Complete Guide to BBC America's THE MUSKETEERS: Character Descriptions, Episode Guide, Videos & More
Maj Canton - June 20, 2014
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Set on the streets of 17th century Paris, where law and order is an idea more than a reality, King Louis XIII's personal bodyguards -- Athos, Aramis and Porthos -- are a crack-team of highly trained soldiers, standing resolutely for social justice, honor, valor, and love. D'Artagnan, a skilled fighter from rural Gascony, meets the three Musketeers while on a mission to right the wrong of his father's death. Although he meets the men in unfortunate circumstances, he finds kindred spirits in the other soldiers. Constance Bonacieux leads a dull but comfortable life married to a cloth merchant, but her life is turned upside down when D'Artagnan tumbles into her life, and she becomes involved with The Musketeers.
THE MUSKETEERS premieres on BBC America this Sunday, June 22, at 9pm ET/PT. BBC America will then show the entire 10-episode first season on 10 consecutive Sundays at 9pm ET/PT, with the Season 1 finale scheduled for August 24, 2014. And don't worry about the show being canceled -- BBC America already picked up THE MUSKETEERS for a second season -- so you can watch the first season knowing that the adventures of Athos, Aramis, Porthos, and D'Artagnan wll continue.
To prepare for the new series, we've assembled a complete guide to THE MUSKETEERS with an introduction from lead writer Adrian Hodges, character descriptions, episode guide, video trailer, behind-the-scenes videos, and more.
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Introduction by THE MUSKETEERS Lead Writer Adrian Hodges
Our new series of The Musketeers is based on the famous characters created by Alexandre Dumas -- D’Artagnan, Athos, Porthos and Aramis, some of the most evocative names in all fiction, names synonymous with adventure, heroism, courage and self-sacrifice. This new version is not an adaptation of the book, but rather a series of new adventures sometimes inspired by the novel, sometimes by the events of the period, and sometimes by more contemporary issues given a historical spin. Why not attempt a new adaptation? Of course that was an option, but there have been many, many versions of the book's justly celebrated story -- some wonderful, some not so wonderful -- and I simply felt the time was right to do something different with the founding myth of the Musketeers and to do what Dumas himself did with history - respect it, use it wisely, but also have fun with it. I hope Dumas's spirit will forgive us the liberties we take in this new set of variations on the classic story he created; at all times we tried to be faithful to the spirit of his writing, though clearly not to the letter.
So why THE MUSKETEERS and why now? It seemed to me that although the adventure genre, however broadly defined, has remained evergreen in the cinema, it had been a long time since I'd seen anything of this kind on TV, at least outside of the family slots and dark hybrid fantasies like GAME OF THRONES. Have we as an audience grown bored with the ideas of courage, selflessness, romance and heroism associated with the genre? I seriously doubt it. I suspect, and hope there is a serious appetite for this kind of material amongst the TV audience, something different to police and hospital shows (good as those often are), something that isn't science fiction but which does take place in a world wildly different and infinitely more exotic than our own.
Perhaps the problem is that the whole notion of "Swashbuckling" has become fraught with cliché and is full of traps for the unwary. Too often swashbuckling has become a kind of code word for insubstantial characterization, endless swordfights which have little or no consequence, and a kind of old-fashioned approach to storytelling which is dull and encrusted with period trappings and lame jokes. To put it simply, too often the adventure genre is lightweight and disposable. It just doesn't have enough weight to captivate a modern audience which is perhaps more cynical and certainly more aware of storytelling tricks than any before it.
There are a number of ways to update the genre; you can tease affectionately -- as in PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN -- or simply transpose everything we used to associate with the swashbuckler and put it in a different genre, as with almost any of the Marvel superhero films or most westerns and space set films. But what I wanted to do was take the genre seriously, provide everything the audience expects from it -- period detail, sword fights, muskets, brave and romantic heroes and heroines, enormous risks, rescues at the last minute and so on -- and also come up with something that felt, dare I say, relevant.
