‘Knightfall’ Season 1: Recap Of Episode 5, ‘Hard Blows Will Banish The Sin’

Here’s the recap for Episode 5 of Knightfall Season 1.

SPOILER ALERT: This recap contains information about Episode 5 (titled “Hard Blows Will Banish the Sin”) of History Channel’s Knightfall Season 1. Please proceed with caution if you have not yet viewed this episode and wish to avoid spoilers.

As forces gather between France and England, Episode 5 of Knightfall sees further intrigue develop as the wedding of Princess Isabella (Sabrina Bartlett) and Prince Lluis of Catalonia (Marco Franz) is now in full swing.

Episode 5 of Knightfall Season 1 sees De Nogaret go to visit the Earl of Oxford after the head of Princess Isabella’s steed was returned to France at the end of Episode 4. When De Nogaret arrives, it is discovered that the Earl has mysteriously disappeared.

King Philip (Ed Stoppard) is informed of the Earl’s escape and, along with Pope Boniface (Jim Carter), it is decided the king is likely is grave danger moving forward in Episode 5 of Knightfall Season 1. They all drink to that, De Nogaret drinking first and discovering that the wine has been poisoned. Luckily, he manages to swat the liquid out of everyone else’s hands before he collapses and averts any further danger to those around him.

De Nogaret is now in gravely ill, having consumed the poison and the pope gives the adviser last rites. However, once more, viewers need to still be hesitant in leaping to conclusions here.

While all this is going on, Landry (Tom Cullen) is told by King Philip that he needs to keep a close eye on his wife, Queen Joan (Olivia Ross). Both are not so eager about the king’s suggestion, but, considering the current threat level, they have no choice and the king’s word is final.

It is now that Landry discovers Joan is pregnant, and the Templar tries to work out a way for them to be together. Joan, on the other hand, is more pragmatic and tells Landry that they have no choice, Landry will return to being a Templar Knight and she will continue to be a queen.

While Landry and Gawain (Padraic Delaney) are trying to work out how the Earl of Oxford disappeared, a new threat is discovered: Greek fire. Much like the wildfire seen in HBO’s Game of Thrones, Greek fire is a dangerous substance that is not easily put out with water.

So now it seems, that England, or, at least the Earl of Oxford, is involved with a much deadlier threat than poisoning the French royal family. Tancrede (Simon Merrells) knows a man who is reportedly able to handle Greek fire and it seems his error from a previous episode of Knightfall Season 1 has been absolved for the moment so they can try and work out what to do about the Greek fire problem. Tancrede finally reveals that Greek fire can be identified with the use of the yellow of brimstone. When brimstone comes in contact with Greek fire, it will turn white.

And so the palace is scoured with brimstone before the wedding between Isabella and Lluis. When the palace is deemed safe, it is decided that the wedding will be moved to the palace as it is more easily defended than the church, in an effort to thwart any further attacks. The wedding finally proceeds.

However, after Episode 4 of Knightfall Season 1 saw the revelation of Isabella and Lluis’ tryst, Isabella is not convinced Lluis is telling the truth when he says he did not reveal it. As viewers saw at the end of Episode 4 of Knightfall, she had entrusted the assistance of De Nogaret to help her get out of the wedding.

Even though the royal couple are now in the midst of a wedding ceremony, there is still time to ruin the wedding.

When Landry questioned Tancrede about Greek fire, it was revealed that a masked man was the person he knew who taught him about the substance. During the wedding, a masked person is seen entering the palace via a fireplace and, when Landry notices, is shot in the shoulder while trying to protect King Philip.

Chaos erupts after this and Princess Isabella is whisked away in a carriage by this masked assailant.

Lluis attempts to rescue the princess and jumps aboard the carriage. However, this has been the plan all along.

Isabella jumps free from the carriage, leaving Lluis inside. Shortly afterward, the carriage erupts in Greek fire and the prince is killed.

Isabella then gives De Nogaret the antidote to the poison he took in an effort to implicate the Earl of Oxford. It turns out that Isabella, not convinced the prince hadn’t spread the information about their romantic encounter, will go to any measures necessary to make sure her to eradicate the prince she was previously so enamored with.

De Nogaret, now healed, visits the Earl of Oxford and reveals his plan. By implying the Earl caused all the drama that unfolded in this episode of Knightfall, England is safe from blame.

And so, as De Nogaret always wanted, the princess is finally offered to England.

Besides all of the royal intrigue of Episode 5 of Knightfall Season 1, Parsifal (Bobby Schofield) finally gives up his quest to avenge Marie’s death by placing his necklace on the tree the Templars use to place all their treasured items.

Adelina (Sarah-Sofie Boussnina) spends Episode 5 of Knightfall following Roland (Cengiz Dervis).

Queen Joan reveals to King Philip that she is pregnant.

Landry, having planted an orange to try and contact the Brotherhood of Light in Episode 4 of Knightfall, finds out that the Saracen will speak to him in return for the body of the Saracen Tancrede killed. Landry agrees to this and the Saracen finally approaches Landry at the end of this episode of Knightfall.

Knightfall returns to History Channel on Wednesday, January 10, at 10 p.m. ET. Zap2It lists the following synopsis for Episode 6 (titled “The Pilgrimage of Chains”).

“Landry is kidnapped and tortured by a mysterious group; a knight is expelled from the Templars; De Nogaret builds an army; Princess Isabella discovers who betrayed her.”