The Tudors, Season 1, Episode 1

"In Cold Blood"

"You think you know a story, but you only know how it ends.  To get to the heart of the story, you have to go back to the beginning."

In the beginning of the first episode of Showtime's "The Tudors," we start out at the Ducal Palace in Urbino, Italy.  What we see here from the very first scene is how Michael Hirst manipulates history to create a great show.  Mind you, I'm definitely not complaining about it, I just like my readers to know the facts along with the fiction.  An English Ambassador is hurriedly walking through the palace halls, having been awakened most urgently by the Duke, who "called an early meeting of the council."  The Ambassador is indignant at having being summoned in such a way.  Despite his indignation, however, he does notice that there are quite a few Frenchmen about the palace.. a thing which does not seem to please him.  He asks, "Why are the French here?"  He is very wisely suspicious.  

As the Ambassador and his companions walk through the palace halls, he notices he is being followed and braces him self.  One of the Frenchmen hails him, "Excellence," right before he is brutally stabbed.  It appears the unfortunate Ambassador has been set up to be assasinated.  This is how Michael Hirst created the first little manipulation... Henry VIII had no uncle that I have been able to find... his father, Henry VII was an only child, his mother, Elizabeth's brothers had all died or disappeared before Henry's birth.  It could have been his uncle by some distant means, but we never find out who the actual "uncle" is supposed to be.  But, as usual, when Michael Hirst writes something it's because he wants to make a smoother transition for the viewer without getting to heavy into the real politics of the situation.  After all, it's supposed to be a steamy drama that will keep you on the edge of your seat, whether historically based or not.  :)  In this case, he is going to use the "uncle's" death to plant the seed for war against the French as we see in the next scene.......

Next, we come to Whitehall Palace in London.  I love how they recreated it so we could see what it was supposed to look like!  I imagine it was once spectacular!  The King's secretary is walking briskly with Thomas Moore (played by Jeremy Northam), a very devout Catholic, a lawyer, humanist, and a dear friend of Henry's.  Thomas is concerned about how the King is handling his grief with regard to his uncle's murder.  Thomas is trying to find out if the King is wanting to wage war against France.  Being a humanist, he is quite alarmed at the thought of England at war.  Mr. Pace confesses that the King is "mad with grief," but trying to counsel patience with regards to war.

Enter King Henry VIII, played by Jonathan Rhys Meyers (YUM).... he is holding council to discuss the recent events that have occurred.  He states that they murdered his uncle "in cold blood."  He feels that the murder, among other things, are just causes for war.  The King asks his men what their thoughts are about a war with France.  Buckingham (played by Steve Waddington) is the first to speak up, agreeing wholeheartedly with war, while getting in a jab or two at Henry reminding him that they should have gone to war with France long ago.  The Duke of Norfolk (played by Henry Czerny) also agrees with going to war.  Henry then asks Cardinal Wolsey (played by Sam Neill), his most trusted advisor.  Wolsey concedes that England has just cause for war.  Henry concludes the meeting saying, "We are to war with France."  He seems happy to have the political business contended with so he can "go play."  He races off to do just that!

Thomas Moore questions Wolsey on whether or not he really thinks England should go to war.  Wolsey tells him they should do "what the King wants us to do."  Thomas' response, "But the King doesn't know what's in the King's best interests!"  Wolsey replies, "Then... we should help him decide."  We already see what kinds of characters the King is surrounded by at court... but wait, it's sure to get better!

Meanwhile, Henry is "playing" with his current mistress, Elizabeth Blount (played by Ruta Gedmintas).  It's clear he has fun with her, but it's nothing deeper than that.  She seems to adore him, which I'm sure will be to her detriment later on, lol!  We find that although Miss Blount is married, she has no qualms about being the King's mistress, even to the extreme jealousy of her husband.  She and the King joke about it after having a romp.  

Later, at Hampton Court in Surrey, home to Cardinal Wolsey, a French Ambassador and French Bishop pay him a visit.  The first thing Cardinal Wolsey does is get right down to business... he questions the gentlemen about what happened in Urbino.  He reveals/confirms his sympathies with the French, and that he has labored long and consistently for harmony between England and France.  The French, of course claim that it was not done on King Francis' orders.  Wolsey tells them, words will not suffice in this instance, that King Henry will need more than words to be diverted from waging war on France.  The French Ambassador's reaction is to just go to war.  The Cardinal insists that he's bluffing.  The Bishop rushes to smooth things over between the two men and get them to come to some kind of agreement.  He asks the Cardinal to find a way to "pacify the young lion."

