Becoming Elizabeth (2022) User Reviews

Engaging historical drama, worth a 2nd season.

[DazzlaMF · 8/10 · 8 August 2022]

Well, it's a complex period in English history. Henry VIII has died, and after six marriages, left three children (from different wives) to navigate the hugely conflicting religious and political world, while all around them the landed power brokers are scheming for influence.

It's fair to say that without an understanding of the historical backdrop you may initially find this hard to follow. But none the less this is a well acted, high production value series which follows the development of our heroine, the teenage Princess Elizabeth. While time is compressed (understandably) it's fairly historically accurate and gives a great sense of Tudor England and the drama that plays out between factions. The fact that's it's based on reality not fantasy makes it even more compelling.

I hope Starz commission a 2nd season. There's a lot to pack into our young Elizabeth's life as she becomes one of Britain's greatest monarchs and this is a welcome addition to our playlist.

Well worth watching

[SB100 · 7/10 · 8 August 2022]

This is an engaging look at the experience of the young Elizabeth Tudor as she tried to navigate the dangers of life after the death of her father Henry VIII. Some liberties are taken with history (eg a prominent role for Stephen Gardiner, the pro-Catholic Bishop of Winchester who was actually imprisoned the whole time, but none at all for the father of the English reformation Archbishop Thomas Cranmer; and there is also some compression of timelines), but on the whole it is much more careful about facts than, say, 'The Tudors'.

Costuming and scene design are very good, and there is generous use of candle-lit scenes, emphasising how dark it would often have been at the time.

The performamces are good. Alicia von Rittberg, who played the lead role in the Netflix series Charite, has been de-glamorised and makes an unusual, intense Elizabeth, sometimes almost surprising herself with the way she twists and turns to respond to danger whether it is the sexual advances of her stepmother's new husband or attempts to get her support for the latest conspuiracy. If at times she seems rather mature for a 15 year old, it must be remembered that Elizabeth was one of the most highly educated females in England, and had had to live on her wits since her mother was executed. There is strong competition in the acting stakes from Romola Garai, who plays Elizabeth's older sister Mary, fierce and upright but far from one-dimensional. In fact, at times the series is in danger of turning into 'Becoming Mary'. Perhaps the most surprising success however is Oliver Zetterstrom as the young Edward VI. A far from easy role: vulnerable but priggish and tending to fanaticism, having to fight his own battles against an adult woirld which bowed to him but controlled him. The supporting cast are also generally good.

The story only goes up to a point before the death of Edward VI, presumably with an intention of a second series.

A lot better than I thought!

[kandb-23528 · 8/10 · 16 August 2022]

It has all great the writing of the White Queen but with a way bigger budget.

The acting is amazing and the writing is suitably dramatic and entertaining. The costumes and set are the best of I've ever seen in a Tudor series. Love that they actually show how people lived back then, not just them being serious and scheming.

If you love the Tudor dynasty you will love this series.

Season 2 please

[jspayne-73632 · 10/10 · 12 August 2022]

Absolutely love, love, love this show! It is getting so good, can't wait for season 2! The costumes, the acting, and the engaging stories unfolding are spectacular. Keeps you on the edge of your seat wanting more.

An intriguing take on Elizabeth's path to becoming the queen.

[lennyfrost · 7/10 · 10 July 2022]

Becoming Elizabeth doesn't care about showing battles and wars. Rather, the story focuses on Elizabeth's struggles after Henry VIII's death and explores the political mess and the different sides competing for power. It is well written with quite interesting dialogues. The show develops at a very good pace and as we reach the mid-season things start to get very critical and engaging.

The casting is very fitting and gives life to the characters. Alicia von Rittberg as Elizabeth is emotional and energetic and gives us a loving character full of confusing moments as she tries to find strength and understand the game of power that she has been suddenly placed at. And then we have Tom Cullen as Thomas Seymour, a very charismatic and manipulative person who might even make you like him, as I did, despite doing all the wrong one can do. He is a manipulator after all and the actor does that very well. The young actors are amazing performers too. Oliver Zetterström as Edward does a powerful job at just 15 years old. Overall the cast is enjoyable and the character development is done beautifully.

