TV’s had some pretty monstrous parents of late: Livia Soprano (The Sopranos), Charles Widmore (Lost), Colleen Donaghy (30 Rock), Celia Hodes (Weeds), Bradford Meade (Ugly Betty), Katherine Mayfair (Desperate Housewives), Locke’s Dad (also Lost), Edina Monsoon (AbFab), George Bluth (Arrested Development), Mrs. Bennet (Pride and Prejudice), even our Henry. But Papa Boleyn takes the Tudor-era Banbury cake.
We’ve been waiting weeks for his comeuppance only to be disappointed. You’d think hearing that Anne and George are suspected of treason would break him. No dice: He turns on his kids to save his own arse. You’d think he’d shed a tear when George gets the chop. No, he reads a book instead. The only way to hurt this guy would be to kill him — or to take away his Earldom — neither of which would be historically accurate. Thus, I doubt it’s going to happen.
So I had to refocus my hate onto Plain and the Seybores. Kudos to The Tudors for not going the usual route and portraying the former as Henry’s perfect, sweet, little nursemaid (at least not yet). Sure, she hasn’t done anything overtly nasty, like how Anne verbally taunted Katherine in season 1. But meeting the King (even with dad and bro in tow) and accepting his locket while the Queen is crumbling — then wearing it in her presence after she had a miscarriage because she walked in on Plain snogging Henry — is pretty wenchy. (Anyone else notice the creepy horror film score during this part, or how Anne was dressed like Cate Blanchett and Glenda Jackson in their craziest moments as Elizabeth?) Also, those shots of Plain yucking it up in the scenes-from-the-next made her seem, for all her fair-haired purity, quite gluttonous. (In her defense, being secretly a Catholic, she probably doesn’t accept Anne as Henry’s true wife or the Queen. But that’s no excuse.)
As for Anne, when I was in grad school vainly trying to turn myAnglophilia into a full-fledged academic pursuit, I had read originalBritish reviews of the 1933 Alexander Korda film The Private Life of Henry VIII. Two things stood out: A) Charles Laughton’s bad table manners as Henryoffended just about everyone and B) Merle Oberon’s über-sereneAnne-on-the-way-to-her-death was a major hit. So I had Merle on thebrain when Anne entered the tower — and I wished those old Brits couldsee how affecting Natalie Dormer’s impassioned acting was. Anne’smanic wavering from resigned martyr to fainting/begging wreck wasstriking. Heartbreaking, even. Yet, still dignified. Plus, she got agood dig in about Henry to Lady Rochford a few days before her arrest:“The King cannot satisfy a women — he has neither the skill nor thevirility.” Well done, and in front of Plain no less!
On the other hand, how fitting was it that Charles Brandon finallybit back at Anne by being the one who tells the King about the rumorsof her infidelity? Does Brandon really think they’re true? I’m notsure. I loved how his face got so dark and ugly — his eyebrowsthickened by about a centimeter — as he stood behind Henry feeding himthose lies as his “most loyal subject and oldest friend.” It was allvery Iago. I think it became quite clear during his solo scene withHenry, in which the King cried into his lap about Elizabeth possiblybeing a bastard (dude, she looks exactly like you, or at least howyou’re supposed to look if your hair wasn’t getting blacker by theepisode) that Brandon realized he’d started a much bigger disaster thanhe’d planned.
And why, despite his moaning, does Henry take all this down like aspoonful of sugar? Because he’ll let himself be convinced of anythingif it justifies him getting his own way. Katherine not a virgin? Thatmeans Henry can marry Anne. Anne a slut? That means he can marryJane. And make friends with Spain. And keep from gettingexcommunicated. And forgo begging King Francis to betroth his son toElizabeth. Which reminded me of something else: As James Chapmanwrites in Past and Present: National Identity and the British Historical Film, “…it is the truth universally acknowledged — among historians at least — that the historical feature film will often have as much to say about the present in which it was made as about the past in which it was set.” So if Laurence Olivier’s Henry V was about World War II, and Chariots of Fire was about Thatcherism, Rome was about U.S. imperialism, then what is The Tudorsis about? For one, Henry’s willingness to believe anything in order toproceed with his own personal and political wishes reminds me a lot ofa particular politician and his particular administration. As didRichie Rich (yes, he’s back!) and Cromwell’s CSI-meets-Abu Ghraib-styleinterrogations of Madge, Nan, and the offending men.
