Bluebird Is Dead – The episode opens as Lady Jane Grey (Emily Bader) and Lord Guildford Dudley (Edward Bluemel) arrive at the Kingdom in a carriage. Lord Seymour (Dominic Cooper) presents her with the crown. She places it on top of her head as Guildford looks on solemnly. She is greeted by the Kingsland guards and the Privy Council as she enters the castle for the first time as the Queen of England. Lady Margaret Grey (Robyn Betteridge) asks if she must address her as Your Majesty. Jane says she can utilize her given name but Lady Frances Grey (Anna Chancellor) refutes the idea. Jane faints. Wearing King Edward’s robe, Princes Mary (Kate O’Flynn) tells Seymour about her plan to kill Jane, without giving away any of the details. She threatens to strangle him if he doesn’t give her the zoo key. A short time later, Jane comes to in King Edward’s (Jordan Peters) bed. Charles (Christian Patterson) says Edward’s possessions are now hers. Jane questions why Edward never told her. Charles claims Edward held her in the highest esteem. Jane professes to have always loved Edward. He says it is believed that Lord Dudley (Rob Brydon) had been poisoning him for some time. Jane and Charles dispute the claim that Edward requested to be alone in the North Turret where he jumped out the window to his death.

In the North Turret, Guildford tells Jane that Dudley denies poisoning Edward and he believes him. She suggests whoever did it tried to kill them as well. As dawn nears, she wishes Guildford didn’t have to morph into a horse. After a near-kiss, he warns her that the Kingdom is dangerous. Later, Frances insists Jane dress lavishly. As Princes Katherine Grey (Isabella Brownson) reaches out to touch the crown, Jane spots a wedding ring on her finger. Margaret informs her that Frances forced Katherine to marry the Duke of Leicester who died. Jane explains her plan to speak to the Privy Council about Dudley because Edward would not want an innocent man to be executed for his murder.

Dudley appears before Jane and swears he is innocent. Jane recalls Tofana was found on his person. He assures her that he would not put poison in the pocket of his Venetian cloak. Seymour says a cook, Izzy (Jamie Rose Monk) alleged seeing Dudley administer Tofana. Dudley accuses Seymour of lying before slapping him. A petty physical dispute breaks out between the two men. Later, Izzy claims Dudley put Tofana in Edward’s pottage on the day before the Feast of All Saints. Jane asks how she knew it was poison. Izzy says it was in a golden bowl from East Norwich. Seymour looks downtrodden. After scanning the Palace ledger, Jane learns it was Izzy’s day off. She accuses Izzy of lying and orders Dudley’s release. Jane threatens to have Izzy’s eyeballs removed with a spoon if she doesn’t tell her who forced her to lie. Izzy runs and transforms into a cat. A Kingsland guard (Pearse Egan) proudly holds up the dead cat skewered on his sword. Seymour congratulates Jane for killing an Ethian and proving Dudley’s innocence. At the Palace Zoo, Mary puts an Ethian black adder snake inside a wooden box.

Rupert (Stewart Scudamore) escorts Guildford the horse into the stable, addressing him as my Lord. Hearing everything, Seymour confronts him. Rupert orders Guildford to run but Seymour steps on his rein and ties it to a post. Holding up a velvet garment, Seymour demands to know who it belongs to. Rupert claims it is his. Seymour argues that it is Guildford’s which means Jane has already kicked him out of her bed. After retrieving his sword, he says something off-hand to the horse. As he turns to leave, Guildford morphs into a distressed human who is in dire need of a drink.

Princess Bess (Abbie Hern) returns to her chamber to find Mary holding a dagger to Petunia’s (Tallulah Greive) throat. Mary accuses her of stealing Edward’s will. Bess says it was his right to choose his own successor. Mary agrees to free Petunia in exchange for Bess placing the wooden box in Jane’s chamber. A short time later, Bess delivers the wooden box and books to Jane’s chamber. Jane insists she stays for a drink. While they discuss Edward cheating at cards, the snake pops its head out of the box. Bess calmly places the books on top of the box, shutting the snake inside. She gives Jane a book and heads for the door when Guildford barges in. Jane tells Guildford that Seymour poisoned Edward and ordered Phillips (James Corrigan) and Hodgkins (Tom Morley) to kill them. She explains what happened with the Ethian cook. He asks if she still wants a divorce. She says they have bigger problems that need her attention. He suggests she is giving up. She assures him that she has never given up in her life and forcibly kisses him. He eventually excuses himself. Dudley finds him in the stables packing his clothes. He says if Guildford is appointed king, he will have the resources at his fingertips to cure his Ethianism. Guildford accuses him of setting up his marriage to Jane to benefit himself.

