There continues to be a lot going on throughout The Count of Monte Cristo, and I have to wonder if one more episode is enough to tie all of this up. I expected this point to be where Edmund realizes that revenge isn’t everything, and instead, we finally get to see him gain full revenge against one man.
However, there are parts of him that are changing. Other secrets come out, and it’s only a matter of time before others learn of who he really is.
Time Wasted on Other Storylines on The Count of Monte Cristo
I do find that the season has wasted a little time on other characters. One of those is the reveal of what happened to the baby Villefort tried to bury alive. We knew that the midwife had gone back for him, but what happened to the baby?
Well, he grew up to be a thief. If Villefort ever found out his identity, he would be killed on the spot, but I didn’t see the point in telling us all of this. This could have been a quick reveal at the end of the episode just to tell us — after all, it doesn’t seem to play a bigger part in Edmund’s story. At least, not yet.
Photographer: Claudio Iannone
Courtesy of Palomar and MASTERPIECE.
Edmund Reveals the Truth About Fernand
Fortunately, most of the episode is about Fernand’s secrets coming out. Edmund forces Danglers to send a letter to a newspaper to print a story about Fernand being involved in Ali Pasha’s murder.
I do have to question the editor’s integrity a little. When Fernand’s son turns up to ask about why he would print such a thing, the printer shares that he was urged to do it quickly. If it’s wrong, then he will print a retraction the next day. Of course, retractions are usually small, and the damage is often done. It’s a little immoral to print something without verifying sources.
This is a different time, though. Journalistic integrity wasn’t what it is today — well, what it should be today!
In the end, everything printed was correct. There is no need for a retraction, and he’s lucky that the reputation of his paper isn’t on the line. However, it does mean that Edmund finally gets his full revenge against Fernand. At the same time, so does Haydee, and that’s more important.
There’s a sense of relief, as this isn’t really about revenge for Haydee. It’s about justice for a crime that was committed against her family. That was far more important than anything Edmund has been working toward.
Photographer: Claudio Iannone
Courtesy of Palomar and MASTERPIECE.
The Truth About Edmund Comes Out
Of course, the decision to take down Fernand means that his son, Albert, wants to get his own revenge. He chooses to duel Edmund, knowing that it’s his fault that his whole family’s life is in tatters now.
That’s when Edmund’s story finally comes out, but not to the world. Mercedes admits that she has always known who Edmund is, and it’s clear that she still loved him because he kept his secret. As soon as she heard his voice, she knew the man that she had always loved was still alive. And she knew that she and others owed it to him to enact whatever plan he had.
Fernand isn’t a good man, and Mercedes does nothing to stop that situation in its tracks. What he does want is for her son to be saved, and Edmund promises that he will throw the duel. It’ll mean his death, but he is willing to do that for the woman he still loves. There may not be hope for them, but he can give her this one last thing.
Photographer: Jean-Claude Lother
Courtesy of Palomar and MASTERPIECE.
In the end, Mercedes gets to her son and explains much more. She plays a part in allowing the two people in her life she loves the most to survive. On top of that, she isn’t willing to stick around for her husband, and she and Albert leave as Fernand takes his own life.
Revenge has finally be served against one man. Now, will Edmund go through with it against the other two on The Count of Monte Cristo’s finale? I’m not sure there’s enough time to wrap up the rest of the story.
The Count of Monte Cristo airs on Sundays at 10/9c on PBS and streams on PBS Masterpiece on Prime Video and PBS Passport.