I’ve been trying to figure out why, when Madge lists the men thatvisited Anne’s bedchamber, she says “Lord Rochford… Sir Henry Norris… theKing’s groom Brereton… Mark Smeaton, the musician… and I saw her huggingand kissing her brother.” Wouldn’t Lord Rochford be Anne’s brother?(Her father is the Earl of Wiltshire. George’s wife is Lady Rochford. Doesn’t that make him Lord Rochford?) I know I’m missing something. Could it be a mistake in the script? I’ve also been trying tounderstand what Brereton was doing in Anne’s rooms at all and when hewas doing it. Maybe Madge saw him sneak in during one of his aborted“kill missions” and thought he was coming for some rumpty-tumpty?Otherwise, why did she offer up his name? I know they danced that once,but that’s not much. And this is off-subject, but why was he praying inthe nude when they nicked him? Later on, it gave me a needed gigglewhen Brereton had his “a-ha” moment and realized that if he confessedto sexing up Anne he could kill her and be a martyr. His eyes openedso wide that I half-expected a light bulb to flash above the actor’shead.
Otherwise, I’m nearly tongue-tied over last night’s deaths (FrancisWeston, you seemed to have escaped the producers’ purview), except tosay I’m glad the majority of them were shown from far away. George’seyes closing before the blade swung down and Mark’s sigh of relief whenhis head hit the block will stick with me for days. As will the siteof Anne pushing a chest up to the window to watch her brother’sexecution and the distraught Wyatt yelling, “But I’m the only one whois guilty.” That’s not the sole irony here: He was the only one ofthem — besides the martyr Brereton — who had already given up onlife. Think of the defeated way he easily gave in to his arrest: Itwas almost funny to him. Including a somewhat bastardized version ofthe real Wyatt’s poems about Anne, Mark, and the others in voiceoverwas a nice touch. You can find their full text here and here. That said, the producers should really bring Thomas Tallis back to cheer him up.
In the end, I will miss Mark and George the most — more thanThomas More, who was too righteous, Thomas Tallis, who was too good,and Thomas Wolsey, who wore too much red. The way George tried to showsome sort of forced bonhomie to Chapuys (whose Dracula-lite accent Ifind endearing, yet troubling) by awkwardly patting his shoulder wasclassic Padraic Delaney subtlety. And Mark’s bow to Lady Rochford whenshe came to Anne’s rooms to complain about George was a last bit ofcheek that just fit him perfectly. Their absence will put a lot ofpressure on the excellent James Frain as Cromwell (who, it’s alreadybeen hinted, is skimming from the King’s pot — at least Wolsey wasstealing to build Christ’s College at Oxford) and Hans Matheson asCranmer (who so weakly changed his position on the treason trials oncehe knew Cromwell’s clerk was listening) in next week’s ep.
As for Ray Winstone’s portrayal of Henry VIII in Masterpiece’sbiopic: I liked it because it was gangster. The subheading for theBritish airing was even “Portrait of a Serial Killer.” But it’s alsocamp, which I haven’t come to terms with yet. For all his primping andpreening, sauntering and overdoing it, there’s something down-to-earthand psychologically true about JRM that keeps his Henry from beinglarger-than-life like Atia in Rome or Swearengen in Deadwood. I love that. Now to James McAvoy’s wife, Anne-Marie Duff, as The Virgin Queen…
So, Tudors fans, Cavillains and the like, what are your thoughts aswe head into the season finale? Any suggestions about what towatch/rent in the long months between next week and the premiere in2009? Any ideas on season 3 (which starts filming next month)?
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Anne was accused of sleeping with her brother. It was never proven, but back then you didn’t need proof.
I, too, was startled by the splitting of Lord Rochford and George Boleyn into two separate people, and I took it for a mistake in the script. Or maybe they’re just trying to see if everyone’s paying attention. On another note, I already watched the finale OnDemand. Are these recaps a week behind? (I’m just catching up with the show now so I haven’t been reading the recaps in real time.)
JRM’s final scene in the episode, where he is crying over Anne’s (alleged) infidelities, should, IMHO, win JRM the Emmy. It was so raw and so disturbing.
JRM is an incredibly brave actor.
Yet you, Aubrey, chose to ignore his performance and instead wrote-up Henry Cavill in that scene, who did nothing but sit there. Come on. A little less bias would be nice. I know you find Henry Cavil “dreamy” but JRM owned that scene. Give him his due.