Now we see the young King Henry at play.... he's playing tennis with his closest friends, Charles Brandon (played by Henry Cavill), Anthony Knivert (played by Calum Blue), and William Compton (played by Kris Holden-Reid).  The men razz eachother playfully while playing hard.  It's very clear how close Henry is with Charles, almost like brothers.  As they are playing, Charles reveals he "has to try" this girl with an exquisite face.  Henry asks who the girl is and Brandon confesses the girl is the Duke of Buckingham's daughter.  Henry bets him 100 crowns that he won't succeed.  Brandon cheekily accepts the bet.  

For the first time we see Queen Katherine of Aragon (played by Maria Doyle Kennedy), dining with the King.  He asks the Queen about their daughter, Mary.  The Queen does not hesitate to fill Henry in on how exceptional her talents are for music and in all of her other studies.  Henry states that he's proud of Mary and that she is the "pearl of his world."  The Queen asks him about his intentions in his dealings with her nephew, King Charles.  She also mentions that she does not trust Wolsey in those matters, due to his affection for the French.  The King seems displeased that his wife is questioning his political decisions.  He chides her that she is not his Diplomat or Chancellor, but his wife.  He says it rather vehemently and it's clear Katherine was not prepared for this kind of reaction, but with her usual grace and dignity changes the subject and comes at Henry a bit softer, more tender, telling him she would like to be his wife in EVERY way again, asking him to visit her bedchamber.  It works... a bit.  Henry, caught off guard softens a little and doesn't answer, merely telling her to eat.  He's clearly no longer comfortable sleeping with his wife.  Sad for Katherine.  :(

The King, obviously having given his wife's plea some thought....starts preparing for what I'm guessing he hopes to be a successful attempt at a son.  He kisses a cross, which I'm thinking is more like a fervent prayer at this point, he eats a pomegranate (in a most YUMMY looking way), which in those days symbolized fertility, and prepares himself for a visit to his wife.  

He hurries along the castle halls, to Katherine's bedchamber, looking pretty determined.  However, when he arrives at her chamber, he finds she is not there... she has gone to prayer.  He conveys a message to one of Katherine's maids telling her to tell the Queen he came to "offer his love and devotion as her true husband."  He then signals to one of his men to speak with this same maid on his behalf.  Gee, one guess as to what he wants with the lady, lol!  

We see Katherine in the chapel, praying so devoutly and with such feeling..... meanwhile the maid from the Queen's chamber enters Henry's chamber.  Of course, he then proceeds to have his way with the maid.  Not surprised, although historically Henry was not quite as sexually active, even in his younger days as they seem to want to insist on portraying in this series.  Sex DOES indeed sell, so I'm sure that's a big part of it.  

What would "The Tudors" be without jousting?  Of course, as a young man, King Henry VIII loved to participate in jousts, and we get to see a glimpse into that in this scene.  His friends Charles, William and Anthony are there to joust as well.  Charles is the first to enter the lists and makes a point of asking the Lady Buckingham if he could wear her favor on the jousting field.  She happily tieds her delicate lace on his lance.  The Duke of Buckingham is not pleased to see this little display.  Charles of course wins and knocks his opponent off of his horse.  The Duke of Buckingham jousts nexts and also unseats his opponent.  

Cardinal Wolsey is at it again... and I'm sure his conniving won't be stopping any time soon.  He decides to construct a peace treaty between England and France and shares his intentions with the Ambassador and Bishop from France.  In return for his diplomatic machinations.... he wants to be elevated to Pope when the current one passes on.  

Back at the joust, King Henry has entered the lists.  He is to joust the Duke of Buckingham.  This is going to be a bitter joust of rivals.  It's clear that the Duke and the King butt heads quite frequently.  Katherine comes forward to tie her favor onto Henry's lance, but you can see concern in her eyes.  It's clear she does not like to watch Henry joust.  The King brutally knocks the Duke off of his horse, much to his own delight.  

King Henry pays a visit to Thomas Moore and meets his family.  He asks Thomas why he doesn't come to live at court, and Thomas promptly responds without hesitation that he doesn't come to court because he despises it.  In those days, the Tudor court was such a Machiavellian web of intrigue at all times.  There was always someone looking to step on another in order to promote their own interests and gain more favor from the King.  It's not a wonder to me why Thomas despised it.  The King asks him why he didn't say much at the council about going to war with France. Moore replies that he has an abhorrence of war as a humanist.  Henry agrees on the humanist level, but tells Thomas in his role as King, he has to disagree.  We find out that Thomas Moore has taught Henry quite a bit in the years that they have known eachother.  He urges Henry not to go to war... to spend the money on the welfare of the people instead.  Henry is determined to be remembered for great battles.  He wants to be remembered eternally, to be "immortal" as Henry V was. 

Back at court, the Duke of Buckingham is pacing, angry..... ranting about the fact that the crown should be his and not Henry's.  Unfortunately for the Duke... he does have a valid point.  Even more unfortunately for him...Norfolk, the one he is ranting to, seems rather indifferent.  He does, however, remind His Grace that what he is saying against the King is treason.  The Duke is not fearful of this, indeed, he feels something must be done to change things.

