Watch The Borgias
The series focuses on Rodrigo and his four children. Cesare Borgia, the oldest, serves the church to please his father, but has a dark, violent side. His interests lie more in warfare, but his younger brother Juan has been given command of the Papal forces. Their younger sister Lucrezia and youngest brother Gioffre are also followed.
The first season of the show focuses on the efforts of the family to identify and eliminate their enemies in the College of Cardinals. Their greatest enemy, Cardinal Della Rovere soon travels to France and convinces the French king to conquer the Italian city-states and depose the pope. In the meantime, Pope Alexander negotiates two marriages for Lucrezia and Gioffre that are meant to solidify military and political support for his papacy.
By the second season of the show, Lucrezia's marriage has been annulled and last-minute political maneuvering has saved Alexander's papacy. The show deals with the inner conflicts between the family members and the political fall out from their deals to save Rome. Throughout this, the siblings and their parents fall in love, get into fights, and assassinate their enemies.
- Sunday 9:00 PM et/pt on Showtime
- 3 Seasons, 29 Episodes
- April 3, 2011
- Drama
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/10 - Cast: Jeremy Irons, François Arnaud, Holliday Grainger, Peter Sullivan
Watch Full Episodes of The Borgias
The Borgias Full Episode Guide
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In the third season finale, the money from the crusades and jubilee is enough to save the Papal army. Differences are set aside between Alexander and Cesare. As Cesare marches on Forli, Micheletto returns. Lucrezia turns to her portions to end Alfonso's life painlessly.
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Micheletto kills his lover after being betrayed, then disappears. Alfonso suspects that a brother and sister relationship is something more. Alexander wants to monopolize the sulfur market.
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Rome is flooded with pilgrims for the Jubilee celebration. Catherine plans to destroy Alexander's festival.
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Cesare burns Constanzo's palace in an effort to contain the plague. Due to a shift in politics, Lucrezia seeks a Neapolitan power base for herself and her family. Lucrezia blackmails Prince Raphael and Prince Frederigo replaces Ferdinand as King.
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When Cesare lands in northern Italy with a French army, Alexander feels it is an expression to challenge his authority, and is hesitant to agree to Cesare's plan to destroy the Sforza dynasty. Catherina, meanwhile, is plotting biological warfare.
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As the purged Cardinals are dismissed and stripped of their titles and wealth, one retaliates and sets the Vatican treasury ablaze. Incensed by the new King Ferdinand's arrogant refusal to accept Giovanni as Lucrezia's child, Cesare attempts to remedy the situation.
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Pope Alexander discovers which Cardinals were plotting against him and decides to purge those he mistrusts.
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In the third season premiere, Pope Alexander faces death, the cardinals fight for control of the papacy, and Della Rovere calculates his next move.
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The second season closes as a tragic revelation stuns the family; Cesare tortures Savonarola with no mercy; and a new suitor works his charms on a flirtatious Lucrezia. Meanwhile, Della Rovere's assassin makes a move.
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Alexander celebrates the Easter holiday with a beautiful celebration and an end to his pious fast, while Della Rovere's assassin gets even closer to the pope. Meanwhile, Lucrezia's lover asks her father for her hand in marriage; and Juan's increasingly erratic behavior endangers his sister's child.
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Upon his return to Rome, Juan elaborates on how he received his"battle wounds," however, Cesare is suspicious and determined to learn the truth. Meanwhile, Lucrezia takes a lover, the younger brother of her intended; and Della Rovere recruits an accomplice for his assassination plot.
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Juan's happy return from Spain is ruined by his failure to seize the Sforza castle.
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Cesare recruits a band of mercenaries with the help of Micheletto to seek revenge on the retreating French troops; the Pope forges more strategic alliances and enriches himself in the bargain; Lucrezia joins Giulia's quest to aid Rome's poor.
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Alexander VI refuses to allow a Catholic burial for Paolo, even though he doubts the boy's suicide. Lucrezia lashes out by refusing to eat, thus endangering the life of her infant son.
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The stable boy who fathered Lucrezia's child travels to Rome to meet with her, but is met by Juan instead; the Pope's lovers Giulia and Vittoria take him in disguise on a revelatory tour of Rome's indigent.
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In the Season 2 premiere, Pope Alexander VI takes a new lover and throws a grand, pagan fete for the citizens of Rome when a cache of ancient artifacts is discovered; the rivalry between brothers Cesare and Juan spills into the streets; Lucrezia tends to her newborn child; now a pastoral priest once again, Della Rovere narrowly escapes an assassination attempt.
The Borgias News
Showtime recently announced that 'The Borgias' will be cancelled, and the last episode, set to air June 16th, will act as the series finale.