SueAnne: I agree (I did praise JRM in the second-to-last paragraph). What struck me about that scene, though, is that Brandon realizes he prayed on Henry’s emotional weakness to get back at Anne–and that Henry needs and relies on him. JRM is always magnificent!
Agree about the crying scene. Is this the eppy that Meyers submitted to the Emmy people? It should be. Also loved the scene when he goes off on Chapuys. Henry is unraveling and Meyers is doing a fantastic job. On the other hand, I’m not overly impressed with the actress playing Jane Seymoure. Maybe it’s because she hasn’t had much to do yet, but I sure am going to miss the truly amazing chemistry between Dormer and Meyers. Will this same actress be coming back for season 3, or will there be a new Jane?
I rewatched the episode and I’m pretty sure Madge was supposed to say Thomas Wyatt when she said “Lord Rochford,” and there was a screw up in the script. It wouldn’t make sense otherwise–because Cromwell should have reacted all crazy to the first mention of Rochford, right? And she never listed Thomas Wyatt, whom they arrested.
JRM over acts. He drools enough in one episode to bathe an entire Irish fishing village. He should take a lesson from Cavill’s understated grace.
The thing that bothers me most about Jane is that we have no idea why Henry fell in love with her. I think many critics had this complaint about Henry & Anne last year – Henry sees a woman, and Boom! Let’s change history for her. But there’s not meat to the relationship. I think we’ve gotten a little more with Jane in the past 2 eps (her pureness, quietness, etc), but 3 episodes ago when Henry saw Jane at her dad’s house for the first time and put his hand to her face and whispered her name – ugh.
I’m so going to miss Natalie D. I think I have a little girl-crush on her upturned nose and the way she kind of says her “r”’s like Elmer Fudd!
I also watched the finale onDemand. And let me tell you it opened my eyes to the acting abilities of JRM. Dreamy though he may be — he plays the king perfectly. (any more and I would be spoiling it for you and I am NOT that kind of girl!!)
My favorite scene has to be Anne going into the tower. So regal yet resigned and then that falter at the end. perfect! The beheading scene was also affecting. You just wonder what was going through her head. All the betrayal? her sorrow? perhaps wondering what would have happened if her father’s ambition hadn’t gotten in her way? I’m not a huge fan of Natalie D. but she sold it. I do enjoy JRM’s manchild portrayal of Henry. So controlled and yet so selfish and shallow but when he breaks he truly, truly breaks. It was interesting to see the difference between Henry C.’s Brandon and JRM’s Henry but they both. worked together brilliantly. Aubrey, I’m wondering if this is the episode they both submitted to the Emmys? How about Natalie’s ep? It would be a good choice for them but I suppose she is going with next week’s ep. Also, is it just me or Jaime King acting the hell out of Wyatt? It from being a minor player who deflowered Anne to someone I look forward to watchinge very week.
I thinks it pretty clear that Henry falls for Jane because she is the opposite of Anne. Sweet, submissive, naive, innocent (or what passes for innocent on The Tudors) that she also manages to be blonde and blue-eyed is also in her favor. You gotta wonder how the sex scenes will be portrayed. Perhaps, unlike Anne who was portrayed as sexually aggressive, Jane will lie on her back and think of England? Also what about her father and brother, who while more than willing to give Jane over for Henry’s favor they don’t seem as mercenary as the Boelyns.
oh, the Brereton question….he was always shown hanging out in Anne’s rooms when they parties or other gatherings — always just lurking so it would make sense that Madge would mention him.
As good a job as James Frain is doing, I’m looking forward to seeing Cromwell get his, which I assume will come in season three.
I give the show credit for not playing the Henry story for camp, and showing him and his reign for the brutal insanity that it was.
Here’s some Emmy info courtesy of the LA Times. Looks like Nat’s going with next week’s epi as is Cavill. JRM is going with last night’s (good choice!). I’m still bummed PD isn’t on the list. I too, think Wyatt is great. I loved when he told Mark that he knew something was going on, but he couldn’t put his finger on it. I hope and pray he makes it to next season. Anyway, here you go:
http://goldderby.latimes.com/awards_goldderby/2008/04/emmy-eppy-entri.html
and
http://goldderby.latimes.com/awards_goldderby/2008/04/tudors-emmy-ent.html
I’m not sure that I think episode 205 is the best of the season. What would you guys have gone with?
