Mix the steaminess and constant backstabbing of The Young and the Restless with the frat-boy mentality of MTV’s Fraternity House and you have The Tudors, a Showtime miniseries chronicling the early years of the notorious King Henry VIII’s reign. Those familiar with the history of his rule—he was the one with all of the wives—know it is a tale of sex, lies, and corruption. Henry is not looked upon too favorably by those who came after him (probably something to do with that beheading incident), and The Tudors explores how he came to be the wife-swapping, defiant king we all know today.
Henry, aptly played by Jonathan Rhys Meyers, is young, impetuous, and demanding. Rhys Meyers portrays him as a hardheaded man who enjoys the power (read: all the sex he wants) that comes with being king, but is ultimately naïve to the complex webs of the political world. He is lusty and foolish—a jock who is more interested in the thrills of war than in its consequences. Rhys Meyers, known best for his roles in Bend it Like Beckham and Velvet Goldmine, is the perfect Henry. His intense blue eyes and strong jaw line are haughty; his stare signals a hunger for challenge, like a spoiled brat who has never been denied. He gets what he wants, and what he usually wants is sex.
Politics and sex often seem inextricably connected, and this is demonstrated nowhere better than in The Tudors. Everybody’s doing everybody and, needless to say, it gets pretty graphic. The sex scenes are like a Danielle Steel novel acted out before your voyeuristic eyes. Those embarrassed by naked bodies and loud, orgasmic cries should probably steer clear of this show. King Henry’s court is one big orgy and he is definitely the star. It is not until Anne Boleyn shows up and steals his heart that he stops sleeping with every maid and ally’s wife that catches his eye.
The first season of this show details the shaky marriage of Catherine and Henry and sets the stage for his break from the Catholic Church and his (spoiler alert!) disastrous second marriage to Boleyn. Every character on the show has a hidden agenda and a desire to take advantage of the king—well, except Queen Catherine (played by Maria Doyle Kennedy), who is quite open about her desire to stay queen. Henry may be stubborn, but his ear is quite bendable.
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