The Tudors - Series Finale this evening

[james t kirk]

Anyone else watch "The Tudors" over the last 4 years?

Tonight is the final episode - presumably Henry VIII'th dies (at age 56)

Been a great series to the point where I actually started reading about Henry 8 on line as well as those around him. Even though Johnathon Rhys Meyers looks NOTHING like Henry (who by measuring his armour supposedly had a 56" waist by the time he died) Meyers' acting ability causes you to look past the obvious. I have to hand it to Meyers (can't say I had ever given him much thought prior to the Tudors) he did an amazing job over the years of bringing Henry 8 to life.

As far as Henry 8 goes - without a doubt one of the most influential people of all time. The famous "break with Rome" seems small when we look at it by today's standards, but back then, man, that would have been earth shattering stuff. The king of England basically rejects papal authority? Must have been unthinkable.

Anyway, it's been interesting watching this series. One of the few great TV shows and a pleasant departure from the usual schlock on TV these days (with a few exceptions)

 

[blackrock13]

It's been a good run and not a bad series. A little literary license, but what the hey. PVR's ready.

 

[The Oracle]

I saw the ending a few months ago on line and of course seeing as it is a non fiction series we already know the outcome so to speak.

Never the less I did find it poignant and thought provoking on his life and the impact he had on future generations.

You are right Rhys Meyers is outstanding in the lead and I'm sure Henry himself would approve of the portrayal, more so than another depiction that happens in the final episode,lol.

 

[mandrill]

As far as Henry 8 goes - without a doubt one of the most influential people of all time. The famous "break with Rome" seems small when we look at it by today's standards, but back then, man, that would have been earth shattering stuff. The king of England basically rejects papal authority? Must have been unthinkable.

Anyway, it's been interesting watching this series. One of the few great TV shows and a pleasant departure from the usual schlock on TV these days (with a few exceptions)

The real H8 was old, obese and riddled with syphilis and skin ulcers by his 50's. Meyer is basically in the series to give oagre's nieces a hunky young guy to ogle while they watch supposed history hi brow TV.

As far as the break with Rome, H8 was a generation after the cutting edge. German princes had been breaking with Rome ever since Martin Luther had conveniently arrived on the scene in the 1520's and given them a tidy excuse to loot their own monasteries and spend the dosh on their own mistresses and such.

 

[Keebler Elf]

I had passed on this series when it first came out but I've heard glowing praise from friends so I'm thinking about renting the DVD series and watching it from start to finish.

Meyer's eyes sure do look creepy though...

 

[dj1470]

Yeah I was about to say it ended like 6 months ago on cable. Been available online for a while now. CBC is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay behind. Good show whose best seasons were 1 and 2. Once they loped the head off Natalie Dormer (Anne Boleyn) I lost interest.

The last few have been moving too fast trying to squeeze in all that history as quick as possible becuse they knew it wouldn't last beyond season 4 mainly because Rhys-Meyers isn't interested anymore.

 

[james t kirk]

I agree that Season 1 and 2 were outstanding, but 3 was quite good. I have bought 4 at Costco since my VCR (insert joke here) kept fucking up and failing to record the show.

It is debated whether or not H8 was infected with Syphillis at the time of his death. Some say yes, some say no. What we do know was that as a young man, he was quite fit, but had a bad jousting event where he was injured and never recovered. (The famous leg ulcer which apparently would stink out a room.) It is interesting to note just how BAD sanitation was at the time. His wife - Jane Seymour was apparently infected at the time of birth of her son Edward with bacteria from the doctors who delivered her son. Apparently it was not uncommon for doctors to take pride in how filthy their surgical cloths were - often crusted with blood and puss. Even Henry's leg ulcer could have been easily cured today, but their entire line of thinking was backwards back then.

At the end of the day, Henry was a tyrant, and a sociopathic one at that (though I think that at the time if you weren't at least somewhat of a tyrant, another more serious tyrant would murder you).

Myers has done a fantastic job playing Henry. He has the ability to play the psycho to a T. There are several scenes where Anne Bolyne or Jane Seymore would just make a suggestion and his reaction, though subtle, was fury and they were truly in danger. Myers really deserves a large part of the credit for the success of the series.

 

[dj1470]

I would give credit to series creator, writer, and producer Michael Hirst.
He has been very successful in this genre with Elizabeth, Elizabeth: Golden Age, and Camelot with Joseph Feinnes, Claire Forlani, and Eva Green.
If you liked Tudors you will really like Camelot. Many regulars from Tudors are also in Camelot. It's in season 1 right now.
He has another series in the pipe right now called The Borgias about the famous crime family in late 1400's Italy that was, debateably, the first mafia. I think this new series is for release in fall 2011.

