The Tudors Continues: Tectonic Chess

I've had the privilege of seeing Showtime's The Tudors through Episode 8. You're in for a real treat for the senses and intellect, as Henry continues to pressure the Church to approve an annulment with Katherine so he can marry Anne. This is the tectonic heart of the story, moving people and continents closer and further, shaking what's left of the medieval world like dice in a cup till we end up with much like the world of today.

These fine episodes have some new elements, too - like The Sweats getting England - but I won't give anything away, except to say that the portrayal of doctors and medicine in The Tudors shows how close and far they were to our own times. They understood all too well the deadly contagion of illness, even as they let blood as a last resort to help the sick. But I'll save that for another post.

Here let us look at Episode 6, now available On-Demand. Henry and Wolsey learned in the previous episode that Pope Clement has been taken hostage by Charles, the Holy Roman Emperor. This is the worst news for Henry and his annulment aspirations, because the Pope cannot be relied upon to rule in his favor as a prisoner of Charles, who has sworn to do what he can to help Katherine.

But the wily Wolsey sees an opportunity: with the Pope held hostage, Wolsey can convene a conclave of Cardinals to approve Henry's request. This will provide the double benefit of pleasing Henry and making Wolsey the de facto Pope.

Sam Neill's performance as Wolsey is incandescent. I'm predicting right here that Neill will be nominated for an Emmy for this role, and will be a tough contender.

Wolsey is a master at the chess game of politics and religion in this age, but the problem is that there is more than one chess game being played, and one man can only do so much. As Wolsey goes to France to convene and rally the Cardinals, Charles allows the Pope to partially escape - meaning, he can now function as Pope, so there is no need for Wolsey's conclave. But the Pope is still very much under Charles' thumb...

Neill plays Wolsey's increasing frustration perfectly, including a confrontation with Thomas More - also played wonderfully by Jeremy Northam - in which Wolsey tries in vain to convince More to support the conclave. Wosley says whenever you deal with the elements of life your hands get dirty. More puts his hand in water and says this is my element, and my hands are clean...

So Wolsey and Henry are checked again, and the action moves back to England for the next episode, one of the very best in the series...

Useful links:
Derriere and Bosom on The Tudors: More of What the FCC Would Deprive Us Of

The King's Reformation: Henry VIII and the Remaking of the English Church G. W. Bernard's 2005 book

The Soft Edge: A Natural History and Future of the Information Revolution my 1998 book

The Tudors Michael Hirst's brand new book!

my latest novel: The Plot to Save Socrates

my reviews of other episodes of The Tudors: Episodes 1 and 2: History So Colorful You Can Taste It, Episode 3: History So Real You Can Feel It, Episode 4: The Penalty of Royalty, Episode 5: Madrigal Musical Chairs, Episode 7: Henry's Imperfect Apothecary

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The Plot to Save Socrates

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