The Tudors: Pragmatic Pageantry Among the Pawns

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With its third episode, The Tudors completes its introductory arc, setting the stage for a launch into the darker intrigues and alliances that marked Henry VIII's monarchy. What we've seen thus far has been an evolution of sorts. In the premiere, Henry came across more as a spoiled playboy, with affairs of state more an annoyance keeping him away from his more serious affairs, such as tennis, jousting and bedding ladies in waiting. By the second episode, he was settling more into the political weight his throne afforded him. In the latest installment, Henry's grown comfortable in his skin, and has learned to reconcile the playful passions of youth with the more deliberate maneuverings of diplomacy and power.

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It's not as though Henry had an epiphany-- from the beginning, he's used boyish charm to mask his calculating shrewdness. He was more reckless then, hastily declaring war on France almost as an afterthought, only to dissuaded by the pro-French Cardinal Wolsey from acting too hastily. Wolsey has his own Papal ambitions, of course, and needs the support of the French to fulfill them. And on Henry's other shoulder is his humanist conscience, in the form of Thomas More. For a while, it appeared Henry was easily swayed by either of them.

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Throughout most of the second episode, Henry seemed more a pawn than a ruler. The real battle for dominance seemed to be between Wolsey's quest to be Pope and More's humanist ideals. Even the Duke of Buckingham's execution for treason seemed vaguely orchestrated by Wolsey, more than by order of Henry. Henry, however, is entranced with the writings of Machiavelli, and wonders aloud if it's better for a king to be loved or feared. But once Elizabeth Blount bears Henry's illegitimate son, whom the king names Henry Fitzroy, his entire demeanor changes. We suddenly see Henry in a new light, and find that he's no longer a king to be taken lightly. By the episode's end, he's even "persuaded" Wolsey to happily turn over his palace to him.

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In episode three, any hopes for peace with France are all but extinguished. Even Wolsey has allied himself with Spain, and Charles V, King of Spain and the nephew of Henry's wife, Catherine. Henry, too, is anxious to ally himself with Charles, and the two strike up a pact to unite against the French. Because of the ramifications, Henry is careful to make it appear he and Catherine are blissfully married. But once he comes face to face with Anne Boleyn, Henry is once again smitten. . .

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Is The Tudors historically inaccurate in places? Of course it is-- that's why it's called "historical drama." Shakespeare's take on Julius Caesar wouldn't have played well to audiences if he'd done a barebones account, either. What's important in dramas of this sort is to capture the essence of the events, which, thus far, The Tudors does admirably. The sets, the costumes, the characterizations--all lend an air of sensuality necessary to capture the intrigues of the time. In a series like this, we're not interested in the plight of the masses--we want to know what is transpiring in the offices of power. What this series demonstrates, above all else, is the rich and powerful now are not that far removed from their 16th century boardroom equivalents.

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Showtime is showing the first three episodes of The Tudors back to back on 21 April, and they're all available on Showtime on Demand. They're loosely constructed if viewed individually, but seen together, they serve as an enticing preamble for what looks to be a series that delves deeply into the motivations of power.