By Kim
In a hurry? Read the recaplet for a nutshell description! Finished? Click here to close.The kingdom (and especially Queen Rose) prepares for the opening night of the Royal Ballet, and tickets are hard to find. David, for example, finds out that his ticket has been revoked for political reasons (although he's told his seat had to be given to a major donor), and is disappointed since he wanted to see Michelle. Reverend Samuels has been busy leading protests against the King's plan to give Port of Prosperity to Gath, since people will presumably be displaced, and the Reverend expresses his belief that Silas has lost favor with God due to his actions.
During the performance, King Silas is informed that his illegitimate son has been hospitalized. The queen forbids Silas to leave the event (although she doesn't know why he wants to leave), so he sneaks out with Thomasina's help. He makes it to the hospital to visit his son and orders a risky treatment which requires him to reveal to at least one doctor that he's a blood relative of the boy. When the boy takes a turn for the worse, Silas has a secret meeting with the Reverend where he asks why God is punishing him and how he can save his son. The Reverend says that God demands a sacrifice, but Silas refuses to comply, because he can't believe God would be that cruel. While driving away from the meeting, Silas hits a deer and rolls his car. He's fine, but he ends up snapping the deer's neck to complete his sacrifice. When his son starts to get better, Silas breaks ties with his mistress for good, to avoid any further sacrifices.
David ends up going out with Jack and finding out that membership in the monarchy has its privileges. Jack breaks up with his lover, thought it's clear he doesn't want to. David gets hot and heavy with one of Michelle's friends, with Jack's approval, but he ditches her before things get sexual. But he doesn't ditch her before one of Jack's buddies gets photos of David kissing her, which end up in Michelle's inbox. Jack gets in a fight at the club and practically kills a dude with suppressed gay rage, and then lashes out at his overnight lady friends as well.
Michelle hits on a childhood friend/financial manager in order to get funding for her healthcare proposal, which has been shot down by the King again. He agrees to help, but Michelle gets pissed when she founds out that her mother planned the whole thing. Michelle confronts her mother about her plotting, and the queen reveals that, in her view, the people of the country need a monarchy to look up to and admire.
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Want more? The full recap starts right below!Queen Rose is delighted. Delighted! Why, you ask? Has she arranged for her son to have a sex tape (with a lady) released? Has she successfully blackmailed her brother into continuing to fund the kingdom? Possibly, but right now she's delighted that the ballet will be reopening tonight, and she's getting good PR because she arranged for the first few rows of seats to go to the commoners. And people are lining up around the block!
Meanwhile, David is still operating as the press secretary for the kingdom, and we learn via a reporter's question that Reverend Samuels isn't too happy about the King's announced plan to hand Port Prosperity back over to Gath as part of the peace treaty. David brushes the question off like a pro and brings the subject back to the ballet, and how he's looking forward to taking his seat tonight.
King Silas is holding an advisory panel meeting. His advisors tells him that protesters are blocking drilling on a reservoir designed to replace what they will lose when they give over Port Prosperity, and the Reverend is behind it. Silas says curtly that he's not interested in hearing anything from Samuels, and gets the scribe to delete the mention from the record. I think that will go well. In a show about God and divine rulers, it's always a good idea to ban the man of God from the premises. Moving on, Michelle is back to pitch her father again on the health care issue. Silas is condescending as usual, but this time Michelle has fancy graphs and charts to demonstrate that ignoring the health care issue is causing the kingdom money, not to mention popular support. Silas is still condescending, although slightly impressed. I don't know why Michelle sets herself up for failure like this.
Rose waits outside the meeting room with Jack and Thomasina. She makes Jack promise that he won't deliver any surprises tonight, and looks meaningfully into his eyes. Thomasina reports calmly that there's a seating change; one donor has given a hundred grand to be allowed to sit to David at the ballet. The Queen can't believe it, since they only got $10,000 for a seat to the King, and Jack smirks. Rose comments, "I see Silas commands his thousands while David brings his hundred thousands." Clever Biblical allusion there. Jack makes some smart comment, and Rose tells him (in so many words) that instead of expressing jealousy, he should be doing something noble with his own life so that he might get David's good press. Rose swans into the meeting room and demands that it break up so that Silas can make the ballet. Everyone kind of looks pissed at her. I don't think Rose gives a crap.