Wolf Hall finally arrived on BBC2 last night! BIG thanks go to BBC for making Wolf Hall the best birthday gift ever!
I will watch the mini-series as religiously as I read the books, and I want to talk a bit about my favorite scene and my favorite line from each episode without giving away spoilers.
“Three-Card Trick” was a slow-paced episode, in which we met the main character Thomas Cromwell, and found out about his sad personal story. We also got to see Cromwell in different settings and in conversation with other main characters, including Cardinal Wolsey, Thomas More, Anne Boleyn, Duke of Norfolk, Richard Gardiner and his family members. The episode basically brought Thomas Cromwell to life, and set the scene for Wolf Hall.
Even though Henry VIII did not appear until the last scene, he had a strong presence all over the episode, because people were constantly talking about him.
My favorite scene was that last scene in the episode, the meeting between Thomas Cromwell and King Henry VIII, mostly thanks to the nature of their conversation. The two talked about war, and the way they talked about war was impossibly timeless!
Henry: “You said, in Parliament, in a speech, some six years ago, that I could not afford a war.”
Cromwell: “War is not an affordable thing.”
Henry: “When I went into France, I captured the town of Therouanne which you called…”
Cromwell: “A dog hole, majesty?”
Henry: “How could you say so?”
Cromwell: “I’ve been there…”
Henry: “So have I, at the head of an army! You told me I could not lead my own troops. You told me if I was taken prisoner, the ransom would bankrupt the country. So what do you want? You want a king to huddle indoors like a sick girl?”
Cromwell: “That would be ideal, for fiscal purposes.”
At this very moment, the LOOK that Henry gives to Cromwell is just PRICELESS! He is pissed with Cromwell, but he also gets that Cromwell is right… so he just takes a deep breath and… decides to smile 🙂 I believe this very conversation starts Cromwell’s rise in the court of Henry VIII!
And, my favorite line comes from George Cavendish:
“Thomas Cromwell reading a prayer book? Now I know how bad things are.” 🙂
I also love the fact that the BBC adaptation has kept most of the conversations in its original form.
And, if you have watched the first episode and can’t wait for the second one, here is some FUN for you!
Here is the trailer for Episode 2:
And, here is a short clip from Episode 2. ENJOY!
And, if you missed the first episode, and happen to be in the UK, the first episode is available on iPlayer for a month.
