Blog-Along: Wolf Hall, Episode 5 - Crows

Alright, we are now on Episode 5 of Wolf Hall, with only one more to go after this. If you haven't read my thoughts about the previous episodes, you can start with Episode 1 here: Wolf Hall, Episode 1. As per usual, I will be editing everything to avoid large spoilers, and to make things a bit more concise, but it will mostly be my organic thoughts.

Wolf Hall, Episode 5 - Crows

pbs.org

           Play by Play

• Oh sorry Sir, are we keeping you up? You know your dinner party sucks when not even the king is willing to stay awake for it.
• Jane Seymour, that was gutsy. Good girl.
  
• Oh dear, were you already being wooed by the king? Is that why you took liberties so easily?
•  Nothing to kill the mood like a bit of praying. "Would you go to bed with me?" "Our Father who art in Heaven..."
• Please, please tell me that he relayed your message Cromwell, exactly as you recited it
• And random dead animal. Thanks for that.
• Um, is having a little person as a lady in waiting historically accurate? I'm not particularly convinced. Unless she is supposed to be playing a fool, which I believe unfortunately was more historically accurate?
• Cremwell.
• Have you ever seen a bumblebee carrying around a dumpling? Neither had I until this moment.
• Wouldn't that be a lovely twist? No, if you weren't married (as you claim not to have been), you wouldn't have the right to her things!
• I love that moment between Anne and Cromwell. Speaking together in French with the king nearby, it is a private moment enhanced in importance because of the language used.
• "Can I ask one teensy, tiny favour? Please try not to kill or maim my son." "No can do!" Really dude? After all he's done for you, you can't just try not to hurt him?
• Hmm...I am interested in another woman. Time to find a random out!
• Cromwell, you genius! Ah! At least once an episode, you amaze me. You want a bow? I'll force you to bow! No violence necessary, just the right place at the right time. Followed by, "How to Throw the King Off His Game 101". 
• I'm glad your memory lasts long, Cromwell. A face remembered
• "As Close to An Apology As You're Going to Get"

         Conclusion

Wow.
Although there are less humorous and witty moments during this episode, it is no less brilliant. I am so glad that this series picked up from its first few episodes. Now we have the meat and the bones of the thing. With Henry being unsatisfied with his current situation, we see a side of him that we didn't quite expect (even knowing the history beforehand). Quick to anger, bitter, and snappish, Henry is taking his frustration out on those he loves - And this means that Cromwell is no exception when it comes to the king's ire. It is a fascinating look at how quickly the tides change, but it doesn't feel comical or random, nor does it seem to be simply because "the king wants a son" as it is so often portrayed.
It is a refreshing change. The king of course wants a son, but with all of his previous adoration for Anne, are we really supposed to accept that in an instant, he would give her up simply because he doesn't have a bouncing baby boy? No, Anne's bitterness, constant determination to make things difficult and her way only, and constant emasculation of Henry are just as important pieces of this puzzle. The pressures of having a male heir was simply the icing on the cake, and Episode 5 really brings that to light.
This episode is much more intimate in some ways than the previous ones, but in a quiet way. Private moments between Cromwell and Anne, Henry, and his son, as well as Anne and Henry, are all shown, and give us much more insight into the situation and the heightened emotions here. It's a sophisticated episode, but with much less in the way of politics this time. A refreshing interpretation of this turbulent time. Ready for Episode 6?