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(More customer reviews)Ironically enough, I've had a tumultuous relationship with The Tudors ever since it first started. It was an odd, kind of on-again, off-again relationship that ranged from near-fanatic fandom to downright apathy. I was a fan of Tudor historical fiction novels before the show began, and was more than ecstatic when I heard that Showtime was bringing the infamous Henry VIII to the screen with his many wives.
Sadly, the series didn't always deliver for me. The biggest issue for me, especially in the first season, was the incredible number of historical inaccuracies. Even though this always bugged me throughout the entire series' run, I had to just put it aside and accept the fact that this show is a Hollywood-ized version of Henry VIII's reign. Perhaps the aspect that got me through were the lush sets, impeccable art direction and absolutely gorgeous period costumes and accessories (especially on all of Henry's queens) -even though the costumes were more like Tudor style mixed with modern couture influences (okay, they looked cool).
In season four -titled by Showtime as "The Final Seduction" -Henry deals with war with France, lingering religious issues, his own fading health and of course, wives five and six -Katherine Howard and Catherine Parr, respectively. By this point, of course, Henry should be very rotund (300 pounds) and nearing the end of his life. Even though Jonathan Rhys Myers does get the aging treatment in the final episodes and they try to dress him up in large, heavy clothing to make him look a little bigger it's doesn't quite work-though it's at least something.
The season, overall, is relatively entertaining, though some episodes are better than others. The first half deals primarily with the young Katherine Howard, her affair with Thomas Culpepper (and Lady Rochford's well-documented involvement), the oddly included misadventures of Lord Surrey (a supposed distant relative of Katherine, who is a boring and pointless character) and Henry's continued political troubles. While I didn't find Kitty Howard particularly likable, Tamzin Merchant brings a strong liveliness to the character and emphasizes her age, her questionable moral character, and the fact that she is a completely inept queen.
After beheading poor Katherine Howard, the married Lady Latimer (Catherine Parr) grabs Henry's attention. Once her husband dies, she reluctantly marries Henry, and decides to use her new position to advance her strongly Protestant beliefs. Henry, meanwhile, departs to France for war and Catherine dodges accusations of heresy. After the war is over, Henry's health starts to decline until he dies.
The highlight of this season should have been the much-anticipated and strongly rumored "dream sequence" in the final episode that would feature Henry's deceased wives. Though this ended up being somewhat disappointing (only three of the wives appeared), it was good to see some of the ladies return to Henry's life at the end, but it just wasn't enough. The fact that I felt let down by this, as well as the somewhat anti-climatic ending, left me with an unsatisfied feeling at the end that even made me wonder why I had spent all of my time watching the show. You know what would have made this finale better? More Anne Boleyn -okay, maybe not, but I've seriously missed Natalie Dormer since she was knocked off at the end of season two. Not only was she a wonderful actress, but she portrayed a strong and compelling Anne who stands as the strongest and more interesting of Henry's wives, stealing the show in every scene she was in.
Thus ended my strange relationship with Showtime's The Tudors. Even though I had my doubts, I kept with it until the very end, and, unfortunately, wasn't satisfied but have to admit -journey getting there was entertaining and wonderfully done.
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The Tudors: The Final SeasonThe Tudors presents the rarely dramatized, tumultuous early years of King Henry VIII’s nearly 40 year, omnipotent reign (1509-1547).In addition to his famous female consorts and 20+ year marriage to Catherine of Aragon to the infamous dalliance with Anne Boleyn, the series delves in to Henry’s most notable political relationship and the deconstruction of the Roman Catholic Church in England.
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