The visuals and cinematography are decent with beautifully done costumes and designs and music that blends nicely with the scenes.

Ultimately, Becoming Elizabeth makes an enjoyable addition to this widely explored era which is definitely worth a visit for the genre's fans.

Gripping!

[bjones-28383 · 10/10 · 4 July 2022]

I started out a little underwhelmed. But by episode three I was hooked! It's very subtle acting, and truthfully, stays very close to history. The chemistry between Elizabeth and Catherine and Thomas is electric. And Bella Ramsey does a great job at a very persnickety role (Jane Grey). The actress that plays Elizabeth feels believable, naïve, and essentially, like a teenage girl! Tom Cullen steals the show. Highly recommend! Definitely watch past the pilot.

Not bad as an historical fiction, BUT

[cuchodp · 7/10 · 20 July 2022]

As a Spaniard I need to ask:

Why is Don Pedro a black man...? A very strange choice. Clearly they needed to put a black character somewhere -as always- and I guess the Spanish Ambassador was the easy option, but...

There where no black people AT ALL in Spain at that period, not to say a noble one or knight. Even if some of you are thinking on our moorish heritage I tell you:

1. The vast majority of the moors were expelled from the Iberian peninsula and they were replaced with people brought from Castilla. The small still remaining don't count, because they weren't (and are not) black.

2. Moors are from north of the Sahara desert, black population are from south of the sahara desert. More over, the biggest past of the population in Al-Andalus previous to the Castillian conquest were descendents of the Omeya tribes, from the actual Syria.

There were no black population in continental Spain until the XIX century, and those were from Ecuatorial Guinea and Cuba. Certainly, there were no Spanish politician of any kind or level without a long lineage of nobility or aristocracy, same as anywhere in the rest of the continent in those days.

So no, a spanish noble black man is as accurate as the characters from "Bridgerton" portraying an English noble family during the Regency, but hey, it's just historical fiction, same as the Netflix series

The rest of the show, a bit of a soap opera but very enjoyable and entertaining.

-- Excuse my english as is not my 1st language.

Great historical romantic drama

[michael_cure · 8/10 · 30 June 2022]

Very beautifully produced series. For those that enjoy period drama with a historical backdrop this is a wonderful series. After watching the Tudors I was hoping for a drama about the rise of Elizabeth and here it is. Extremely pleased with the casting and writing. Well done.

Wonderful fiction

[yahaira-729-694701 · 7/10 · 15 August 2022]

Seems more episodes arecwaranted to at least until she takes power. I wish they had continued with this trajectory and character the costumes and historical account of personages was interesting.

Thank goodness there is only one season

[tishco · 2/10 · 2 December 2022]

Production values are good. It looks and sounds good. Some historical accuracy. Otherwise it is laboriously and laughably wrong. The characters have little in common with the real people of history.

If you love history and especially the Tudor era put your mind into neutral and accept the fantasy.

Stand out performances are Cat Ashley, Princess Mary and Thomas Seymour.

The portrayal of Katherine Parr, Jane Grey and Edward are just totally wrong!

You can see the strong influence of Phillipa Gregory's books, as she writes historical fantasy.

I watched it for the amazing castles that this was filmed in, the scenery and costumes. I watched hoping the story would improve, for the truth is far more interesting and exciting than this drivel.

Fantastic!

[flanamom · 10/10 · 19 June 2022]

The acting, the scenery and costumes, the story itself, I'm really loving this series! I don't mind some of the "artistic license" taken in this story, it's done subtley and, as someone who has studied the Tudor period for the past 20 years, can imagine certain behaviors displayed by the respective character(s) to be believable. For those of you who enjoy historical fiction, you might not even notice. It's not a documentary after all, but it does stay very close to the history of Elizabeth's life according to what I've read (and yes, I've read much more than Allison Weir, whose books I find entertaining just the same). The actor who plays Edward VI looks so much like the real-life portrait of this young King that it's startling. All the roles were filled with good, notable actors, a few of whom you'll recognize right off the bat. Well done to the creators of Becoming Elizabeth!

