History Series / TheSerpentQueen

* {{Foreshadowing}}: Pierre Marques' speech to Henri, in which he attacks the decadence of the royal court (and in particular the antics of Diane) and states that if they continue to carry on in the way they are, the wider population will revolt against them. A couple of centuries later a little thing called UsefulNotes/TheFrenchRevolution happened.

** The Bourbons and the Guises.

* IJustWantToBeBeautiful: Diane is obsessed with appearing younger than she is and some of her rather unpleasant beauty rituals (e.g. being repeatedly doused in ice cold water "for the skin to contract" and drinking liquid gold) are seen on-screen.

* VanityIsFeminine: Diane is obsessed with her physical appearance to the detriment of her sanity.
-->'''Angelica:''' You want to be noticed?\\
'''Diane:''' I want to be ''unforgettable.''

** Pierre Marquez criticizes Diane for being a shameless DramaQueen and states that she is an embarrassment to the throne of France. Diane completely loses it and [[spoiler: slits Marquez' throat with a knife]] in front of the entire court. (Then she cries and begs Henri for forgiveness.)

* {{Foreshadowing}}: Pierre Marquez' speech to Henri, in which he attacks the decadence of the royal court (and in particular the antics of Diane) and states that if they continue to carry on in the way they are, the wider population will revolt against them. A couple of centuries later a little thing called UsefulNotes/TheFrenchRevolution happened.

* OneShotCharacter: [[spoiler:Pope Clement.]]

** Catherine's servant Aabis has an affair with King Francis, but later is also shown sleeping with perfumer Angelica. It's not clear whether she's bisexual or a lesbian who had sex with Francis in order to assure her safety in France.
** After drinking the liquid gold that Angelica has provided, Diane gives her a long, sensual kiss on the lips.

* BreakingTheFourthWall: In the flashbacks, Catherine often gives asides to the camera.
* BruiserWithASoftCenter: For all his aggressive bluster and {{Jerkass}} tendencies, King Francis takes a genuine liking to Catherine and makes sure she's decently taken care of. He's also one of the few people who legitimately recognizes her potential as a political strategist, since on his deathbead he forces Henri to let her sit on his privy council.

%%* VanityIsFeminine: Diane.
%%-->'''Angelica:''' You want to be noticed?\\
%%'''Diane:''' I want to be ''unforgettable.''

* AssholeVictim: [[spoiler: The dauphin.]]

* IJustWantToBeBeautiful: Diane is obsessed with appearing younger than she is.

* DirtyOldMan: Pope Clement, big time. Also King Francis to some extent.

* ExtremeLibido: King Francis.

* FountainOfYouth: Diane is obsessed with appearing younger than she is.

* LargeHam: King Francis.

* VanityIsFeminine: Diane.
-->'''Angelica:''' You want to be noticed?\\
'''Diane:''' I want to be ''unforgettable.''

** Pierre Marquez criticizes Diane for being a shameless [[ThePrimaDonna Prima Donna]], and states that she is an embarrassment to the throne of France. Diane completely loses it and [[spoiler: slits Marquez' throat with a knife]] in front of the entire court.

* FountainOfYouth: Diane is obsessed with appearing younger than she is, and we witness some of her rather unpleasant beauty rituals (e.g. being repeatedly doused in ice cold water "for the skin to contract" and drinking liquid gold).

** Pierre Marquez criticizes Diane for being an obnoxious [[ThePrimaDonna Prima Donna]], and states that she is an embarrassment to the throne of France. Diane completely loses it and [[spoiler: slits Marquez' throat with a knife]] in front of the entire court.

** Pierre Marquez criticizes Diane's obnoxious and diva-esque behavior, accusing her of being an embarrassment to the throne of France. Diane completely loses it and [[spoiler: slits Marquez' throat with a knife]] in front of the entire court.
* DoctorsOrders: Catherine and Henri are forced to take to the advice of one Doctor Fernel in order to conceive. His theory is that they're not "well-matched" for one another physically and thus Henri must enter her from behind. Surprisingly enough this actually works, and Catherine and Henri wind up having ten children together.

* DisproportionateRetribution: Catherine encourages Rahima to put gunpowder into an unbaked brioche loaf so that it will explode when a fellow servant girl, who has been harassing her, bakes it. This winds up taking out the other girl's eye--not that Rahima is particularly sorry.

** Angelica repeatedly [[IWarnedYou warns]] Diane that ingesting too much gold could make her go insane. Not only does Diane not listen but she actually ''increases'' her gold consumption.

