The Tudors-Season Three

New episodes of Season Three start on Showtime Sunday, April 5, 2009 at 9:00 ET/PT
http://www.sho.com/site/tudors/home.do

Season Three of The Tudors, the engrossing and lavish series about King Henry VIII, begins on Showtime on April 5, 2009.

I was captivated by the first and second season. I’ve seen the first two episodes of Season Three and they don’t disappoint. Despite the growth of Henry’s malevolence this season, he is still a fascinating character.
The Tudors still has it all – power, romance, treachery, sex, murder and great pageantry.

In Season Three of The Tudors, the cast remains excellent. Sexy bad-boy Jonathan Rys-Meyers (August Rush, Mission Impossible III, Match Point) stars as the maturing King Henry VIII, whose youthful impetuousness has given way to a menacing megalomania.

Annabelle Wallis (True True Lie, Diana: Last Days of a Princess, Right-Hand Drive) is lovely as Jane Seymour. James Frain is convincing as Sir Thomas Cromwell, a zealously loyal advisor to Henry and a powerful Reformation court figure.

A brief summary of events:

Henry VIII married his brother’s widow, Katherine of Aragon (daughter of Ferdinand II and Isabella), but needed the Pope’s dispensation to allow the marriage.

The questionable validity of Henry and Katherine’s marriage haunted Henry. More disturbing to Henry is his lack of a male heir. Thus entered Anne Boleyn, the vixen, who, at her father’s bidding, schemed to marry King Henry.

First, Katherine and Henry needed an annulment. Cardinal Woolsey, Henry’s close advisor, failed to procure an annulment from the Catholic Church and is “eliminated.”

Henry then severed ties with the Catholic Church, appointed himself head of the Church of England, banished Katherine, and wed Anne Boleyn.

Henry imposed a law that required every British subject to take an oath, on penalty of death, to recognize Henry’s supremacy and his marriage to Anne. The ruthless Sir Thomas Cromwell became second only to Henry in affecting the “reforms” of the Church.

After all the machinations Henry suffered to marry Ann Boleyn, she failed to produce a son. Henry became suspicious of her and grew to dislike her interference with his reign. She was beheaded just three years after their marriage.

At the start of Season Three, Katherine is dead, leaving Henry free to marry without the taint his marriage to Anne Boleyn had.

Henry married Jane Seymour ten days after Ann Boleyn’s death. Jane Seymour is presented as quiet and submissive with pale skin and blonde hair—the complete opposite of Anne Boleyn. Yet, Jane had a bit of a backbone.

Henry and Jane did not enjoy a happy future together. About one year after her marriage to Henry, Jane produced a male heir (later, Edward VI), but she died the following day.

It is reported that Henry wore black for the next three months; he did not remarry for three years. Perhaps the birth of a male heir made Jane Seymour so fondly remembered by Henry. When he died in 1547, Henry was buried beside her.

The Tudors is gorgeously filmed. Each episode contains multiple scenes of Henry’s life in his castles and his court, with all the details of furniture, costumes, tableware and music carefully recreated to the period. The beautiful and elaborate period costumes, the gorgeous sets and locations, the production values, and the fine acting, all combine to make the fascinating history of Henry VIII come alive.

 Michael Hirst, the talented creator, writer and executive producer of The Tudors, has achieved the perfect balance between entertaining his audience and staying true to history.

Emily S. Mendel

emilymendel@gmail.com
©Emily S. Mendel 2009.  All Rights Reserved.