...But the costumes

[squirrl · 6/10 · 8 August 2022]

Really had high hopes for this production. The casting was really good, young Edward (Oliver Zetterström) looks like he stepped right out of a contemporary painting of him. I enjoyed the actors' portrayal of the two Seymour brothers (Tom Cullen & John Heffernan). The actress who played Mary (Romola Garai) stole every scene she was in and I almost felt like this was more "Becoming Mary" than Elizabeth. Unfortunately, the writing fell short and the actors can only do so much with what they are given. Such a missed opportunity to show how the young Elizabeth became such a force to be reckoned with... But the costumes are stunning, the most authentic Tudor costumes I have seen in any recent TV production. If nothing else, watch it for the costumes if you are a tudorphile.

History Takes Time / Worth Watching

[thomasmbillington · 10/10 · 5 July 2022]

People want quick gratification and rate to early. GREAT historical adaptation of Queen Elizabeth. I am on the edge of my seat waiting for each new episodes.

Good but room for improvement

[richardwood-17446 · 7/10 · 5 August 2023]

Only seen 4 episodes thus far so suspending final judgment but , overall, better than I had anticipated. It could have been better yet if it had focused more on the politics - very tricky for everyone - and less on Thomas Seymour and Catherine Parr getting it together. And, while I'm in Aunt Edna mode, I can add that the modern swear words jarred as well. Whatever the 16th century equivalents might have been, no-one would have dared to come out with language like that in front of the King or his sisters.

The series' strong point is in conveying the delicate situation for both Henry VIII's daughters and Edward VI's courtiers. The boy-king himself is convincingly portrayed - regal and intelligent but too young and inexperienced to control the wasps' nest.

I can see BBC influence

[SKNTN · 10/10 · 3 July 2022]

Well done. It's the Young Bess story only better. The haters are probably sorry there is no time travel or super heroes. The romance less important here than the political struggle. Bravo Starz.

Forced Inclusion

[The_Dog_Father · 6/10 · 8 July 2022]

Who do they make these time periods for?

Why does hollywood force mandated inclusion?

Movie after movie regardless genre, there is focus on making sure the world has to watch history changed to appease a certain quota.

I took stars off just for the forced race role play on the Spanish characters. Maybe the young people think the Spanish are black, regardless of some moor influence over the centuries. There is a fantasy element to this rather than historical, but it would have been a 1 star if had been shake n bake with developing Elizabeth's character so far.

Hoping for another season!!

[MizzMaryMack · 10/10 · 22 August 2022]

There are lots of movies and shows about the Tudors, but this is the first one that focuses primarily on the three children of Henry VIII, and their relationships with each other in the immediate aftermath of of their father's death. The whole cast is amazing! The show is very well written, and so beautiful to look at. Really hoping for a second season!

Miles above the white princess

[mstaffordca · 7/10 · 25 June 2022]

Already much better than STARZ previous historical dramas. Of course it's not the caliber of the Brit's but it's much better than previous white princess.

Not worth watching.

[salcorso-71243 · 2/10 · 16 September 2022]

Badly cast, badly written, badly acted, historically inaccurate on so many counts. The research on Elizabeth I and the Tudors is extensive. Why not seek it out and use it.

Princess Elizabeth is so badly cast and so badly acted with an extremely irritating mousy voice so unlike the strong character of Elizabeth herself. Romola Garai would have been a better choice even if a little old for the part.

Is this a modern version for a new generation who have no idea of history? The language is totally implausible and a weird mix of formal and course slang as if many writers have had a go at it. The Moors were cast out of Spain by Princess Mary's grandparents. Is this an attempt to be inclusive and forget history? Then why bother at all? Use the extensive budget to further historical research an area which is seriously lacking in funding.

I gave it 2 stars for costumes and sets.

why is this rated so low? this series is fabulous?

[NikkiFromSiberia · 10/10 · 11 August 2022]

Now mind you i give this a 10 instead of a 9 to compensate for the low rating but overall all this was highly enjoyable.

The most refreshing part was the historically accurate (-ish, as much as the budged allowed at times) costumes and interior décor! Unlike the tudors this series is trying to be accurate.

