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The Borgia Apocalypse: The Screenplay
From Academy Award-winning screenwriter Neil Jordan comes THE BORGIA APOCALYPSE, the epic conclusion to Showtime’s acclaimed TV series THE BORGIAS, which was cancelled after its third season. Fans left wanting more can now read the screenplay for the two-hour finale and see how Jordan planned to bring the family to a suitably apocalyptic end.
164 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 11, 2013
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366 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 99 reviews
February 18, 2014
I never thought I would be happy that they cancelled the show but the finale was epic in comparison to this... whatever it is because it is not a proper script for The Borgias.
Now this was epic.
Now this was epic.
August 15, 2013
After reading Neil Jordan's very passionate and sincere introduction, I really felt as if this would be a swan song for The Borgias and all of its wonderful characters.
It took a few read-throughs for the full impact of what Mr Jordan had actually written to hit me.
I must admit I enjoyed a few of the characters storylines, it was good to see Micheletto, Machiavelli and Caterina again. Caterina's storyline took a particularly gruesome tone that I'm sure was only inserted into the story for shock value as it was historically inaccurate and really horrendous.
Now onto other character's stories. Lucrezia and Cesare again took the limelight, despite Neil's insistence to throw Rodrigo in everywhere no matter how clear it was that it stopped being 'his' story after season one.
Lucrezia's fear of Cesare in the screenplay would be warranted if she had been any one else but all this build up to her being the only person who understood and accepted him was all for nought when Neil puts her forward as a sort of Ursula (Cesare's love interest from season one) doppelganger who fears him and escapes to a nunnery.
It is as if Lucrezia's character has not only done a 180, but has flown off the track and onto Ursula highway. The differences that were so stark between Ursula and Lucrezia's reactions to their husbands deaths in season one and two have now disappeared and we are left with a Lucrezia who is not only afraid of her brother (the man she loves) but has the ability to heartlessly bring harm to him. This, I believe, is one of the main things that has turned so many fans against this screenplay.
The fans of the show never expected a perfect ending where everyone lives happily in an united Italy but Neil has mutilated the history.
I firmly believe that this ebook release has been a ploy to ensure people do not fund the Save The Borgias campaign as this screenplay would be the product of all that hard work. It is underhanded and extremely money-grabbing way of doing things by Showtime but that's what it is. Such a shame The Borgias had to end this way. I for one won't be considering this as the true ending to Cesare and Lucrezia's story. I like to think that Lucrezia would have truly loved her brother until the end of her life and never stopped trying to help his military efforts as she did in real life.
It took a few read-throughs for the full impact of what Mr Jordan had actually written to hit me.
I must admit I enjoyed a few of the characters storylines, it was good to see Micheletto, Machiavelli and Caterina again. Caterina's storyline took a particularly gruesome tone that I'm sure was only inserted into the story for shock value as it was historically inaccurate and really horrendous.
Now onto other character's stories. Lucrezia and Cesare again took the limelight, despite Neil's insistence to throw Rodrigo in everywhere no matter how clear it was that it stopped being 'his' story after season one.
Lucrezia's fear of Cesare in the screenplay would be warranted if she had been any one else but all this build up to her being the only person who understood and accepted him was all for nought when Neil puts her forward as a sort of Ursula (Cesare's love interest from season one) doppelganger who fears him and escapes to a nunnery.
It is as if Lucrezia's character has not only done a 180, but has flown off the track and onto Ursula highway. The differences that were so stark between Ursula and Lucrezia's reactions to their husbands deaths in season one and two have now disappeared and we are left with a Lucrezia who is not only afraid of her brother (the man she loves) but has the ability to heartlessly bring harm to him. This, I believe, is one of the main things that has turned so many fans against this screenplay.
The fans of the show never expected a perfect ending where everyone lives happily in an united Italy but Neil has mutilated the history.
