Tudors, The - Series 2 Details

Fantasic

Have just seen the Tudors on BBC 2 and have one more episode to watch on Friday. I have found the series fantasic, i take my hat off to Johnathan Rhys Meyers and Natalie Dormer for their roles as Henry and Anne Boleyn. Even though some of the storylines do not follow the truth, it still makes good watching if you are a big tudor fan like me.

[Highly rated reviewer]

Three and a half stars

Like another reviewer, I was a tad disappointed by the lack of concern regarding historical accuracy in the first series of the Tudors, but, like them, i thought this series was better than the first in as much as there is more than a passing nod to historical accuracy. Anne Boleyn's evil ways finally catch up with her and it's off to the tower and off with her head - even her father Thomas doesn't dare to speak up for her or her brother - as Henry's interest in her wanes. He has far more interesting things to occupy him, namely how to get into Jane Seymours corset, not letting silly details like being married get in his way. Henry is shown as a greedy, feckless tyrant, who expects what he wants, when he wants it - and that he will remain blameless in any situation (i.e. he blames England being struck by the plague as God's punishment for marrying his brother's widow... although not for his adulterous affair with another woman; he then blames his lack of ability to produce a male heir on witchcraft... get the drift?). I do find Natalie Dormer incredibly annoying and nothing like the contemporary reports of Anne, who was apparently captivating, graceful, extremely shrewd, elegant and an excellent musician, whereas in this she gives the impression of being somewhat of a spoiled brat. It's hard for us modern women to remember just how few rights were accorded to the average (wealthy) woman - women were married off for political reasons and you went from being your father's property to your husband's and the Tudors captures well the social conventions of the time withmost of the women in this being manipulated by the men around them; sadly their own families in most cases (Thomas Boleyn was a glorified pimp it seems). In general this is a romping good yarn, once you understand that it is not a history lesson...