Monday 20 June
JASON ARNOPP
The Musketeers
INTENSE SUPERIORITY “Chin up, purse lips, don’t blink. Textbook”
BBC1, 9PM
Musketeers fans, you have every right to be confused. Not only was this episode postponed by a week as a result of the Beeb’s Muhammad Ali tribute, but it’s been given a one-off bump from Saturday to tonight, on account of the football. Which is a shame, as The Musketeers’ swashbuckling antics really tend to feel quite Saturdayspecific. Still, this actionpacked ep is well worth the wait. King Louis XIII’s brother Prince Gaston kills a bunch of veteran soldiers in a Paris tavern, leading the pub’s landlord to demand justice. The Musketeers, though, are under orders to defend Gaston. When citywide tensions rise, they’re forced to choose between their royal duty and their loyalty to their fellow soldiers. So what they’re faced with here is your basic impossible X Factor Deadlock-style decision, but without the option to go to the viewers’ vote.