Category: Wolf Hall

Entirely Beloved… Cromwell! He has been Cardinal Wolsey’s “Entirely Beloved” for a long time and now our Thomas is gradually becoming the King’s “Entirely Beloved.”

And, Wolf Hall is surely becoming my “Entirely Beloved.” This is drama at its BEST with superb writing, directing, and acting. Damian Lewis and Mark Rylance absolutely STORM it together, and it’s just pure pleasure to watch, think, and write about Wolf Hall!

When we see Cromwell and the King in the last scene of Episode 1, the King eventually smiles at Cromwell… it is probably the exact moment that the King clearly sees that this man is smart and he, Henry, could actually make good use of him… and so the meteoric rise of Cromwell in the court of Henry VIII gets a good start there and then. Continue reading “Wolf Hall Episode 2: “Entirely Beloved””

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. 

Continue reading “Wolf Hall Episode 1: Best Birthday Gift Ever :)”

You already know what’s coming if you have read the books. If not, please please do not get upset if you don’t get to see Henry VIII as often as you want in Wolf Hall, in particular the first episode. After all, this is Thomas Cromwell’s story.

Gaby Wood explains in her recent Telegraph article:

“Lewis compares playing Henry VIII to being a substitute on a football team – in particular, he compares him to ‘Supersub’ David Fairclough, who played for Liverpool in the 1970s and 1980s. ‘He was a redhead,’ he says, identifying closely with the footballer. ‘He rarely started a game for Liverpool – he was always a substitute, and he had a knack for coming on and scoring a winner. And I feel that in this version, it’s a bit like what Henry VIII is. He comes on occasionally, dazzles, and goes away again.” Continue reading “What to Expect When We are Expecting Wolf Hall :)”

Thomas Cromwell is, of course, the heart and soul of Wolf Hall, and Hilary Mantel tells the story through his eyes.

The most central relationship in Wolf Hall is between Cromwell and the King Henry VIII. Mark Rylance talks about Henry VIII in a recent Telegraph article: “He has very complicated patterns in his mind, which Cromwell tries to guide and deal with.’ Rylance laughs. ‘Sometimes you felt a bit like a psychiatrist, playing Cromwell.’

As Cromwell constantly tries to understand Henry so that he can guide and deal with him,  I want to showcase Henry VIII today in Hilary Mantel’s brilliant words complete with my own over-analysis of my favorite Tudor 🙂

Here’s a very brief Wolf Hall clip with Henry VIII and Thomas Cromwell:

The King says : “Who says I shouldn’t employ the son of an honest blacksmith? …Everything that you have will come from me.”

This is an all-powerful, controlling, ruthless, god-like King. Continue reading “Henry the God-like King vs Henry the Tender Man”