In other words I wanted to write something that wasn't jaded or cynical, and which felt like it mattered, but which also felt modern, exciting and involving, while always trying to respect the conventions of the genre. I didn't want to write something that was pastiche or satire, nor something that was po-faced and glum. After all, if The Musketeers isn't romantic, action-packed fun, then what is it?
There are a number of ways to tackle the concept of modernity in a television adventure drama -- SHERLOCK's successful updating is certainly one that stands out. But that kind of outright conversion to the modern era didn't feel right for THE MUSKETEERS; I'm not sure the concept could really make sense outside of its original setting. So right from the start I decided we had to keep the framework everyone knows but then bring a certain modern attitude to it, something that acknowledges all the conventions of the genre, while also playing with them, sometimes humorously but never in such a way that we fail to show respect. I love this genre; I don't want to mock it. I just want it to seem as much fun to modern audiences as it did to me when I first saw Richard Lester's wonderful version back in the early 1970s.
My most essential job was to look at the famous characters and give them a fresh look and feeling. Of course all the characteristics we expect from these four famous names are here but hopefully in ways that will surprise and intrigue. It was a case of looking at the characters in exactly the same way as I would any others I try to create - who are they, really? What matters to them? What secrets do they keep? What world do they live in? What is the true cost of heroism? It's about making them people a modern audience readily recognizes and understands; heroes, definitely, but heroes who are not straightforward, who are very human and who recognize that every time they draw their swords, someone, perhaps even them, might die. And die for real. Above all I want these stories to matter to the audience; I want them to care passionately about the fate of our leading men and women, to feel invested; that way the adventures our characters face really mean something, and every sword fight, every ambush, every romance has real consequences in a world where there are enormous stakes to play for. But at the same time humor is written into the DNA of these characters and I've tried very hard to honor that aspect of the original in ways that will please a modern, sophisticated TV audience without ever taking them out of the reality of the drama they're watching. THE MUSKETEERS is a drama; not a comedy, not a pastiche, not a pantomime. Everything about the detail of our world and our characters is as authentic as we can make it, because in the end, if an adventure doesn't feel real, what's the point of it?
When I started this introduction I promised myself I'd avoid glib or too easy summaries of what we're attempting with this show. But then again, why not? THE MUSKETEERS is a swashbuckler with teeth. And hopefully it bites hard and deep.
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Character Descriptions
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D'ARTAGNAN (Luke Pasqualino) |
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D'Artagnan is charismatic, impulsive and ridiculously brave with a fierce appetite for justice. Although still young, D'Artagnan has seen enough of the world to despise its corruption and compromise. Raised in the country and trained as a fighter since he was a boy, only Athos can match his exceptional skill with a sword. Athletic and determined, he is also intensely romantic, with a moving capacity for true love. In time D'Artagnan will go on to be the greatest Musketeer of them all and a legend in his own lifetime. |
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ATHOS (Tom Burke) |
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Athos is brave, resourceful and a natural leader of men. But he nurses a dark secret in his past. A brilliant swordsman, Athos is the glue that binds the Musketeers together. His character commands respect. At first sight he can appear arrogant but his offhand manner disguises a deep capacity for friendship. He is wryly humorous and engaging but during bouts of solitary drinking he has the capacity to hit the self-destruct button. At these times, the bottled-up darkness from his past threatens to engulf him. |
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ARAMIS (Santiago Cabrera) |
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Charming but deadly, a great lover and a great fighter - Aramis is a man of fascinating contrasts. Handsome, a loner by nature but a faithful friend, Aramis is a complex figure. His love of women is notorious but he is very far from being a routine womanizer. His effortless charm means that he is never short of admirers – not even the Cardinal's mistress is off-limits, but it has deadly consequences. A brilliant shot, Aramis has a ruthless streak but also the most romantic heart of the Musketeer brotherhood. He possesses a deep insight into human nature and puts his faith in a deity who understands and forgives its many contradictions. |
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PORTHOS (Howard Charles) |