Poor Buckingham... his evening is about to get worse.  He enters his lodgings within the palace to find his daughter having sex with Charles Brandon.  Wow, talk about adding insult to injury, as Charles at this time has not yet been made a Duke himself.  Charles is very smug about the whole thing, insisting there was no "honor" left in the girl to besmirch and the Duke threatens to kill him, holding his sword to his throat.  He lets Charles leave and then promptly backhands his daughter for disgracing him in such a way.  Ah... fatherly love.... not so much!

Elizabeth Blount, Henry's now not so current mistress, pays a visit to Cardinal Wolsey and reveals she is pregnant with Henry's child.  It's clear that she was hoping for something more than Wolsey's tepid response.  He advises her to tell no one of her condition on pain of death and that when she is no longer able to hide her condition, she will be removed to a place for her "lying in."  He very coldly dismisses her.

The Cardinal then makes his way back to court.... it's very clear that he is highly revered at court and people rush to try to have an audience or blessing from him.  He meets with the King's secretary, Mr. Pace, to make sure he is looking after his interests while he is away.  The secretary replies, "Like an eagle."  Wolsey tells him, "I don't want an eagle, Mr. Pace.  They soar too high.  Be a pigeon and shit on everything."  LOVE that line!  

Mr. Pace notices a dirty, rather obscure young fellow, kind of waiting around on the fringes of the people.  He quickly goes over to question the lad.  Pace finds out his name is Thomas Tallis (played by Joe Van Moyland), a musician who was sent with letters of introduction from the Dean of Canterbury Cathedral.  Pace asks him why he did not present himself.  We do not get an immediate answer.  He is then delivered to the choir director, who looks over his qualifications.  He is very musically educated, and admits to enjoying composing music as well.  The choir director, however is skeptical and basically tells Tallis he'll believe it when he sees it.

The King meets with Thomas Moore and Cardinal Wolsey after hunting.  He asks them about the preparations being made for war with France.  He is happy to hear they can go to war within a matter of weeks.  The Cardinal clearly has more to say.  He cautions the King that wars are expensive and that they would have to raise taxes, which would be unpopular.  The King sort of brushes this off at first, but Wolsey is nothing if not convincing.  He proposes to deal with France in a more peaceful, less expensive way.  He admits to working on something to help the King gain more power and prestige.  He confesses to speaking with other Ambassadors and notables through out Europe in order to create a "Treaty of Universal and Perpetual Peace."  This treaty would also include betrothing Princess Mary to the Dauphin of France, making it an even stronger tie with France.  Henry initially laughs at the idea, but is intrigued.  They explain to him more about how it is enforced and the King considers it.  The humanist in him agrees with this proposition.  He congratulates the Cardinal on his innovativeness and then agrees to the treaty.

After Henry dismisses the Cardinal and Thomas Moore, he is told that the Duke of Buckingham requests an audience with him.  UH OH!!!!!!  The Duke promptly and without and preamble tells the King that he found his daughter in compromising positions with Charles Brandon.  He demands that Brandon is banished for bringing disgrace to his family.  The King is outraged and tells the Duke there will be no punishment forthcoming.  He tells the Duke that unless his daughter is claiming rape there is no punishment to be had for Mr. Brandon.  The Duke is furious and barely controls his anger when the King dismisses him.  Thomas Moore cautions Henry on his manner of dealing with Buckingham, telling him that not even his father, King Henry VII crossed him.

Wolsey again meets with the Bishop from France... but this time it's to ensure he's getting what he wants out of aiding the King of France.  The Bishop plays coy and it angers Wolsey.  He roughs the Bishop up a bit to bring home his point... it's clear now that the Bishop and Wolsey are on the same page.

In Buckingham's lodgings, it's clear his daughter has definitely NOT learned her lesson.  She is paid another visit by Charles Brandon who silkily weaves his way back under her skirts.

Thomas Moore, back at home with his family, is at the dinner table with his children.  He asks them if they had all done their reading.  They tell him obediently that they have completed it.  They all bow their heads to pray.  Thomas says a prayer and bids them all goodnight.  He removes most of his clothing upon entering what looks like a tiny little chapel room in his home.  He prays passionately while wearing a sad looking tattered shirt.  Not sure what that is supposed to mean other than that he's willing to suffer for his beliefs.  Maybe it's Hirst's way of doing some foreshadowing?

The King sits and enjoys a shave while he dictates a letter to King Francis.  In the letter, Henry decides that in a show of true brotherhood, he will not shave until they meet.  His beard will be a token of universal friendship.  

Wolsey gets news from the Bishop from France that the current Pope is gravely ill.  He assures the Cardinal that he has the full support of the French in being elected as the next Pope.  The Cardinal is more than pleased to hear this.

