In the previous episode of Franklin, we saw that the political landscape was somewhat changing. Franklin wanted to get the support of the French regime, but he knew that it was not going to be such an easy task. He was trying to convince Vergennes, and that man, even when he wanted to favor America, wasn’t giving in. Vergennes knew he wouldn’t be able to go against the French king, and that’s why he was trying to convince everybody to support America. So, let’s find out what happened in Franklin episode 3 and if things became any better for the Americans.
Spoiler Alert
Was Lafayette dead or alive?
Jonathan was fighting the war in Brandywine Creek, Pennsylvania, and nobody understood why he put his life at risk. He could have very easily sat comfortably in France, but something inside him didn’t allow him to take that privilege. That man fought for America and got very gravely wounded on the battlefield. He was immediately taken in by the on-field medical experts, and they realized that the chances of him surviving were very low. The news reached France that Lafayette had been killed on the battlefield. Franklin didn’t know how to react to it, but he knew deep down that Lafayette was a courageous man, even if nobody really understood his motives and intentions. Lafayette’s friends reminisce about the good old days when a dear friend used to hang out with them. Temple also felt the pinch, and the news somewhere changed him as a person. He was close to Lafayette, and probably the latter was the first person who made him feel special. Lafayette was Temple’s first friend in France, and he just couldn’t accept the fact that so many things happened in such a short time. But at the end of episode 3, news came that Lafayette was still alive. There was a sense of joy in everybody who was close to him, and Franklin knew that the boy was going to become the next hero of France. Franklin was very sensible; he had seen life; he had seen people, and that is why he knew that human life was differently built and that they could do things that the entire world wouldn’t even think about indulging in.
What happened between Temple and Franklin?
As mentioned in the previous episode of the series, Temple was changing as a human being. It was quite obvious, as he was still very impressionable, and he had gotten a new company in a new country. He was getting really influenced by Jacques, something that Franklin really despised. One day, somebody knocked on Franklin’s door, and he was told that Temple was nowhere to be found. There was a hue and cry in the entire area, and Franklin was just hoping that his worst fears did not come true. Luckily, Temple was found, and Franklin didn’t know whether to be relieved or to feel embarrassed. The reason he felt that was because Temple had passed out in an inebriated state. He had drank too much with his friends, and he lost control of everything. That night, when he went back home, he blurted out everything in front of Franklin, and he told him what he thought about him. Probably, it was the liquid courage that made him talk, but I believe that it was much needed. He told his grandfather that he was not there for his son when he needed him the most. He said to his grandfather that he always ignored his wife and barely knew his daughter. Temple somewhere felt that his grandfather was not a good family man. He was doing great things for America, but he lost on the personal front.
Franklin was disappointed when he heard such harsh words coming out of the mouths of his own grandson. He didn’t know what he had done to deserve such treatment. But I believe Franklin was wrong, because he didn’t give his wife the kind of respect that she craved. That woman spent her entire life worrying and caring about Franklin, and the man never reciprocated her feelings in the way she would have wanted. Franklin was in a very bad space. His entire printing press had been destroyed, and he wasn’t able to get any sort of breakthrough with the French ministers. Franklin had no clue what he should do, and he expressed the same thing to Anne as well. He was growing very close to Anne, and often, he opened his heart out in front of her. Vergennes wanted to help the cause of America, but his hands were tied, and he knew that he couldn’t go against the establishment. Chaumont and Beaumarchais, on the other hand, were getting looted, and they wanted to take the matter to Franklin. Chaumont was a businessman, and for him, more than the cause he was contributing to, it mattered how much money he earned from the entire transaction.
Was Bancroft cheating on Franklin?
Franklin had lost all hope, and then something miraculous happened. America fought back. Jonathan Austin came bearing the news that the British army had been defeated in Saratoga. General Burgoyne’s army was defeated, and the entire area was captured by the American forces. Franklin couldn’t believe what he heard. He was ecstatic, and he was almost in tears as his homeland had fought back so valiantly. Franklin knew that there was hope and that they would probably be able to hold their ground. It felt like everything was going to be fine, and Franklin would be able to help his country’s cause, but there was a twist at the end of the series. We got to know that Dr. Bancroft was not as loyal as he was pretending to be. He was siding with the English forces and was giving them all the information. Bancroft was the closest person to Franklin, and I believe that when the latter would learn about it he would be deeply hurt. I don’t know how Franklin is going to tackle this situation, but if he doesn’t, then the victory in Saratoga could be short-lived. We would get to know in the subsequent episodes if Franklin was able to turn the odds in his favor and if America was able to win the battle.