Bess releases the Ethian snake. Morphing into a human, Petunia apologizes to Bess for not protecting Edward. In her chamber, Jane wakes up from a dream about Phillips and Hodgkins killing her. She is searching for the Kingsland guard list when Seymour enters. He removes the list from a locked chest and pretends to accidentally drop it into the fireplace. She watches as he places the key in a case on his desk and invites him to a supper party. A short time later, he informs Mary of Jane’s impending party. They pay Bess a visit to learn what happened to the box. Bess claims the snake suffocated inside the box and assures them that it was a sweet gift for Jane who loves science. Knowing Bess is lying, Mary orders Seymour to bring her some Tofana and vows to kill Jane tonight.

At the supper party, Jane vows to dedicate all her time to finding a cure for Guildford after Edward’s killer is identified. Katherine and Mary search for the key to Seymour’s chest. They find the case on his desk empty. Mary congratulates Jane. While all eyes are on Lord Stan Dudley (Henry Ashton), she spikes her wine with Tofana. Seymour insists Guildford go hunting with him to improve his reputation. Jane assures them that Guildford’s reputation is exaggerated. Seymour asks Guildford about his daytime activities. Jane asks him to tell her more about Izzy. Mary switches Jane’s wine with her spiked wine. As Jane raises her glass, Frances interrupts to boast of herself. Elsewhere, Margaret picks the lock of Seymour’s chest. Back at the party, Stan grabs Jane’s wine and Frances takes it from him. While the glasses clink together, Seymour slams his glasses into the others, smashing the glass with the poisonous wine. He immediately apologizes. In the hallway, Margaret and Katherine show Jane a folder. Jane winks at Guildford. A short time later, Jane and Guildford find cryptic letters in the folder. He says it is the Alberti Cipher before escorting her to the stables where he removes a cipher wheel from his chest.

Stan serenades and proposes to Frances. She says no because he is not husband material and if he were, he would have been married to Jane. He nearly blurts out that Guildford is an Ethian before he catches himself. She threatens to cut all ties with him unless he tells her. Elsewhere, Mary has sex with Seymour while asking why he intervened to stop Frances from drinking the Tofana. He says every murder needs a purpose. He informs her of Jane’s order to dismiss the Royal grooms from the West Stables. She leaves him restrained to the bed. At the West Stables, Jane and Guildford decipher a provocative letter from Mary to Seymour. In one of the letters, Mary mentions “windowmaker.” Jane believes it refers to Tofana, also known as the Florentine Windowmaker. He says they plotted Edward’s murder together. Jane encounters Mary on her way to the West Stables. To stall her, Jane holds up Mary’s letter and accuses her of poisoning Edward. Irate, Mary knocks her down, grabs the letter, and ingests it. She strangles Jane unconscious and calmly walks away. Frances witnesses Guildford morph into a horse.

King Edward is alive in a nunnery. The episode ends.

 

My Lady Jane Review

Lady Jane is presented with the royal crown. She makes it her mission to find King Edward’s killer. Lady Katherine and Lady Margaret break into Lord Seymour’s chest to find a folder of cryptic letters. Utilizing an Albertie Cipher wheel, Jane and Guildford find proof that Princess Mary and Seymour poisoned Edward.

Stan tells Frances about Guildford’s Ethianism. She turns down his proposal of marriage. During a supper party, Mary spikes Jane’s wine with Tofana. Seymour intervenes to stop Frances from drinking the tainted wine.

Jane proves Dudley’s innocence. Dudley urges Guildford to convince Jane to appoint him the King of England. Jane promises Guildford that she will find a cure for his condition after she finds Edward’s killer.

Jane shows Mary her letter to Seymour that proves they killed Edward. Mary attacks her, consumes the letter, and strangles Jane unconscious. The episode deserves a 5.9 out of 10.

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