As Lady Blount attends Queen Katherine, she sort of doubles over, as if feeling a bit weak.  The Queen is concerned, having no idea of Lady Blount's condition, or the her husband is partly to blame for it.  Lady Blount assures the Queen that she is okay.  The Queen asks her to stay for a while to talk.  

The Queen goes on to confide to her maid that Wolsey has taken away anyone she feels she can trust and she misses talking to someone.  Lady Blount assures the Queen that she can trust her, which we all know is a lie right there!  The poor Queen confesses that she is sad.....sad that she cannot give the King a living son.  She talks of the boy she gave birth to who passed away after only living for four weeks.  She feels the King blames her for their son's death and through painful tears she tells Lady Blount that she suffers greatly and prays for things to change.

As Katherine bares her soul, Henry is also doing his own version of it.  He's in confession, weeping about not having a son.....telling the priest that he feels Katherine's marriage to his brother Arthur was consummated, that his marriage to the Queen is a lie and that's why they have no sons.  The priest tries to assure the King that this is not so, however it's clear the King does not want to see reason.  

The Duke of Buckinham summons Thomas Boleyn for a secret meeting.  He tries to gauge what Boleyn's position is within the court, hoping for an ally.  He finds that Boleyn is more than happy with the present King and that he will not aid him in his quest to usurp the crown.  They do, however agree about someone close to the King... Wolsey.  They discover a mutual hatred for the pompous Cardinal and agree to discuss it more later.  

Thomas Boleyn has an audience with the King and they are playing Chess.  Henry is eager to find out everything he can about King Francis.  Of course, Boleyn tells the King exactly what he wants to hear.... that Henry is far more superior in ever way.  Henry tells him to return immediately to Paris so that he can handle all of the diplomatic negotiations for the summit.

As Henry marches along through the palace, he runs into his daughter Mary.  He is a loving a doting father to her, scooping her up and holding her tightly, telling her she is the most beautiful girl in the whole world.  It's very sweet and a bit sad, because you know this will not always be the case for this father and daughter.  :(  Katherine politely asks to speak with him before he saunters off.  He agrees and follows her into a room so they may speak privately.  The Queen starts off by telling him she does NOT like his beard and what it represents.  She is hurt and alarmed that Henry is betrothing their daughter to the Dauphin of France, as France is an enemy of her family.  She appeals to him softly to reconsider what he's doing saying that she cannot disguise her distress.  He tells her she's "going to have to."  Such a loving guy, that Henry...*snorts*

Now we find Thomas Boleyn in Paris, and he is walking through the house shouting for his daughters.  He finds them quickly and we finally get our first glimpse of Anne and Mary Boleyn!  He tells them he has wonderful news and goes on to explain what is about to happen in Calais.  He also tells his beautiful daughters that they will have a chance to meet the King of England, whom back then was basically like a rock star.  The girls are, of course, thrilled at this prospect and they all toast to their futures.

Back in England, King Henry summons Wolsey to get his opinion on the clothing he is having made for the summit in Calais.  The decide to dine together so they can talk.  The Buckingham decides to be a bit of a rebel and when Cardinal Wolsey steps in front of him to wash his hands in the urn the Duke is holding, Buckingham purposely spills the water all over the Cardinal's shoes.  The King is outraged and demands that the Duke apologize to the Cardinal.  He apologizes to the King but does not apologize to Wolsey.  Henry dismisses Buckingham.  

Buckingham is furious, stomping back to his lodgings like a bear on fire, yelling for his servant.  He goes into another room to find Norfolk and Boleyn waiting for him.  He tells them, "it's time."

Wolsey continues to reveal all of the wonderful progresses that have been made in preparation for the summit as he dines with the King....

Buckingham is going full throttle now, giving instructions to his servants in preparation to usurp the crown from Henry......

Wolsey tells the King that Lady Blount is with child.  The King kind of rolls his eyes at this news....he's not sure what he wants to do about that yet.....

The Duke of Buckingham then reveals how he could assassinate the King... by keeping a dagger hidden off to the side when bowing to him.  He's determined to get what he deems rightfully his.......

The King is excited for the summit and what it could mean saying, "Nothing will ever be the same, Your Eminence.  You and I will be immortal."  FANTASTIC and fortelling last words for the first episode!!!!

Episode 2.. coming soon!

***All images found at the Showtime Tudors Wiki site found here:  http://tudorswiki.sho.com/

The Tudors, Season 4, The Final Episode

Dear Readers,

I recently posted this on my other blog: http://leogirl1975.wordpress.com/.

I really enjoyed writing about the final episode of what became my very favorite TV series to watch. I decided to post it here as well, because it is one of the posts I am most proud of writing thus far. Enjoy!