* {{Foreshadowing}}: Pierre Marquez' speech to Henri, in which he attacks the decadence of the royal court (and in particular the antics of Diane) and states that if they continue to carry on in the way they are, the wider population will revolt against them.

* AmbiguouslyBi: Catherine's servant Aabis has an affair with King Francis, but later is also shown sleeping with perfumer Angelica. It's not clear whether she's bisexual or a lesbian who had sex with Francis in order to assure her safety in France.

* {{Foil}}: Distrustful {{Schemer}} Catherine and emotionally manipulative AlphaBitch Diane are this for one another.

* IgnoredExpert: When [[spoiler:Dauphin Francis]] dies, his father immediately suspects foul play. Doctor Fernel assures the king that [[spoiler:the dauphin]] was born with an oversized heart and that the death was almost certainly due to natural causes, but he doesn't listen.

* MsFanservice: Beauty-obsessed Diane is shown naked a couple of times (she is played by noted fanservice deliverer Creator/LudivineSagnier after all).
** Surprisingly enough this is TruthInTelevision: the RealLife Diane de Poitiers enjoyed posing nude for artists, and some of the paintings survive.

* VanityIsFeminine: With her gold consumption, Diane embodies this trope.

* IdiotBall: Teenaged Henri returns from his campaigns with a new Italian mistress and a baby, whom he promptly and proudly introduces to Catherine and Diane, seemingly [[DidntThinkThisThrough expecting]] that they'll both welcome this development. (Needless to say they don't.)
* IgnoredExpert: When [[spoiler: Dauphin Francis]] dies, his father immediately suspects foul play. Doctor Fernel assures the king that [[spoiler: the dauphin]] was born with an oversized heart and that the death was almost certainly due to natural causes, but he doesn't listen.

* OneSteveLimit: Averted; there are ''three'' separate characters called Francis.

* VanityIsFeminine: With her gold consumption, Diane takes this trope UpToEleven.
--->'''Angelica:''' You want to be noticed?
--->'''Diane:''' I want to be ''unforgettable.''

* FountainOfYouth: Diane is obsessed with appearing younger than she is, and we witness some of her rather unpleasant beauty rituals (e.g. being repeatedly doused in ice cold water "for the skin to contract" and literally ''drinking liquid gold'').

** Mathilde has sexual encounters with the dauphin [[spoiler: prior to his death.]]
** Angelica begins supplying Diane with bizarre and disturbing methods for enhancing her appearance.
--->'''Angelica:''' You want to be noticed?
--->'''Diane:''' I want to be ''unforgettable.''

* SettlingTheFrontier: In his first privy council meeting, Henri is advised by one of the Bourbon brothers that establishing a French colony in the New World would be a "super" idea.

** Charles de Bourbon, one of the members of the king's privy council, has converted to Protestantism for opportunistic and self-serving reasons.

* TimeSkip: The fourth episode moves the action forward fifteen years, allowing Catherine and Henri to be played by adults.

* VanityIsFeminine: With her gold-consumption, Diane takes this trope UpToEleven.

** Angelica begins supplying Diane with bizarre and disturbing methods for retaining her looks.

* DoctorsOrders: Catherine and Henri are forced to take to the advice of one Doctor Fernel in order to conceive. His theory is that they're not "well-matched" for one another physically and thus Henri must enter her from behind.

** Angelica begins supplying Diane with bizarre and somewhat disturbing methods for remaining youthful-looking and sexually desirable.

* BruiserWithASoftCenter: For all his aggressive bluster and {{Jerkass}} tendencies, King Francis takes a genuine liking to Catherine and makes sure she's decently taken care of.

* AmbiguouslyBi: Catherine's servant Aabis has an affair with King Francis, but later is also shown sleeping with perfumer Angelica. It's not clear whether she's bisexual or a lesbian who had pragmatic sex with Francis in order to assure her safety in France.

* AntiHero: Catherine freely admits that she has made morally dubious choices, but argues that she had to in order to survive in the French court.

* TimeSkip: The fourth episode moves the action forward fifteen years, allowing Catherine and Henri to be played by adults rather than teenagers.

* DoctorsOrders: How Catherine and Henri are forced to take to the advice of one Doctor Fernel in order to conceive. His theory is that they're not "well-matched" for one another physically and thus Henri must enter her from behind.

* SummonABiggerFish: Two guards harass Rahima so she brings the matter up with their superior. When he is reluctant to do anything about it, Rahima suggests that she will bring the matter up to Catherine. The guy immediately acts and the guards are publicly humiliated.