Diksha Sundriyal
Starz’s ‘Becoming Elizabeth’ follows the story of a young Elizabeth I. Before she became the Queen of England, she was an orphaned teenager who had to survive the intense court politics in the aftermath of her father’s death. While she learns how the world works, she is also naive in a number of ways. People take advantage of her and she remains blind to their true intentions. One of those people is Thomas Seymour. The fact that he is old enough to be her father doesn’t stop Thomas from seducing Elizabeth, who already has a crush on her. At the end of the second episode, they begin a secret affair. In this episode, their romance meets a tragic, but not unexpected, end. Here’s what it means for Elizabeth’s future.
Becoming Elizabeth Season 1 Episode 3 Recap
Catherine discovers that she is pregnant. While she is happy to hear the news, it becomes a cause of concern for her. The politics of the royal court is topsy-turvy and a wrong move on the part of anyone in Chelsea Manor could mean a death sentence for Catherine as well as her child. Previously, she was motivated by the promise of power. But now, her actions are solely to protect herself and her child.
Her task isn’t made any easier by her husband, Thomas Seymour, whose influence in court is dominated by his elder brother, the Lord Protector. On top of that, he secretly indulges in an affair with Elizabeth, whose letter to Mary becomes a cause for concern for everyone in the court. Elizabeth’s refusal to help her scares Mary. She believes that the Catholic faith is in grave danger under Edward’s rule and it looks like things might come down to a fight.
To quell her fears, the Lord Protector decides to let go of the bishop, who was being held captive in the Tower of London. The bishop reaches Framlingham and encourages Mary to take steps towards re-establishing Catholicism in England by making a move for the throne. Mary, however, has no intention of throwing her country into a civil war, and completely alienating her family that already seems to have cast her aside.
The repercussions of Elizabeth’s letter scratch some old wounds for Catherine, but the girl’s transgressions get worse on her fifteenth birthday. Catherine and Thomas throw a party for her and use it as an opportunity to have Edward and Jane Grey under the same roof. Because the Lord Protector hasn’t allowed a meeting between them, Catherine thinks Elizabeth’s birthday would be a perfect day to have them together without anyone’s permission.
However, their schemes are brought to an end when Elizabeth realizes that Thomas actually threw the party for an ulterior motive. In a spontaneous move, she asks Jane to sing a love song for Edward. It ends badly as poor Jane is caught off guard and is not able to sing very well. Robert expresses his disappointment with Elizabeth’s actions, and so does Thomas. The same night, Thomas visits Elizabeth’s chambers and is caught by Catherine. This turns out to be the third strike that leads Catherine to take drastic measures.
Becoming Elizabeth Episode 3 Ending
The secret is out in the third episode of ‘Becoming Elizabeth’ and it impacts Elizabeth’s life tremendously. When Catherine had brought the young princess into her home, it wasn’t simply because she wanted to use her as a pawn in her political game. She also loved Elizabeth and wanted her to have someone she could lean on after the death of her father. The extent of this love becomes evident when Catherine finds Thomas and Elizabeth making out in her bedroom.
Catherine has no illusions about her husband and knows that he is very capable of seducing a young girl if it means he gets more power. This is why she first asks Elizabeth what her husband did to her. In a previous episode, Catherine told the princess that everyone is using someone in the game of politics and it would be wise to know who you are being used by. Elizabeth, blinded by her infatuation with Thomas, doesn’t fully grasp the idea and indulges in a secret affair with Catherine’s husband, right under her nose.
Had Elizabeth come clean about the nature of her and Thomas’ relationship, Catherine would probably have found a way to deal with the situation that wouldn’t completely isolate Elizabeth. However, when she sees that Elizabeth is too deep into the lie that Thomas has spun for her, she realizes that the situation will get more dangerous for her should the princess continue to live in her house. She knows that no amount of chiding and anger would stop Thomas to pursue Elizabeth, and the girl too wouldn’t make any efforts to keep his advances at bay.
The only thing that can now save everyone’s heads from being severed from their bodies is separating Elizabeth and Thomas. While it seems the cruelest thing to the young girl, Catherine is actually doing her a favor. The stepmother knows that if the news leaves the confines of Chelsea Manor, Elizabeth might meet a fate similar to her mother’s. So, even as she sees her out of the manor, Catherine advises Elizabeth to be very careful of her actions. Because it is not what she has done that matters, it is what people think she has done that will decide her fate.
Read More: Did Elizabeth and Thomas Seymour End Up Together?