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A great fighter, a loyal friend and a man who lives life to the full. Raised in desperate poverty and triumphing over every kind of adversity, Porthos has finally found his true family in the Musketeers. Intensely loyal to his friends and a natural fighter, he is the go-to guy for hand-to-hand combat and the man you always want on your side in a fight. Self-educated, as quick in thought as he is in action, Porthos has a lively sense of humor but is not a man to cross. |
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CARDINAL RICHELIEU (Peter Capaldi) |
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Scheming, ruthless and pragmatic, the Cardinal is the most powerful man in France. In the eyes of the Musketeers, he is a villain and a power-hungry dictator whose ultimate aim is nothing less than complete control of France. But in his own eyes the Cardinal is bringing much needed order to an outlaw society. He knows the King's weaknesses all too well and understands that someone must take on the burden of government in his place. But nevertheless, in his own way, the Cardinal is loyal to the crown. Dry and witty, capable of great charm, he is also calculating and mercilessly cruel in implementing his vision. Despite his cool exterior the Cardinal is a man of carefully hidden passions. |
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MILADY (Maimie McCoy) |
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The most mysterious and beautiful of villains, Milady de Winter is the Cardinal's secret weapon – a deadly and merciless assassin. Brought up in poverty, Milady is a sensual and beautiful woman who ruthlessly uses her charms to achieve her aims. Possessed of a sharp wit, an unbridled sexuality, and a burning need for vengeance, Milady is linked to the Musketeers by a dark secret. How far will she go in her quest to destroy them? |
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CONSTANCE (Tamla Kari) |
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Yearning for escape from her uneventful marriage, Constance finds excitement, romance and danger when D'Artagnan comes crashing into her life. Constance leads a comfortable but dull existence with her cloth merchant husband Bonacieux. But after meeting D'Artagnan she becomes an integral part of the Musketeers' adventures and a resourceful ally and companion. Constance is a joy - funny, gorgeous, earthy and fearless. The day will come when she will be sorely tested and forced to choose between her loyalty to her husband and her undeniable attraction to D'Artagnan – but for now she is having the time of her life. |
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CAPTAIN TREVILLE (Hugo Speer) |
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A legendary soldier, Treville is now Captain of the Musketeers, a close advisor to the King, and a man of absolute honour and integrity. To the Musketeers, Treville is both commander and father-figure; their adoration and respect for him knows no bounds. Leading by example, Treville's authority is unquestioned. He orders the Musketeers' missions, keeps an eye on their welfare and tolerates their regular scrapes and misadventures. Treville is good-humored but brusque and not a man to suffer fools lightly. |
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KING LOUIS (Ryan Gage) |
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Good-natured yet weak, intelligent but lazy, King Louis is the absolute ruler of France. Torn between the inexorable pull of his First Minister, Cardinal Richelieu, and the blunter but well-meaning advice of Captain Treville, Louis wants to be a good king but lacks the essential determination and seriousness the role requires. Louis remains loyal to his Musketeers and supports them when he can but is easily influenced against them by the scheming Cardinal. He finds it easiest to leave the day-to-day running of the country to others while he indulges himself with hunting and dining. |
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QUEEN ANNE (Alexandra Dowling) |
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Passionate and strong-willed, Queen Anne yearns for a romantic escape from her waning marriage to the King. Anne is a clever and enterprising young woman who would dearly like a stronger place in her husband's affections and a role in the government of France. But it is increasingly clear that Louis has little interest in her. He regards Anne as too serious and is intimidated by her cleverness and wit. Although she is loyal to her husband, Anne is increasingly attracted to the dashing Musketeers Aramis. After nearly ten years of marriage, Anne remains childless and is intensely conscious of her need to produce an heir to secure the succession and safety of France. Outwardly calm, Anne is in truth a far more volatile and impulsive woman than she first seems. |
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Episode Guide
Episode #1: "Friends and Enemies" |
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Videos
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Extended Trailer |
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The Musketeers Discuss Their Training |
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The Musketeers Discuss Their Beards |
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Behind the Scenes at THE MUSKETEERS Boot Camp |
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Luke Pasqualino Reveals Secrets Behind the Special Effects of THE MUSKETEERS |
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