I firmly believe that this ebook release has been a ploy to ensure people do not fund the Save The Borgias campaign as this screenplay would be the product of all that hard work. It is underhanded and extremely money-grabbing way of doing things by Showtime but that's what it is. Such a shame The Borgias had to end this way. I for one won't be considering this as the true ending to Cesare and Lucrezia's story. I like to think that Lucrezia would have truly loved her brother until the end of her life and never stopped trying to help his military efforts as she did in real life.
January 19, 2015
Thanks God they didn't made this shit into a movie.
Just awful.
August 18, 2014
Well, this was unexpectedly...odd and utterly disappointing.
I binge watched the television show of "The Borgias" from Showtime on Netflix and it was utterly incredible. No words for the exquisite storytelling and lavish costumes that took you somewhere new (technically old) and beautifully fascinating. I have always been a huge fan of The Prince by Machiavelli, and it didn't occur to me (yes, I know, slow me), that this was the same Cesare Borgia, I had been fascinated with and in awe of ever since. Once that realization came to be, I was totally undone by the stellar acting of François Arnaud and you could say I became a massive fan!
So while "The Borogias" was gruesome at times, it certainly was not the unnecessary lands of "Game of Thrones" or "Spartacus" and I was happy for that. When the third season was over, I was sad. I wanted to know what happened next and if there was ever going to be a fourth season -- that's how I came across the eBook for the never bought screenplay...
Spoilers worth mentioning:
What should have happened :
- Lots of good Cesare/Lucrezia storyline full of love, passion and an actual ending worthy of the first three seasons combined. You know something happy, not psychotic or off base. All the rest should have been details.
All in all, I had a really hard time believing that this eBook/script was written by the same man who so beautifully wrote out three gorgeous seasons. Let alone, that this was written by the same head writer who made the second season come alive.
It reads like some strange fan fiction (and this is what I'm going to tell myself), written by some wonky nut job who apparently had never, ever seen the show.
The more I read, the more I was actually really, really, really HAPPY that this screenplay did not come to past as a movie/fourth season.
So bad.
Bad. Bad. Bad!
Make up your own endings in your head, but definitely don't go by this nonsense.
Awful!
Me no likey.
I binge watched the television show of "The Borgias" from Showtime on Netflix and it was utterly incredible. No words for the exquisite storytelling and lavish costumes that took you somewhere new (technically old) and beautifully fascinating. I have always been a huge fan of The Prince by Machiavelli, and it didn't occur to me (yes, I know, slow me), that this was the same Cesare Borgia, I had been fascinated with and in awe of ever since. Once that realization came to be, I was totally undone by the stellar acting of François Arnaud and you could say I became a massive fan!
So while "The Borogias" was gruesome at times, it certainly was not the unnecessary lands of "Game of Thrones" or "Spartacus" and I was happy for that. When the third season was over, I was sad. I wanted to know what happened next and if there was ever going to be a fourth season -- that's how I came across the eBook for the never bought screenplay...
Spoilers worth mentioning:
What should have happened :
- Lots of good Cesare/Lucrezia storyline full of love, passion and an actual ending worthy of the first three seasons combined. You know something happy, not psychotic or off base. All the rest should have been details.
All in all, I had a really hard time believing that this eBook/script was written by the same man who so beautifully wrote out three gorgeous seasons. Let alone, that this was written by the same head writer who made the second season come alive.
It reads like some strange fan fiction (and this is what I'm going to tell myself), written by some wonky nut job who apparently had never, ever seen the show.
The more I read, the more I was actually really, really, really HAPPY that this screenplay did not come to past as a movie/fourth season.
So bad.
Bad. Bad. Bad!
Make up your own endings in your head, but definitely don't go by this nonsense.
Awful!
Me no likey.
January 11, 2015
'Are you a shepherd of souls now?
And I see before me a lost sheep.
Utterly lost, my love.
Then, by hook or by crook I shall save you.'
A quote from the series because this is how I wish to remember it, preferring the ending of the show to the screenplay.
And I see before me a lost sheep.