Is anyone else as heartbroken as I am over Mark Smeaton? Historically speaking, we all knew it was coming, but watching poor Mark being tortured was just excruciating. This entire episode was painful to watch — although superbly acted. Even the minor characters, such as Jane Parker, really sparkled. Anne has been so unlikeable throughout, but I actually felt sorry for her. Her papa’s evil knows no bounds. He’s the one responsible for her cutting off her last chance for help (the French ambassador) by ordering her to publicly badmouth France. Poor Anne…
I really think that Cavill has had better episodes than his performance next week. Really. (Yes, I watch it on demand, and next week is great!)
Dormer made the right decision, though, I think; and JRM was incredible in last night’s episode. Glad he picked that one.
1)George Boleyn is Lord Rochford. 2)I thought Brereton said he slept with Anne to escape torture. Interesting martyr theory. 3)I have always wondered why Wyatt was not killed. 4)I wonder how they will do next season. Jane only lasted as long as her pregnancy and Anne of Cleves was married to Henry barely over a year. They have stretched Anne’s story over two seasons. Season 3 should be very interesting.
First of all, thanks for an excellent, well thought-out review. I, too, thought Brereton was simply trying to avoid torture, but your interpretation of his actions makes more sense. This show has impressed me as much as Rome and turned me into a minor anglophile (at least, as far as history is concerned).
I love the Tudors and will miss it like crazy. Just the locations, set dressing and costumes alone…! Nice budget they must have. I just read The Other Boleyn Girl – which was amazing…I wish they had portrayed the relationship with Mary Boleyn a little more in The Tudors…They touched on it, but it really was a great storyline and just seals the deal as to how manipulative and power hungry the Boleyn family were! Also, it touches on the fact that Anne was married before Henry and the family whisked that away to further her chances with the King…If you love the Tudors read the book – its supposed to be based on historic facts with of course the dialogue and filler added for good reading…
Where’s the Greek recap?
Heather, that’s pretty much the point. At the time, families would trip over themselves to put a daughter in Henry’s way. He was king, and would and could do what he felt at the moment. There is a reason he was married so many times. There was a lot of whim involved, initial attraction, etc.
OK – someone said read ‘The Other Boleyn Girl’ to get a “real” insight into this period. The way Mary Boleyn’s presented in ‘The Tudors’ is FAR more accurate than the way she is in TOBG. Also, Anne was NEVER “married” before Henry – she was betrothed, once to her Irish cousin James Butler, future earl of Kildare (but the match was cancelled due to disagreements over her dowry) and secondly to Henry Percy, future earl of Northumberland (who she may have loved, but the match was broken NOT by the Boleyns IN ANY WAY, but by Cardinal Wolsey and the boy’s father.) Neither match was consummated, because if it had been there would have been NO WAY of breaking it under Tudor law. And, in any case, the Boleyns wanted her to marry Percy, but were defeated on that point.
Sorry, rant over. I think Dormer’s been incredible and the execution scenes of George and her “lovers” were amazing. I agree with the Plain Jane assessment, but JRM’s acting still seems false and overdone to me!
I’m going to check out The Other Boleyn Girl anyway. I wish I knew where to read more about Mary. The relationship between the two sisters is really interesting to me. Thanks gboleyn for the information on Anne’s engagments. Can anyone recommend a good book on this? I have David Starky’s.
I’m not sure if you’ve mentioned seeing this film before, but I highly recommend “Anne of a Thousand Days.” It’s one of my favorites, and I think it gives an almost accurate portrayal. Geneviève Bujold isn’t my favorite Anne, but she does a good enough job.
I think the camp aspect of the Winstone movie is part of it’s charm!
As for season three, I’m guessing they’ll include the birth of Edward and then up through Anne of Cleaves. The less we see of Plain, the happier I’ll be!
Regarding suggestions about what to watch during the months between Season 2 and Season 3. Henry Cavill fans may want to track down a copy of Vendetta (also known as Laguna or Hotel Laguna). It is the film he discusses in his EW Take 5 video and it has just been released on DVD in France.
Henry Cavill is also in the new Woody Allen movie.
wow!!let me start by saying that was an amazing recap!!the best i have ever read!!
so, i think Mark Smeaton confessed because of the torture, and Brereton because he thought it would get Anne killed!!
Their deaths were very sad and very expressive, especially Mark’s and Brereton’s last look!! But i didn;t understand Norris’s expression!!
anyway….JRM is an amazing actor, and so is Natalie Dormer!!at first she irritated me, but now i really like her!!
Hnery Cavill dreamy and perfect as usual!!i hope next season he gets a decent plot line!!