The last two episodes of “Dangerous Liaisons” Season 1 had us going through a rush of emotions, ranging from genuine anger and grief to a need for the characters to get their vengeance. This series has really not gotten the hype it deserves. The storytelling is skillful, with a cliffhanger that has us genuinely anticipating the next season. We were told that this series is a prequel to the original “Dangerous Liaisons” by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos. While we couldn’t figure out how for the majority of the series, that did not make it any less engaging, and in fact, it has established a rich character base for the future story. Without further ado, let us see how the last two episodes set the tone for everything that is to come.
Spoilers Ahead
Does Valmont Get Revenge For Camille?
Camille and Valmont hatch their plan to take revenge on Jacqueline and get the required letter from her. After that, they will give the said letter to the Queen at the opera, to which Camille has received an invitation. Henry de Montrachet has been appointed the surgeon to the King, which makes him even more powerful than the Marquis, so any hope of vengeance that Camille might have must go through the Queen. Soon after putting their plans in place, they decide to elope. And that is the start of the final leg of the game. Back at Saint Honore, the Marquis is madly in love with Camille and cannot wait to marry her, but she tries to delay it. She asks the Marquis to think over his decision, as she had manipulated him into it, to begin with. The Marquis falls even more head over heels for her once he hears this. Therefore, Camille asks him for a proper wedding, one that would take time to organize, to which he agrees.
As for Valmont, Jacqueline proves to be a much tougher nut to crack. Her husband knows that she was with a man at the masquerade ball and warns her about the consequences it could have for them both. Additionally, Jacqueline is feeling rejected; hence she pays no heed to Valmont. But he is persistent and eventually breaks her down by a simple manipulation of showing her the mirror of her loneliness. When Valmont comes to visit her, she is ready to take their relationship further, but she wishes to confess something to him first. She pretty much confirms everything that Valmont already knows about her and Camille, but there is a surprise. She tells him that Camille’s daughter, Odette, is alive. Jacqueline had taken her from Camille, and this was a weight she had since carried on her shoulders. Valmot is shocked beyond words, but he acts with enough composure to come up with a plan. He sends word to Jacqueline about how they might escape with Odette and tells Camille to wait for him at the Luxembourg Gardens at a predetermined time. But things go extremely wrong as Jacqueline’s servant girl reveals the truth to Henry, and he has Valmont beaten up and taken captive. He is unable to meet Camille, making her think that she has been left alone by him once again. Henry threatens his wife that unless she drops any plan she might have, he will send her to the mental asylum. As for Camille, she meets Theo, tells him her own story, and asks him to make it his next opera. He agrees with gratitude. Now that Camille feels like she is acting alone, she goes to the Marquis and asks him to get married to her. The wedding takes place that very night.
But there are also things happening that are beyond her control. Gabriel has discovered that there are multiple women being found dead with a ball of red thread in their throats, and he connects it to the “Labyrinth,” a rumored place in the city. His officer tells him to ignore the case. But he himself goes to meet the Marquis and tells him to find a girl who wouldn’t leave a trace, to be the next Ariadne. While he recommends Camille, the Marquis is quite in love with her, and at the exact last minute, he finds Victoire as her replacement for Ariadne. She had come back to meet her friend but found herself in serious trouble.
The next morning, when Camille wakes up, she finds nobody in the house. Majordome tells her that the Marquis wants them all to move to Saint Domingue. Camille is frustrated at this turn of events, and while contemplating her next move, she finds a secret tunnel in the house, which leads her to a barely conscious Victoire. The Marquis has come home by then, and he tells Camille to let her go. Realizing the demands of the situation, Camille attacks him. Her, Victoire, and Majordome collectively kill him, though it is Camille’s hand that tightens the rope around his neck. They decide that the Marquis’ body needs to be found so that Camille might get access to his wealth and status in society as his widow. Meanwhile, Victoire decides to go to the New World to make a life for herself, independent of Camille. As for Valmont, he tells Jacqueline to write a letter detailing everything she has told him and give it to Azolan while he tries to get free of the place. He promises to use that as a bargaining chip with her husband. Jacqueline does as he says on her way to the opera, while Valmont breaks free of the bonds and escapes.
‘Dangerous Liaisons’ Season 1: Ending Explained – Does Camille Know About Her Daughter?
At the opera, Theo’s play goes as planned, but it really angers the members of the elite for showing them in a disreputable light. While that is going on, Camille meets Jacqueline downstairs, and they have a long-overdue confrontation. Jacqueline admits that she feels sorry for not having protected Camille, but the latter has had enough. She reveals the truth about Lucienne to her, breaking her heart once and for all. Outside, in her carriage, she finds a hurt Valmont waiting for her. Looking at him, she understands that something must have gone wrong. But she tells him that she wants to put revenge behind her and just look for peace. He tries to tell her about Odette but is unable to do so. He tells Azolan that he will tell her once he gets her back from Henry.
While this is going on, Gabriel is not convinced that the Marquis’ death was an accident. He goes to meet Camille and understands, looking at her hands, that she is the one to kill him. But when he sees her face, he immediately professes his love for her. He tells Camille to be with him, but when she refuses, he tells her that she cannot be with Valmont either. Therefore, she is forced to write him a letter in which she tells him that she is not in love with him and that he was just a pawn all along for her to get what she wanted. Valmont is angry and heartbroken, and immediately goes to his stepmother Ondine, who had previously told him that she had a proposition for him: protect her own son Prevan and destroy Camille. The liaisons have gotten much more dangerous, with the secrets beneath the surface being more powerful. They will definitely take unforeseeable turns in the next season.
What Should We Expect From ‘Dangerous Liaisons’ Season 2?
Other than the obvious upcoming politics with Camille having to deal with an angry Valmont, a vengeful Ondine, and a stalker Gabriel, there is a new character to be discovered. The man who all the Ariadnes are being sacrificed for. The Marquis had been running a hidden operation, and Camille would definitely feel the heat of it. We can’t help but feel bad for her, as she is going to be one woman against too many villains. We hope either Valmont comes back to her side, or she finds another person to support her. Maybe it could be the woman who left Jericho’s house. She might be a friend to Camille in the upcoming season. Other than that, we did enjoy the series. The writer understood that the strength of the series was the relationships people shared and their interactions with each other. That is what has us excited for “Dangerous Liaisons” Season 2 because Camille has yet to discover her daughter. With Henry more powerful than ever and Jacqueline in an asylum, we would get to see how her perspective on revenge might change. It is going to be an exciting wait.
