The Holy Roman Emperor sends a gruesome warning to the new King—a severed head covered in maggots—confirming Catherine’s earlier warnings about breaking peace treaties. Character Dynamics

Watch the 'Ladies Meeting from Hell' clip to see the tense social dynamics at the French court during this episode:

Henri is crowned King, but the event is marred by his open display of Diane de Poitiers' colors (black and white) instead of Catherine’s, signaling Diane's continued dominance over him.

In the present day, Catherine’s maid Rahima begins applying the lessons of manipulation she has learned. She successfully punishes harassing guards and reveals to the audience that she can actually read, despite claiming otherwise to Catherine.

You can watch The Serpent Queen on STARZ or through the STARZ channel on Amazon Prime Video. More details and episode guides are available on IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes .

Catherine has successfully birthed nine children, though a tenth pregnancy ends tragically with a difficult labor and a stillborn child, leading her into a period of deep depression and hallucinations.

The rivalry intensifies as Catherine attempts to remove Diane by offering her a grand estate, which Diane counters by using a "liquid gold" tincture to maintain her youthful appearance.

In the fourth episode of The Serpent Queen , titled the series undergoes a significant 15-year time jump, moving the focus to an established Catherine de’ Medici who has secured her position through the birth of numerous heirs. Plot Summary and Key Developments