The final episode. How did it come up so quickly? I will admit, I very much put off writing about this episode, as I did not want it to be over so soon for me. Historically, of course, we all know how it ends. But, Michael Hirst brought these historical figures to such vivid life for us for four years and it makes it all that much more difficult for me to say goodbye to the series.

Just the promo for this episode alone gave me goosebumps. I found this version of it on YouTube.... it’s not the best sound or picture, but you can get an idea of what I am talking about....



Writing about Showtime’s “The Tudors” series this past year has been a labor of love for me. I have never before attempted to write about a TV series or movie with such detail as I have done with this one. I hope you have all enjoyed reading my posts as much as I have enjoyed writing them. To be certain, this will NOT be my last post on the Tudor Dynasty or the Showtime series, but it is indeed my last detailed synopsis of an episode. With a heavy heart, I give you my last run down of the Final Episode.....



This episode is aptly titled, “Death of a Monarchy.” It couldn’t get more final than that, right? I love how they brought Maria Doyle Kennedy, Natalie Dormer, and Annabelle Wallis back on the opening credits. You can tell they reworked it to add some of the younger moments in Henry’s life.

The episode begins with a beautiful scene with a white horse, galloping towards the screen while you hear Henry’s voice. I love what he says....

“When we compare the present life of man on earth, with that time of which we have no knowledge, it seems to me like the swift flight of a single sparrow, through a banqueting hall on a Winter’s day. After a few moments of comfort, he vanishes from sight, into the Wintery world from which he came. Even so, man appears on earth for a little while. But, of what went before this life, and what will follow, we know nothing.”



King Henry and the Duke of Suffolk are sitting together, chatting. The King is in a very philosophical mood, pondering about time, and the loss of it. He quizzes the Duke about what is the most irrecoverable loss...... and informs him that time is the most irrecuperable of losses, “for it can never be redeemed.”

As usual, Bishop Gardiner is up to no good. He hands a servant a warrant for the Queen’s arrest to give to Risley.... this is definitely NOT good for the queen!
The Lord High Admirable of France pays a visit to court. Prince Edward greets him in fluent Latin, much to the delight of everyone at court. The Ladies Mary and Elizabeth are also presented to him by Queen Catherine. As they wait for the King to make an appearance, Mary uses the opportunity to speak with Bishop Gardiner, who reiterates to her the “people’s” desire to anoint Mary as queen, should the King die.




Henry makes his appearance to the Lord High Admiral of France. I like how Henry walks up to Edward and tousels his hair, and then brings the Prince to sit with him on the throne while he conducts his business with the French Admiral. Henry decides he will make peace with France and will have “no more business” with the Emperor, who he makes sure to advise to Edward has betrayed him at “every turn.” It’s clear that Henry is grooming his son to take over the throne for him. The King proposes that Mass be abolished in both England and France, but this clearly dismays the Admiral. We also learn that the French King is dying of syphilis. Henry makes no bones about using Francis’ condition as a means to gain leverage for his own desires. It’s almost laughable to hear him lecturing about how Francis’ lewd conduct is a lesson to his mortality. Certainly a bit of irony as well!

The servant that was given the arrest warrant for the Queen (I believe his name is Walter) decides to first take it to one of the Queen’s maids, who in turn secretly gives it to Catherine to warn her. The Queen is both shocked and terrified.



The King is in his chamber reading and you can hear someone sobbing very loudly in the next room. The King asks who it is, is told it’s the “Queen’s Majesty” and seems a little intrigued and suspicious as to why she is “screaming like that.” He decides to go and see her. He asks her what is wrong and she pulls herself together as best she can. She walks over, most likely terrified that now on top of everything else, the King has caught her crying. Henry asks her what is wrong. You can tell the Queen is choosing her words VERY carefully. She tells him that she fears he is displeased with her. Henry plays ignorant. He asks her what has caused her to think so and whyever would he be displeased with her??? He asks her very firmly if there is any reason he SHOULD be displeased with her. It’s a very tense moment as you wait for her to answer him. Of course, she replies that no, there is no reason for him to be displeased with her. Much to her relief, he bids her a good day and leaves the room. The way Catherine practically falls to the floor, you get a sense that her knees were probably ready to buckle at any moment and it took all she had to answer him with any composure. I will admit, I was not crazy about Joley Richardson playing Catherine Parr, as I really did not like her on “Nip/Tuck,” but I am being forced to reassess that opinion, as she has so far done a superb job.

As soon as Henry is far enough away from the room, Catherine immediately sets her ladies to work, getting rid of any books or literature whether they think it may be forbidden or not, so as to keep from incriminating herself further. She is frantic to absolve herself of guilt and she is intelligent enough to pull it off, as we will soon see....

