Henry 8 (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) is a man of extreme indulgence. He loves his sports, his women and most of all, he loves his supreme power. However, that power is nothing if he has no male heir to continue the Tudor name and reign after he is gone. His wife, the stoic and lovely Catherine of Aragon (Maria Doyle Kennedy), has given him a lovely daughter, Mary, but no sons. At least, none that have survived more than a few years. Henry soon comes to believe that he is cursed because Catherine was married to his brother for a short time before his brother's death. In taking his brother's wife, he has broken God's law and is being punished.
Then, he meets the tempting and impish Anne Boleyn (Natalie Dormer), a lady-in-waiting to Queen Catherine. Anne has been placed in the path of the King through her father and uncle's machinations. They know Henry can't resist a beautiful woman and they want to use Anne to elevate themselves politically. Henry's right arm, Cardinal Wolsey (Sam Neill), is an evil man, despite his high ranking with the Church. He initially controls Henry quite well, until the appearance of Anne. Soon, her sweet whispers in Henry's ear turn him against Wolsey completely, eventually resulting in his arrest and subsequent demise.
As Henry becomes more enamored with Anne, and she refuses his affections unless they are married, he sets a course to separate from his wife, with the blessing of the Church, of course. He concocts a plan that his conscience is troubled because he married his brother's wife. Therefore, he was never legally married to Catherine. He seeks the Pope's blessing for either annulment or divorce and due to much red tape, a trial ensues. The "decision" is constantly pushed back for one reason or another, causing Henry to seek other means for his divorce. Complicating matters is his on again/off again relationship with the Emperor of Spain, the Queen's nephew, who seems to have a good deal of sway over the Pope. To further complicate things, Martin Luther is spreading "heresy" throughout Europe and the Pope has bigger things to worry about than Henry's dalliance with Anne and his need for a quick divorce.
Throughout the season, we'll meet various members of Henry's court, including Henry's best buddies whom he eventually makes noblemen, Charles Brandon (Henry Cavill, Stardust), who marries Henry's sister Margaret (Gabrielle Anwar), much to Henry's chagrin; Anthony Knivert (Callum Blue, Dead Like Me); and William Compton (Kristen Holden-Ried), who later succumbs to the sweating sickness, an epidemic that runs rampant over England, costing the country thousands of lives. There's Margaret, who was promised to marry the King of Portugal, a nasty and crippled old man. She does follow through, although she has an affair with Charles on the sea voyage to Portugal and decides to murder the old King in his sleep after only three days of marriage. Upon their return to England, she and Charles marry in secret and Henry is enraged. He always seems to be somewhat enraged over something, though.
Sir Thomas More (Jeremy Northam), a close friend and confidant of the King, starts off the season as a pious and kind man of God, often telling Henry things that he doesn't want to hear. He distances himself from the court, preferring to be close to his family. Eventually, he becomes obsessed with the destruction of Luther and his heretics, and becomes bent on burning anyone who opposes the ways of the Church. He soon slides into the post vacated by Cardinal Wolsey. When pressed by Henry about the burning of the heretics and how this is going, he replies "well done." You know, that's just so, so wrong is so many ways. But on occasion, The Tudors can be snarky and it is amusing.
The acting is exceptional. The characters pull you into their world and you begin to feel for some of them - well, not Henry. He's a bastard in all respects. Sam Neill does a remarkable job as the pompous Cardinal Wolsey. Just watching him glide through the common area amongst the begging peasants, holding his nosegay or a piece of fruit to his face so he won't smell them is a sight to see. He is priceless in his superiority. Quite frankly, all of the actors are very believable and moving. The vibe that I got from The Tudors was something not unlike A Knight's Tale. As if Henry 8 was a rock star in his time - indeed, the rock star in England. After watching the featurettes, this is exactly the kind of attitude that the makers of The Tudors wanted to convey and it comes across in spades.
If you are a fan of history, but not one that will get offended by slight inconsistencies with actual historical events, The Tudors is right up your alley. With the lush costumes and sets, it's like a medieval Melrose Place, with everyone sleeping with everyone else, and intrigue and deceit at every turn. This is must-see stuff, quite frankly. A warning though - if you are prudish, it may not be your thing. There's sex a-plenty in The Tudors and they are not ashamed to show a good deal of skin and body parts. So if this offends you, pass on it. That being said, I absolutely loved the show with its fantastic writing and acting. I can't wait for Season Two!
