DeniTV: The Tudors (Final Season) Henry VIII returns - Fit!
April 29th 2010 05:17
Category: TV-Drama, TV-Historical
I've made it known in an earlier post that I love historical dramas as long as not too many liberties have been taken with the actual accounts. I love the costumes, the sets, the history...there is nothing more exciting to me than watching a well researched re-enactment of how things were long ago. I love "The Tudors" for those very same reasons...but I have on small complaint.
I've been following HBO's "The Tudors" since it began. While the very first show seemed a bit wobbly, it soon kicked into gear and brought to life the compelling story of one of England's most complex monarchs, King "Off with her head" Henry VIII.
Actor Jonathan Rhys Meyers stepped into the role with great enthusiasm as the King. He did a remarkable job with suppressing the intensity and fiery temper just under the surface, ready to pounce at the slightest infraction. And quite possibly, he enjoyed the indulgence of convincingly bedding a bevvy of beautiful actresses for the sake of bringing Henry's lustful nature to life as well. It's a dirty job but someone has to do it - or so they say.
The series does an incredible job following Henry during the important stages of his life. It's not all about sexing wenches and beheadings. Just to recap:
In the first season, we find Henry's rulership being tested in his dealings with International conflict such as the ever changing tide of allegiances and religious unrest. He also has to deal with the pressure of political intrigue that runs rampant through his court. He rejects his wife Catherine of Aragon because of her inability to sire a son and finds time to bed a few wenches and fall in love with Anne Boleyn (Natalie Dormer).
In the second season, Henry uses his power as King to get what he wants - and it's not good to refuse the King. What Henry wants is Anne Boleyn. When the Catholic Church refuses to grant a divorce from Catherine, Henry establishes the Church of England and marries Anne, his love of the moment. Unfortunately this action has long lasting effects much of which haunt the King for the rest of his life. The tables turn on Anne, when she fails to produce a male heir - and just look what the cat dragged in, why it's Jane Seymour. Goodbye Anne, Hello Jane!
In the 3rd season, Henry marries Jane Seymour and finally, they produce the long-awaited male heir, but as we all know there is no happy ending. Jane dies shortly after the birth of Prince Edward VI. Cromwell (James Frain), pressures Henry into a marriage with Anne of Cleves in the hopes of restoring the Reformation and all goes wrong when a previous injury begins to take a toll on his health and he's not quite "burning wood" to share a bed with Anne. I don't know about the other viewers but I found Joss Stone a very attractive Anne of Cleves - perhaps they could have done a better job in finding an actress who looked less appealing.
Of course what I've listed is only highlights of the the seasons and they are much more detailed and colorful and while a few changes in the historical record were taken for dramatic purposes, it's a very attractive take of the bread and butter of the Tudor Dynasty.
The 4th and final season is currently underway as of April 11, 2010. It will deal with his marriages to Catherine Howard and Catherine Parr and eventually focus on his descent into madness. We were possibly given a preview of his mental instability when he suffered guilt from ordering the beheadings of two of his trusted advisors, Thomas Cardinal Wolsey (Sam Neill) and Sir Thomas More (Jeremy Northrum) and when he was unconscious for a few hours after a jousting accident.
While the show deals effectively with his festering leg injury, my only complaint is that Henry is still "fit"! When we think of King Henry VIII, we should not be thinking impure thoughts. He was not a handsome man in the late stage of his life. Actually there are only a few existing portraits of him that show him as an attractive young man but overall our image of him is that of a bloated tick.
In his early years, yes, Henry was physically fit - he was an active sportsman, taking part in jousts, hunting, etc until the injury to his leg rendered him inactive. So later on, about the time he married Jane Seymour, he was packing on the pounds. Catherine Howard was put off by having to be ravished by a beached whale with a smelly wound. It's one of the reasons she turned to courtier, Thomas Culpeper - er aside from being a bit daft. The bottom line is that at the time of his death, Henry had about a 56 inch waist-line and it is reported that he weighed close to 300lbs.
I know, I know, it's a TV show and I shouldn't take this too seriously but I'm a bit of a stickler for some details. While I can overlook some liberties, I think others are important and crucial to the story-line. I think Henry's obesity is an important factor when retelling the story of his life. It's indicative of the excesses, guilt, indulgences, and ruthlessness which over time was etched and shaped into the sad man we see near the end of his life.
