Episode description: “While sheltering in the winding slums, Perla reflects on her prophesied destiny as Néro creates a desperate plan to protect her.”
The episode opens with Perla talking about what she wants to be written on her tomb. This echoes the opening of the first episode, where we saw Néro talking about his own life and impending death (although that scene actually took place later). Perla also uses the witch’s knife to spill some of her blood on the ground and to see how it returns the bugs and worms back to life. She has confirmation that her blood is somehow special.
Our motley group is hiding in the slums before the walls of Ségur. They are such a maze that it’s not hard to imagine their not being discovered. One reason they don’t leave is because the prince was injured and probably cannot be moved. I like how Hortense and Perla take turns sitting with him.
Brother Penance and his men bring out Horace to execute him before the crowd. Perla watches, the only thing she can do for the man who raised her. The archbishop is offering an enormous reward for her capture – also for the capture of Hortense and the prince.
Our heroes – at least some of them – want to regain control of Ségur. The prince is the logical choice to lead, but as he remains bedridden due to his injuries, Hortense steps forward. Of course, the ritual of their marriage was never completed (let alone consummated), but the prince’s loyalists are ready to follow her. Initially Néro tries to talk her out of it, saying it is suicide, but she plans to go ahead. So instead he sneaks into the citadel and betrays her and the movement.
When they realize they have been betrayed, suspicion first lands on Rochemort. He quite reasonably points out he has been shackled and guarded all this time. He figures out who the "traitor" is – but Rochemort also says it’s because Néro did not want Hortense to die. Yes, it’s betrayal, but one we can forgive – especially as he is always willing to risk his own life to protect Hortense and Perla, the two people he cares about. I don’t think Rochemort would do this (although we have seen him take steps to protect Hortense, they were not at the risk of his own life). It’s one reason we find Néro so charming.
Perla, watching her father being tortured, and all the terrible things happening, including the drought and the killing, and so many sacrifices just to keep her alive – Horace, the man who raised her, has been beheaded, and now her father is about to be executed – does what she can to stop it. She stabs herself and plummets to the ground, apparently dead. (At least, mostly dead, which means a little bit alive, and her eyes open as she is carried off.) But before that, her self-sacrifice ends the drought: the clouds gather, the rain falls, and the fighting stops.
Brother Penance, believing his and the other penitents’ sacrifices have ended the drought, rejoices. The archbishop – who was already weary of Penance’s inability to capture Perla, and has been insulting throughout the episode – scolds him for this assumption and calls Brother Penance a nothing. Penance kills the archbishop right after that. The thing is, the archbishop knew magic was real. Brother Penance does not.
To recap where this episode ends: Horace and the archbishop appear to be dead. Perla, despite having killed herself, seems to be alive. Néro was hit on the head but he’s presumably alive. We don’t know if he will suffer for having spoken to Callista while he was going through Limbo. Rochemort, Hortense, and Zineb are alive and are headed in the direction of Lamartine. The prince is alive and protected by his loyal soldiers but he was in bad shape after getting stabbed. Medicine back then was pretty bad, so he should die, but his recovery depends on whatever is most convenient for the creators (if there’s another season). Brother Penance is alive and in charge of Ségur and the penitents, who have shown plenty of loyalty to him.
Most startling moment: I was surprised to discover that beneath his mask, Brother Penance turned out to be a leper, although it makes perfect sense. First, it explains why he was “raised” by the archbishop. It would not be surprising for a leper to be abandoned by his family and hence to end up as being raised by the Church. Second, it explains why this guy, already mutilated by God, is so eager to mutilate others.
Most emotional moment: Néro cradling his daughter, weeping as the rain falls on him and her dead body.
Title musings: The title of the episode is “The Girl” or “La fille” in French. In French, fille means girl but it also means daughter. It applies mostly to Perla, but one can also consider Hortense as a secondary reference, as Rochemort tries to protect her.
Bits and pieces
We learn in the beginning of the episode that they escaped from the citadel ten days earlier. Somehow Perla is back in slum dweller clothes.
“Evacuate Everyone.” Despite this being a French series, the note from Néro delivered to Lothar is in English, which is an example of the show catering to the rest of the world.
The younger characters are more idealistic than the elder: Hortense, Perla, the prince and even Brother Penance, are ready to sacrifice themselves for what they believe in. Rochemort and Néro are not.
Loved how Perla, who grew up as an orphan, talks about her family at the end. It was so important to her not to be an orphan.
At this point (January 2026), Néro the Assassin has no second season in the works, but plenty of story remains outstanding. Here are a few of my unanswered questions: Who carried off Perla? As the necklace dropped off Rochemort, we assumed that the witch died in the previous episode as her head was lopped off, so it should not be her. Then, will Perla and the prince get together? Will Néro and Hortense get together? What about the marriage between the prince and Hortense (it would make more sense emotionally for Hortense to take on the role of Joséphine, without sleeping with her father, of course). With the drought over, what will happen with the penitents?
Killing yourself with a dagger was pretty standard in ancient Rome, but still, it takes desperation to do that. Presumably the dagger is made of obsidian, a substance so sharp that it is sometimes used in surgery.
Quotes
On my grave, I would like it to say, "Her name was Perla." "Daughter of an assassin and a whοre." "And she was the last witch."
Horace’s last words: The Church is lying! The Devil doesn't exist! Nor does the spawn of the Devil! They're lying to you! The Devil doesn't ex...
Brother Penance: I know there's no devil coming. He's an invention of your predecessors. So, if the Devil doesn't exist, how can she be his offspring?
Archbishop: Now you're using your brain. Hurrah! Haven't you come far? But that's not what I dragged you out of the sewers for. So don't you dare challenge my orders.
Néro: These are strangers to you.
Hortense: They'd lose hope if I went.
Néro: The best gift you could give them. Because hope is dangerous. It just makes you desperate.
Néro. You won't die, Hortense. I was wrong. The plan's good. I saw the slum dwellers. They'll follow you. Maybe because you're foolish or because you're infuriating, or... you're a beautiful woman. But one thing's for sure, you have a gift. That look in your eyes – you make us want to be better.
Néro: The world's full of tyrants. A couple more makes no difference.
Hortense: This is really who you are? And that's how you die a hero?
Néro: I only love you and Perla.
Overall rating
Several characters have learned to love. Néro loves Hortense and Perla. Rochemort lets Hortense know how important she is to him. Perla loves her new family – especially Néro – so much that she is willing to take her life to stop the sacrifice and the carnage. Four out of four raindrops, ending the terrible drought.
Victoria Grossack loves math, birds, Greek mythology, Jane Austen and great storytelling in many forms.
Congratulations on finishing the season and/or the series, Victoria!
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