Pregnancy Isn't Enough to Save 'Marie Antoinette's Reputation In "The Ostrich"

The Queen of France achieves a dream nearly a decade in the making in the penultimate episode of Marie Antoinette's first season, but it somehow only reaffirms that nothing she does will ever be good enough for her husband's terrible family and his awful court. Yes, after eight years together — and four years on the throne of France — the queen finally manages to get pregnant. Still, rather than rejoice with the happy couple, almost everyone else seems more determined than ever to take Antoinette down.

There's undoubtedly happiness to be found in "The Ostrich."  Antoinette announcing her pregnancy to Louis by informing him one of his courtiers has repeatedly been kicking her is next-level adorable and calls back to the charming sweetness of the pair's earliest interactions. (At least, those that didn't involve Louis physically running away from her.)  Her desire to eat everything in sight is deeply relatable, and her cautious joy about what her pregnancy means for both her reign and her marriage is lovely to watch.

After seeing Louis and Antoinette at odds for so much of the past few episodes, it's honestly a relief to get such a stark reminder of why we liked them together so much in the first place. (We'll talk about Louis's dumb backsliding in a minute, don't worry.) But Louis's family is literally The Worst, so they're seemingly the furthest thing from being happy for her.