The first episode of Mary & George introduced its characters, revealing some of the scandalous secrets that will prove pivotal in the series’ plot.
Mary & George was officially kicked off with its first episode, and there were plenty of scandalous reveals. The historical drama dives into the notorious relationship between King James VI and George Villiers, which has gone down in history as one of the more intriguing royal affairs. Of course, before the King could write his famous letters declaring his love for George, the pair had to meet, and this—and more—is what the first episode of Mary & George spent its 50 minutes working up to.
The British historical dramaMary & George released its first episode on Starz in the United States on April 5, 2024, establishing the six-episode miniseries. This first installment introduced our titular characters, Mary Villiers (Julianne Moore) and her son George (Nicholas Galitzine), as well as the famed King James VI and I of Scotland (Tony Curran). Of course, history has already dictated what will happen to these figures, but through Mary & George‘s first episode, the audience can begin to understand how the Duke of Buckingham became the King of England’s favorite lover.
George Was Dropped Immediately After He Was Born
George’s Birth Scene Was Full Of Foreshadowing
Mary & George episode 1, “The Second Son,” fittingly picked up with Mary giving birth to George. A lot of attention was paid to the fact that the nurses assisting during the birth immediately dropped the infant, who seemed more or less unbothered by the event. On the other hand, Mary was clearly perturbed, and despite having just given birth, she laid into the nurses pretty hard about their slip-up. Then, when one of these nurses went to cut the baby’s umbilical cord, Mary stopped her, announcing that she wanted to remain connected while she gave her second son a name.
Right off the bat, there is a lot of symbolism in this scene that helps to establish who these characters are. Moore’s character in Mary & George is outrageously strong in body and mind, as demonstrated by her demeanor after giving birth and her handling of the nurses. The fact that George was dropped first thing foreshadows the general misfortune of his life and the hardships that his family would need to overcome. This hardship was further emphasized by Mary’s no-nonsense briefing about what George’s life would mean. As a second child, nothing would be handed to him. He would have to fight.
The fact that the scene ended before George’s umbilical cord was cut implied that the figurative cord that connected mother and son was never severed.Perhaps the most critical aspect of George’s birth scene in Mary & George is Mary’s reluctance to cut the umbilical cord. This desire to remain connected significantly contradicted her threats to leave the boy to die, showing that despite her harshness, there was maternal love there. The fact that the scene ended before George’s umbilical cord was cut implied that the figurative cord that connected mother and son was never severed. When the Mary & George episode jumped ahead to George’s adulthood, he was still very much under his mother’s control.
George Was In Love With The Maid Before Being Sent Off To France
Mary Forced George To Go To France Despite His “Undying Love” For The Family Maid
The jump ahead in time in the first episode of Mary & George landed on a scene in which George was attempting to hang himself, something Mary seemed used to and unbothered by. It’s ultimately revealed that Mary planned to send Goerge away to France, a decision he resented because he was head-over-heels in love with a servant girl. Of course, there is no future to this romance. George is destined to be the King’s plaything, and though Mary hadn’t yet had this idea during this early scene of Mary & George episode 1, she already knew he would need to aim higher to keep the family afloat.
George’s trip to France was Mary’s attempt to reshape the boy, toughen him up, and teach him the value of his beautiful face. Despite his assurances that he would again attempt suicide if she made him go, Mary got her way, and George arrived in France to be turned into a man worthy of court. When he returned home, it certainly seemed that Mary’s plan had worked. George was far more confident, less emotional, and even more handsome (he looked more like what we saw in the Mary & George trailer). Once back in England, the boy made no mention of the young servant girl he had been so in love with.
Mary Had Been A Servant Girl Before She Married George Sr.
The Brawl Between Mary & George Sr. Led To The Man’s Death (& A Lot Of Valuable Information Revealed)
Shortly after Mary & George revealed that George was desperately in love with a servant girl, it was also revealed that Mary herself had once been a member of the same class. In her youth, Mary had served the Beaumont family, but George Villiers Sr. took a liking to her and paid the Beaumonts a regular sum to pass her off as their daughter. This allowed the man to marry her, and Mary successfully increased her social status. However, Mary & George quickly revealed that this rags-to-riches story didn’t end happily for Mary (or George Sr., for that matter).
Near the beginning of the royalty drama’s first episode, George Sr. passed away. Later, the specifics of how this happened came to light. George had drunkenly approached Mary, screaming at her that she hadn’t been worth the cost of his deception with the Beaumonts. He blamed her for their first son John’s cognitive impairment and considered her decision to name their second son after him to be a malicious insult. The pair tussled, George fell down the stairs, and Mary was hardly phased.
