The McGuffin Review: The Tudors - Episode VII
Posted by Cory Johnson on 05.12.2008
Someone dies (well, a lot of people die), and beware the sweating sickness....I have a feeling that this is where they say "bring out yer dead."
Previously on the Tudors….Henry put Cardinal Wolsey in charge of securing his divorce from Queen Catherine…Anne Boleyn seems to be falling more and more for Henry, while her father and Lord Norfolk continued to use Henry’s desire for Anne to gain power and dispose of Wolsey…Catherine told Anne that she would fight for Henry…Will found happy gay time with Thomas Tallis and tried to lift Henry out of his depression….Henry finally accepted Brandon back at court, at Norfolk’s urging…. Catherine sent word to Charles, King of Spain that Henry planned to divorce her… Wolsey failed to get Henry’s divorce
Will is screaming and writhing in pain, as his servants send for the physician. The good doctor recoils after touching Will, telling the servants to keep away, Will has the sweating sickness (your history wiki of the week). The doctor cuts into Will’s back, trying to release some of the toxins.
A nervous and visibly uncomfortable Wolsey greets Henry and Mistress Anne for lunch. Anne thanks Wolsey for the broach he sent her. The King of France sent Henry a chalice and some valuable tapestries. Henry is pleased, especially that they are now at war with Spain, as Charles just announced that he had a son with the princess he jilted Henry’s daughter for. Anne mouths to Henry “You will have a son”, and Henry beams. Wolsey has sent two lawyers to meet the Pope and impress on him how important this matter is. Henry says that his conscious is clear on this matter. Wolsey tells Henry not to worry, as the lawyers will not leave the Pope until they have persuaded the Pope in their favor.
In the palace garden, Catherine asks Mendoza (Spanish Ambassador) if he has spoken with Henry. Mendoza replies that Wolsey has prevented it. The Emperor has sent a coded letter, pledging his support for Catherine, and tells her that he has written to the Pope asking him to strip Wolsey of his position and declare Henry and Catherine legally married.
Will’s common law wife is informed that Will is dead. The physician warns her not to get close to him, as they may be additional risk of infection. All of his bedding and clothing must be burned, and Will must buried by morning.
Wolsey gives his departure instructions to the lawyers, he tells them to threaten that the king will seek other avenues to dissolve his marriage if he cannot get satisfaction from the papal courts.
Thomas Tallis arrives to find that Will has died. He visits his grave, a pile of dirt with a simple marker. Tallis cries for his lover and smashes his guitar over the marker.
Wolsey asks Norfolk for a word in private. Norfolk is ordered to return to his estates to supervise the grain harvest. Wolsey walks away smiling.
Henry and Brandon open William’s effects, and hopes that the sickness will not spread. Henry passes out homeopathic aids to help ward off the sweating sickness. Henry takes his hypochondria very seriously.
Two court girls admire Tallis’ song for William. Tallis asks Joan (the lesser of the two) to stay, tells her that she is special, and has a glow around her like a halo. Tallis suddenly kisses her.
The new French ambassador is presented to Henry. Henry is told that soon the Spanish will be driven from Italy. The ambassador knows Anne from her days at the French court. She presents him with a formidable dog named Wolsey. An unseen voice in the woods calls out, “go back to your wife”, and the guards give chase while the ambassador awkwardly tries to make a joke out of this.
When Henry returns to his palace, there is chaos, and he is told that there has been an outbreak of the sweating sickness with 300 dead today. Henry asks about Queen Catherine and almost as an afterthought, tells George to take Anne away. Henry is shuttled inside by his advisors as Anne watches him go.
Inside his castle, Henry takes every pill and tonic he has. The royal physician tells Henry that fear and panic may cause the sickness to spread. The physician tells Henry that a healthy diet and working up a natural sweat through exercise.
Henry prays with Catherine, who beams when he kneels beside her.
Thomas More gathers his family and tells them that this plague is the wrath of God. More tells them to pray.
Brandon works up a sweat the only way he knows how, sex with a stranger.
Anne is getting prepared for bed when one of her maids begins to panic that she has caught the sweat. Anne hugs her and tries to comfort the panicking girl. Bad, bad move, compassionate, but bad.
In a letter, Anne tells Henry that her maid died. Henry asks Wolsey what he should do, Wolsey counsels him not to have contact with her. Henry looks worried, asks Wolsey what if she dies? Henry sends Anne back to Hever castle, the Queen to Ludlow with their daughter and decides to shut himself up in his castle. Wolsey tells him to limit his contacts with people as much as possible.
Henry goes to say goodbye to Catherine. Catherine thinks this is a ploy to spend more time with Anne. Henry informs her that she has been sent home to Hever castle and he does not sleep with her and will not while they are still married. Catherine notes that his fear of the sickness is greater than his infatuation with Anne. Catherine asks if Henry makes promises to her. Henry wishes that she could accept that their marriage was based on a lie, but loves her enough to send her away. Henry kisses her goodbye and Catherine melts but Henry breaks away. Catherine tells Henry that he acts as though love itself were the plague. Henry says he will write and sends his love to Mary (their daughter).
