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”

Wolf Hall: The Mirror and The Light – Episode 6 Light

“Valentines, sorceries, purple doublets. Any jury would laugh you out of the court. But then there won’t be a jury, will there?” – Thomas Cromwell

No jury. No trial. Only an interrogation team, perfectly convinced about Thomas Cromwell being a traitor, asking ridiculous questions. And an Act of Attainder which Cromwell himself also used against others.

Upon arresting him, Kingston brings Cromwell to the Tower, to the very room that Cromwell himself built for Anne Boleyn before her coronation. It is also the same room the late queen spent her days before her execution. Now, in  his solitary confinement, it is inevitable for Cromwell to reflect on his past. And characters from that past, varying from Anne Boleyn to Cardinal Wolsey to Dorothea to the French executioner haunt his dreams. Continue reading “Wolf Hall: The Mirror and The Light – Episode 6 Light”

Wolf Hall: The Mirror and The Light – Episode 5 Mirror

“Have you not read it in The Book Called Henry which I wrote for you? Never say what the King will not do. – Thomas Cromwell

In the penultimate episode of Wolf Hall: The Mirror and The Light, everything that could go wrong goes wrong for Cromwell, reminding us what the Imperial Ambassador Chapuys tells him in Episode 1 Wreckage:

For when all is said, you are a blacksmith’s son. Your whole life depends on the next beat of Henry’s heart and your future on his smile or frown.”

We have seen Cromwell guiding the King’s thoughts in the direction that he prefers for a long time. However, as his tasks pile up, Cromwell is not able to spend as much time with the king as he would like. He is well aware of his vulnerability: that he has more enemies than friends in the court and there is a lot of conversation going on without him especially after Gardiner’s return from France. And the fever that keeps Cromwell away from Henry for some time gives Gardiner enough time to get closer to the King and poison him against Cromwell. Continue reading “Wolf Hall: The Mirror and The Light – Episode 5 Mirror”

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”

10 Years of Wolf Hall: A Personal Journey

Henry VIII is a monster, but he’s our monster. We’re perversely proud of Henry. -Hilary Mantel

Now tell me… what are the odds your all-time favorite actor plays your all-time favorite historical monster in a mini-series based on your all-time favorite book?

I know! 🙂

In celebration of  Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light arriving finally on BBC, I would love to share my own very personal Wolf Hall journey with you. ENJOY!

Continue reading “10 Years of Wolf Hall: A Personal Journey”