The Tudors Recap – And your done Katherine!!!

Ok, so, we all knew that Queen Katherine’s reign was coming to an end, and soon considering there are only 5 episodes left in this series!

If you are not a fan of brutal medieval torture methods, than DO NOT watch this episode.  I think I even saw my husband cringe and turn away (he likes the brutal nature of the times.)

Last week, we ended with the King getting a letter.  We now learn that it is unsigned, and a tip off to Queen Katherine’s wild and naughty ways of her past.  He can’t believe it, and authorizes a full investigation of the matter to hopefully dismiss it immediately, however that does not happen.  Francis Derehem’s name was brought up in the letter, so he was quickly nabbed.  Also, Jane was pulled in for questioning because she was working at the same house that Derehem and Queen Katherine were at.

So much of this episode was really about the torture of Francis Derehem and the inquisition of all parties involved.  After the history comes out and Francis and Katherine confirm their pasts,  and Katherine adds that Francis raped her… apparently the over 100 times they’ve slept together.   everyone starts to question her innocence after marriage with the King.  Torturing Francis (pulling out all of his fingernails ninja style, and starting to pull out his teeth), he informs them about Thomas Culpepper.

Now is the interrogation on Thomas.  This is huge.  They both deny (as history indicated too) any sexual relations ever occurred between the two.  However, the letter was found from Queen Katherine to Thomas in his quarters (a.k.a. bedroom).  Once that was found, Queen Katherine’s fate was in.  I’m surprised they didn’t have King Henry say “off with her head!”  They killed everyone.  Lady Rochford even was on the chopping block because she was called a Madame in a Whore House!  Okay, they used the word Brothel… but, I can improvise…right?

Anyway, Lady Rochford had her part in this, and surprisingly, Lady Jane was totally excused from the head removal seminar (good spin… right?)   However, Lady Rochford went crazy, and played with her poop on the walls, like an 8 month old bored in her crib (yes, my kids did that too.)  So, King Henry forced a Bill to be created to kill an insane person for high treason.   Making a  point about treason???

So Francis and Thomas are killed together.  Francis was hung, but then poked or should I say stabbed with a hot iron poker and was stabbed to death.  Thomas was beheaded.  It was said that Francis died a horrible death because he spoiled Katherine for the Queen.

In the end, it was Charles who escorted the Queen to the tower where she was walking and saw the heads of her prior sexual conquests on a stick.  She never even looked at Francis and all she could say was Thomas, no.   She asked for the chopping block, so she could practice putting her head on it.  Why she had to do it naked, is beyond me.  I am sure the men loved seeing her naked one last time, like a parting gift, shall we say.

It’s the end, they are up there on the stage, and when it is Queen Katherine’s turn, she announces that she dies a Queen, however, she would have much rather died Thomas Culpepper’s wife.  The crowd starts gossiping to each other immediately.  She then lays her head on the chopping block that is full of blood from Lady Rochford (they couldn’t have wiped it dry at least?) and they cut out as the executioner raises the axe to obviously behead her.

What did you think?  Too much???  Or did you think that she got what she deserved? Comment below!

The Tudors Recap – Insecurities & Immaturity

Ok. This season is progressing as we are 2 episodes in on a 10 episode season.

Firstly, I want to say that the gray hair is aging him very quickly.  We didn’t see these kind of grays last season, but I did look into it and the historians (wiki) say that he aged very quickly.

We open with dancing and Lord Surrey with Mrs. Seymour and he wants her again, and she’s refusing to tease him.  Then we go to the King and Charles, and the King has created a medal with a new coat of arms on it with the inscription a rose with no thorns.  Charles declares that if his wife were to make love to him again, make him a medal.  I thought that was so funny.  However, Charles also informs him that Anne of Cleves also has been keeping company with Elizabeth and Mary.

So, it didn’t take long for Joan to tell someone about Francis Dereham, and she decides to tell Lady Rochford.   Ok, we already know that Lady Rochford is NOT, I repeat NOT a fan of Queen Kathryn.

So, the King decides to invite Anne of Cleves to court for the New Year along with Mary.  Kathryn is in the pond area and the King says that there is another gift and she she’s two horses, he says that they are a gift from Anne of Cleves and that she is on her way.  The teenager face that Kathryn made was perfect for a girl of her age.   She’s jealous and upset.  Did anyone find it interesting that she gifted the King and the Queen 2 horses when that is what the King said she looked like???  A Slap in the face maybe, like I don’t look like a horse, you act like one??  Also, who is going to be so jealous of a woman that the King thought looked like a horse? A Child, that’s who!  Anyway, Kathryn says while walking away, “I hope Lady Mary will be more gracious”.

Mary does just enough to stay under the Kings Radar, but obey’s him and Kathryn knows that… so when Mary thanked the King for his gifts, Kathryn went back to her seat and pouted!

