Tag: Claire Foy

Wolf Hall on PBS, Episode 6: Master of Phantoms

"Those who have been made can be unmade." - Anne Boleyn
source: farfarawaysite.com
source: farfarawaysite.com

Henry never says good-bye…

Once he sees Wolsey is not able to fix a new wife for him… Henry never sees him again.

Once he realizes Katherine will not let him go, Henry leaves one morning without a good-bye, and never sees her again.

Once he takes back the chain of office from Thomas More as he resigns from his post as Lord Chancellor in a protest against Henry’s new bills… Henry never sees him again.

source: farfarawaysite.com
source: farfarawaysite.com

Finally… Once he leaves Anne at the jousting tournament at Greenwich, and rides back to Whitehall… Henry never sees her again. Continue reading “Wolf Hall on PBS, Episode 6: Master of Phantoms”

Murder of Crows

Don’t you just love when history comes in a nice convenient story arc? Wolf Hall, episode 5 is the climax leading up to the denouement of the stories told in Mantel’s Wolf Hall and Bringing up the Bodies. We all know how this is going to end, yet, here we are still watching, rapt, captivated by a fascinating story of a fascinating time told and performed impeccably by the best ensemble cast imaginable.

In this episode, titled “Crows”, we see leonine Henry’s frustrations coming to a head and wolf-in-sheep’s-clothing Cromwell being shown his place in the realm. And we see Anne slowly and painfully getting prepared to be escorted to the gallows. Continue reading “Murder of Crows”

Wolf Hall on PBS, Episode 5: Crows

"How many men can say my only friend is the King of England?" 
-Thomas Cromwell
source: farfarawaysite.com
source: farfarawaysite.com

Wolf Hall is getting darker by the minute in its penultimate episode. And, thanks to the wonderful immediacy it has —that’s Peter Kosminsky doing wonders behind the camera — you feel as if all is happening on real time, in front of your very eyes complete with a couple of moments that make you flinch!

In Crows, Henry is restless. He is capricious. He is obnoxious. He is EXPLOSIVE… And, then he turns into a little boy trying to make amends to his best friend. I don’t want to make a case for Henry but he has his reasons for being so — it is all about his obsession with a male heir. And, add to this, his being very much aware of his own mortality now that Henry makes a decision to move on… well… to the next wife… which also makes him a hopeless romantic at times…

Continue reading “Wolf Hall on PBS, Episode 5: Crows”

All about the Queen(s)

As Henry VIII was such a notoriously much married monarch, some of the talk about him, his politics, and his reign must focus on his Queen.

Archery2
source: BBC

Continue reading “All about the Queen(s)”

Wolf Hall on PBS, Episode 3: Anna Regina

"Everything you are, everything you have will come from me."
-Henry VIII
source: farfarawaysite.com
source: farfarawaysite.com

“Anna Regina” is an episode in which happiness peaks for the main trio. Look at Henry’s expression in the pic above — a mix of cheer, pride and hope. And, it’s not just Henry, but Anne and Thomas also get what they have been longing for quite some time in “Anna Regina.” This episode is about HOPE. It’s about “Yes, we can!”  Continue reading “Wolf Hall on PBS, Episode 3: Anna Regina”