The Tudors

One of the benefits of moving is you have to set up new cable service. The benefit of setting up new cable service is you often get 3 - 6 months free of premium channels you normally would never dream of paying for.

Case and point, Showtime. Usually, there is nothing on Showtime worth viewing. Last year, that all changed. They have a new series ... The Tudors.

Now I'm a Tudor history nut. I'm not an expert on it by any means but I find Henry VIII extremely fascinating ... not him necessarily, but the women surrounding him. His was such a tumultuous time and he blamed it on everyone but himself. When in reality, his largest problem in life was his fault. Men determine the sex of the baby ... after all.

But my review of the Tudors. Having watched all ten episodes from last season over the last few weeks ... I have the following critics.

1. I never pictured Henry as mean. I pictured Henry as a selfish child who wanted to play all day and wanted things to work out in the end. He hated his enemies for trying to be stronger than him. He was extremely egotistical, and very proud. But I never pictured him as mean. I know he was cruel through his vanity ... but I never really pictured him as a man that would kick a dog, so to speak. Jonathon Reyes-Myers, the man that plays Henry ... his features are so severe. He doesn't laugh near as often as I pictured, and he doesn't enjoy life the way I envisioned Henry.

2. Cardinal Wolsey. In the show you feel sorry for him. In my readings, he was a man bent on absolute power. The two don't jive.

3. Ann Boleyn is so, so, so fantastic. She is exactly what I envisioned. I know history views her as a conniving, power hungry vixen. I see her more as a pawn that had ambitions, but they were mostly thrust upon her. I see her as trying at all costs to bring happiness to the men that are "orchestrating" her rise. But Natalie Dormer is pitch perfect. Love her.

4. Gabrielle Anwar. I'm sorry to say I'm glad her character died. She was really, really annoying. And that's hard for me to say, because usually I love her.

5. But the best, best, best person in this whole charade has got to be Maria Doyle Kennedy who plays Katerine of Aragon. Oh my land she is perfect. They need to have her in the movie. She is stoic, brave, and just so ... regal. I love her. But we'll see what I think of Ana Torret in the Other Boleyn Girl.

6. I love that they include Mary and George in this story. Mary of course is gone from court now ... but it's still really interesting.

So my overall view ... I'm pretty sure it's not worth the subscription to Showtime to watch the show. But I have to say I'm kind of addicted to it and can't wait to see the rest. And if you have a mind ... I'd rent the DVD and watch the series. The first two episodes are full of needless nudity, mostly I think for shock value. But the middle 6 or 7 are really just Henry battling with Rome and laying the ground work for King = God means Henry can do whatever he want.

There is also a really, really funny moment when Henry is talking to Ann and he says "I love your neck." She smiles ... but I the viewer thought that was sooooo hillarious. I forget watching that Ann is going to die, as is George and I think her father? I don't remember. I forget all that and then Henry says something like that and it's just oh so delicious.