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King Silas announces a plan to give over more land than previously announced to Gath as part of the peace treaty, and that land will include David's family farm. David goes to Silas to ask him to reconsider, and Silas turns it around and orders David to publicly support the new plan, even though it means his family will disown him. David goes to the rally at Port Prosperity with his family and totally throws them under the bus and pledges his support for the king's plan. His brother Ethan disagrees and starts a big movement to revolt against the king.
Silas refuses to intervene despite increasingly urgent reports, and goes fishing instead. The rally turns violent and the Gilboan army shoots into an unarmed crowd. This gives Ethan and his team the impetus they wanted to turn the rally into an armed insurrection, over David's protests. When Silas gets the news, he acts unperturbed, and Thomasina gives him a lecture on how he's turned mean.
Michelle heads down to Port Prosperity on her own and tries to convince the rebels to lay down their guns in exchange for amnesty. One of the rebels decides to take Michelle hostage to force the king's hand, which finally gets to Silas and he orders his military to kill the rebels and rescue his daughter. David risks his own life when he tries to convince his brother to give up. He fails, and the army kills everyone except David, Michelle, and David's brother Ethan, but not before Ethan saves Michelle's life.
William starts gathering support for a new king. He gets a vague promise from Jack but not so much from Samuels, who thinks that God and not man should choose the new king. Jack goes to the biggest news network and orders them to continue covering the insurrection even after Silas orders a media blackout, in an attempt to embarrass his father. A rich former Playboy model named Katrina Ghent (played by Leslie Bibb) tries to buy a seat in the king's cabinet (called a ministry) to gain respect, but Silas refuses. However, her wealth comes in handy when Silas convinces her to buy the news network and order them to follow the blackout. Jack gets so pissed off that he agrees to help his uncle overthrow his father. While William is meeting with his fellow plotters (insurrection #2), he gets a text message telling him to get out, so he does. Moments later, the rest of the group is killed.
In the aftermath of the dual insurrections, Jack apologizes to Silas for his role in the media coverage. Silas forgives him and says that he's going to offer a ministry to Katrina Ghent in name only and he wants Jack to do the actual work, even though he won't get any credit. David and Michelle have an emotional reunion. Silas calls David in and reveals that he knew for weeks that Ethan was plotting an uprising, and his reaction was predetermined to see who would join in so they could be killed. While Ethan should be tried for treason, since he did save Michelle in the end, Silas offers to release Ethan into David's custody pending trial against his general's advice. Silas wonders why William and Samuels weren't captured with the rest of the plotters, and vows that their day will come. Then we find out that the general is the one who sent William the text message that saved his life because he thinks Silas has grown soft. Oh yeah, and David's family refuses to talk to him -- even his own mother! Damn, that's harsh.
Discuss this episode in our forums, then see what vlogger Sean Crespo thinks of Manhattan--er, Gilboa in No Prior Knowledge!
Want more? The full recap starts right below!Open on a cornfield. Is Shoeless Joe going to step out for a catch? Is this Iowa? Are gay couples staging a wedding-in? Oh, it's the Shepherd farm. David and his younger brother Ethan are walking around and checking the crops. David's on a two-day furlough to visit family. He wonders why Ethan wouldn't take the money he offered, and Ethan says he doesn't want Silas's money. Looks like someone inherited his mother's tinfoil-hat government distrust! David explains that he just wants to help out now that their older brother is dead, and since he can't (won't) be there in person, he sent money. This discussion of the ethics of familial responsibility is interrupted by Ma Shepherd calling the boys in for dinner.
At the dinner table, David's brothers tease him about his recent tabloid activity. One of the brothers, Daniel, is flipping through television channels to "check the score," but he finds that the king is broadcasting on every channel. He asks his family (who aren't watching the television, so how would they know?) what's going on. Maybe the king is subbing in for the local sportscaster and he's going to announce the highlights from the game? Dummy. Obviously, there's some sort of major announcement or catastrophe coming.
Cut to Silas explaining to his public the terms of the peace treaty he negotiated in the episode. He's returning Port Prosperity to Gath as promised. But he's also giving back all the land that Gilboa won in the Battle of Prosperity, a wide strip of land north of a river. And guess what's in that strip of land? The Shepherd farm, not to mention like three major cities. WTF? That's like saying, "I'm going to pay you the negotiated amount for this car. We agreed on that. But just as a sign of good faith, let me also sign over my home and firstborn child. That's fair, right?" Ah, dramatic license. I mean, if we'd have some hint that Gath was unhappy with the terms, or given SOME reason for the king to do this other than to create dramatic tension with the Shepherds, I might buy it. But it's kind of horseshit. Anyway, as you'd imagine, the Shepherds aren't happy about this development. Ma Shepherd begs David to talk to the king, but David says he's not nearly important enough to have influence on this decision. His mother urges him to at least try.
