| Pilgrimage | ||
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Directed by Edward Bianchi Written by David Schulner Air Date - June 27, 2009 on  | ||
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Pilgrimage is the title of ninth episode of Season 1.
Synopsis[]
(*From the official NBC write up)
Michelle and David, keeping their relationship secret, must covertly meet out of the watchful eyes of the royal family and their employees. They steal a moment before court, where Michelle reminds David of the vow she took to give her life to God. She says she can live with God's disappointment, but not her father's. At court, King Benjamin Silas announces that he's going on a pilgrimage to seek inspiration. Upon leaving, he tells Jack he's man of the house while he's gone. Meanwhile, Rose directs workers hanging a new painted portrait of the city's ministers and is annoyed when Katrina Ghent flirts with a peer.
Joseph, Jack's lover, makes a video message because he didn't get a chance to say goodbye after their encounter during the power outage. He tells Jack that he loves him, and that he shouldn't be afraid to be who he really is. So, he's going to help him do it. He puts a copy of the DVD in an envelope addressed to Jack. Several other envelopes addressed to Shiloh news organizations sit on his desk.
Michelle surprises David at his apartment. As they fall through the door into each other's arms, they see that David's apartment has been ransacked. Missing is the digital camera that David used to take the nude photographs of Michelle when they went to the country estate. A knock at the door, and Michelle hides as David looks through the peephole. It's Silas, who tells David that he's going on a drive with him and to be ready in five minutes.
Silas and David are escorted via caravan to the countryside, then left by themselves in one car. Silas tells David he needs someone close to him he can trust, and many think that David isn't it. David becomes rigid as Silas says, "I was there that day. I saw." But, he's talking about the day the butterflies formed a crown on David's head. Silas asks what that meant to him. David surprises Silas when he says he took it as a message from God to serve his king. Relieved, Silas gets in the front seat and tells David to drive, as he wants to show him something.
Michelle calls David on his cell phone, desperate to learn what her father wanted. She asks her serviceman if he's found out who robbed David's apartment, but without knowing what they're looking for, they haven't found anything. Michelle won't let him use the full resources of the service as that would involve Thomasina, Rose and her father. So, she says she'll find the culprits herself. An aide tells William they successfully planted a bug in David's apartment and made it look like a robbery. William examines the contents of the take, including the camera, which he nonchalantly tosses aside.
Andrew sees his father putting something in the safe, and becomes curious. When William finds that Andrew's been spending all his time reading every newspaper from when he was in exile to catch up on what he missed, William suggests he do something instead. Andrew is at a loss as to what, and William says to do what he wished he could while in exile. Andrew says he just wants William to be proud of him, to which William tersely responds that will happen when he makes his mark; otherwise he might as well have never come back.
With press and ministers present, including Katrina, Rose unveils the painting of the ministers whom she champions as commanding respect and serving with dignity. Every minister is represented except Katrina, who's been removed. Upset and embarrassed, she leaves. Later, she asks Rose why she was removed. Rose blames the date of Katrina's appointment to the ministry, but when Katrina suggests it's because she threatens Rose and compares her buying her minister title to William buying Rose's crown, Rose assures Katrina she'll never get respect as long as she's queen. Rose says to accept it, threatening that people have "disappeared" for less.
Thomasina, who intercepts the mail, shows Jack and Rose the video that Joseph sent to Jack. Rose sees it as all lies, and asks Thomasina to stop Shiloh's mail in case he sent any more copies. Rose asks Jack if he knew Joseph. Jack, masking his horror, admits to seeing him around, and says he'll talk to him. Rose says that's impossible, as Joseph killed himself this morning. Now, Jack struggles to keep his composure as Rose tells him not to worry, the truth always wins out.
Silas takes David to a house in the country that he refers to as home. David is stunned when Seth runs out of the house and calls Silas daddy. Even more so when Helen kisses Silas on the lips. Inside, Helen cooks dinner as David struggles to take in Silas openly having family time with his mistress and illegitimate son.
Jack and Michelle drown their sorrows with wine in the kitchen, both not knowing each other's dilemma. When Michelle asks Jack for help, he reveals that he already knows about her and David's relationship, which is why he won't help her. Michelle thinks it's because he wants to hurt David, but Jack says if there's something she doesn't want Silas to know, then bury it so deep until she can't find it. But, she'll wish she hadn't. He tells her to go to her uncle for help with things she'll regret.