 

[james t kirk]

I would give credit to series creator, writer, and producer Michael Hirst.
He has been very successful in this genre with Elizabeth, Elizabeth: Golden Age, and Camelot with Joseph Feinnes, Claire Forlani, and Eva Green.
If you liked Tudors you will really like Camelot. Many regulars from Tudors are also in Camelot. It's in season 1 right now.
He has another series in the pipe right now called The Borgias about the famous crime family in late 1400's Italy that was, debateably, the first mafia. I think this new series is for release in fall 2011.

I read about the Borgias just recently. Should be good stuff.

 

[mandrill]

I would give credit to series creator, writer, and producer Michael Hirst.
He has been very successful in this genre with Elizabeth, Elizabeth: Golden Age, and Camelot with Joseph Feinnes, Claire Forlani, and Eva Green.
If you liked Tudors you will really like Camelot. Many regulars from Tudors are also in Camelot. It's in season 1 right now.
He has another series in the pipe right now called The Borgias about the famous crime family in late 1400's Italy that was, debateably, the first mafia. I think this new series is for release in fall 2011.

The Borgias would be cool.

 

[mandrill]

At the end of the day, Henry was a tyrant, and a sociopathic one at that (though I think that at the time if you weren't at least somewhat of a tyrant, another more serious tyrant would murder you).

Yes, a totally different mind set back then. If the king wasn't a sadistic prick, people weren't afraid of him and he wasn't effective. And bear in mind that his father put down a few revolts and this was after seizing the crown by killing the previous king. Who had gotten his crown by (probably) murdering his 2 infant nephews. Whose father had gotten his crown by killing the previous king. Etc.

So when H8 worried about not having a male heir, he probably felt that this would plunge the country into chaos. (Ironically, his daughter Elizabeth was the toughest, most succesful ruler of them all).

OTOH, he was pretty grossly greedy and manipulative and contemporary kings in other countries were a little more likeable.

Re syphilis: I forget why the docs picked that disease. Aside from the fact that no one at the time would have realized what it was and that it wa spread by fucking and that would have allowed it to reach epidemic proportions.

 

[Aardvark154]

So when H8 worried about not having a male heir, he probably felt that this would plunge the country into chaos. (Ironically, his daughter Elizabeth was the toughest, most succesful ruler of them all).

Probably!?! The only experience England had had with a Queen Regnant prior to Mary I was the disaster of the Empress Maud.

There should be absolutely no surprise that Henry VIII was so concerned and upset, further this takes on a certain sharpness when one takes into account that he had a healthy illegitimate son (The Duke of Richmond) who was quite healthy until his sudden death in his late teens.

 

[Aardvark154]

As far as the break with Rome, H8 was a generation after the cutting edge. German princes had been breaking with Rome ever since Martin Luther

Not to mention Zwingli and Calvin

 

[Aardvark154]

I'm waiting for the Plantagenets.


After all they have far more descendants than the Tudors.

 

[mandrill]

Probably!?! The only experience England had had with a Queen Regnant prior to Mary I was the disaster of the Empress Maud.

There should be absolutely no surprise that Henry VIII was so concerned and upset, further this takes on a certain sharpness when one takes into account that he had a healthy illegitimate son (The Duke of Richmond) who was quite healthy until his sudden death in his late teens.

I am happy to accept your correction. We must also remember that this was a primitive, superstitious age and he may have convinced himself to take the notion that his marriage to Mary was "cursed by incest" quite seriously.

Whether he made use of the same "reasoning" to convince himself that his marriage to Boleyn was also "cursed" and that she had genuinely betrayed him is more debatable. I get the feeling that at this point, he had simply grown fond of the idea of ridding himself of inconvenient wives and let Cromwell run with it.

 

[mandrill]

I'm waiting for the Plantagenets.

Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine. Far more interesting "power couple" than H8 and his series of spouses. Unfortunately, the middle brow audience knows something about H8 and Liz and nada about the Plantagenets.

The only experience England had had with a Queen Regnant prior to Mary I was the disaster of the Empress Maud.

There was of course Edward II, but that didn't turn out well either.

 

[Aardvark154]

There was of course Edward II, but that didn't turn out well either.

As his son Edward III showed, revenge is a dish best savored cold.

 

[hungry]

The Tudors was an awesome series, with a cast of some of the most beautiful women this planet has to offer. For that alone, it is a must see!

 

[mandrill]

As his son Edward III showed, revenge is a dish best savored cold.

Edward III - quite the poker player IIRC. Held a hot hand to his father. ))))

 

[Aardvark154]

Edward III - quite the poker player IIRC. Held a hot hand to his father. ))))

Oh, bad joke. Actually he rather took care of those who did so.