The Tudors

So on Friday, after I finished work and after I was done at the gym, I ran to Blockbuster on the way home to pick up my Friday Night Entertainment. Yup, no dancing my butt off at a club, no chilling in a low-key bar, no running drunk and naked down Peachtree Street; just me, Tina, a very depressed friend in need of some serious comfort company and three Blockbuster rentals. What WERE those rentals, you might ask yourself. Or not, in case you just don't care. But just in case you do, those rentals were:



The Happening - Not as bad as everyone said it was. I actually enjoyed it. You'll never guess what's REALLY happening! It's some crazy sh*t.


Leatherheads - Eh. Kinda funny at parts, but kinda not at most parts. There are a couple scenes worth seeing, but overall I'm sure you could find something better to rent and enjoy.


And the rental to which this post is dedicated to: The Tudors, Season 1, Disc 1:




A couple people have been telling me to check this show out. I love Dexter and Californication, both Showtime shows and I LOVE anything to do with European history, especially English and especially anything to do with Henry VIII and/or Elizabeth. Who knew history could be so interesting and entertaining? Well, I did..so that's why I took the leap and rented the first disc to see how I liked it. It was a good move, if I do say so myself.


After finishing the first three episodes by Saturday morning, I really couldn't live without going back out and renting the last seven episodes. Forget that I had absolutely NO food in the fridge, forget that I had plans for later that night, forget that I seriously needed to clean my apartment cause it was starting to look like a dusty jungle scene. I NEEDED to watch this story play out, even though I knew the horrific ending already. Was Henry really going to risk his kingdom for this one girl? Yes, yes he was. Is the Cardinal really as bad as he seemed? Maybe not. Is Thomas More really as GOOD as he seemed? Maybe not. Could I maybe drool just a little bit more over Charles Brandon? Yes, yes I TOTALLY could. And was that the best sex scene ever?!! Yes, yes it was.




Jonathan Rhys Meyers plays a beautiful and intense Henry VIII. We realize early on that he loves just as fiercely as he hates and our feelings towards him rise and fall just as fluidly as his mood swings. He is not what you would call a kind person, but he is upset by death and in times like those that is always a sign of at least a decent person, if not a good person. You can't help but be attracted and awed by him, just as you are attracted and awed by Rhys Meyers' performance of him.




The show comes off a bit different than other shows. You watch this show and see 40,000 people in London alone die of disease, you see a man with reformist views get burned at the stake by a man who you trusted was good and pure (one of a very few in this character cast), you watch as a King who seemingly loves his people risks all of their livelihoods for one beautiful girl...but it's a different viewing experience because it all REALLY happened. There is a shot I remember well, a overhead shot of London..and it's burning. You can hear screams of pain and misery coming up from below and you feel your face scrunch up in sympathy and sadness. No documentary or History Channel event has ever caused me to feel like this show has. It's horrible and wonderful, deep and shallow, beautiful and scandalous...and totally addictive. I highly recommend it.

Here's your QotD:

King Henry: Tell me about King Francis, Sir Thomas.
Thomas Boleyn: He's 23 years old.
King Henry: Is he tall?
Thomas Boleyn: Yes. But ill proportioned.
King Henry: What about his legs? Are his calves strong like mine?
Thomas Boleyn: Your Majesty no one has calves like yours.
King Henry: Is he handsome?
Thomas Boleyn: Some people might think so. He certainly thinks so himself.
King Henry: He's vain?!
Thomas Boleyn: Your Majesty... he's French!