While William is away, Andrew opens the safe and takes out David's duffel bag. Inside, is David's dress uniform which he puts on, and seeing the camera, photographs himself wearing it. When he reviews the pictures, he discovers the photos that David took of Michelle.
The next day, Rose has an army of palace employees sifting through Shiloh's mail, looking for CDs or tapes. To motivate them further, she offers $100,000 to anyone who finds one today. One of the employees sneaks away to Katrina Ghent's office and slides the disk out of his vest. He says the queen is willing to pay $100,000 for this, and asks her what she's willing to pay.
Reverend Samuels, who's officiating Joseph's funeral, encourages Jack to attend. Samuels recalls Joseph as someone brave enough to live his live as who he is, instead of living two lives. Jack, who's watching from afar, feels the sting of those words. Especially when Samuels says that Joseph took his life not for loving wrong, but for loving too much. And, that he didn't die a cowardly death, but lived a courageous life. Thomasina, who knows Jack's secret, stands beside him.
David finds a moment to call Michelle to tell her that Silas doesn't know about them. They argue over telling Silas, but it's cut short when Silas calls David away to help him plant 500 amaryllis bulbs before the first frost. Otherwise, the bulbs will die. Michelle stops by her Uncle William's house, but only Andrew is home. She starts to explain that she lost something, which would kill her parents if they found out. Instead of offering up the goods, Andrew merely listens and feigns sympathy. Michelle thinks better of continuing and asks Andrew to tell William she stopped by with an important matter.
During lunch, Silas encourages David to ask the questions he's been dying to ask, but David says he doesn't have any, as he doesn't know what's right anymore. Meanwhile, Rose scolds Jack for going to Joseph's funeral. After all, she's trying to do damage control. Jack admits to knowing Joseph, who he says was trying to save him, not ruin him. To his mother's shock, he reveals they were lovers. Rose tries to slap sense into Jack, and says this mistake of character will be their secret. However, Jack tells her this is who he is.
Silas tells David that Seth has the same sickness as Michelle did, and doesn't know he's king. Silas fears his blood is poisoned, as all his children are afflicted. While trying to prove to David that he still can chop wood with the best of them, Silas throws out his back and ends up in bed. Meanwhile, a gloating Katrina shows Rose the photos of Michelle along with Joseph's DVD. Rose offers to put her back in the painting, but Katrina wants to see Rose powerless so she knows how it feels. She gives Rose a choice. Choose which of her children falls into ruin.
Thomasina explains to Jack that she was only protecting his family when she told Rose that he attended Joseph's funeral. She gives him the DVD, saying that Rose stopped it from being aired. Rose, who told William to break into David's apartment, accuses him of leaking Michelle's pictures. William denies it, then learns later that Andrew was behind it to "make his mark." Since William hates Silas, he broke his favorite thing, Michelle. William is oddly touched that Andrew did that for him so he'd be proud of him.
Rose tells Michelle that she knows about the photos, and that she's allowing them to go public. She explains that the story will dominate the news, and while David is congratulated, she'll be dragged through the mud. However, when the dust settles and memory fades, she'll be thought of as a woman. And, will yield that power in ways that young girls can't. Meanwhile, a bedridden Silas asks David to share his deepest secrets so nothing can come between them. David says he could keep nothing from his king, and Silas believes him. Outside, the frost falls, which both know will kill the amaryllis bulbs.
Silas returns from his pilgrimage and surprises everyone when he appoints David as his new advisor, praising his honesty and loyalty. With the stakes raised, Jack tries to get Katrina to expose him instead of Michelle. Katrina, hell bent on destroying Rose, poses another option. She agrees to keep both video and pictures secret if Jack will marry her and make her royalty. The deal made, Jack returns the camera to Michelle, who is thrilled at her brother's coup.
Rose and Silas sit and drink wine. In front of Silas, a lone amaryllis bulb he saved from the frost is planted in a pot. A souvenir from his pilgrimage. Michelle enters and admits to them that she's been lying about her relationship with David. She visits David at his apartment and tells him that she told her parents everything. David is both happy and worried, as he lied to Silas. Back at the castle, Silas, feeling betrayed, has thrown the amaryllis bulb into the fire, and stands watching it burn as he holds back tears.