‘Becoming Elizabeth’ Recap: ‘Necessity Compels Me to Plague You’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Five of ‘Becoming Elizabeth’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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We like to believe… that the most dangerous men on the planet, are genuinely evil in nature and it makes sense as to why we hold to that belief. After all, men with true evil in their hearts, commit utterly atrocious acts. The kind that cost lives and create strife and fear and sometimes, the men that do this, commit nations to war since they just so happen to be in charge as well. But the fact of the matter is, while those types of men are indeed wicked and dangerous for certain, they are not the only men in the world that create incredible and painful devastation in the wake of their ego or outright stupidity. For there are plenty others out there who cause harm simply by being a complete and utter fool.
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For these are the types of men that are misguided and broken and desperate. And when they unleash their unresolved fury and special brand of emotional weakness, they are just as dangerous as the evil ones and do just as much damage as a despot or an agent of terror. For these are the kinds of men that create ugly collateral damage through their actions. Not to mention they tend to leave people they hurt through their ridiculous actions, in an emotionally devastated place so severe… that it might take them years to recover, if at all, and well, that particular type of monstrous man is top of mind today… for one of them, and their devastating actions were put on full display in the next episode of Becoming Elizabeth on STARZ. 

A feat that ‘Necessity Compels Me to Plague You’ accomplished, by plunging England in a precarious place. For while Thomas Seymour was making every last and desperate effort to win Elizabeth Tudor’s heart, in a manner that would get him arrested and slapped with a restraining order in modern times, his brother was making all kinds of backwater deals without the King’s approval. Such as selling land that was claimed by England, back to the original owner, which in this instance just so happened to be the French. All in an effort to save face and attempt to shift the dynamics of the failed war north into favorable light and well… that kind of abuse of power was more than Pedro could bear and it compelled him… to bring it to light.

That is precisely why he took the time to see Princess Mary Tudor and share this information with her. In the hopes she would send the message across to the proper channels and she most certainly did. For word eventually made its way to King Edward VI and well… that went about as well one might expect. For the King was furious and called the Duke of Somerset to the carpet regarding his actions and his abuse of power, making it appear as thought he would be the subject of the episode’s theme. For being caught by the King and a former assistant should have brought forth incredible trouble and disaster from a desperate Duke eager to enjoy the spoils of power without the responsibility of the crown, but that turned out… to not be the case at all.

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Instead, the moments following that confrontation between the King and his Protector, revealed that the broken and desperate man in this tale, was Thomas Seymour. For a panicked conversation with Henry Grey, made quite a few things apparent about dear Thomas. Such as the fact that he was badly broken by Catherine’s death, and the void that left in his heart and his mind left him lonesome and beside himself. Plus, his now diminished role in court without Catherine’s influence left him feeling insignificant and well… the desperation to be seen and loved, combined with his malnourished ego and wounded pride… is what brought about all that trouble. Because that conversation was wild and lucid and spoke to illegal acts that Thomas was ready to commit to, in order to take control of his life and the kingdom, and despite being shut down by Henry, Thomas decided that the turmoil in court was the perfect time… to fill the voids in his soul and indulge that ego in the most brazen ways imaginable.
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First, by making his way to Chelsea to lay it on the line to Elizabeth regarding how much he loved her and how badly he wanted to be near her. And since he turned on the charm like never before and pressed all the right buttons whilst professing his love for her, Elizabeth was his, hook, line and sinker… and just like that, he was able to feel a connection once again. One that gave him the emotional and physical satisfaction he desperately craved and once he had his fill of the once and future queen… he decided the time had come to fuel his ego and pride by enacting one foolhardy and idiotic plan to take the crown for himself and rule all of England with his forthcoming bride by his side and under the cover of night, he worked to execute this plan.

One that involved sneaking into the King’s castle to kidnap him in the middle of the night, and for a time, it appeared as though the plan was going to work. For no one questioned a Seymour, much less one on the council, walking about the hallowed halls of the King’s residence. Nor did anyone bother to really notice that he snuck into the King’s living quarters. In fact, had it not been for the King’s dog, there was a fair chance that Thomas would have been successful in his machinations and plunged the country into utter chaos. But alas, that brave little pup gave its life to alert everyone asleep that an intruder had stepped within this particular sanctum, and it was that incredibly poor decision on Thomas’ part, that brought forth all kinds of chaos and problems and genuine devastation for all.

For Robert Dudley was left broken and bleeding, a result of Thomas’ unresolved fury, and the Duke of Somerset might not be trusted ever again since his machinations may be seen as part of a larger plan to bring the King down. Not to mention, since Elizabeth was seen with him often, she and Kat were brought into custody. Making it one hundred percent clear that men with everything to gain in a desperate and broken state will do just as much damage as a man mired in evil, for they think not of consequence… just the moment and their needs and well, everything that Thomas did here… will have lasting and incredible repercussions and that is going to make the wait for next week’s episode, about as painful as it gets. Since we are now dying to see, just how bad things are going to get, all because Thomas Seymour was nothing but a fool. Until next time.

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