Anne rides home with her father. Anne suddenly cannot breathe and has the coach stopped. Anne walks down the road, the coach following as she breaks into tears and looks like she might pull her hair out.
Tallis comforts Joan’s sister as Joan is taken away with the other dead.
Henry walks the halls of the palace alone except for the torches. Henry eats a very healthy meal, including fish. When he cuts into the fish, he finds maggots and wakes up with a start. Henry immediately begins exercising, startling his night guard.
Henry asks what he has done to displease God that He has brought this on us. Henry asks forgiveness for sins unknown and seems to notice that the priest has not said anything. He goes to check on him, and the priest looks like Emperor Palpatine, but it was only a vision and the confessional is empty.
Wolsey’s lawyers arrive to see the Pope, who is living in a run down barn of a castle, with livestock everywhere. The Pope says that he wishes to help the King, but notes that he has heard that this petition is motivated by Henry’s pure desire for Anne. When the Pope says that he must read these arguments first, the lawyers overplay their hand, saying that Henry is willing to live outside the law of the church. The Pope just smile and kisses them.
As Henry writes to Anne, he hears a clanking sound, as a servant boy stumbles in carrying a tray. The boy falls dead at Henry’s feet. Henry rides away from the castle with bandana over his face.
The Pope summons the lawyers and tells them that he cannot make a judgment here today. The Pope appoints Cardinal Compeggio to try this matter in England.
Henry has a letter from Wolsey, who tells him that Norfolk sought permission to see a physician in London, but he refused. Wolsey relates that many of Henry’s court and servants, along as 40,000 people have died. Wolsey tells Henry that Anne has the sweat, but is not dead. Henry summons his physician, tells him to go to Hever castle and save her life.
Wolsey lies shaking and sweating on the floor.
The physician tells Thomas and George Boleyn that a priest should be summoned immediately for last rights.
Thomas More tells his daughter that he has given himself to God, and he is not afraid of death. More says that Lutheranism is far scarier than this plague. More says that this sickness must be purged by fire.
Henry stares at Anne’s portrait and won’t allow the servant who brings him his supper to get more than an inch inside the room. Henry keeps checking his brow. Henry gets a letter that tells of the death toll and riots that have occurred in London. With Wolsey ill and Henry away, there is effectively no government in the city. Henry sees his reflection in the mirror and it is the same twisted face that the priest had in his vision.
Henry rolls over in his bed to see Anne dead. Henry runs to cower in his corner, when he looks back, a living dead Anne screams at him. Ohhhh-kayyy.
Anne father tells her that she has risen from the dead. Henry writes to her, saying that the sickness has abated, and that he should hear of Pope’s decision in less than a week.
Wolsey hears a letter from Anne, grateful that he has survived and pledging her loyalty. Wolsey says that at least she has a sense of humor.
At mass with Catherine and Mary, Henry grabs Catherine’s hand as Tallis conducts his song for William.
Henry runs to Anne in the forest and kisses her passionately while thanking God.
Analysis
This episode was pointless. It was simply a filler episode. The only significant plot development, Will’s death, could have been done as a side plot in another episode, or done later in this episode if they really wanted us to feel as if nobody was safe.
Putting Anne in jeopardy was foolish, as there was no point where we felt she was in true danger of dying. Wolsey would have been a stronger choice for the drama, but in the end, Wolsey did not feel threatened either. They did a poor job of building up tension for both cases.
The interplay between Henry and Catherine are full of good little things that steal the scenes. Catherine’s amazing devotion to a man who clearly has no further use for her, and Henry with his conviction that what he wants must be made right and legal make a fascinating character study. Hearing them actually debate Anne was incredible.
Strangely, I really liked the Pope subplot, and how he did not deny Henry, but managed to put him off. That is just well played chess.
I know that they were trying to highlight Henry’s hypochondriac nature, but the way that he was “seeing death” everywhere was just stupid. The effects were bad and cheesy. It made the series look bush league.
Things I Wonder
I mildly wonder if Norfolk will survive, though I am sure that he did.
How can Catherine remain so devoted?
How else can the Pope influence Henry?
How creepy and over-jealous did More sound when he was talking about burning Luther at the stake?
So Tallis is bi now? Freakin’ rock stars.
You knew it wouldn’t be long before Brandon strayed, didn’t you? How much is he going to pay when Margaret finds out (come to think of it, she’s already killed one husband…..)?
How paranoid does a king have to be to leave his throne and capital vacant? Wonder how that played out in town?
Aren’t you glad that you don’t have to get treated by 16th century medicine?
Thanks for reading, as always, comments and feedback appreciated. This is Cory and I’ll be back next week with the trial of the Century to decide Henry and Catherine’s marriage. Until then, keep watching.
The 411: Strictly filler and not worth your time. Skip this one and move on to the rest of the series. Seriously, you won't have missed anything unless you were a huge Will Compton fan. Even then you only need the first three minutes. There are much brighter moments in this series.