The lead actresses were great to watch the plot is interesting to see unfold even if you know the story.

I hope they make a second season.

Something's missing

[sjaraalmonte · 6/10 · 8 September 2022]

The acting and casting is pretty good. Romola Garai as Mary is the best part of the show, though her past is lackluster for what we know of Mary. The whole thing is a bit boring and dull. I keep waiting for some energy, spirit or emotion that isn't contrived or wooden. Even the amorous scenes have a mechanical quality. Not sure, maybe it's not great direction? Certainly not like The White Queen and absolutely nowhere near Elizabeth. Cate Blanchett cannot be matched as Elizabeth. She was also robbed of an Oscar for that film. I thought she captured the essence of a young Elizabeth. Even her laughter was palpable. Go back and watch it for comparison.😜

Soap Opera.. thumbs down

[jstreetstyle · 4/10 · 2 July 2022]

Episode 3, ooo.. he's walking in the room where she's alone...oooo she's walking in the room where he's alone. I find the whole thing a joke after Episode 2. I find it mehhhh didn't finish Episode 3.

I'll stick to the other TV movies made from the past.

Starz winning in material already well covered

[andrewcl-31356 · 10/10 · 20 June 2022]

So far (ep 2) this might be the best medieval drama I have seen. That would be maybe a dozen, including ones with this series' setting, 1572 England.

The young king Edward VI is well cast & acted, and written, given his father was Henry VIII, whose death starts this. All the dialogue is succint and dramatic, and generally not so accented as to be muddled. That and the solid logic are not assured in English productions, but B. E. comes through for this American.

The faces of the romantic leads are quite expressive but still believable. This might be the major difference in this version of the events depicted. The actors do not get that many words to work with, so must emote.

The suggestion is made that Mary queen of Scots could/should have been prevented from fleeing to France. That makes a big what-if. She's not in this though. In general, the world the characters inhabit is fairly small, and the Elizabeth character bemoans this. As do I as the show's biggest flaw. Politics & such are present only as they affect the given characters. There was one not-bad war scene.

Modern sensabilities exist in such as 1.5 characters made black and Eliz. Killing a deer. This is amusingly almost addressed in the dialogue though, so is easily forgivable.

There is an edgy tone throughout that might annoy smoe. The music is simple but uses modern instruments.

Very promising.

Much better than expected

[SamuelPickwick · 7/10 · 12 September 2023]

When I heard that there was a new drama series about the young Elizabeth, with a language/sex/violence warning, and that series 2 had been cancelled, I had very low expectations. But I'm glad I tried it, as it's very good. If you're used to the conventional genteel style of costume drama it takes a bit of getting used to, but there almost certainly was a lot of sex and violence and swearing in Tudor England, so why not?

It's set in the late 1540s. Henry VIII has died, leaving his 9 year old son Edward on the throne. The series deals with the power struggles and religious conflicts of this difficult time. Another main theme is the relationship between the teenage Elizabeth and Thomas Seymour, husband of Henry's widow Catherine Parr.

For me the outstanding actor is the young boy who plays King Edward. He looks exactly right and he's sometimes a child, sometimes a King, sometimes having a tantrum ("I'm the ****ing King, not you!"). Romola Garai is also captivating as his older Catholic sister Mary. Unfortunately Elizabeth seems miscast. She's too old (she should be 14 at the start) and sometimes her German accent comes through and her words aren't always clear.

The settings are magnificent. No expense was spared taking cast and crew to some of England's finest Tudor castles and houses. The costumes are also excellent. Elizabeth seems to have a beautiful new dress for almost every scene.

IMHO It's Underrated

[Littleman95 · 10/10 · 7 August 2022]

Plot: it's all about court game. Three kids became possible successors of the throne from a day to another. They'll strive to find how to live in place of plotting called court.

Actress & Actors and Acting:I sincerely liked the cast, nothing to say against it.

Conclusion: as soon as you don't expect a documentary, I guess you can enjoy the court plotting. To me it was very catchy.

It's sad that this show is so underrated, but this is just my opinion, it's just a matter of taste. If you'll watch it I just hope you'll like it.