Anne of Cleves has a sense of humor and is very appealing.  as a result, her and Kathryn get along.  (Anne seems to be very optimistic and holds no grudge, … i like her.)  Now Anne reveals that she has no reason to remarry and thinks of Elizabeth as a daughter she never had and finds that having Elizabeth as a real daughter would bring her more happiness than being queen..  certainly Kathryn doesn’t think so.

The Spanish Ambassador, Mendoza visits with Mary and you see such an amazing father daughter relationship with the two of them.  He really does try to guide her in the right direction and she looks up to him so.  However, he does try to appeal to Mary to reconcile her feelings with the Queen and of course Mary refuses and storms out of the room when she sees Anne and Kathryn dancing together.

The next day Mary gets a visit by Kathryn  and it gets to be a battle of wits between the two.  It’s funny too, because as Mary says that Anne deserves respect because she carries herself with grace, Kathryn has one hand hanging on her hip and slouching already proving her point.  The battle of wits got quickly personal and Mary told Kathryn that the King will lose interest in her soon enough because she is frivolous and not even pregnant.   Kathryn responded with, “Your jealous and you will die an old maid”.  The attack resulted in Kathryn removing two maids from Marys service.

After the argument, Mendoza goes to her room to find her packing.  He asks what has aspired in the argument and she informs him of it and tells him that she’s right.  She’s so desperate to be married and it hasn’t happened.  The acting displayed by Mary was amazing.

Henry left the dance or ball early and found that it was his ulcer that needed to be drained.  Culpepper asks him why invite Anne and he replied, she’s kept her word.  I wonder if there is more to it than we think.  Like she kept her word in saying that there was no consummation.  Just a thought! but it seems he respects her for keeping her word and he doesn’t get that too often.  Maybe he should have stayed with her.  Also, when he, Kathryn and Ann have a private dinner, he gives multiple gifts to Kathryn and Ann never got jealous or pouty.  I think he liked that about her.

Mrs. Seymour was approached by Thomas, her brother in law and tells him that he should be more like Edward and to take what he wants.  Of Course Lord Surrey was watching and she was trying to make him jealous.  So, later that night, Thomas goes to her bed and she doesn’t want that.  She fights him for a minute, cries than collects herself and gets into in.  See what happens when you wanna tease and make someone jealous?  Oh, Lord Surrey wrote a poem that went public about her trying to lure him in and he will make prey out of her and her and her husband murdered the innocent.  She looked at him with such betrayal in her eyes.

Lady Rochford had way too much to drink and divulged the Francis Dereham information to Culpeper.  You can see that Rochford likes him but where his interests lie are way different than hers.  So after a couple of days they sleep together and  the second after they do he makes a reference to Kathryn and Dereham and says I wonder what it would feel like.  She immediately covers up, but has a change of heart and tells him that if its what he wants, she can arrange it.

So the next day, Henry meets with his council  and thinks that they are plotting against him and publicizes the mourning of Cromwell.  You can clearly see his insecurities and his descent into madness.

So, Kathryn hasn’t seen the King in 10 days and has insecurities of what she did wrong and wonders if he’s taken a mistress.  She has no clue about his medical condition or ailments.  So, when she suggests that the King has taken a Mistress, Culpepper makes eye contact with her and says that he can’t speak about such matters.  He does say, however, “You more than any other woman deserve to be happy” right in front of Lady Rochford.  He’s pinning Kathryn into such self doubt and insecurities that when Joan goes to her side and tells her that Culpepper is in love with her, she is intrigued.  Later Lady Rochford informs Kathryn that she knows about Dereham and can keep a secret and make Culpepper her secret.  This intrigues the Queen.  Does anyone remember that Lady Rochford is the widow of Queen Ann Boleyn’s brother?  Hellllllo…  she ratted them out for an alleged incestuous relationship?  She’s a rat, and I smell a plot!

So the episode ends with a secret rendezvous with Culpepper late at night, and the King staring out at the moon.

The Tudors: Recap – The Fifth

The Tudors opened tonight with Henry taking his 5th bride, 17 year old Katherine.  He announces their marriage and introduces his new bride to his children.  While the younger two, Elizabeth and Edward are very proper and polite, Mary is the one with the problem.  (Shocker there!)  Lady Mary was very fond of Jane Seymour and I don’t think we will see that at all here.  I don’t think it will be as bad as it was with Ann, but I do see the relationship having a rocky road.

In the beginning of the episode we find out that Thomas Boleyn had passed away.  Sir Brandon has a moment thinking about him.  The reason the Boleyn family is coming up because Queen Katherine turns out to be the first cousin of Queen Anne.   Also while the visit with Elizabeth took place, the King looked at her like he was seeing her mother through her and had a lovingly look on his face.  I thought it was interesting.

It looks like they have started aging Henry a bit as well.  His hair is not jet black jelled back.  His passions are coming alive with this one and it seems that he’s ready to fight… with anyone.  At one point, he turned and stated that he was disappointed that France did not fight and instead wanted peace.  He has shockingly, given all of Jane Seymour’s land to his new bride, Katherine who comes from quite a sketchy background.  Apparently she’s had relations with a number of people.

