from Sept Tours, the other would sporadically write little notes, moments, memories. Tuck them into books, or even go as far as to cut into the cover and slip a hidden folded up note away in there. Then one day, the other finds them and gets a new little window into a moment from the past.
Philippe challenges Matthew to a duel. Reprimanding him for allowing Ysabeau to be left alone without his protection. But as his son tells him, Baldwin is there, along with Marthe. Unlike the book Philippe, television Philippe wants to know when he dies. But the timelines would be in danger if he revealed. Along with this, he pushes Matthew, riles him up to the point where he loses all control. This is the first time we witness blood rage. Matthew is in one, and Philippe explains it to Diana. He also eventually relents on getting the answer to how or when he dies. It dawns on her that this is why Matthew has resisted consummation. It could worsen his blood rage. He admits he has trained himself to hold back the blood rage. She scolds him for thinking that she would ever walk away from him. He tries to scare her with a “this was just a glimpse, you’ve no idea what I’m capable of.” And admits that Philippe made him his assassin. He killed thousands over the centuries and eliminated those affected by blood rage.
Diana confronts the de Clermont patriarch for provoking and humiliating his son, but things take a surprising turn. Despite appearances, everything that Philippe has done since the pair arrived at Sept Tours was actually, deceptively, for their benefit. “The two of you will face forces of great malevolence. You must be united. Your faith in each other unwavering.” We then witness a standoff between the pair. After a few words are uttered by Diana, Philippe suddenly witnesses a shift in reality. Glimmers start to appear in the air. He recalls an ancient prophecy.
Given that he is thousands and thousands of years old, we’re talking really ancient. That “Tells of a witch who would change the destiny of all creatures. Some believe that this fearsome witch will alter our understanding of life itself. The old world will die, and the new will be born.” Throughout this scene, we see power building up around Diana and begin miniature fireworks around her – a manifestation of her power and potential as Diana is the witch that the prophecy speaks of.
Philippe remakes her in his family, making her a true and official De Clermont. He tells her, “Our family is made through blood. With this mark, you are dead. A shade among the living without clan or kin. And with this mark, you are reborn and forever a member of our family.” Clearly, this is a humongous honour, and safe to say that she is the first and only witch ever to be made a true de Clermont. This will also undoubtedly afford her incredible protection once she arrives back in her timeline. Being a full-blooded daughter of Philippe de Clermont is a mark of significant power and protection.
The Temple of Artemis
Philippe brings M and D to a temple of the old Gods, Artemis. He tells that when he was a boy, brides would come to temples like this to ask the goddess for her protection. Dedicated to her namesake, the goddess Diana. He leaves tokens on the alter, a lock of her hair, a symbol of her maidenhood. Coin, a symbol of her worth. When Philippe speaks his sermon, beseeching the goddess to watch over Diana and keep her from harm’s way, we see that the goddess has accepted their gifts, a majestic white stag appears and stares out at them. The wedding is beautiful, with very few in attendance. As of course, this will have to be kept secret from Ysabeau and the rest of the family for a few hundred years.
Favourite part of the episode, the wedding dance. Not just the choreography and cinematography, but the song they chose for this dance and the following montage was a flawless choice. A cover of Jim Groce’s Time in a Bottle by Julia Church & Rob Lane). A perfect rendition, and every sentence has such an intense connection to the story, the plot, their love, even the supernatural element of time walking. “You’re the one I want to go through time with.” Leaving the audience floating on air on the buoyancy of their love until the next episode.
