Production #105: Fever

A bout of fever kicks The Queen of Swords into high gear with a fast-paced plot full of twists and turns, flashy swordplay sequences, and revealing character interactions that add spice to the action. This third episode builds on the strengths of the earlier two installments and shores up some of the weaker aspects. Most notably, Tessie Santiago seems to be relaxing into her dual role of Tessa and her alter ego, the Queen of Swords. All of these developments bode well for the future of the series, but "Fever" is entertaining enough that one can finally ignore the promise that may lie ahead in favor of just enjoying the present.

Early in the episode, Tessa Alvarado's black-and-white world picks up a subtle shade of gray when Marta points out that actions, no matter how well-intentioned, have consequences and "not all problems can be solved with a sword." This admonishment sets the stage for a hero that is fallible, as well as highlighting the give-and-take dynamic between Tessa and Marta. The Gypsy's wary pragmatism takes the edge off of the younger woman's exuberant idealism and pulls the Queen of Swords back from the brink of comic book heroism. Marta's wisdom is a novel twist on the stereotypic sidekick, who is usually brash and heedless in comparison to the competent, wordly superhero. Placing these two women on equal footing makes for a more complex — and therefore more interesting — character dynamic, creating a true partnership in which Tessa and Marta can draw on different perspectives and skills to solve dilemmas.

This contrast in personalities is emphasized even more when Marta succumbs to the fever and displays a testy impatience for being tended to by her charge. Tessa's easy dismissal of Marta's protests is just as telling; these two are friends of long-standing who have given each other license to drop all pretenses. For Tessa — a woman who play-acts both as Señorita Alvarado and as the Queen of Swords — these intimate moments with Marta are her only opportunity to be herself and to allow the audience a peek beneath her many masks.

The outbreak of fever brings new insights into other residents of the pueblo as well. It's no surprise to see the coarse-natured Grisham brutalize peasants, but Montoya's illness and resulting vulnerability sparks an unexpected deviousness in the captain. By allowing the doctor's fever antidote to be stolen, and then bombing his lab, Grisham strikes a roundabout blow to his superior. Who knew he could be so clever?

Clearly, Montoya did not. But the colonel's reaction to this treachery is just as deliciously unexpected. Like a snarling cur, Grisham is brought to heel by a sharp snap of his master's leash. No shouting, no threats, just a steely-eyed warning that such misbehavior will not be tolerated again. Once again Valentine Pelka performs a feat of theatrical alchemy by transforming Montoya's civility and restraint into chilling rage.

Despite Marta's caution, the time finally comes when Tessa must brandish her sword against Captain Grisham. Fortunately, the entertaining choreography of the fighting sequences still manages to serve the deeper purposes of the series. Dr. Helm's resistance to committing violence, followed by a spectacular bit of marksmanship that saves the Queen's life, hints at the contradictions in his persona. But that, dear viewers, is a story to be explored more fully a week later in "Vengeance."

—Carmen Carter