Utterly lost, my love.
Then, by hook or by crook I shall save you.'
A quote from the series because this is how I wish to remember it, preferring the ending of the show to the screenplay.
September 27, 2013
Okay. So, this happened. When Showtime and Neil Jordan announced that the third would be the last season of 'The Borgias', but that they were leaving it at a place where it "felt done" I was a little miffed. When I saw the final episode I was downright annoyed. In Jordan's introduction he sounded genuinely heartfelt in the way he explained the way the show's cancellation went down. But, every other interview came of as if he, and star Jeremy Irons, used to the constant movement of, you know, making movies, were sick of spending so much time in Renaissance Rome. Jordan announced their might be a movie to finish up the story but then Showtime nixed it, leaving our murderous family to sit in the annals of history rather than play out their lives, somewhat fictitiously, on screen. One can only assume that call was made after reading this mess of a screenplay.
I really don't feel like I can go into detail about the plot of this screenplay without spoiling the third season of the show for those who haven't watched it, so I will just say it's the continuing adventures of Rodrigo, Cesare, and Lucrezia Borgia as they plot and maneuver around their many many enemies. Except... sometimes I found myself wondering if Jordan even remembered what happened in season three of the show. Characters changed on a dime, betrayed when they'd been staunchly advocates, and made erratic and nonsensical decisions. The show seemed to go out of it's way to show that these people were ruthless, but they had a very human side too. This read like a completely detached history lecturer who basically thought all Borgias, save Lulu, were batshit crazy. Jordan famously gave away his proposed ending, patriarch Rodrigo Borgia, Pope Alexander, dying and begging to give a confession no one will hear. When he does find someone the guy says "Coolio pops, but you're too late, you're already burning in hell". Okay, so the dude had sex with ALL the ladies and bribed his way into the papacy, he had plenty of sins, but the show went so out of its way to show him tortured and sincerely pious, admonishing the bad that way done by his family that I REALLY have to call into question the validity of this ending. Perhaps Borgia was a dickhole in life, but the version we saw here did not deserve this ridiculous ending.
Cesare and Lucrezia. Okay, so the show did end up going to that place that I thought they'd just pussily skirt around the whole time. Great. STICK WITH IT. If you're fan pandering, fine. STICK WITH IT. The way their relationship was drawn out here was completely absurd. Especially if you just got done watching the last season. Seriously. I'll leave that there.
And don't even get me started on the title. The Borgia Apocalypse? Sure. Suuuuuuure.
In short. No, I wouldn't recommend reading this. If you're a big fan of the show you'll probably read it anyway. If not and you're just a little curious and figure this wont take very long to read; you're right. It look an hour. But this took less time: http://telanu.tumblr.com/post/5827459...
I really don't feel like I can go into detail about the plot of this screenplay without spoiling the third season of the show for those who haven't watched it, so I will just say it's the continuing adventures of Rodrigo, Cesare, and Lucrezia Borgia as they plot and maneuver around their many many enemies. Except... sometimes I found myself wondering if Jordan even remembered what happened in season three of the show. Characters changed on a dime, betrayed when they'd been staunchly advocates, and made erratic and nonsensical decisions. The show seemed to go out of it's way to show that these people were ruthless, but they had a very human side too. This read like a completely detached history lecturer who basically thought all Borgias, save Lulu, were batshit crazy. Jordan famously gave away his proposed ending, patriarch Rodrigo Borgia, Pope Alexander, dying and begging to give a confession no one will hear. When he does find someone the guy says "Coolio pops, but you're too late, you're already burning in hell". Okay, so the dude had sex with ALL the ladies and bribed his way into the papacy, he had plenty of sins, but the show went so out of its way to show him tortured and sincerely pious, admonishing the bad that way done by his family that I REALLY have to call into question the validity of this ending. Perhaps Borgia was a dickhole in life, but the version we saw here did not deserve this ridiculous ending.
