We have to admit that there is something about this particular “Dangerous Liaisons.” The beauty of the scenes, the subtle politics, and the modern-day cleverness of the 18th-century dialogues make for quite a heady mix. This is not following the traditional storyline of the classic, and that has made it all the more exciting. We must say a word or two about the confusion regarding the character of Valmont and the misplaced feminist angle here. Also, though the show is just two episodes in, we get a distinct feeling that it is not exactly bingeable. Though engaging, “Dangerous Liaisons” packs a lot of layers into an episode that does not exactly move at a fast pace. For that reason alone, maybe this is best viewed while it is ongoing because we believe that it is going to be very popular in the near future.
Spoilers Ahead
Camille Finding A Place Within The Parisian Nobility
The second episode of “Dangerous Liaisons” starts with Camille returning Genevieve’s letters to her. She thanks her for everything when Genevieve tells her that she must stay and continue to flourish in Parisian society. She tells her that she must fight and avenge all the wrongs that women have suffered by punishing the one who put her in such a disadvantageous situation. Having said that, she makes her way downstairs. A few minutes later, she was found dead on the stairs. It is a great loss for the house, and while Camille is genuinely in mourning, she must find a way to survive. Majordome, who was Genevieve’s friend and servant for many years, is openly hostile to Camille. He tells her that she must return to wherever she came from, and Camille retorts that she will wait for the owner of the house.
In the meantime, as part of her revenge against Valmont, Camille goes through the rest of the letters that the women have written to him. She deduces that since the time he started coming to her in the brothel, he has been using the skills he learned from her to establish his nexus of women, who are the modern-day equivalent of “sugar mommies,” for lack of a better term. It is infuriating and embarrassing, especially when most of the letters read like bad adult fanfiction. But as said by Genevieve, Camille has a talent for finding people’s secrets, and when she is on a mission, she is unstoppable. When Majordome puts her in a tricky situation by introducing her as Genevieve’s close confidante at a gathering of friends, Florence and a few other women try to put her on the spot. But Camille recognizes Florence from one of the letters and turns the tables on her. She gets a small victory, but bigger battles await.
Following that incident, Florence sets out for her revenge. She had previously secured an apartment for Valmont, but this time, she leaves him stranded on the streets without clothes as payback for letting Camille know their secrets. At this moment, Valmont loses one of his benefactors but now knows where Camille is. He goes to meet her and lets her know that he had come for her that day on the bridge. But it is clear that the weight of his betrayal is too great, and there is a war between them now. Pascal’s sufferings are far from over as Gabriel comes to know that he is the reason he couldn’t have Camille. He makes Valmont lose his job by pinning the blame for the robbery in the cartographer’s office on him and bringing up his frequent visits to the disreputable parts of the city. When Valmont is leaving, Gabriel tells him that this is all for Camille since he couldn’t have her because of him.
While Pascal is dealing with the new turn of events in his life, Camille is desperately trying to secure her position. The Marquis returns to the house, and he makes it clear that he knows that Camille is not a woman of their station and that her story about her friendship with the Marquess is a complete lie. He tells her to leave as soon as possible. On the other hand, he also tells Majordome to leave the house. This prompts him to rethink his loyalties, and he takes the step of giving Genevieve’s last letter, which she had written to her husband, to Camille, which reveals that she had not died by falling down the stairs. Instead, she had taken her own life. Camille puts that letter to good use and tells the Marquis that he must allow her and Majordome to stay in the house in return for her silence about the letter, which would bring him considerable disrepute in society. And with that, Camille has secured her safety.
‘Dangerous Liaisons’ Episode 2: Ending Explained – Who Is Jacqueline De Montrachet?
Genevieve’s funeral is a rather odd affair, with her getting just a mention amongst the praises of her husband, as noted by Florence and her friend. Just one of the many examples of the treatment of women as second-class citizens in the world. In the service, Camille almost runs into her former mistress, Jacqueline de Montrachet, but avoids her at the last minute. From some of the flashbacks she has been getting, we can deduce that she was thrown out by her in the middle of winter, following which she tried to slit her wrists before she was bought by Jericho. Genevieve plans on taking revenge on Montrachet for the turn her life took, and we will see more of this in the coming episodes. For now, Camille goes to the opera to confront her but finds that she hasn’t visited in years. This is a particular cause of anger for Camille, and her resolve hardens to get her payback. When she looks down, she spots Valmont wooing another woman, who is undoubtedly his next conquest.
What To Expect From ‘Dangerous Liaisons’ Episode 3?
Information about Montrachet is definitely expected. We suspect that Camille and the Marquis might develop their relationship further. After all, there is no other way for her to fully secure herself other than this. We also think that Gabriel and Camille might meet. What would that be like? Would it mean further blackmail for each other, or would she use him as a ploy in her games? This “Dangerous Liaisons” is an exploration of how Camille and Valmont came to be the adversaries they are meant to be, and it is definitely interesting, if not a little slow. But as we said before, this show is better watched ongoing than binge-watched. For now, we leave this on an expectant and hopeful note for the next week.