The Earl of Hertford pays the Duke of Suffolk a visit. Brigitte informs him that the Duke is ill, however, Charles gets out of bed to see the Earl anyways. He agrees to have a chat with him. There is a moment of concern from Brigitte about him being out of bed, and I must say, hearing Henry Cavill speak French is utterly DIVINE!!!! The Earl and the Duke quickly start discussing the unrest and unease at court about the succession. The Earl is asking for the Duke’s support for the Reformation, and in going up against Bishop Gardiner. He incorrectly assumes that since the Duchess of Suffolk supports the Reform, that Brandon does as well. He is quickly informed otherwise and hastily apologizes for his assumptions. Talk about sticking your foot in your mouth, eh? The Duke ends the conversation by telling the Earl he will not take sides in this matter and that he does not share Hertford’s beliefs in the Reform. Charles says that he would rather things were as in times past. Sad. He is very obviously tired of all of the politics.

This next scene had me actually cheering for Lady Hertford, even though she has not been a favorite character of mine. Historically, she was quite an abominable woman to deal with, and it’s very evident in this series as well. I really admired her unfailing spunk in this particular part of the episode. Lady Hertford is summoned to see Bishop Gardiner. She is perfectly aware of why he wants to see her and it does not ruffle her one bit. Gardiner, of course, questions her in regards to her affiliations with Anne Askew. She counters with the fact that Anne was illegally tortured, to which the Bishop decides to tell her that she is “guilty by association,” and shows her a warrant for her arrest. Anne stands up, reviews the warrant and hands it back to Gardiner, telling him he will never serve the warrant. She boldy informs him that she knows things about him....things others do not. She knows he has been stealing property and money from the King and threatens to expose him if he does not tear up the warrant and forget about arresting her. She leaves him sitting there, quite deflated and I cackled in delight... serves the wank right!





Now we come to a pivotal part in this episode, not to mention confusing. It’s fairly historically accurate, for this is truly how things transgressed, even though it seems crazy. But, that was par for the course when dealing with Henry VIII. Catherine Parr is summoned to have an audience with the King. The King is entertaining some nobles, sitting in a very luxurious room, drinking and chatting. The Queen is announced and Henry has her sent in. The room grows very quiet and you just know this is some sort of test. She dutifully kneels before him. He tells her he wishes her to clear his mind of some “doubts.” In front of the entire room of nobles, the King questions Catherine’s beliefs on what can be gained from reading the Gospels and other religious books. Like I mentioned before, Catherine was no idiot. She knew she was being tested, knew that her life depended on this one conversation and knew she had to make sure to please Henry. She quickly defers to him as Supreme Head of the Church, telling him that it is only through his knowledge and understanding of faith that she hopes to learn. He is not quick to believe her at first, telling her she has “become a doctor to instruct us all” and she did not seem to want to BE instructed. The Queen quickly assures Henry that he has misunderstood her, that she defers all things to him, her Lord and King. She begs his forgiveness, explaining that such discussions were merely meant as a distraction to his infirmities. Wow, that woman knew how to play the game. She quickly showed herself as a docile, and obedient wife, which is something Henry ultimately wanted from her. Strict obedience. He assures her they are perfect friends again and tells her he will never doubt her again. The Queen leaves, feeling reassured that she is once again in the King’s favor. Here is the really confusing part.... Henry’s servant asks him if he should rescind His Majesty’s orders to arrest the Queen. The King looks at him, surprised and indignant and asks, “Why?” Crazy.....just crazy!

Poor Charles Brandon. He is getting steadily more sick. Brigitte is taking such good care of him, and it’s clear he is relieved she is there for him. He tells her he hates the night because it makes him think of “perpetual night.” It’s so sad. He knows he does not have long to live.






Let’s add some more confusion to all of this, shall we? We really get a good glimpse of how crazy Henry really was in his late years during this scene. Remember, he seemed indignant when asked if he would rescind the order to arrest Catherine?

As King Henry and Queen Catherine enjoy an outdoor luncheon, you see Lord Risley coming their way with a good number of guards. The Queen, VERY shaken and terrified, quietly asks the King what is going on. Henry, again, plays the ignorant role, pretending not to know exactly why Risley had come. Of course, he is there to arrest the Queen, under HENRY’S orders. See how this gets puzzling? What’s even more puzzling, is how the King reacts to Risley. The crazy Monarch gets out of his seat, calling Risley a knave, screaming at him to get out and take his “bastards” with him. He looks outraged and leaves everyone completely befuddled. He tells Catherine that Lord Risley was not her friend. Ummm.... I should say not!

Bishop Gardiner, ever the epitome of wankness, grills Risley about the events that occured, insisting that they should still try to serve the warrant to the Queen. Risley is obviously souring on the idea of arresting the Queen at this point.