Cesare and Lucrezia. Okay, so the show did end up going to that place that I thought they'd just pussily skirt around the whole time. Great. STICK WITH IT. If you're fan pandering, fine. STICK WITH IT. The way their relationship was drawn out here was completely absurd. Especially if you just got done watching the last season. Seriously. I'll leave that there.
And don't even get me started on the title. The Borgia Apocalypse? Sure. Suuuuuuure.
In short. No, I wouldn't recommend reading this. If you're a big fan of the show you'll probably read it anyway. If not and you're just a little curious and figure this wont take very long to read; you're right. It look an hour. But this took less time: http://telanu.tumblr.com/post/5827459...
August 14, 2013
ew, neil. have you even watched the show?
January 28, 2014
I will start by saying my rating is borderline between 2 and 3 stars.
There were things I liked, the interplay between Cesare and Micheletto was one; how Cesare's 'allies' are being played; i will not spoil the rest.
I will only say (without further spoilers) that a) aside from a tiny bit that was important, Lucrezia's role in this 'finale' was pitiful and a complete letdown nor was there any sense of closure, b) what led to Alexander's exodus was confusing and nonsensical and was totally anticlimactic and c) the very end was an epic fail, because Jordan did not bother with building a proper momentum.
You are left with a 'what the hell?' Historical truth or not, there were a hundred ways this could be manipulated into a proper end.
It was not.
So, if you loved the Borgias, I suggest you stay clear. I do not regret reading this, but if Showtime ever pays to film it, I will feel sorry for them.
(Borderline) 3 stars, just because i love those characters.
There were things I liked, the interplay between Cesare and Micheletto was one; how Cesare's 'allies' are being played; i will not spoil the rest.
I will only say (without further spoilers) that a) aside from a tiny bit that was important, Lucrezia's role in this 'finale' was pitiful and a complete letdown nor was there any sense of closure, b) what led to Alexander's exodus was confusing and nonsensical and was totally anticlimactic and c) the very end was an epic fail, because Jordan did not bother with building a proper momentum.
You are left with a 'what the hell?' Historical truth or not, there were a hundred ways this could be manipulated into a proper end.
It was not.
So, if you loved the Borgias, I suggest you stay clear. I do not regret reading this, but if Showtime ever pays to film it, I will feel sorry for them.
(Borderline) 3 stars, just because i love those characters.
January 1, 2017
are you f*cking kidding me?
my first mistake of 2k17 was starting the year with this bs.
i am sooo glad showtime didn't let this shitfest go to screen.
i was left with many questions after the finale of the show and got hella angry that it ended but now i see how perfect it was. and to me, the story ended there with cesare cleaning lucrezia's body and saying that she was his.
that's it.
perfect.
not this crap.
me (sobbing in the corner): i love my otp.
my first mistake of 2k17 was starting the year with this bs.
i am sooo glad showtime didn't let this shitfest go to screen.
i was left with many questions after the finale of the show and got hella angry that it ended but now i see how perfect it was. and to me, the story ended there with cesare cleaning lucrezia's body and saying that she was his.
that's it.
perfect.
"Lucrezia: Why me?
Cesare: Let me count the answers.
He puts his arms around her.
Cesare: You are intelligent, you are diplomatic, you are beautiful, and you are and always will be...
He kisses her.
Cesare: Mine."
me (sobbing in the corner): i love my otp.
December 1, 2022
so glad this show was saved by cancellation instead of ruinned by out-of-characterness.
April 6, 2024
Wow. I really didn't expect to dislike this so much. I did not recognise the character of Lucrezia from the previous seasons AT ALL. Neither she (The Borgias' Lucrezia) nor the real Lucrezia Borgia would've ever done/said/thought all that. Her relationship with and the way she viewed her family and Cesare is so out of place, even for the series. I remember Lucrezia saying that she will save the utterly lost sheep. Where is that Lucrezia, and why the sudden change into the victim abused by her father and brother?
