Showtime’s ‘Tudors’ fit for king

The promotional material for season two of “The Tudors” promised King Henry VIII (Jonathan Rhys-Meyers) would take a new bride, but first wife Katherine of Aragon (Maria Doyle Kennedy) seems willing to hang on to her role for another season.

Surprisingly, she reappeared in the show’s season two opening credits. While the season looks to be all about the vivacious Anne Boleyn (Natalie Dormer), Katherine and a few allies in the Catholic Church are set to make the transition hard on King Henry.

While Henry was successful in breaking from the church in Rome and naming himself head of the Church of England, it came with a condition — “as far as the law of Christ allows.” As multiple people go on to speculate, this caveat could also nullify the vote to name him head of the church itself.

Legendary actor Peter O’Toole adds himself to the cast in season two, playing Pope Paul III. He and the vocal Bishop Fisher (Bosco Hogan) are the most intent on fighting Henry’s divorce. Their power influences the rest of the clergy, putting them at odds with Henry.

This stage makes personal adviser Thomas More’s character the most interesting. Jeremy Northam plays up his constant struggle with morality excellently, as More goes back and forth between his own religious beliefs and Henry’s best interests. More’s religious fervor is intensifying, as he wakes up from a dream and bewilderedly tells his wife he has seen the Antichrist.

Conversely, Thomas Cromwell (James Frain) downplays his emotions the most. Viewers are only certain of his political interests and his beliefs in Protestantism, encouraging Henry and Anne initially to join the sect. In the season two premiere, Cromwell shows that rare bit of emotion, breaking down in the midst of an execution.

The premiere also sees the return of poet Thomas Wyatt, Anne’s former lover. Flashbacks show sex scenes between the two, disproving Anne’s claim that she was saving herself for marriage. Wyatt’s interested looks toward Anne show his ongoing infatuation with her, another potential roadblock for King Henry.

With all the sprawling storylines presented in season two’s premiere, “The Tudors” is ready to move on. Season one saw enough arguments about the morality of divorce and the rights of Katherine of Aragon. It is time for Anne to rise to power before her historic fall.

Showtime has made the show’s premiere available for free on a number of different formats including various on demand services, Youtube, Netflix and Showtime’s official Web site. The show airs Sundays at 9 p.m. on Showtime.

helen thomas 3/31/08 Read by Tim