Season 1, Episode 3, titled Sacred and Profane serves as a pivotal turning point where the newly elected Pope Alexander VI (Rodrigo Borgia) begins to reshape the Vatican to cement his family’s dynasty. Plot Summary
Borgia season 1, episode 3, titled "Sacred Filter" or "Sacrilegium," plunges into the chaotic aftermath of Rodrigo Borgia's ascension, focusing on his paranoia as Pope Alexander VI. The episode highlights the intense, treasonous, and murderous environment of Rome as the family fights to solidify their power and control. It also showcases the deepening, contrasting paths of the Borgia children, with Cesare grappling with his unwilling clerical life, Juan enjoying unearned military authority, and young Lucrezia beginning to understand her role as a pawn in the family’s political machinations. Share public link borgia 1x03 full
While the men of the Church play politics, Cesare (Mark Ryder) is becoming more unhinged and more brilliant. He’s no longer just Rodrigo’s eldest son; he’s his father’s blade. There’s a fantastic scene in the Borgia palace where Cesare whispers to Juan (Stanley Weber) about how to manipulate a French envoy. You can see the jealousy simmering. Season 1, Episode 3, titled Sacred and Profane
The episode picks up in the chaotic aftermath of Pope Innocent VIII’s declining health. Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia (played with magnetic menace by John Doman) is no longer just a contender for the papacy—he is a predator circling a dying deer. The “assault” of the title refers first to the physical siege of a rebel-held fortress, but it’s a clever misdirection. The real siege is happening inside the Apostolic Palace. It also showcases the deepening, contrasting paths of
"The Borgia Bull" establishes the status quo for the season: Rodrigo is secure but surrounded by enemies; Cesare is a lethal weapon yearning for a different life; Lucrezia is learning the game; and the enemies of the family are being systematically hunted down by Micheletto. The episode closes on the image of the Borgia family standing together—a golden calf of a family, worshipped and feared in equal measure.