From such a good show, I had high expectations for the story of Lucrezia. Very often, we see her portrayed as either the villain, femme fatale, prisoner, incestuous woman, or the victim in everyone's game. She doesn't fit into either of these narratives. I expected the show to recognise this in the end as well.
I liked The Borgias' take on Caterina Sforza and the way she was portrayed in the show. It was a different sort of character, one that intrigued the viewer. I could still sense the same personality in Caterina. However, the events in this screenplay were truly uncalled for and not at all the way I imagined her story would be written. It surely has nothing to do with reality, but I still expected something worth of the name Caterina Sforza. I would *not* have wanted to see *that* on screen.
I didn't like the endings for any of the characters, but I was especially disappointed with Alexander's ending. Seriously, what was that?
Overall, I cannot believe I'm saying this, but I'm glad it ended the way it did, and I'm glad I read this so I won't be sad about the series being over anymore.
P. S.: Comparing Naples to an "Iraqi village, after one of Saddam's gas attacks," was... I'll let you decide.
From such a good show, I had high expectations for the story of Lucrezia. Very often, we see her portrayed as either the villain, femme fatale, prisoner, incestuous woman, or the victim in everyone's game. She doesn't fit into either of these narratives. I expected the show to recognise this in the end as well.
I liked The Borgias' take on Caterina Sforza and the way she was portrayed in the show. It was a different sort of character, one that intrigued the viewer. I could still sense the same personality in Caterina. However, the events in this screenplay were truly uncalled for and not at all the way I imagined her story would be written. It surely has nothing to do with reality, but I still expected something worth of the name Caterina Sforza. I would *not* have wanted to see *that* on screen.
I didn't like the endings for any of the characters, but I was especially disappointed with Alexander's ending. Seriously, what was that?
Overall, I cannot believe I'm saying this, but I'm glad it ended the way it did, and I'm glad I read this so I won't be sad about the series being over anymore.
P. S.: Comparing Naples to an "Iraqi village, after one of Saddam's gas attacks," was... I'll let you decide.
February 8, 2014
I thought this would read awkwardly, but I blew through it and could picture everything happening in my mind. I wish The Borgias had gotten its final season/movie, but I found I was pretty satisfied with this. An appropriate ending for where it was going.
August 18, 2013
Cesare - psycho. Lucrezia - schizo. Definitely not! I want REAL Cesare, REAL Lucretzia and REAL Borgias
August 9, 2014
I'm just gonna forget I read this...
December 14, 2017
Well, I liked it. I'd have preferred a final season of the show, but this is better than not having any closure to the story.
October 24, 2013
IF YOU ARE A CESARE AND LUCREZIA FAN DO NOT READ THIS EBOOK. I am serious. This ebook will leave you feeling gutted.
I have said before that the atmosphere of the Borgias reminded me of some Jacobean plays (the Revenger's tragedy), the grand, the lruid and the horrendous all combined together, except the Borgias still had a lighter tone through their family love. Well here lightness goes out the window, family goes out the window, romance is dead, cue the fatal revenge tragedy ending with lots and lots of blood.
For those who aren't Cesare/Lucrezia shippers (or wholike me arent die-hard shippers) , it's interesting to see how a screenplay is constructed.
screen play here. Do tell me about it.
I have said before that the atmosphere of the Borgias reminded me of some Jacobean plays (the Revenger's tragedy), the grand, the lruid and the horrendous all combined together, except the Borgias still had a lighter tone through their family love. Well here lightness goes out the window, family goes out the window, romance is dead, cue the fatal revenge tragedy ending with lots and lots of blood.
For those who aren't Cesare/Lucrezia shippers (or wholike me arent die-hard shippers) , it's interesting to see how a screenplay is constructed.
screen play here. Do tell me about it.
December 16, 2013
I didn't find it as bad as most people here. In fact I rather enjoyed it until about the last fifth of the script, which pretty much seemed like Jordan just couldn't be arsed any more. Too bad about that.
