On the Horizon: Wolf Hall – The Mirror and The Light on PBS Masterpiece

“Your Majesty is the only prince. The mirror and the light of other kings.”

Henry repeats the phrase as if cherishing it: the mirror and the light. (Excerpt from The Mirror and The Light)

My Fellow Americans! The long wait is over, well, almost… Wolf Hall: The Mirror and The Light is coming to PBS on March 23, 2025. The episodes will drop weekly. And Lady Trader (or should I say Lady Tudor – since she reads endlessly about The Tudors?) and I can’t wait to do weekly recaps for you!

This post is to get you in the mood already. Here is the official trailer: Continue reading “On the Horizon: Wolf Hall – The Mirror and The Light on PBS Masterpiece”

The King’s Painter: Hans Holbein The Younger in Wolf Hall

“He’s a genius – all the information is in his paintings.” – Joanna Eatwell, Costume Designer, Wolf Hall

I had written about the authenticity of the costumes in Wolf Hall  as well as how much the series’ brilliant costume designer Joanna Eatwell values Hans Holbein the Younger’s work in achieving this authenticity here back in 2015.

It turns out that Eatwell digged into the paintings of Holbein for research. From Lucy Worsley’s interview with Eatwell in 2015:

He’s a genius – all the information is in his paintings.

He not only painted members of the court, he also painted merchants and even some of Henry’s courtiers and staff, so we have a complete cross-section which is incredibly important for a piece like this.

Eatwell argues, in an audio interview with the BBC Academy, Holbein is a “master in his craft” and his paintings are realistic but also propaganda. The paintings make a statement about the person in the painting which she calls the “photoshop” of the times.

Continue reading “The King’s Painter: Hans Holbein The Younger in Wolf Hall”

Wolf Hall: The Mirror and The Light – Episode 4 Jenneke

“What good is my rule if I can’t save John? If he [Henry] can burn John Lambert, he can burn any of us. Any of us. I should have spoken.” – Thomas Cromwell

This episode stands out for me as the best of the four we’ve seen so far. I love it that we get to see both Thomas Cromwell and Henry VIII at their most human in happiness and sadness. But then as someone who teaches politics for a living, I also love the political intrigue with everybody playing mind games to get ahead in the court by eliminating others. Cromwell has a big target on his back as the second powerful man in England and his humanity makes him vulnerable.

Continue reading “Wolf Hall: The Mirror and The Light – Episode 4 Jenneke”

Wolf Hall: The Mirror And The Light – Episode 3 Defiance

“The Rebels demand that “vile blood” be drained from the Council. It’s your blood, I imagine.” – Imperial Ambassador Eustache Chapuys

The talk of the court is suitors,  marriages, pregnancies, heirs, newborns and children in this episode as an uprising erupts in the East and spreads to the North.

Cromwell is not in a good place. He may come across as a 16th century terminator, but he is a human being. He is deeply hurt by Dorothea’s false claim that he betrayed the Cardinal and her words keep haunting him in his dreams. And he wakes up only to get bad news. Continue reading “Wolf Hall: The Mirror And The Light – Episode 3 Defiance”

Wolf Hall: The Mirror And The Light – Episode 2 Obedience

“The King never does an unpleasant thing. Lord Cromwell does it for him.” — Queen Jane

Episode 2 Obedience opens with a refresher from the first series reminding us of Cardinal Wolsey’s fall. When Wolsey is forced to go to Yorkshire, Cromwell, Wolsey’s most trusted man, chooses to stay in London. Here is my detailed review of Wolf Hall  Episode 2: Entirely Beloved focusing on Cromwell working his ass of to get under Henry’s skin. There are rumors about him that he is now serving himself, not the Cardinal; but Cromwell’s ultimate goal is to become the King’s most trusted servant and persuade him to have Wolsey reinstated as the Lord Chancellor. Continue reading “Wolf Hall: The Mirror And The Light – Episode 2 Obedience”