The Tudors - Television Season 4 Review
Having seen this series once before, the only thing I recalled from this season was that Henry VIII looks very strange in it due to the poor makeup and that a lot of people die in it due to old age. After the new viewing, I think the series ends on a good note. It may not be as good as season 1 or season 2, but it exceeded my expectations after season 3's middling performance (see my review for season 3 here). Like the rest of the series, I saw this one on Netflix.
1General Information
Season 4 of Tudors was released on 11 April 2010 and is the final season of the Tudors series. Based off critical reception and viewership numbers, it is statistically the worst season of the series as it falls just short of season 1's numbers. Despite the declining numbers, season 4 appears to be the series finale by design (as opposed to the show just getting cancelled). The cast expanded slightly in this season, however it handled the new characters' introductions quite well. Of note, Joely Richardson joined the series as King Henry VIII's final wife, while Torrance Coombs arrives as the insidious Sir Thomas Culpeper. I was really satisfied with season 4's casting, although I found it puzzling that Lothaire Bluteau (who plays as new French ambassador, Charles de Marillac) got such high billing in the show's opening credits as we barely see him throughout the season.
The Story
Like season 3, this season is essentially split in two. The first half focuses on the clearly ill-fated marriage between Henry and Queen Catherine Howard and the second half examines Henry's final days as king of England. I felt that both of the story lines were well-acted and solidly written, however they felt disjointed from each other, which left me wondering if they should've just been in separate seasons.
Despite the disjointedness of the season, there is an overall theme that flows throughout the whole thing. If season 3 was about grief, then season 4 is about coming to terms with death and aging. There were a couple of tear-jerker scenes in the final episodes as Henry and Charles Brandon (still played by Henry Cavill) reminisced on their past mistakes and successes. I particularly liked Henry's obsession with leaving behind a legacy surrounding his Siege of Boulogne.
2Something I feel like I need to address with this season is that it might be the most fictionalized of the series as the actual King Henry VIII was incredibly obese in his final years. His waist measurements was listed at 52 inches and he suffered from regular constipation and diabetes as his diet consisted of around 5000 calories per day! The show does try to address some of his issues in season 3 and season 4 by showing that his ulcers constantly wept puss that smelled terribly (as well as his mood swings), but these other conditions played a big role in his physical decline. To put things in perspective, Henry was so large and crippled by the end of his life that he required mechanical assistance to move about.
Special Effects/Atmosphere
Okay, let's get this out of the way right now: Henry's old-man makeup looks bad. Some of this is not helped by Jonathan Rhys Meyers' old-man accent, but I don't really hold this issue against the season too much as it couldn't really be avoided unless the showrunners recast Rhys Meyers. I'm glad they didn't, but I don't know how they could've fixed this problem. Technically speaking, King Henry VIII only died at the age of 55, so he wouldn't necessarily have to look too old, but it looks like Showtime was trying to make him look and act like Henry was in his mid-60s or early 70s.
3Considering season 1's atrocious green screen, I was really impressed with this season's special effects. The Siege of Boulogne had me concerned that we might see a ton of green screen, and while there was some there, it was a lot less noticeable. Some of the few fight scenes were nicely shot too as there were less jump-cuts than I expected while the choreography looked nice.
The show's use of costume design and sound design is still incredible. Trevor Morris capped this series off with some fantastic background tracks that only enhanced some of the more dramatic scenes. The death of one particular character that I hated was done quite well thanks to the soundtrack behind its particular scene.
The Acting
I think that this was Henry Cavill's best season of the series as his character struggles to come to terms with the atrocities he committed in season 3. There's a scene with the Earl of Surrey, Henry Howard (played by David O'Hara), where the two discuss what an ideal life might look like and it's tragically brilliant.
Speaking of O'Hara, his portrayal of Henry Howard is probably the biggest surprise of the series. I'd only ever seen O'Hara play a small role in Martin Scorsese's The Departed as a thug, so his jump to English nobility was quite the leap. O'Hara rises to the challenge though as we see what first appears as an arrogant and prideful character quickly becomes one of the series' most complex characters.
4One actor I was not overly fond of continued to be Max Brown's portrayal of Edward Seymour. He doesn't do a bad job, but he just never really stood out despite getting tons of screen-time. I kept reminding myself that this guy had been on the show since season 2, but he sort of just melts into the background despite having a role almost as large as Henry Cavill did.
I want to lastly discuss Jonathan Rhys Meyers as he portrayed Henry's final years. I mentioned this earlier, but I think Rhys Meyers got stuck in a bad situation by being a younger actor playing a much older character. Beyond the bad makeup, season 4's Henry has this absurd deeper voice that is almost comical when looked at. It's not all bad though as Rhys Meyers really shows a lot of effort as we see him snarl at his council and struggle to come to terms with his own mortality. It's a shame that this actor never really hit the big time after this show ended as I think he clearly has a great deal of talent.
The Best of the Best: I'm honestly torn between Henry's dream encounter with death and Charles' reading of "A Quiet Mind" with the Earl of Surrey.
The Worst of the Worst: The old-man makeup and accent of King Henry VIII.
Would I Recommend?
5Good night, sweet prince
-------------------------------------------------Spoiler Comments-----------------------------------------------------
- I brought up the health issues that the real King Henry VIII suffered from as it would drastically impact Henry's romance with Catherine Howard and Catherine Parr. It makes a lot more sense why Catherine Howard cheated on Henry when you realize that she was essentially forced into marrying an obese tyrant covered in puss-weeping ulcers.
- I wasn't sure how to feel about the scene where Henry attempts to heal Charles from his illness by decreeing that he could not die while Henry lived. Seeing Charles dead in the scene right after that was almost comical, but I get that they were trying to show how both Henry and Charles were struggling with their own mortality.
- What did make me laugh was Charles convincing his French POW to become his mistress. I cracked up over her confronting him about how she didn't want to just be his "French whore," and then immediately folding after he told her he loved her so she could become exactly what she dreaded. Charles has got the moves...
- I liked that the series ended with Henry still alive. I didn't think he was going to wake up from his dream encounter with death. Him completing his legacy was a nice way to end it all.
(1) Varesearabande. (n.d.). The Tudors season four cover image. Retrieved from: https://www.varesesarabande.com/products/tudors-4.
(2) A Leonine Voice. (2010, June 10). Henry and Charles image. Retrieved from: https://leogirl1975.wordpress.com/2010/06/10/the-tudors-season-4-episode-7/.
(3) King Henry VIII. (n.d.). Old-man Henry image. Fandom. Retrieved from: https://tudors.fandom.com/wiki/King_Henry_VIII.
(4) TVFanatic. (n.d.). Earl of Surrey image. Retrieved from: https://www.tvfanatic.com/gallery/shows/the-tudors/episodes/409/.
(5) Tudors. (2015, August 28). Henry waving gif. Gfycat. Retrieved from: https://gfycat.com/daringmeagereyra.
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