The Tudors (TV Series) In Cold Blood (2007) User Reviews

Some Weak Acting Despite Interesting Concept

[wrestlingfan3160 · 6/10 · 20 June 2015]

I felt the overall concept is interesting, with a story depicting the political world during the reign of King Henry VIII. A lot of what I felt was unnecessary sex scenes in this episode, I hope doesn't take away what is interesting about this series, which are the political games being played in the court of England at the time. This episode deals specifically with England's conflict with France, which inspires the king to go to war with them at the episode's start. However, the ambitious Cardinal Wosley, aided by peace-lover Thomas More, manipulates the king to make a peace treaty with France, so that the cardinal may secure the votes from France necessary to become pope. Cardinal Wosley was played by Sam Neill who plays the manipulative cardinal to perfection. Queen Katherine, who has lost favor with her husband (King Henry VIII) for failing to give him a son and male heir to his throne, is in a very sympathetic position that, if done right, could make her a fan favorite, and personally I felt that Maria Doyle Kennedy wasn't bad as her. Also, Jeremy Northam as Thomas More was a pretty likable performance from him in his own right, as he seems like one of the few politicians who wants to make a positive difference in England, solely for the sake of making a positive difference. So pluses overall for Wosley, More and Katherine who I felt stand out, also Thomas Boleyn (Nick Dunning) came across as an interesting player, setting up both his daughters to meet Henry and an agreement with the Duke of Buckingham who is making a run for the throne. I can't critique the overall plot, because it simply is a retelling of history, just how the plot came together. I thought that Jonathan Rhys Meyers was horrible as King Henry completely overacting the role at times, and took away from my overall interest in the plot. The king lacked any characterization besides his clear desire to make an impact during his reign, which I felt was a big glaring hole in the show, given that he's the main character. I also felt that the Duke of Buckingham never came across as a threat, or really anything besides having a monotonous desire to take Henry's throne, so scenes with him were kind of boring as well, even though it could be made more interesting in the next episodes.

Pluses: -Scenes with an ambitious, yet seemingly good-natured Cardinal Wosley (Sam Neill) who makes the political aspect of the show the most interesting aspect of the show -Scenes with the sympathetic Queen Katherine (really I feel the acting of Maria Doyle Kennedy makes me invested in this storyline)

Negatives: -The Duke of Buckingham's Rebellion -The boring Jonathan Rhys Meyers as King Henry VIII -Unnecessary sex scenes

Lackluster king keeps 'Tudors' from becoming a worthwhile investment

[jellyneckr · 8 April 2007]

First and foremost, I am not a history buff. I know what was taught when I was in high school and little else. That said, I am judging this pilot episode of "The Tudors" based on its artistic merits and entertainment value alone, not its historical content. Those looking for comparisons to what actually happened are better off looking elsewhere.

"The Tudors" is one of many Showtime series to pop up recently in the network's attempt to become the next HBO. Some series have proved successful ("Masters of Horror", "Weeds", "Dexter") while others have floundered ("Huff", "The Underground"). Judging from the pilot episode, "The Tudors" falls somewhere in between quality wise. It's not groundbreaking like "Masters of Horror" or particularly original like "Dexter", but it's more competently written and produced than previous network dramas like "Huff". The main problem so far lies with the acting. While Jonathan Rhys Meyers doesn't leave a strong impression as King Henry VIII. He comes across as simply reciting lines rather than giving a performance. It appears as if he's playing King Henry VIII in a play rather than a television series. His co-stars fare much better. Sam Neill as Cardinal Thomas Wolsey is strong as always, underplaying nicely when necessary. If there is a reason to keep watching the series, it's Maria Doyle Kennedy as Queen Katherine. She portrays the role of the wife with just the right amount of compassion and frustration. It will be interesting to see how her relationship with Henry changes throughout the next few episodes, if I can stand to sit through them.

My rating: 5/10