On the news, Reverend Samuels gives his reaction to the announcement. He understands that it's the king's right to make this decision, but thinks it's an injustice. Silas, watching this on the news, turns off the TV and takes a big old slug of wine before announcing to his general that everyone wants peace but no one wants to pay the cost. Except that Silas gave away the store when Gath only wanted to buy one item. The general knows that this action is going to stir up a ruckus among Silas's critics. Before Silas can give orders to kill people or whatever, David shows up. Silas wants to know how the Shepherds reacted to the announcement. David says, "They felt betrayed, sir. My father and brother died to defend our home, and you just gave it to the ones who killed them." I think he has a reasonable argument. David starts offering up alternatives to the plan, but Silas says he just wants to know if David is going to be loyal to his family or to his king. David says he sees the merits of both sides. Silas says that there are forces at work beyond them both (i.e. God's will), and he needs David to trust him. General Edward James Almost says that David needs to go to a forum at Port Prosperity and publicly endorse the king's position. David realizes that his family will disown him if he does, but the king says that's why he needs to do it; David's endorsement will carry great weight. General Almost says that David also needs to "identify anyone attempting to undermine the king's decision and bring them to [his] attention." In other words, they'll be jailed and/or executed. Silas brings the matter to a close, claiming that he needs David's help. David looks like he just got an attack of diarrhea. Which he probably did.
Silas cooks breakfast for his family while Michelle argues with him about the Port Prosperity handover plan. Silas downplays the public reaction, but Michelle wants him to go to the forum to show he cares. Silas gets pissed off and says that the people can't always get what they want, and being there would only make the situation worse. So he sent his "best man," and somehow Michelle doesn't know who that would be. Cut to David arriving at the forum with his brother Ethan, who's all anti-Silas, and clearly David hasn't told him that he will be supporting the plan publicly. That should go well.
Michelle finds Jack sitting alone and she steals his breakfast since she stomped on out of the kitchen after her father wouldn't listen to her. Jack indicates that he doesn't think what Silas is doing is right either, but he also didn't want to miss out on a good meal. Pragmatic, that Jack. Got to keep up his strength for his gay rager. Michelle shows her brother the newspaper, which has photos of people burning posters of Silas in effigy. Jack encourages Michelle to continue criticizing their father. I should have realized at this point that Silas had something going on behind the scenes; haven't we learned that a photo doesn't get into the newspaper unless he approves it first?
Jack meets with Uncle Will on the street. Will wants an answer to his offer from the episode, to join forces against Silas. Jack won't give one yet, and expresses glee that his uncle is buying Unity News Network (UNN), the largest news station in the country. Jack wants to be involved with it, because Silas needs the media today, so if Jack is controlling the media, his father will kiss his ass. Will gives him the hard sell about joining forces, and Jack says letting him control the station would help him make his decision. I feel like this whole storyline is going to get a lot more interesting when Will's son shows up week. Um, spoiler alert.
Silas is raging against a valet who spilled coffee on his shirt. The queen placates him until Thomasina comes in and reminds him that he has a meeting. Silas is all annoyed and wants to reschedule, but Thomasina reminds him that he's already rescheduled this meeting twice. Rose finds out the meeting is with Katrina Ghent, and her feathers seem a bit ruffled. Silas insists on rescheduling yet again and kind of glances at his wife to see if she's buying his insistence that he doesn't want to have the meeting. Nice touch by Ian McShane, there. I mean, that's one moment among many awesome moments that he brings to the show.
In the castle foyer, the security guards (can I just go ahead and call them Rosencrantz and Guildenstern yet?) gossip about how hot Katrina Ghent (played by Leslie Bibb) is and how she's a former centerfold, as Ms. Ghent herself paces around nearby. Thomasina shows up and says the king needs to reschedule. Katrina tries to bribe her (so we know she's got money to spare) to get an audience with the king. Katrina also reveals that she knows Thomasina has an institutionalized sister and pays for her care. So she's hot, beautiful and she does her homework. Thomasina is impressed, but she's still not taking the bribe.
