First Tony, now Henry. Who next? Donald? (Draper not Trump, who will be around forever, I fear.)
I was just getting past Tony Soprano’s passing, and now this Sunday night, gorgeous Henry VIII, who — at least in “The Tudors” — never got fat like Tony Soprano, dies in the last scene of the finale.
And I will miss him desperately.
The series, which will stand as one of the most beautiful, smart and certainly ambitiously-expensive series ever on TV, was, for me at least, consistently compelling.
The sets, the costumes, the intrigue, all were as authentic to the 16th century as was humanly possible in the 21st century. And it was all a joy to behold.
OK — not as much of a joy as beholding Jonathan Rhys Meyers fully dressed and butt naked, but still a thrill.
The series, which began with young Henry VIII married to the older, much-beloved Queen Katherine (Maria Doyle Kennedy), ran through his six marriages in four seasons, showing a life that was brilliant and bawdy, brutal and beneficent.
The writing by Michael Hirst was spot-on and, if truly the man worked alone (as is usually indicated in the credits), he’s more proficient than Stephen (the other) King.
And never, ever has there been a cast as gorgeous as the one assembled for this series. I mean, are you kidding? Henry Cavill, James Frain, Gabrielle Anwar, Natalie Dormer, Sarah Bolger and thousands more. That alone made it worth watching.
On Sunday’s finale (since it’s all history — or most of it anyway — I’m not giving anything away), as Henry faces the death of his best friend Charles, he is becoming weak, infirm, crazy and capricious himself.
When Bishop Gardiner goes to Henry with proof that Queen Catherine Parr (Joely Richardson) may be reading the Gospels (forbidden under Henry’s rule), he signs a petition for her arrest. Good, because she truly loved the guy — oozing puss legs and all.
Henry also has a “Christmas Carole” night and is visited by the Ghosts of Beheaded Wives Past. OK, it’s hokey, but it’s so beautifully art directed that it took my breath away.
If I have one big, fat complaint about the series its that Henry never grew to Marlon Brando proportions in the series like he did in real life.
Now, I’ll have to wait until July for the last surviving Sunday night bad boy to show up.