Other than that one small detail, it's still a show that's well worth watching.
I've been following HBO's "The Tudors" since it began. While the very first show seemed a bit wobbly, it soon kicked into gear and brought to life the compelling story of one of England's most complex monarchs, King "Off with her head" Henry VIII.
Actor Jonathan Rhys Meyers stepped into the role with great enthusiasm as the King. He did a remarkable job with suppressing the intensity and fiery temper just under the surface, ready to pounce at the slightest infraction. And quite possibly, he enjoyed the indulgence of convincingly bedding a bevvy of beautiful actresses for the sake of bringing Henry's lustful nature to life as well. It's a dirty job but someone has to do it - or so they say.
The series does an incredible job following Henry during the important stages of his life. It's not all about sexing wenches and beheadings. Just to recap:
In the first season, we find Henry's rulership being tested in his dealings with International conflict such as the ever changing tide of allegiances and religious unrest. He also has to deal with the pressure of political intrigue that runs rampant through his court. He rejects his wife Catherine of Aragon because of her inability to sire a son and finds time to bed a few wenches and fall in love with Anne Boleyn (Natalie Dormer).
In the second season, Henry uses his power as King to get what he wants - and it's not good to refuse the King. What Henry wants is Anne Boleyn. When the Catholic Church refuses to grant a divorce from Catherine, Henry establishes the Church of England and marries Anne, his love of the moment. Unfortunately this action has long lasting effects much of which haunt the King for the rest of his life. The tables turn on Anne, when she fails to produce a male heir - and just look what the cat dragged in, why it's Jane Seymour. Goodbye Anne, Hello Jane!
In the 3rd season, Henry marries Jane Seymour and finally, they produce the long-awaited male heir, but as we all know there is no happy ending. Jane dies shortly after the birth of Prince Edward VI. Cromwell (James Frain), pressures Henry into a marriage with Anne of Cleves in the hopes of restoring the Reformation and all goes wrong when a previous injury begins to take a toll on his health and he's not quite "burning wood" to share a bed with Anne. I don't know about the other viewers but I found Joss Stone a very attractive Anne of Cleves - perhaps they could have done a better job in finding an actress who looked less appealing.
Of course what I've listed is only highlights of the the seasons and they are much more detailed and colorful and while a few changes in the historical record were taken for dramatic purposes, it's a very attractive take of the bread and butter of the Tudor Dynasty.
The 4th and final season is currently underway as of April 11, 2010. It will deal with his marriages to Catherine Howard and Catherine Parr and eventually focus on his descent into madness. We were possibly given a preview of his mental instability when he suffered guilt from ordering the beheadings of two of his trusted advisors, Thomas Cardinal Wolsey (Sam Neill) and Sir Thomas More (Jeremy Northrum) and when he was unconscious for a few hours after a jousting accident.
While the show deals effectively with his festering leg injury, my only complaint is that Henry is still "fit"! When we think of King Henry VIII, we should not be thinking impure thoughts. He was not a handsome man in the late stage of his life. Actually there are only a few existing portraits of him that show him as an attractive young man but overall our image of him is that of a bloated tick.
In his early years, yes, Henry was physically fit - he was an active sportsman, taking part in jousts, hunting, etc until the injury to his leg rendered him inactive. So later on, about the time he married Jane Seymour, he was packing on the pounds. Catherine Howard was put off by having to be ravished by a beached whale with a smelly wound. It's one of the reasons she turned to courtier, Thomas Culpeper - er aside from being a bit daft. The bottom line is that at the time of his death, Henry had about a 56 inch waist-line and it is reported that he weighed close to 300lbs.
I know, I know, it's a TV show and I shouldn't take this too seriously but I'm a bit of a stickler for some details. While I can overlook some liberties, I think others are important and crucial to the story-line. I think Henry's obesity is an important factor when retelling the story of his life. It's indicative of the excesses, guilt, indulgences, and ruthlessness which over time was etched and shaped into the sad man we see near the end of his life.
Other than that one small detail, it's still a show that's well worth watching.
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