Parliament convenes, and much to Lord Hertford’s irritation, Risley introduces a discussion in reference to Prince Edward’s care, education, and to whom the title of Lord Protector should fall to in the event of the King’s death. Seymour questions Risley as to why the discussion is taking place since arrangements have already been made. Risley and Gardiner staunchly defend their right to debate the arrangements already made, which angers the Earl. The Bishop goes even further to add that Seymour’s “intentions” toward the Prince and the Crown must be put before the King.” An outraged Seymour quickly punches Bishop Gardiner in the mouth. I am not a fan of violence, but that was fantastic!!!!

Following that awesome display, we come to Henry, sitting before the fire, reading again. His servant announces that the Bishop Gardiner requests an audience with him. Henry refuses his request. WOO HOO!!!!!! FINALLY!!!! The King tells his servant that the Bishop is one of a troublesome nature and that he no longer wishes to see him at court ever again. Gardiner is banished. I think he should have had a bit more come his way, but it was done in a most humiliating manner, so that is satisfactory enough for me!

The slimy Risley immediately seeks to rid himself of association with Gardiner, proclaiming his loyalty to Edward Seymour on the spot. Dastardly man. Edward accepts his loyalty and they become allies.

King Henry commissions Hans Holbein to paint a portrait of him. This will turn out to be the last painting ever done of Henry VIII and it is famous around the world. The actual portrait no longer survives, however, there are several copies done by other artists of the portrait on display throughout the UK that you can still view today.

The Duke of Suffolk is gravely ill. This part was so difficult to watch. Brigitte tells him a messenger from the King has arrived. The messenger tells the Duke that the King has heard of his illness and has asked to see him. Brigitte is incredulous (and rightly so!) and tells the messenger no. But, Charles, being the ever loyal friend and servant to Henry insists on going despite the fact that he is so weak he can barely stand on his own two feet. It’s so sad to see how pale and sickly he is. I was more than a little irritated at Henry for summoning Brandon that way when he was so sick. I know they probably were both thinking it would be the last time they would ever see eachother, but it’s so awful of the King to put Charles through that.






As Holbein is creating the sketches for his portrait of the King, it almost looks as if something walks into Henry’s peripheral view. And then you see Catherine of Aragon. Exciting!!!! The King rightfully looks as though he has seen a ghost, and asks Catherine what she is doing there. She replies that has come to see her daughter. She tells Henry he has been unkind to Mary, and she has wept often to see his treatment of her. ”Is that why you have come back, to chide me? For all that I am not?” Jonathan Rhys Meyers does a very good job of making Henry look embittered and a bit tortured by his own demons. He begs her to go away. I love how she tells him very calmly, “You sent me away before, though I loved you. But I was still your wife in God’s eyes, and still am.” You can see that the King is getting delusional and becomes more “haunted” as the episode continues. I really, truly LOVE that Michael Hirst chose to bring back the first three wives!!!!! I cannot tell you how much I was bouncing in my seat to see Anne Boleyn with Elizabeth! But, I am getting ahead of myself.....




This next scene just had me shaking my head in exasperation at Henry’s insanity. Charles Brandon has finally made it to his audience with the King. Of course, it wouldn’t be Henry VIII if he wasn’t always thinking first and last about himself, right? The two best friends reminisce and Charles mentions remembering Margaret, the Battle of the Spurs, when the King made him a Duke, “God knows why.” I started crying at this point. It was so bittersweet. Henry asks Charles to trust him, literally trying to “forbid” the Duke not to die. He is confident that once again, the Duke will follow orders..... this shows Henry’s growing insanity, to be sure. He is clearly so full of himself, that he commands the ailing Duke to kneel before him, places his hands on Charles’ head and commands him to be healed. I don’t know if it is all delusion, or some wishful thinking as well on Henry’s part that it will work. I think the King was a bit in denial about being on the verge of losing his most loyal and trusted friend. It really tears at your heart as you see the glorious white horse running again....




And then, he’s gone. Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk dies at home, with Brigitte at his side. It was gut wrenching to watch this part of the show. To the very end, he was loyal to Henry alone.... not even his wife, whom he once loved deeply could persuade him to defy the King. They had grown up together as children.... and he was one of the few closest to Henry to live out his life in its entirety. Not many could claim that, as a couple of the King’s wives could attest to!

It’s even more tragic how we see Brigitte at Charles’ side, along with his son, Henry, however, when the Henry attends the formal funeral, he completely ignores her. Both him and the Duchess of Suffolk completely snub her. I am sure it was not expected otherwise in those times. After all, she was merely his Mistress. However, that had to feel like two knives in the gut rather than just the one.

The King commands that the Duke of Suffolk is to be buried at St. George’s chapel at his expense. I feel it is the very least he can do, after everything the Duke was to him....
Holbein requests an audience with the King, to show him his progress on the portrait. Henry is heartily disappointed, even indignant as to how his portrait “should” look. He orders Holbein to “do it again.”