At the rally, some flunky is trying to convince the angry crowd that they'll all be given new homes and new jobs in the resettlement. Ethan yells out that it's all crap, and points out that even his brother the hero is there to protest. Some rando expresses pride in David's actions, and then asks what he thinks about the situation. David gives a big speech about how his father and brother died fighting for their land, but he thinks that peace (and the resulting end of soldiers' deaths) is more important than a piece of land. There is grumbling in the crowd, and then Ethan asks what the king will do if the people refuse to comply. David says that they can stay, but they'll be citizens of Gath. Ethan starts yelling about standing against the king as David begs him to stop, but the crowd has caught fire and it's too late. They start chanting, "Our Blood, Our Land!" and tearing down the Gilboan flag. You say you want a revolution...
Over at UNN, the reporter is explaining that there is overwhelming public support for King Silas's peace plan, which we all know is bullshit. Uncle William and Jack observe the proceedings and discuss how the country needs an information source that isn't run by the king. Jack orders the head of the network to bring in some criticism of the plan on air. The network head, clearly not used to fomenting dissent, seems unsure. Jack adds that later in the day, when the king orders the media out of Port Prosperity so that images of the revolt won't be transmitted to the rest of the country, UNN's cameras should stick around. So suddenly Jack the closeted gay party boy is an expert in media manipulation and Machiavellian politics? That seems a bit off.
Michelle hops in a car and orders her driver to take her to Port Prosperity. Do you think she even knows how to drive? Or where Port Prosperity is? I would enjoy this show a lot more if it were even more ridiculous, like if Michelle hopped in the car and said, "Driver, take me to the moon! What? Why can't you drive there?" We need more out-of-touch royalty.
Queen Rose is getting her photo taken with some sort of championship soccer team. Silas jokes with her that he hates that team, but Sniveling Aide interrupts to impress upon the king how serious the protests at Port Prosperity are becoming. The king puts him off, and adds that he sent David Shepherd, so it's sorted. Sniveling Aide tries again to explain how bad things are getting, but Silas snarls at him that the people are just throwing a tantrum, so the aide gives up (especially after Thomasina gives him a look like, "Dude, seriously?"). Rose quietly tells Silas to mellow out, because he's going to alienate his staff. She advises him to go to "the countryside" because it always seems to refresh him. Does she know that his mistress lives there? I have to believe that the queen we've seen so far isn't fooled that easily. Silas agrees that he needs a road trip. Cue the wacky hijinks! I bet Thomasina likes to stop at all the 7-11s and buy Slurpees and Twizzlers.
Reverend Samuels meets William in his church. Samuels is surprised that William has even set foot in a church, since he's not a God-fearing man. William says he's there to see the Rev only, and he thinks that things are about to change on the monarchy front. He wants Rev to join forces with him to appoint the new king, just like they worked together to make Silas king back in the day. Rev insists that God appoints a king, not man, but William only worships the almighty dollar so he's not down with all the God talk. William says that he's having a meeting with like-minded folks to discuss what comes , and the Rev is invited. Samuels still insists that God is the only one who can choose a king.
Instead of going to visit his mistress, Silas is fly fishing in a creek. Thomasina and Sniveling Aide stand nearby. Aide keeps trying to give Silas updates about how horribly things are going at the protest, but Silas keeps fiddling while Rome burns. Or fishing while Port Prosperity burns. Katrina Ghent has somehow tracked Silas down and found waders so that she can join him in the stream. She's persistent, and she also knows how to find the nearest Bass Pro Shop. They banter about how Katrina married some rich old guy and then inherited his money when he croaked. Since she's rich, she wants to buy back her reputation, and asks Silas to make her a Minister (their version of a cabinet member apparently). Silas wonders what credentials she has. Katrina says that she doesn't want the power, and he can assign whomever he wants to do the actual work of the thing. She just wants the title. Silas tells her that he doesn't have any positions for sale today, though he likes her moxie.
Sniveling Aide and Thomasina discuss the situation in Port Prosperity, and how voluble it's getting. Cut to Port Prosperity, where the crowd is turning ugly. David tries to get Ethan to leave, but Ethan thinks David has sold out his family, so he won't go. The riot squad advances on the citizens, and suddenly there's smoke grenades and tear gas and night sticks everywhere. David tries to intervene but he gets knocked in the head by a stray rock (which was actually kind of funny because the rock looked super fake). Then guns come out and Ethan gets sort of accidentally shot by a military dude who's wrestling with a protestor. David recovers and drags his brother into a nearby warehouse, where some other rebels join them. They lock the door behind them and then head to a locker where they've stashed a bunch of guns. David realizes that Ethan and his buddies planned this all in advance, and never intended to have a peaceful demonstration. Ethan says that they plan to shut down the port and humiliate the king until he gives up his peace plan and lets them keep their land. David points out that the king has more power than them and could just have them all killed. Ethan thinks (aw, how cute!) that their deaths would make them martyrs to the cause, once the media reports it; more likely, their deaths would go unreported, or be reported as accidents or something. He has a lot of faith in the media.
