Based on my first impressions of the first season and the second, the producers do not depict the strong friendship between St. Thomas and Henry VIII or the king's love for his friend well--it is more assertion than anything else. This is how it really seemed in episode 5, which depicts St. Thomas' trial and execution--Henry VIII is shown raging at God and proclaiming his love for St. Thomas, but it struck me as being melodramatic. Perhaps the problem is that not enough of the personal history of the two men was shown. (Then again, the scriptwriting for what has been shown has been weak--in one scene Henry is shown holding his daughter and he makes the comment that perhaps some day she will be the one ruling an empire -- out of character and just an attempt by the writers to be clever.)
The historical inaccuracies have been noted elsewhere, and as someone who prefers the accent on historical rather than on drama or fiction, they have a negative impact on the entertainment value of the series for me. And there is the amount of skin and coupling shown on the show--I don't think I can think of a movie where this sort of 'realism' has been necessary. On a whole, I can't recommend the show. One is better off reading a well-written history of the period. (Especially if it has pictures. heh.)
I do like looking at the costumes, but I will leave it up to the experts to debate whether the production has been historically accurate or not.
If there is anything positive, St. Thomas More is depicted as being devout and a strong adherent to the Faith, as I noted earlier. He is also a good father. Alas, not much of his famous wit and mirth is shown (though given the quality of the writing, we should not be surprised if those responsible have little familiarity with what is required for wit). Nothing really of his Christian humanism. Some may quibble about how much conscience is emphasized, and his actions in response to the king may be misperceived as 'political machinations.' And those who are already predisposed to be anti-Catholic will see his opposition to heresy as intolerance. (I note that Catholic historian Eamon Duffy opposed making St. Thomas More patron of statesmen precisely because of how he handled heretics.) I thought it was nice that he is also shown praying in Latin--it does lend an air of erudition--but how one ultimately evalutes this depends on one's religious convictions, Catholic [traditional or 'modern'], Protestant, or other. Does the show capture his sanctity? Can any AV media really do that? I enjoyed Jeremy Northam's performance nonetheless--I can't say the same about some of the other actors.
I think the show has tried to remain neutral towards the whole dispute between the Catholics and the Protestants--Catholics recognize the problems with the Church at the time. St. John Fisher is shown as being committed and free from corruption, if not holy. But there may be a subtle anti-Catholic bias in how the clerics associated with the Roman Curia and Paul III (played by Peter O'Toole) are portrayed.
There will be a third season. When they run out of wives for Henry VIII, will they continue the story into the reigns of Queens Mary and Elizabeth?
(Some more photos here.)
Some photos @ TVGuide.com, yahoo! TV, The Tudors wiki
SAINT THOMAS MORE MARTYR, CHANCELLOR OF ENGLAND—1535
Sarah Bolger (wiki) as Mary Tudor
Sarah Bolger dishes more about her role on The Tudors, Season 2
Mary Tudor by wonderful and pretty Sarah Bolger on Flickr:
Sarah Bolger interview The Spiderwick Chronicles with Emma
Sarah Bolger - "Spiderwick Chronicles"
The books: The Spiderwick Chronicles; the movie
Google Books: The Six Wives of Henry VIII by Alison Weir (Grove Press)
The Six Wives of Henry VIII | PBS
TudorHistory.org: The Six Wives of Henry VIII
Masterpiece Theatre | Henry VIII
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