The Tudors: The Complete Second Season

Once again, we are thrust in the midst of love, lust and the political turmoil of the English monarchy of Henry VIII (played by Jonathan Rhys Meyers) in The Tudors: The Complete Second Season. When Season 1 came to a close, Anne (Natalie Dormer) and Henry had finally consummated their passionate relationship and Katherine (Maria Doyle Kennedy) had been put aside, although Henry still did not have his ruling for annulment from the Catholic Church. In response, Henry appoints himself as Supreme Head of the Church of England, causing much unrest in his country. He banishes Katherine and secretly marries Anne, while Thomas Cromwell (James Frain) slowly grows in power under Henry's hand. Henry also appoints Thomas Cranmer (Hans Matheson), a Lutheran, to head the Church of England and thus the great Reformation begins. Many of the churches and monasteries are deemed unfit and are brutally closed down and stripped of their wealth. When Anne gives birth to a daughter, Elizabeth, Princess Mary (Sarah Bolger) is stripped of her title at Anne's request and is forced to care for the infant. King Henry requires all inhabitants of England to sign an oath regarding the Act of Succession which renders Katherine's line of children invalid and Anne's line of children as the true and rightful heirs to the throne. Bishop Fisher and Henry's longtime friend and confidante Sir Thomas More (Jeremy Northam) refuse to sign the oath and are imprisoned and eventually beheaded.

As Henry regrets the execution of More, Anne prods him on, manipulating an arranged marriage between Princess Elizabeth and the son of King Francis, the French King. However, King Francis won't recognize the marriage, nor the offspring. Meanwhile, Henry grows tired of Anne and his eye wanders, as Anne's paranoia increases as she is unable to carry a son to term. Soon, Henry falls madly in love with the young and innocent Jane Seymour. Before long, Henry and his cohorts have decided that Anne has been entertaining numerous men in her bedchamber and had bewitched Henry with witchcraft. Charges are drawn against Anne, her brother George and several other men, with all being eventually beheaded, even as Henry celebrates his nuptials with Lady Jane the very day Anne is executed.

The Tudors: The Complete Second Season includes two featurettes, one on the modern day descendants of Henry VIII and one on the Tower of London, the place of Anne's execution. The first was amusing but more silly than anything else, however, the info on the Tower of London and Anne's final days there were very interesting indeed. There is also a Biographies section on the actors from the show, plus a Photo Gallery with stills. However, for fans of Showtime's other series, you can see the premiere episodes of This American Life and Californication, plus if you pop the DVD into your home computer, you can see the premiere episode of Dexter: Season Three and the first two episodes of United States of Tara.

All in all, The Tudors: Season Two is not to be missed. Although you might feel a bit lost if you missed Season One, The Tudors does an excellent job of catching you up at the beginning of each episode, so you'll be up to speed in no time. When I am watching The Tudors, I don't feel as though it is a television show. It is as if I am watching the actual drama unfold. Jonathan Rhys Meyers is Henry VIII and Natalie Dormer is Anne Boleyn. Every actor on the show is simply amazing. If you haven't seen The Tudors yet, do yourself a huge favor and pick up Season 1 and 2 and get hooked.

The Tudors: The Complete Second Season

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