The Count of Monte Cristo Episode 2: The Castle
The Count of Monte Cristo Episode 2: The Castle drops us into the bleak world of Château d’If, where Edmond Dantès endures years of brutal imprisonment that slowly reshape him from a hopeful sailor into a man with a very clear purpose. Enter Abbé Faria – played by special guest Jeremy Irons – who brings wisdom, hope, and a surprisingly compelling long-term escape plan (plus a little life coaching along the way). While Girls Gone Hallmark is usually your go-to for cozy romance, we’re dipping into PBS territory because this kind of sweeping, character-driven drama is exactly what our listeners have been asking for – and this episode? It’s intense, emotional, and just a little bit impossible to look away from.
The Count of Monte Cristo Episode 2: The Castle premiered on Sunday, March 29, 2026 on MASTERPIECE on PBS. The full series is available to stream immediately on the PBS app, PBS Passport, and PBS MASTERPIECE on Prime Video as of March 1, 2026.

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Cast and Crew of The Count of Monte Cristo Episode 2
- Billie August directed all eight episodes of this mini series. Billie is a Danish screenwriter, cinematographer and director with 34 previous directing credits. He directed the 1998 version of Les Miserables and is currently in pre-production on Julius Caesar.
- This series is based on the novel by Alexandre Dumas.
- Greg Latter and Sandro Petraglia wrote all eight episodes of the mini series.
- Sam Claflin plays Edmond Dantes. Sam is currently filming Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol and his 37 acting credits include his role as Billy Donne in the television adaptation of Daisy Jones and the Six.
- Jeremy Irons appears as Abbé. Jeremy is an Academy Award winning actor for his role in the 1991 film Reversal of Fortune. His other work includes the voice of Scar in The Lion King, he played Alfred in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and most recently has appeared on the AppleTV+ series The Morning Show to round out his 116 acting credits.
- Mikkel Boe Folsgaard plays Gerard Villefort. Mikkel is a Danish actor with, quite frankly, a long list of Danish acting credits including the original Department Q – the adaptation of the novel The Keeper of Lost Causes.
- Ana Giradot plays Mercedes. Ana is a French actress with 54 credits. She’s currently filming Rallye 82 where she plays car racing legend Michele Mouton.
- Jason Barnett plays Caderousse. Jason has 50 acting credits including season one of Bridgerton.
Catch Up on Reviews of The Count of Monte Cristo (2026)
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