The Tudors

I watched this show to prepare before seeing the musical Six. The first season is quite slow, but I think the show finds its rhythm in Season 2, once Anne Boleyn becomes queen. There’s also a noticeable increase in production quality in Seasons 3 and 4, as the show grows beyond interior sets and into castle courtyards and battlefields.

With historical dramas, there’s a tradeoff between being factually accurate and giving the audience compelling emotional stakes. I think this show skews more towards the former; I know it’s not 100% accurate, but there’s still a connect-the-dots feeling that the show is covering the important dates at the cost of character development.

I don’t think there’s much insight into the mind of Henry VIII himself. He seems to be ruled by his hormones more than anything else. The most interesting character turns out to be Henry Cavill’s Charles Brandon. I found it compelling that he’s conflicted by his relationship to the King; he’s loyal, but recognizes the harm of the Henry’s cruel tendencies. Cavill’s performance is subtle and charismatic. Seeing this, it doesn’t surprise me that he was the biggest star to come out of this cast.