The Regime’s third episode closes with the sidelining of Chancellor Elena Vernham (Kate Winslet) close advisor, as she takes back control. But before she does, we see Agnes’ son Oskar collapse backstage at the Heroes banquet.
In episode two of HBO’s latest dark satire The Regime, we see the extent of the toxic relationship between the Chancellor and the troubled soldier Herbert Zubak (Matthias Schoenaerts). Despite knowing that Herbert was involved in a shooting that left 12 people dead and him beating up his mother, the Chancellor seems to regard him as her closest advisor, taking his opinions above those of her long-standing cabinet. She takes his advice on everything from diplomatic relations to health choices, such as changing her medication to home remedies from his village. However, it’s not just her medication that she orders to be changed but also that of those around her, including the son she “co-parents” with her palace manager Agnes (Andrea Riseborough).
As viewers continue to witness the co-dependency embedded in Herbert and Elena’s relationship, many in the palace try to work around Zubak’s growing influence. Elena’s husband, Nicholas (Guillaume Gallienne), and ministers plot a way to get rid of the soldier. Meanwhile, Agnes sneaks around, trying to get medication for her son. But Vernham and Zubak’s relationship reaches a climax as the Chancellor turns on her closest advisor to make a trade deal with China and Oskar (Louie Mynett) visibly suffers under the soldier’s herbal remedies. But what exactly happens to Oskar in The Regime at the banquet?
What Is Agnes Putting Into Oskar’s Popsicles?
The lack of trust in Zubak outside of the Chancellor has been apparent since episode two. We saw Agnes crushing her son's epilepsy pills into his popsicles to try and prevent his seizures as Elena had forbidden traditional medicines in the palace, in place of Herbert’s home remedies.
A key plot point of The Regime is that Elena fears contracting the same lung condition her father passed away from - the same person in the glass coffin in The Regime. Her fear is so great that she rarely leaves the palace grounds because of mould and toxic air. The whole point of Herbert’s arrival at the palace is that Elena needs someone to constantly check the air quality before she enters a room and even while in it.
However, after an attempted assassination attempt and a talk from Herbert who convinces Elena that she is not sick but is being gaslighted by those around her. Elena stops taking her medication in favour of his herbal remedies, she takes back control from her ministers and destroys the coal mining deal and relationship with the U.S.
In episode two, instead of traditional pills for her illness and paranoia around the mould, she has resorted to potato steam, which Herbert has got her believing has healing powers. She trusts Herbert so implicitly that she has all the hallways in the palace filled with potato steam.
Her trust in the soldier is so strong she also gets him to find a herbal remedy for her surrogate son Oskar’s epilepsy, which he treats with black radish. While Elena is happy with Herbert’s herbal medicine, Agnes is less enthusiastic and resorts to crushing up Oskar’s epilepsy pills into popsicles. However, in episode three, we see that Agnes’ attempts aren’t entirely working.
What Happens to Oskar in Episode 3 of the Regime?
As Agnes gets Oskar ready for the banquet, she implores him to tell her if he doesn’t feel well, knowing that Oskar is not getting his medication properly because Elena has everyone on Herbert’s folk medicine.
While Agnes has prevented Oskar from having a seizure so far, during the palace gala dubbed “The Heroes Banquet”, which includes extravagant performances and flashing lights, Oskar seems overwhelmed and walks away from the table where he is sat with Elena, Nicholas and Herbert. He ends up collapsing in a back hallway from a seizure, where his mother finds him.
After the banquet, Elena reveals to Herbert that she will no longer implement his land reform plan and is instead making a deal with China. She also takes away his title of Chief of Health and Safety, marking how his influence over the Chancellor is over. The morning after, Agnes tells Elena that the folk remedies by the former Chief of Health and Safety, Herbert Zubak, have not been working, and Oskar has been having seizures again. Elena is outraged that she was not told and concedes that Oskar must be put back on his prior medication immediately. But she adds, “Co-parenting is about honesty and for you to have withheld information about Oskar’s condition, well, it doesn’t make me feel like we’re operating in good faith.”
In an unexpected twist, she tells Agnes Oskar should stay with her from now on so she can supervise his treatment because she can’t trust Agnes at the moment, and that’s “so disappointing.” This conversation continues as Oskar plays video games under Elena’s desk, again showing the palace’s dysfunction.