The show needed a proper fourth series to depict Cesare's vain battle to regain power. Come on, that would have been very interesting. Oh well.
As for Lucrezia, I really liked her in this script. "What have they built? What artists have they patronised?" Indeed.
The show needed a proper fourth series to depict Cesare's vain battle to regain power. Come on, that would have been very interesting. Oh well.
As for Lucrezia, I really liked her in this script. "What have they built? What artists have they patronised?" Indeed.
August 13, 2013
Can't seem to decide whether "it was okay" or "I liked it". It's not the best thing I would have seen on tv, had they made it, but I can't bring myself to find it worse than the last two seasons. In fact, I might find it better. Anyway Lucrezia's character hardly looks like the same as she was in season three.
September 10, 2013
So glad the series ended the way it did. If this had been I would've been angry as it's character assasination. Lucrezia is ruined.
June 6, 2017
A bad fanfiction level conclusion to an otherwise very good TV show.
September 26, 2017
I really like the way plot has evolved, sadly this wasn't filmmed.
August 4, 2015
Considering the fact that Neil Jordan had to wrap up what was supposed to be a 10 hr season in a two hour movie, it was a commendable effort. As a huge fan of the series, however, I felt it was a bit rushed, jumping from Catherina Sforza to the French to the Wild Bunch to Della Rovera.. Lucrezia seemed out of character but I guess we were supposed to see her in a dark pit by the end of season 4; we were unable to see her fall, though, since two hours is too short a time. I felt the same about Cesare, especially when he murders practically half a city. Again, we see him at the bottom of a pit but have no idea how he got there. I'm glad, though that Lucrezia, used as a puppet by her father and brother in the entire series, was able to find happiness.
This was better than nothing, I guess but would have preferred a complete season 4. There should be a clause in contracts binding channels to inform show runners at the start of a season's development stage if a show is to be cancelled. :P
This was better than nothing, I guess but would have preferred a complete season 4. There should be a clause in contracts binding channels to inform show runners at the start of a season's development stage if a show is to be cancelled. :P
March 6, 2014
This was a satisfying ending to a mediocre show I only watched because the actor playing Cesare was kinda hard not to stare at. (Francois Arnaud, le sigh). Its available on netflix, and even with Jeremy Irons it was hard to not get sucked into the circular path of the storylines, someone is poisoned, someone is mad at the pope, someone's lips get cut off. So the show was cancelled before its final season so the creator wrote a 2 hour script for the movie to tie up loose ends. And it is exactly what you expect, people die, people betray, and the writing makes it crystal clear on how it could have been. Nothing groundbreaking, but I'm giving it 4 stars because it was fun quick read.
January 7, 2022
2.5*
This was... Unexpected, I guess? As someone that was incredibly into the show and just finished it for the second time, this was a sort of bittersweet conclusion to things. Lucrezia's change of mind does feel sort of rushed, but I'm guessing it was because things had to keep moving and it's only a two hour finale/movie. I understand why everyone that was a fan of her and Cesare weren't happy with something like this and decided to stay with the end of the show.
HOWEVER. The whole 2.5 of this is delivered with Micheletto and Cesare's relationship. THE GROWTH. THE CLOSENESS. THE CONCLUSION. WHAT MORE CAN YOU ASK OF IT? I was living, truly, my best life.
This was... Unexpected, I guess? As someone that was incredibly into the show and just finished it for the second time, this was a sort of bittersweet conclusion to things. Lucrezia's change of mind does feel sort of rushed, but I'm guessing it was because things had to keep moving and it's only a two hour finale/movie. I understand why everyone that was a fan of her and Cesare weren't happy with something like this and decided to stay with the end of the show.
HOWEVER. The whole 2.5 of this is delivered with Micheletto and Cesare's relationship. THE GROWTH. THE CLOSENESS. THE CONCLUSION. WHAT MORE CAN YOU ASK OF IT? I was living, truly, my best life.
