Recap / The Borgias S 2 E 4 Stray Dogs

• Bearer of Bad News: Micheletto. Lampshaded.
  Cesare: You have bad news?
  Micheletto: Is there any other kind, your eminence?
• Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Ludovico Sforza is trying to look and act noble, but Cesare is having none of it and utterly mocks his speech to Rodrigo. His face makes it clear he's doing it out of necessity, for once not being able to react with Hair-Trigger Temper Large Ham like did with his cousin, his nephew and Della Rovere in the first season. And as we later learn, Duke Gonzaga is also a violent brute in things that don't concern warfare.
• Combat Pragmatist: Cesare looks down on the concept of "honorable combat", and his stray dogs are given weapons meant for stealth combat and deceiving the opponent.
• Cool Mask: Cesare wears one when going out with the condottieri to seek revenge. But for some reason, people still find out it's him.
• Divide and Conquer: Discussed. Rodrigo's long-term intentions for helping the alliance against the French is weakening Milan, France and Venice by having them fight each other, though no side can truly win, leaving their armies crippled, plus taking all the loot from the battle by convincing Gonzaga to donate it to the church. Even Cesare is impressed by his father's political genius.
  Cesare: So why should we now make common cause with Milan?
  Rodrigo: Because, when the French have left this fair paradise, the Milanese will still be with us.
  Cesare: So?
  Rodrigo: This league cannot beat the French, even in their weakened state. And I doubt the French can beat this league. So if the two armies were to batter each other to death, as the lawyers often say, "cui bono"?
  Cesare: "Who benefits"?
  Rodrigo: A weakened Milan. A weakened Venice. A weakened Mantua. Hm? Has to be worth a weekend in Tuscany, surely.
  (Cesare shakes his head in incredulous amazement while Rodrigo chuckles)
• He-Man Woman Hater: Cardinal Vespucci, previously criticizing the Pope for putting Giulia Farnese to clean up his swindling, decides, against all logic and survival instincts, to ask the Pope if a woman (i.e. his daughter) can sit on the Pope's chair while Rodrigo's gone. Since Lucrezia is already sitting, Rodrigo points out clearly one does and can.
• Honor Before Reason:
  • Francesco Gonzaga. He is the one that wants to attack the French while they are leaving, out of honor. He thinks warfare is an art, and considers the use of cannons to be dishonorable. Deconstructed, as it serves Rodrigo's purpose of weakening his enemies and potential enemies both and increasing his power at their expenses.
    Rodrigo: Interesting concept honour, isn't it? Like its cousin, valour. (...) And they've all led kings and armies to their doom.
    Bianca: Let's hope it's not a tragic art.
  • Also, Cesare spends quite some lines pointing out how ridiculous this concept is, so his condottieri fight dirty.
• The Lost Lenore: Ursula becomes this for Cesare. He does not take it well.
• Nay-Theist: Cesare embraces this fully upon Ursula's death.
  Cesare: She chose God, Micheletto. And God repaid her with mutilation.
  Micheletto: I know little of God, your Eminence.
  Cesare: God is deaf, God is blind and pitiless.
• Passive-Aggressive Kombat: Subverted. Cesare makes no mystery of his scorn for Ludovico Sforza's offer, despite Rodrigo trying to keep things civil. Ludovico tries ignoring the jabs to keep on with his obviously rehearsed speech, but his face makes it clear he's not used to someone dropping the façade and insulting him like he likes doing as Duke of Milan.
• Refuge in Audacity: Rodrigo needs to leave and has to take Cesare and Ascanio. Who does he leave to handle the Vatican and the college of Cardinals? Why, Lucrezia, of course. Plus Giula Farnese and, unknowingly, Vanozza.
• Roaring Rampage of Revenge: The French army passes by the Convent of Saint Cecilia and kill everyone inside, including Ursula. Cesare forms his own covert group of assassins to hunt the scouts responsible. He then captures the scouts, puts them in Micheletto's care and learns the one who told them there would be spoils inside was Giovanni Sforza, who probably wanted payback at Cesare for being declared impotent. As if Cesare needed MORE reason to cut out his heart and give it to Lucrezia in a plate.
  Micheletto: Vengeance is sweet.
• Torture Technician: Micheletto's expertise, as the French scouts responsible for Ursula's murder and mutilation find out. By the time he gets all information Cesare wanted, all of the prisoners but one are dead, having preferred to talk and die quickly than spend more time near that psycho. Interestingly, by the end of it, Micheletto himself looks haunted and disturbed.

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