When Lady Mary went in, she had her normal I am above you, my mother was the original and only queen of England attitude.  She was statuesque almost.  The Queen invited her to stay and she flat out said no.  Thank you.  and left.  After this moment of embarrassment from the new queen, she received a guest from her questionable past who showed up asking to be put at court.  We later find out some of the sexual escapades that she has partook in and from the looks of it, liked it.  She is very nervous about Joan, her friend, being at court and you can see it plainly on her face.  What other dirt does Joan have, I wonder?

Lady Rochford had a small moment with Sir Culpepper.  He said her name in a very long way that insinuating flirting and interest.  She turned and they met glances, so there may be something with them, I am not sure.  It seems that Lady Rochford is not finding this queen to be acting queen like and does not seem to prefer her as Lady Mary does not.   Speaking of Lady Mary, The French King has offered his second eldest to marry with Lady Mary.  It seems that he keeps offering up kids to Lady Mary… hmmm.

I like Sir Charles Brandon.  He admits that his wife no longer loves him as she used to and when the King had offered the advice of taking a mistress he said he’d rather make her love him again.  How sweet.

What wasn’t so sweet about the episode was Thomas Culpepper.  You see him (amongst others) constantly staring at Queen Katherine.  You can see the infatuation in his eyes and in those times, speaking aloud about it can get someone killed.  He stated that drinking doesn’t get her out of his mind, so let’s find something else to fill his quench of thirst.  So, him and his cronies had gone out the next day, found a woman where her husband was no where to be found, along with no children and raped her.  When the husband tracked them down, tears were in his eyes and he wanted to do a citizens arrest.  When that didn’t work, Culpepper tried to bribe him and he still went to find the sheriff.  Culpepper stabbed him with the sword immediately.  I think it’s fair to say, I don’t care for this guy much.

His infatuation will get the better of him.  Does anyone remember Mark, the music player with Queen Anne?????  The same may happen to him.  (It does in real life.)  Click here for a link to the only surviving letter by Queen Katherine and it is to Thomas Culpepper (it also has a little summary of what happened to them.)    Basically, the new queen is a little hot to trot thing (not to mention young) and is making all the men jealous.  Now, let’s think of ourselves at 17 ladies, did you find the man of your dreams right away???? No.   She’s young.  But, she will learn.  The king is coming off as he is her father in the way that he is spoiling her with gifts and trinkets.   Also, Anne Stanhope has taken another lover, this one is related to the Queen, and I can’t quite get his name.  It’s Lord Suri.  All I know is he’s a Howard, and has ambitions of better greatness than his father or grandfather.   That = TROUBLE!!!

For the first episode of the season it was ok, alright maybe.  He had a moment of kindness when letting go 500 suspected heretics and then had a moment of cruelty when Queen Katharine’s cousin had (along with 3 other men) killed a man.  The other three men were swiftly killed, however, due to his new nobility blood, the King had him dragged throughout town before his hanging.  I can see how they are hinting the madness of King Henry to start.

Can’t wait for next week.  Rate this episode!!!

The Rise and Fall of “The Tudors”

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Ok, well… maybe historically, it’s “The Rise and Fall of Rome”, however in my little TV land world.. it’s now known as The Rise and Fall of “The Tudors.” “The Tudors” aired on Showtime has announced that this is their final season to the amazing series.  I am crushed!   According to tvseriesfinale.com “Series creator and executive producer Michael Hirst explained to reporters in January that the reason was “The collapse of the dollar.” At the time, Hirst said that he and the other producers were hoping to be able to make the fourth season a full 10 episode season and apparently they’ve been successful.”  So it has become victim as other cable network shows like “Rome” of HBO.  Cost is a factor people

So, they were appearing to start out as 1 season, 1 wife of King Henry.  Now, they are going to cram the other three wives he had along with why and how he eventually went made into the 10 episode season finale.   Does anyone else feel robbed?  I (and my husband) enjoyed the recreating Henry VIII.

Even though his marriage to his final three wives were short lived, (4th wife 3 years, 5th wife 3 years, 6th wife 4 years), his 2nd and 3rd marriage were just equally as long and equally as important.  How are they really going to cram all of that into 10 – 1 Hour episodes????

The Tudors has been compared to HBOs “Rome” in terms of viewers and cost.  While viewership has been loyal, the cost to produce it is astonishing.  In this author’s opinion, you have a lot of non A list actors and actresses, however, it is the cost of costumes and set design that is killing the series.

In all honesty, this show has enough of a following for a big network to pick it up… cough cough (CBS, NBC, FOX, ABC & CW).   There are NOT a tremendous amount of sexual scenes that would obviously have to be censored… cough cough (Spartacus).. and it may be more accepted on a local network rather than cable.

What do you think.   Will you miss it??? Do you think you are being robbed this fourth and final season?????  Who was your favorite wife?