April 5, 2021
There seems to a be a lot of hate for this screenplay. I, however, thought it seemed to fit with the trajectory of the story. I would have preferred another season, of course, to complete the downward spiral of both Cesare and Rodrigo into more and more avarice, ambition, and murder. This seemed liked a fitting end, though. Both got their comeuppance. It's pure fiction, veering off into an alternate reality long before, but it's oh so intriguing nonetheless.
January 9, 2014
This show steered away from historical accuracy long ago but I still enjoyed the overall conclusion. Of course, a whole fourth season would have been a better choice. He had a lot to cram into the finale so at times it seemed rushed, a tad boring and not developed. The main characters get a conclusion, whilst others just disappear once they fulfill their purpose. If edited, could be just right.
August 8, 2014
I read this book purely on the basis that I have recently watched all 3 series consectively. I am pleased this was written, creating an end to the story.
Negatives: the book was far to short, feeling like it had been rushed.
Negatives: the book was far to short, feeling like it had been rushed.
October 21, 2016
It was horrendous. Any fan of THE BORGIAS deserved so much better than this. What an absolute letdown, and an insult to the beloved characters that took three seasons to build and develop. Cesare and Lucrezia are but cartoons of their true selves.
October 12, 2023
⭐️4.0⭐️
wished we got this movie
I’m so glad I found this because now I have some sort of ‘official’ conclusion to the show and I can finally move on without wondering what could have been.
wished we got this movie
I’m so glad I found this because now I have some sort of ‘official’ conclusion to the show and I can finally move on without wondering what could have been.
January 30, 2023
I had glanced over some of the reviews here before picking up The Borgia Apocalypse, so I was prepared for something terrible. In reality, I found this screenplay to be basically fine, if a little rushed and overly condensed.
The original plan for The Borgias was four seasons, the last of which was eventually slimmed down to a two-hour movie and then released as this screenplay by series creator Neil Jordan. I don't regularly read screenplays, but I found it pretty easy to visualize what was going on and fill in the gaps in my mind's eye. The screenplay is mostly dialogue with a few sentences of action here and there (with one notable longer action piece), so if you find it difficult to extrapolate these few sentences into a movie in your mind, you may find The Borgia Apocalypse a less fulfilling read.
I was hungry for a conclusion after binging the series before it was removed from Netflix, so it was really this screenplay, reading some Wikipedia articles for the real story, or nothing. The Borgia Apocalypse does bring more of a conclusion than the ending of season 3, with the final fates of Rodrigo, Cesare, Lucrezia, and the rest revealed. But, without going into 500-year-old spoilers, the fate of Rodrigo in particular wasn't especially compelling or dramatic in real life -- and that's one area where Jordan deviates little from the actual history. Overall, I think The Borgia Apocalypse wraps up as much narratively as it could reasonably expect to though, and I appreciate the closure either way.
However, sometimes it does feel as though the screenplay condensing the high points of a full season of TV into a two-hour movie is biting off more than it can chew. It moves at a brisk pace, as does the show, rushing at least through a fall and the following summer. But I was surprised and a bit worried when I saw I was 80% of the way through and it didn't feel like things were starting to wrap up. The ending is very abrupt, with an ending montage that does a lot of the heavy lifting.
Characters also seem at times to go through a season's worth of evolution (the main complaint of other reviews). I found Lucrezia much less objectionable than many people seem to -- she always seemed a bit wild, decisive on things (and men) that she soon came to regret, and that continues to be the case here. Cesare, on the other hand, stood out for me. His pursuit of Lucrezia rang true, but his savage attack on Naples stood in stark contrast to his previous complaints (of the French in Lucca and of his own soldiers in Forli) about the treatment of civilians in war. He's allowed to change, and he was getting more brutal over the course of the series, but it feels like he probably had a softer transition in a full fourth season that what we saw here.