Some time later, after all of the protestors have been cleared out, David walks out of the warehouse and approaches a cop. Cut to King Silas, still fishing while Thomasina gives him an update (while wearing a FREAKING awesome burnt orange trench). The rebels have released a statement about their intention to stay and fight for their land, and she adds that the local police are asking for military backup. Sniveling Aide reports that there was one death and many injuries in the skirmish, and the rebels are armed. Silas dismisses these reports and says they should leave it be. Thomasina exchanges a look with Sniveling Aide and then slowly says that she fears for Silas's heart. He pretends he thinks she's talking about his health, but Thomasina forges ahead: "I fear it's gone cold. Since Serenity, sir. Since you stopped going." Silas says he doesn't know what she's talking about, and then asks what her point is. Thomasina just goes over the line and says that without "her," Silas is changed. She concludes, "You've grown mean, sir. And I don't know how to serve this cold Silas. And my duty is to protect the family." Silas turns away from her and yells back that she should wait in the car.
David talks with local law enforcement and tries to convince them that the rebels aren't dangerous people, just misguided. The cop says that the mayor has ordered them to go in and get the rebels out. Michelle finally arrives (maybe she did take a detour to the moon?) and announces that she's going in to speak with the rebels on the king's behalf. She also looks like crap. That must have been one long car ride. David grabs her and asks WTF and Michelle says that she wants to give the rebels a chance to avoid a certain death. David tells her that his brother is in there. Michelle shakes him off and heads for the warehouse. David yells at her but Michelle's security holds him back.
The news shows live footage of Michelle heading into the warehouse, which catches Jack's attention in the news station. Cut to inside the warehouse, where one of the rebels lets Michelle in. She addresses Ethan, and he asks if her presence means that the king is giving in to their demands. She says she's there to apologize. Seriously? That was her big plan? In the hours it took her to get there, that's the best she could come up with? She sucks. Ethan says pretty much that. Michelle adds that if they will lay down their guns right now, she will tell the press that the king has granted them all amnesty. Ethan realizes that Silas doesn't even know Michelle is there, but Michelle thinks that if she speaks out publicly, her father will have no choice but to go along. Man, did Silas force his children to take media manipulation lessons? Because they're suddenly both experts. Why can't Michelle use these powers to get her stupid health care reform passed? As Ethan mulls over her proposition, one of his henchmen cocks a pistol and points it at Michelle's head.
Silas is finally done fishing, and heads back to his car, since he's just been informed that Michelle has been taken hostage. General Almost is there, listening to Silas bark orders. Silas wants all the media pulled from the scene, and General Almost has to tell him that UNN is refusing to leave, since it's now under new ownership. Silas spits at him to call Katrina Ghent and his convoy takes off. Back at the port, David watches as the military forces arrive.
The head of UNN pleads with Jack to follow the king's order to remove their cameras. Jack scoffs and says that he's pissed at his father for putting Michelle in harm's way, and his only payback is public humiliation. Or he could, you know, get off his ass and actually do something to help his sister. Just saying. Katrina Ghent swans in and orders the UNN guys to kill the live feed and stop broadcasting. Jack asks why they should listen to her, and she says that she just bought the network, and that Jack must have really pissed off his father.
Out on the street, Jack calls Uncle William and asks what's going on. William says that Silas would rather "appoint that whore than let [Jack] assert [himself]." Jack is just pissed off enough to agree to join his uncle's crusade to unseat the king. William returns to his clandestine insurrection meeting in some sort of warehouse or basement or something. It's not so clandestine that they don't have a waiter walking around serving them on fine silver. That is one fancy insurrection. One of the other meeting participants complains that it doesn't matter if Jack joins them -- they need Reverend Samuels. William promises that Samuels will be there.
Outside, the Rev pulls up to the warehouse in his car and checks that he's at the right place. Up on the roof, he spots one of Silas's flags flying, which gives him pause. A sign? An omen? Samuels pulls a U-turn and leaves without going into the warehouse.
David charges into the warehouse where Silas has set up base command. General Almost warns Silas that Ethan is with the rebels, so anything David says should be discounted. David promises that his brother would never harm Michelle. Silas shows him an ultrasound image of the warehouse. Apparently, Michelle has been microchipped like a dog, and Silas promises that on his command, everyone but her in that warehouse will be killed. David begs for his brother's life, reminding Silas that his family has given up a lot for the king. General Almost argues that their plan is the best, but David tries one more thing, and reminds Silas that he betrayed his family to serve the king. Silas gives him two minutes to try to convince the rebels to give up, but says that after that, everyone will be killed, except for Michelle. That includes David. General Almost is pissed that Silas is even entertaining this nonsense.
