I wanted to give a good review for once. Most of the movies we’ve seen lately haven’t been very good and I didn’t like all the negativity I was projecting, so I’m going to review one of my favorite TV shows: The Tudors.
It’s your basic period program. Starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers as King Henry VIII and his 40 year reign over England. He also has plenty of co-stars as his 6 wives, 3 children, and enormous court.
I think what I really like about The Tudors is that I can look up and see what really will happen in the show. I’m not one for surprises, so I briefly research what happens to Queen Anne of Cleeves, or his daughter Mary, and who succeeeded to the crown. Although the show is overly dramatic, what more could you want from a TV show.
The program has done a terrific job not only focusing on his wives and general courtship of numerous women, but also the politics. For instance, part of the reason the Church of England was created was to prevent the clergy from stealing money from the King and the people. Cardinal Wolsey was sentenced to be executed for this very reason. He was the King’s personal Cardinal (who had intentions of taking over the papalcy) and ambassador to foreign affairs mainly with Spain and France. Cardinal Wolsey became a very rich man, as he did dirty deals with the French in exchange for money. He built a palace (to which the name of I cannot recall) and Oxford College, before committing suicide.
I think my only problem with the show is time. When the program begins in its first season, King Henry and Queen Catherine have been having marital problems for some time and the King meets Anne Boleyn soon and begins to court her. Historically, King Henry courted Anne for about 7 or 8 years before he finally divorced Catherine. The meeting of Anne and ultimately their marriage, and the divorce to Catherine and her death, as well as Anne’s execution all happen in seasons 1 and 2. This was an appropriate time length of what was probably 10 years or so in history, but when he marries his 3rd wife Jane Seymour (who dies giving birth to Prince Edward from what is believed to be an infection) happens in the first few episodes of the 3rd season and then he marries Anne of Cleeves in this season as well.
It’s very difficult to keep up with all the characters because eventually King Henry eventually executes many of his close friends. People such as Sir Thomas More (who wrote Utopia and was greatly involved in the English politics of the day), Cardinal Wolsey, Anne Boleyn, the Duke of Buckingham, and others were executed by the end of season 2. The longest running character, other than the King, is the King’s accountant, Mr. Cromwell (I believe his name is). He is also pilfering money from the King and is soon executed probably by the end of season 3.
I’ve been watching the series from the beginning to try to catch people I’ve missed. For instance, King Henry’s sister, Princess Margaret, has disappeared from the show. She is not a main character, but shows up as a political ploy. Henry married his sister off to the old King of Portugal. In the show, she is completely disgusted to have to marry a man nearly 3 times her own age. The program depicts her as quite reluctant and that she eventually murders the Portugal King and returns to England just days after their wedding. Furthermore, Margaret has an affair with Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk and one the King’s closest friends. Upon returning to court, Henry has learned of this affair and banishes both Brandon and Maragaret from court. Maragaret is hardly seen in the following seasons.
Since this is a Showtime television program, there are many sex scenes. But unlike True Blood, The Tudors is too over the top. What would you expect from this time? King Henry was a very handsome, athletic man, as history would say, in his younger years before he got sick. He jousted, played tennis, and was quite a romantic (He wrote several love notes to Anne during their courtship which are nearly all but lost, some of Henry’s letters were retained, but Anne’s are lost in time.) while he was young. Not to mention that some of the prominent men at court were married and had extra marital affairs on the side. All though I could probaby do without the sex scenes, there aren’t completely over the top and not every episode of fraught with sex.
The Tudors, although may be a historically inaccurate at large, is still very entertaining, thought provoking, and entertaining, which is what a TV show is suppose to be. All in all, I will continue to watch The Tudors. Although a program like this is bound to end eventually in a couple of seasons, I will enjoy every minute of it.
