(Season 2, Episodes 6-10)
I’m a little embarrassed to admit this, but I watched all five of these episodes in one sitting, finishing up season two of The Tudors. It certainly wasn’t my plan, but at some point in the sixth or seventh episode of the season I decided that I had to see that wretched Anne Boleyn get her head taken off. As the five episodes wound down, though, something odd happened. I found myself feeling bad for the disgraced queen. Yes, she was a scheming, paranoid, jealous queen, but she was also greatly wronged by Henry. The paranoia and jealousy were pretty well founded and she mainly had a lot of crappy luck. She couldn’t bear Henry a son and she was on the losing end of a lot of political decisions.
I had avoided the wikipedia history-lesson spoilers for most of the season, so I didn’t realize the extent of Anne Boleyn’s downfall. I was surprised at all the charges brought up against her, some outside of the realm of reason (such as the accusation of incest with her brother). It was crazy to think that Henry’s fickle attitude could result in the death (and torture) of all those innocent people. No one knows exactly what happened historically, but the story that The Tudors told was a little tragic.
What it really illustrated is just how much of a puppet Henry really was. Certainly he had all the power that anyone could want, and whatever he said was law, but the show portrayed him as fiery-tempered horndog who didn’t have a whole lot of interest in politics or ruling. Instead, his advisors, lead by the cunning Mr. Cromwell, manipulated the King and those around him to further their own goals. Nothing illustrated that better than when the show turned into Law and Order: London and Cromwell spearheaded the investigation into Anne Boleyn’s dalliances. The whole sequence was a little over the top in my opinion, but it proved a point: Cromwell is the brains behind the operation.
I would be remiss if I failed to mention the sad passing of Katherine of Aragon. Maria Doyle Kennedy was really excellent in the role, and her death was tragic. To have been separated from her daughter for so long was hard, I’m sure, but to have Henry deny her the chance to see her daughter before her death was just cruel. Of course, seeing the way that children were raised back then, it almost makes me wonder if these people cared for their children in any capacity. The show certainly portrayed a deep love between Mary and Katherine, and to see them unable to see each other one last time was sad.
I’m really curious heading into the third season of the show. It seems like history is repeating itself with Jane Seymour and her family. Henry’s eye catches a cute young lady, the family schemes to get into a position of favor, pushing the young woman toward the king. It’s all too familiar, though I’m hoping things will turn out a bit differently for the Seymours than they did for the Boleyns. Of course, the cast of the show is going to look a bit different too, as a good number of regulars and recurring characters had their heads taken off before the end of the season. Wasn’t there any other way to punish people back then?
Clacked by Bob Degon
on Sep 03, 2010 @ 10:00 EST5EDT
There you go again, with those TV show marathons … jealousy has set in!
I am watching Funniest Animal Videos with Owen — does that count?
And, yes, last weekend I watched an entire SEASON of Weeds in one day.
I am the most slothful person in the world, but man does it feel good on a lazy Sunday.
Season 2 of the Tudors was the best season in my opinion, it had some really powerful moments that made the rest of the seasons to follow feel rushed.
I really wish they had decided to continue The Tudors with the stories of the children. That said…I was so glad to continue on with the first paragraph because I couldn’t figure out how you, of all people, with whom I agree on so much, would be excited to see Anne’s head lopped off. One you figure out the extent to which Henry’s head was spun around (and the sucker keeps on spinning), its hard not to feel for Anne. Its absolute perfection that her daughter ruled for so many years, and so well.
*POST AUTHOR*
One of the things that the show does so well is portraying the good and bad in the characters. In one scene Anne seems like a scheming, overly ambitious woman who wants control and power for her family. Then in the next you see that she really does love the King and wants nothing more than to provide him with an heir. She certainly didn’t deserve that fate.
While Anne’s execution was unjust, it’s hard for me to forgive her for stealing Queen Katharine’s husband. I don’t put all the blame on Anne – 50 percent of the blame is Henry’s – but Anne clearly had no qualms about ruining Katharine’s life. The only reason I could stand Anne at all was that I knew she would get her comeuppance and would eventually experience the same pain that she inflicted on Katharine.