Finally, for all Jordan spoke in his introduction to the screenplay of the importance of dialogue, The Borgia Apocalypse suffers from an issue that somewhat reduced my enjoyment of the series as a whole: It feels over-written, full of itself about how good its dialogue is, when in reality the dialogue is often on the nose, not particularly interesting, and held up by absolutely phenomenal set design, costuming, and Jeremy Irons' performance as the Pope. I believe that a lot of the dialogue in The Borgias is not actually particularly good, and the screenplay focuses mostly on dialogue -- it just stands out even more that this is one of the main faults of the series when presented like this. Add in a few typos, and this is very much not the ideal way to experience the conclusion of The Borgias.
But, ultimately, The Borgia Apocalypse does not exist in an ideal world and is not attempting to be an ideal solution. It valiantly attempts to bring some closure for fans of the series, which is appreciated. But with a high price tag, lack of polish, and general rushed nature, it falls slightly short. It's fine, if you're a fan in need of an ending, but it's nothing especially impressive.
The original plan for The Borgias was four seasons, the last of which was eventually slimmed down to a two-hour movie and then released as this screenplay by series creator Neil Jordan. I don't regularly read screenplays, but I found it pretty easy to visualize what was going on and fill in the gaps in my mind's eye. The screenplay is mostly dialogue with a few sentences of action here and there (with one notable longer action piece), so if you find it difficult to extrapolate these few sentences into a movie in your mind, you may find The Borgia Apocalypse a less fulfilling read.
I was hungry for a conclusion after binging the series before it was removed from Netflix, so it was really this screenplay, reading some Wikipedia articles for the real story, or nothing. The Borgia Apocalypse does bring more of a conclusion than the ending of season 3, with the final fates of Rodrigo, Cesare, Lucrezia, and the rest revealed. But, without going into 500-year-old spoilers, the fate of Rodrigo in particular wasn't especially compelling or dramatic in real life -- and that's one area where Jordan deviates little from the actual history. Overall, I think The Borgia Apocalypse wraps up as much narratively as it could reasonably expect to though, and I appreciate the closure either way.
However, sometimes it does feel as though the screenplay condensing the high points of a full season of TV into a two-hour movie is biting off more than it can chew. It moves at a brisk pace, as does the show, rushing at least through a fall and the following summer. But I was surprised and a bit worried when I saw I was 80% of the way through and it didn't feel like things were starting to wrap up. The ending is very abrupt, with an ending montage that does a lot of the heavy lifting.
Characters also seem at times to go through a season's worth of evolution (the main complaint of other reviews). I found Lucrezia much less objectionable than many people seem to -- she always seemed a bit wild, decisive on things (and men) that she soon came to regret, and that continues to be the case here. Cesare, on the other hand, stood out for me. His pursuit of Lucrezia rang true, but his savage attack on Naples stood in stark contrast to his previous complaints (of the French in Lucca and of his own soldiers in Forli) about the treatment of civilians in war. He's allowed to change, and he was getting more brutal over the course of the series, but it feels like he probably had a softer transition in a full fourth season that what we saw here.
Finally, for all Jordan spoke in his introduction to the screenplay of the importance of dialogue, The Borgia Apocalypse suffers from an issue that somewhat reduced my enjoyment of the series as a whole: It feels over-written, full of itself about how good its dialogue is, when in reality the dialogue is often on the nose, not particularly interesting, and held up by absolutely phenomenal set design, costuming, and Jeremy Irons' performance as the Pope. I believe that a lot of the dialogue in The Borgias is not actually particularly good, and the screenplay focuses mostly on dialogue -- it just stands out even more that this is one of the main faults of the series when presented like this. Add in a few typos, and this is very much not the ideal way to experience the conclusion of The Borgias.
But, ultimately, The Borgia Apocalypse does not exist in an ideal world and is not attempting to be an ideal solution. It valiantly attempts to bring some closure for fans of the series, which is appreciated. But with a high price tag, lack of polish, and general rushed nature, it falls slightly short. It's fine, if you're a fan in need of an ending, but it's nothing especially impressive.
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