Strong acting accents new season of ‘Tudors’

So as season three of “The Tudors” begins, everything seems fine. Catherine of Aragon has passed away. Anne Boleyn was beheaded. The moral Thomas More, who could not go against his heart for the sake of the king, was also beheaded. The entire cast of the show underwent a major shake-up at the end of season two, and there is now seemingly nothing standing in the way of King Henry VIII (Jonathan Rhys-Meyers).

Unfortunately for Henry, the same problems still exist, but they’ve only taken new forms, as new problems are also emerging.

Most prominently (and most infamously), Henry’s focus is on producing a male heir. If the viewer thinks the honeymoon will last long enough for new Queen Jane Seymour (Annabelle Wallis) not to suffer the impatience of Henry, he or she is proven wrong roughly at the midway mark of the season premiere. A sulking Henry expresses his disappointment that the wheels have not yet been set in motion at dinner, and the viewer is as exasperated as she is. We’ve been hearing this for three years now.

The most striking contrast between this season and the last is the substitution of Jane for Anne. For a show that is chock full of secretive talks and conniving chatter, Jane comes off as a beacon of hope, wishing to lift up the downtrodden. She helps the disgraced widow of George Boleyn by making her first lady-in-waiting. She gives up a gift from the king to provide for Lady Margaret Bryan and Elizabeth, a request Henry refused. “Women are much put upon in this world,” she says to her first lady-in-waiting, “and it’s my desire to do as much as I can to promote their interests. I must do it quietly, but I will do it all the same.”

Most interestingly, Jane speaks on behalf of Mary to Henry publicly at dinner. This is where the viewer gets a glimpse of Henry’s anger for the first time of the season, and it is refreshing. One can only take so much formal, civilized bargaining. He merely stands up and walks over to her. Leaning down by her ear, he whispers, “Are you out of your senses? Don’t talk of such matters again.” Henry’s amused half-smile that precedes this is indicative of his new season three demeanor. He is tired of all the problems that Anne caused, and he does not need trouble from another wife. Just when Rhys-Meyers’ Henry becomes tiresome, he produces the passion that makes the role stand out.

And with this whisper in her ear, Jane’s smile fades, and the honeymoon is, indeed, over. While, at times, Jane seems too perfect, an individual passionate for a cause stands out in a show full of selfishness (see: More’s religious zealotry). She had better do her Robin Hood act quietly, for the rage of Henry is on the horizon if he finds out. To say the least, this is an intriguing plot line.

Speaking of rage, Henry’s right-hand man Thomas Cromwell (James Frain) is pulling no punches this season. Setting up Henry’s other prevailing concern from last season (the eternal battle between Catholics and Protestants), Cromwell hastily defines the monasteries: “those brothels and slaughterhouses of the conscience.” Even in the face of uprising, the prelude to the Pilgrimage of Grace in which rebels respond to the tearing down of the monasteries, Cromwell charges on, saying they can’t stop now. Even with cities being overrun, Cromwell insists that Henry’s law must be hammered home. And the viewer wonders, noticing the fire in Cromwell’s eyes, how much of this is obeying the king, and how much is personal vendetta? Still, his face also betrays the weariness he now feels, as his responsibilities rise and so does the pressure from Henry. How much can Cromwell take before he reaches a boiling point? With this season, Cromwell may have replaced More as the most spellbinding, scenery-chewing character.

The premiere also introduced two delightful new characters, bringing to the season a hearty diversion from the season’s more pressing matters. A few scenes lay the groundwork for the romance between Sir Francis Bryan (Alan Van Sprang) and lady-in-waiting Ursula Misseldon (Charlotte Salt). Van Sprang’s bluntness is appreciated, often causing other characters to get to the point. As Mary muses over the idea of signing a document renouncing Rome and declaring herself an illegitimate child, Francis takes no pity on her impossible situation. “I tell you, if you were my daughter, I’d smash your head against the wall until it was as soft as a boiled apple,” he tells her. These lines are rare in court.

Still, the strength of “The Tudors” is not about the dialogue, the plot or even the historical accuracy (or lack thereof). Strong acting that compels the viewer to take interest, such as empathy for Mary because of the fright and confusion shown by Sarah Bolger, is what makes “The Tudors” worth watching. In many ways, “The Tudors” is a soap opera, dressed up in showy costumes and placed on a premium network. But it’s an addictive soap opera, even when history tells the viewer basically the results already. That’s saying something.

Season three of “The Tudors” debuts on Showtime Sunday at 9 p.m. The premiere is already available online at Showtime’s official Web site, as well as sites like YouTube, Netflix and the Internet Movie Database.