As he is alone, mixing his “potions” to help ease his pain, Henry is confronted with the “ghost” of Anne Boleyn. I admit, since this woman is a personal passion of mine, I gobbled this scene up like a person starving. It was so well written and it’s sooooo good for Anne Boleyn fans to see her recognizing how wonderful Elizabeth has grown to be. She tells the King that although Elizabeth is like her, she is not as “intemperate” as she once was. Henry admits to Anne that he is very proud of their daughter, that he sees the wonderful qualities in her as well. He states that he wishes he could love her more, but that from time to time, she reminds him of Anne, and what she “did to him.”



Anne tells Henry that she did nothing to him, that all of the accusations against her were false. I love how she looks at him and says, “I thought you knew?” It tears the avid Anne fan apart to hear that, since we all heartily believe she was innocent. She also goes on to mention how poor Catherine Howard lies in the cold ground next to her.... how they were both like two moths drawn to the flame… and burned. And what makes it so tragic, is that it is all so very true.....




Henry starts weeping, and you almost get a sense that he doesn’t quite want her to leave him when he turns and says, “Anne please dont!” But, “Anne, please dont....” what? What did he not want her to do? Please don’t leave? Please don’t torment me? What did he really mean when he said that? That is a question that has stayed in my mind while watching this.







Now the time has come for King Henry VIII to bid farwell to his family. He is announced by his servant, and all whom are closest to him are in attendance. Henry bids Catherine, Lady Mary and Lady Elizabeth to come closer to him. He tells them he has decided that he will send them away to Greenwich. He will not spend this Christmastide with them or any thereafter. Everyone seems a bit bewildered by the King’s decision, but they accept his command. He asks Mary to be a kind and loving mother to her brother. She begs the King not to leave her an orphan so soon. He touches her face but says nothing more. To Elizabeth, he says that she is so very young, but asks her too to look after her brother. He tells her, “Bless you, child, bless you.” He comes to Catherine Parr. He says, “Cate, the time has come for us to bid farwell. It is God’s will. When I die, I order these gentlemen to treat you as if I were living still. And, if it is your pleasure to remarry, I order that you should have 7,000 pounds a year for your service, as well as your jewels and ornaments.” He then leaves a very grieving court as he walks away for the last time, ordering them all to go......

When he is gone from the room, Elizabeth immediately departs on her own leaving us to wonder what made her do that? Was it grief and a need to be alone? Was it fear of what was to come?






You hear Jane’s voice….”How’s my son?” You see Henry visibly relax. ”Jane..... ” he says breathlessly......”he is well. I have taken all care of him, sweet Jane and soon he will be King.” Jane keeps saying, “my poor boy.....my poor child,” but Henry insists that is not true, that he is the MOST beloved boy. Jane tells Henry that their son will die young and Henry denies this telling her, “NO, NO!” Jane tells Henry that in essence, due to the way he has raised their son, the way his father raised him..... it will kill Prince Edward. Henry breaks down, seeing his Tudor Dynasty possibly dying before his very eyes.

In council, Henry appoints Edward Seymour, Earl of Hertford, Lord Protector of Prince Edward during his minority, upon the event of his death, with the support of Chancellor Risley and Arch Bishop Cramner. He commands that a tomb be built and he be buried alongside his true and beloved wife, Jane Seymour at Windsor.




You see this dream like sequence of a young King Henry, staring off into space, as the white horse with comes closer and closer to him. Just as the horse reaches the young Henry.....

Henry’s servant wakes him.....he explains that Master Holbein is in the chapel waiting for him. The King slowly makes his way to the chapel.





The portrait is unveiled and immediately you get this rush of what Henry is seeing in the picture...... in essence, his life flashing before his eyes..... the good, the bad, the love, the hate, the friendships and the enemies..... it all comes together right here, right now. It encompassed, in that moment, everything we have loved and hated about The Tudors in the last four years. It couldn’t have ended better when Henry turns to Holbein and tells him “it is well done.” And it was. It was extremely well done and I don’t think many of us will forget this series and what it brought to us any time soon.

The last parts of music at the end were the very last bars of the theme song as the episode draws to a close. Four years of telling a story.....ended. I have to say.....I am grateful that Michael Hirst didn’t actually kill Henry in the end, leaving him as sort of this indestructible myth in a way. It was all very, very well done.

Thank you, Michael Hirst. For giving us this gift that most of us shan’t soon forget. You are an inspiration to those of us who continue to enjoy the history of the Tudor Dynasty and want to learn even more from it.

****All pictures for this post were found on the site - Showtime’s Tudors Wiki (which has been SUPER helpful to me!)
http://tudorswiki.sho.com/photos .

Other pictures also found at
http://jrhysmeyers.com/wordpress/