Mary Had To Remarry After George Sr.’s Death
Mary’s Husband Left Her Family In A Tough Financial Situation When He Died
Though Mary was relieved at her husband’s death, she quickly realized that she and her children wouldn’t survive if she didn’t remarry. A lawyer looked over the Villiers’ books and records and determined that George Sr. had left the family home to his cousin to conceal his debt, which meant Mary would have to pay rent or be put out on the street. The lawyer also uncovered some documents outlining George Sr.’s payments to the Beaumonts, which Mary quickly burned to ensure no one ever discovered her fraud. After all, such information would make remarrying difficult.
Mary ultimately settled on marrying Sir Thomas Compton (Sean Gilder), who was long widowed and unconcerned with romance. This weary, no-nonsense character was a sound decision—he was smart enough to recognize that, for Mary, marriage was a business arrangement, but he ultimately decided that it didn’t put him out too much. Though certainly not in love, Mary and Sir Thomas became a rather effective couple in Mary & George episode 1. Of course, it’s difficult to say how this will change as Mary’s plan to infiltrate King James’ court unfolds.
Mary Gained An Ally (& An Enemy) In King James VI’s Court
Sir David Graham Teamed Up With Mary To Get George In Front Of King James
While George was still in France learning to be an elegant seducer, King James VI passed the area of Sir Thomas Compton’s home, and Mary and her new husband played host for a night. The king had little interest in meeting the Comptons, but Mary remained determined to make a friend in his court. Her attempts to spend time with Robert Carr, Earl of Summerset (Laurie Davidson), were thwarted by the man’s complete disinterest, and when Mary finally did meet James, he was shamelessly pawing at Carr and ignoring her entirely. Still, the visit wasn’t fruitless.
Mary met Sir David Graham (Angus Wright), the only Englishman accompanying James—the rest were all Scottish, like the king himself. Graham referred to the ruler’s companion and his entourage as “surly sodomite Somerset and his Scottish semen guzzlers,” which gave Mary an opening to suggest that her son—a British sodomite—be placed in James’ bed instead. Together, the pair hatch a plan to get George in the king’s line of sight.
George Humiliated Himself During His First Interaction With King James
George Nearly Had His Hands Amputated, But He Successfully Got The King’s Attention
George returned from France shortly after the king’s stay at the Compton home, and Mary set her plan into action. With the help of Sir David Graham, George was granted the honor of serving King James’ food. The central goal of this was simply to pique the king’s interest, but when the man who was supposed to serve James before George took his place sought revenge by tripping his rival, the evening quickly fell to pieces. Enraged at having been humiliated, George attacked the server, which is considered a crime when done before the king.
In George’s mind, he had blown the entire operation before it had even gotten started.
Robert Carr was determined to carry out George’s punishment, which involved amputating both his hands. However, at the very last moment, King James intervened, excusing the boy’s crimes and deeming the sentence unnecessary. Still, in all this, James never met George’s glance or paid him much attention at all. In George’s mind, he had blown the entire operation before it had even gotten started. However, when he returned home near the end of Mary & George episode 1, Mary disagreed.
Mary & George End Episode 1 Determined To Win Over King James
Mary & George Are Finally A United Front At The End Of The First Episode
When George returned home, he snuck into his mother’s room and took a knife (which looks much like the one that was supposed to be used to cut the umbilical cord at the beginning of Mary & George episode 1) from her bedside table. When Mary woke up, she saw that her drawer had been left open and that the knife was missing, and headed into the woods, where she found George threatening to kill himself. Once again, she called the bluff, and the entire scene greatly reflected the duo’s moment together at the start of the episode. However, there were some notable differences.
While George and Mary were entirely at odds with one another during the first suicide scene of Mary & George, their relationship was different this time around. Once Mary called out her son, she became far more tender than she had been up to that point. She told him about the promises she had made him while his umbilical cord was still whole and told him that their collective work and effort would be worth it. Mary also noted that, despite his humiliation, George had done his job. King James had seen him, and the boy’s handsome face wouldn’t soon leave his mind.
Mary & George episode 1 left the titular duo sitting together in the forest, determined to continue the mission that they had started together. Though the cord had been cut, Mary and George were connected in their resolve. Of course, history has already dictated that they would be successful. King James VI would become infatuated with George, and Mary, by extension, would be the recipient of gifts and honors. Of course, that is the destination of Mary & George‘s story, and the series’ first episode has successfully set the notorious pair on their path toward it.
