Review of the Series Finale of "The Tudors"

It was certainly an interesting night on Showtime, as the hit series The Tudors drew to a close with a showing of its series finale. It was a fitting end to this gem in Showtime's crown, and it managed to capture all of the elements that made this series so popular in the first place, and almost all of the loose ends were tied up quite nicely.

Of course, the most impressive part of the episode was the appearance of Henry's first three wives, Katherine of Howard (Maria Doyle Kennedy,) Anne Boleyn (Natalie Dormer,) and Jayne Seymour (Annabelle Wallis.) When these the shades of these women, who played such a pivotal role in the first few seasons of the series, appeared, I felt a chill run up my spine. Naturally, they condemned Henry for his actions against him and, perhaps more importantly, against his children by them. This was an especially nice touch, since Henry's life and death would cast a long shadow over the lives of all three of his children. Not only that, but it was also nice to see these three actresses again, who did such a fantastic job of portraying Henry's first three queens, make a final appearance in this episode.

This episode also saw the death of Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk (Henry Cavill,) which was touching in its own way, though it hinted at the tensions underlying the good duke's life. It was sad to see this man, who has played such a pivotal role in the series since its very beginning, die, but true to history, since he did predecease Henry. The final scene between the king and his best friend was one of the most emotionally powerful that the series has ever produced, as Henry, convinced of his omnipotence as always, vainly attempted to heal his best friend. It was truly a wrenching moment, and an eerie reminder of just how far Henry had fallen from his youthful vitality.

Perhaps the most emotionally powerful moment, however, came when it was time for Henry to bid farewell to his wife Catherine Parr and his daughters Elizabeth and Mary. Mary's begging of her father not to die yet, to not leave her an orphan, was a powerful reminder of the fact that this woman, so young, has nevertheless lost her mother and is shortly to lose her father as well. Even though Henry has always been a ruthless and cruel tyrant, this moment allowed us to see his heart.

However, this episode wasn't all about emotions, as politics also played a substantial role, with Edward Seymour finally outmaneuvering his arch-enemy Bishop Gardiner, with the result that the latter was barred from court. In truth, this emphasis on the political dealings going on around Henry has always been one of the strongest parts of the series, and the addition at the end was definitely a wise decision.

In the concluding scenes, Henry was shown his portrait, which had been painted by the talented portrait artist Hans Holbein. It was a fitting end to the series, as Henry is allowed to see the portrait that would later come to represent him for centuries. This was a wise decision, as Michael Hirst himself noted, as it allowed us to feel some measure of sympathy, or at least human feeling, for this man who has brought so much misery to those in his life. The Tudors, then, came to a fitting end, and I for one am rather glad that we did not have to see Henry die. Instead, we are allowed to see him walk off the screen, content that, if nothing else, his portrait will show the world just how strong he was. The Tudors, whatever else it may have done, has certainly succeeded in doing so as well.