David heads into the warehouse and tells the rebels to put down their guns while they still can, since no one will even know if they die as martyrs. Didn't Michelle just try that tactic? Maybe David should APOLOGIZE. That also worked well. Ethan insists that God will know that they died fighting for a just cause.
Meanwhile, at the meeting of William and the Insurrection (my garage band name), William gets a mysterious text message telling him to get out of the building right now. He excuses himself.
David and Ethan continue to argue over the purpose of his rebellion. David says that their mother will die if she loses another son, and then pulls the trump card by saying that their older brother Eli would not be proud of what Ethan is doing. Ethan is like, "That's it, bitch!" and the brothers start wrestling and fall to the ground. Silas gives the order to shoot to kill, and the snipers start firing into the building. Michelle ducks behind a crate or something.
And at the same time, William's Insurrection Meeting is infiltrated by military men, who shoot some dudes and take others into custody. Outside, William manages to hop into his car and get away unscathed.
Back at the port, David looks up to see one of the rebels reaching for a gun. He runs over and shelters Michelle with his body, putting himself between her and the weapon. As the rebel raises his gun, Ethan shoots and kills him, saving his brother's life. The military bursts in and take Ethan into custody.
Back at the castle, Michelle is checked out by the doctor as her father paces around, worried. She scolds him for his concern, as well as for having her chipped when she was five. Silas, convinced that she's fine, leaves the room and tells Thomasina that she said more words to him today than she usually says in a month. He asks how long she's worked for him, and she says it's been ten years. He says slowly, "Maybe... it's time... " Thomasina looks down, sure she's going to be shitcanned. Silas concludes, "For a promotion." Thomasina, both shocked and delighted, walks over and asks one of the doormen a question. Rosencrantz can't even talk, so Guildenstern answers. After Thomasina leaves, Guildenstern realizes that Rosencrantz is in love with Thomasina, and adds that he's screwed. Am I supposed to care about the doorman's crush? Because I really don't. Although I don't blame him for loving Thomasina. All right-thinking people do.
Silas now has to take on Jack, who protests that he didn't know that Michelle was in danger when he gave his orders to UNN. Then Jack admits that even if he had known, he might have done the same thing. Silas warns him that gifts from Uncle William are not really gifts, and Jack complains that his father undercuts him at every turn. Silas allows that, and says that he's thinking of offering Jack a Ministry position, except that he won't be publicly named to the position. Silas wants him to learn to have power without the accompanying fame. So he's giving the position to Katrina Ghent, but Jack will actually do the work, whatever it is. Silas is putting a lot of trust in an unknown entity named Katrina Ghent. Unless he does know her. Possibly in the Biblical sense. No pun intended.
Michelle finds David in one of the castle's rooms. David complains that there's no record of Ethan in any of the jails, and it's like he just disappeared. Michelle tries to express her gratitude for David saving her life. They are just about to make out when Thomasina interrupts and says that Silas wants to see David.
David joins Silas in the kitchen, along with General Almost. The general shows David photos of Ethan from before the rally. David puts the pieces together and realizes that Silas knew the uprising was going to happen and didn't stop it. Silas says that he did it to draw out his enemies and see who was going to go against the king. He adds that people can protest all the want, but if they try to start a war, there's a problem. David wants to know what's going to happen to Ethan. Silas says that he committed treason, even if he did save Michelle's life, and must be tried for it. Seeing David's face, Silas softens and says that he'll let Ethan out on bail if David will take responsibility for making sure he returns to stand trial. David holds back tears and leaves. General Almost doesn't get why David gets special treatment and Silas tells him to stuff it. Silas changes subjects and wonders why William and Rev Samuels weren't captured at the Insurrection Meeting. General Almost says that there was no evidence against them, though some could be manufactured. Silas turns him down, promising that "their day will come."
William sits down in Reverend Samuels's church and asks an unseen buddy why he was warned that the meeting was a trap. Cut to General Almost sitting in a nearby pew. He replies, "Because Silas has grown soft, and is no longer the man I swore to follow." Ooh, palace intrigue. Now that's what I'm talking about!
David drops Ethan off at the Shepherd farmhouse, but Ethan refuses to speak to him. Before going into the house, Ethan orders his brother not to talk to any of them again. Ma Shepherd comes out on the porch and welcomes Ethan home, but all she has for David is a hard look and a slammed door. Burn!
Discuss this episode in our forums, then see what vlogger Sean Crespo thinks of Manhattan--er, Gilboa in No Prior Knowledge!