“A Letter from the Empress” the third episode of Season 2 of The Empress, builds on the tension from the second episode by making political problems and personal struggles even worse. While Elisabeth and Franz are on a royal tour, there are still a lot of things going on that make them feel uncomfortable.
A Brief Recap of Episode 2: A Stormy Beginning
A week had passed since Episode 2, which set the scene. Elisabeth was sick after giving birth and had dreams about Adolfo. As she got better, she and Franz got into a fight over what to name their daughter, the unstable political situation in Lombardy-Venetia, and her desire to do more than just be a mother. Maximilian was sent to France to talk with Napoleon, but he got involved with Princess Charlotte Marie. At the end of the episode, Elisabeth took back some control of her life, threw Sophia’s doctor out, and Franz finally gave their daughter the name Gisella.
The Empress Season 2 Episode 3 Recap
At the start of the episode, Elisabeth and Franz are getting ready for their tour of the kingdom as king and queen. Elisabeth is excited to meet her subjects, but she doesn’t tell Franz about her plans to go to Milan. While they are traveling, Napoleon reads about it and makes his own plans. He talks to the Prime Minister of Piedmont, who asks France to send weapons to help the movement for independence. In exchange, the Prime Minister says he will give Napoleon credit for their success.
Alexander asks Leontine (Almila Bagriacik) to marry him in Vienna and writes to her father to get permission. But Leontine tells him to take back the letter, which makes him confused and angry. She says she has never told him she loves him and goes on a royal tour with Elisabeth. Before she leaves, Sophia puts a little pressure on Elisabeth to get pregnant again, even though the couple doesn’t want to.
The media loves Elisabeth’s charm, and Franz is proud of her, so the royal tour starts off on a high note. But as they get closer to Milan, tensions rise. The police make the people in the area greet the royal family but instead of cheers, they get cold disdain. Flags fall, flowers are left alone, and the silence is scary.
Tensions in Milan
Maximilian tells Franz and Elisabeth about his fiancée, Marie, at dinner with the Viscount. Franz is wary of Maximilian’s closeness to Elisabeth and doesn’t want to agree to his brother’s marriage. Maximilian’s drunken suggestion that Milanese people should be able to speak their own language and go to school makes things worse. Franz gets angry when Elisabeth backs him up. He scolds both Maximilian and Elisabeth—which shows how frustrated he is with the difficulties of rule.
Later, Elisabeth talks to Franz about how he was acting and makes her independence known. She says she wants to go see Adolfo’s family to show her sympathy—even though Franz doesn’t want her to. The next day, Elisabeth and Franz go to Adolfo’s village as emissaries to trick him.
A Visit to Adolfo’s Family
Adolfo’s father, who is a strong supporter of the military—thinks that his late son’s actions were wrong and condemns them. Adolfo’s brother Gino, on the other hand, supports the rebellion. In one story, he talks about being beaten by the police because he wouldn’t greet the royal family in their language. Elisabeth and Franz listen carefully and offer to help financially, but the family turns them down.
After they leave, Gino’s girlfriend tells him not to trust the royal family, which makes him even more determined to rebel.
The Empress Season 2 Episode 3 Recap: Ending!
The visit has a big effect on Franz. He thanks Elisabeth for pushing him to go see for himself how bad things are for the people. When they get back to the Viscount’s house, he makes peace with Maximilian by making him the new Viscount of Lombardy-Venetia and approving Maximilian’s marriage to Marie.
The tour is over, and Elisabeth goes home, motivated by Adolfo’s mother’s words to put her kids first. She tells Leontine to follow her heart, which makes Leontine say yes to Alexander’s proposal.
At the end of the episode, Napoleon reads about Maximilian’s promotion to Viscount and looks very unhappy. At the same time, Elisabeth’s stubbornness and kindness continue to shape her role as Empress—paving the way for more battles and victories.
The Empress S02E03 ‘A Letter from the Empress’ shows how Elisabeth’s independence is growing—how hard it is to be a monarch and how love and duty both demand sacrifices. There are signs of rebellion and change—which means that there will be more drama in the next episodes.
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