Hooked: The Tudors

Didn't think I'd like it.

Totally do.

Yeah, Jonathan Rhys Meyers looks nothing like the actual Henry Tudor. And timelines are fiddled with, and multiple historical figures condensed into fewer characters. And there's more than a bit of teeth-gnashing and suspiciously modern styling of hair.

But they still got me.

Not many monarchs in English history had a more dramatic reign than Henry VIII. A break from the all-powerful Roman Catholic church. Six wives, two of which he had beheaded. A struggle for a male heir who could survive boyhood.

That drama is what The Tudors, a joint Irish/Canadian production, captures really well. And Rhys Meyers, who seemed to me at first glance too boyish (and 100+ pounds too light) for the role, gets the passion / paranoia / fickleness just right. Natalie Dormer surprised me, too. At first, she seemed to lean on her archy eyebrows and quirking smile to play second wife Anne Boleyn. But then she busted out a voice way deeper than I expected and won me over. She still had some tics, but along came the final episode of season 2, when Anne... you know... has a date with a French swordsman, and I was sad to see her character go. (And even though you know what's going to happen, that season finale is so freaking tense. Gah.)

So, don't depend on The Tudors for your history lessons. Just enjoy the sumptuous production and ever-changing character loyalties. And, of course, since it's on Showtime, there's pretty much a per-episode guarantee of nekkidness. If that appeals.

Also, check out this poster for the show: Henry's thrown built of the strong but vulnerable bodies of his court. Great idea.

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