La reina serpiente

There are few moments in history as rich in potential for story telling as 16th century Europe. And fewer still lineages as fabled as that of the Medici's. The Serpent Queen makes full use of the vast accoutrements offered up by this period and delivers an engaging historical drama.

Wit, a spectacular cast, clever dialogue, novel direction, and beautiful cinematography are just a small sample of this wonder series.

Though there's nothing new about period dramas, there is little to no rehashing here of the same. Every scene seems inventive in its delivery. Leading the effort is the brilliantly executed character of Catherine. No small role, both Liv Hill and Samantha Morton are equal to the task. Hill in particular is outstanding.

In a time where every series seems filled to the brim with magic or flying reptiles it is refreshing to watch something that takes a real story and hits it out of the park.

The Serpent Queen is one of the most engaging shows out at the moment. Exceptionally well written and acted, it flows along and keeps you watching and waiting for the next instalment.

Samantha Morton dominates, delivering her lines effortlessly with both subtly and deadly force, she becomes Catherine and reminds you of how an actor can take you away.

While other shows with dwarves & dragons spend millions trying create atmosphere, this show does it with the English language.

Catherines story concludes as it does in history, I hope they pick another character from time and give it the same treatment.

I think the reason this works for me is because it's Cat De Medici telling her story in a satirical way. It's tongue in cheek, but moments of gritty drama. It reminds me of a cross between Harlots and Another Period, in a way. Young Cat breaking the 4th wall at times works since it is older Cat telling the story about younger Cat. The heavy metal track opener sets the tone on what to expect here. Samantha Morton is a powerhouse, and like Eva Green, plays villainous or sketchy roles with believable precision. She executes (and carries) this pretty well- Ruthless but thoughtful, conniving but kind, ultimately a political survivor. It's not going to be for everyone, but I'm enjoying this.

I look forward to each episode of this show. I can't say that for many shows. It is entertaining and fun. It can also be brutal (as another reviewer mentioned).

I don't think it would be nearly as good without Samantha Morton playing the lead. She is very good at what she does.

I don't look for shows like these to be true to history (who knows really what went on that long ago). I look for them to be entertaining without being too gruesome.

This is a show I would love to be able to binge rather than have to wait and remember where we are each week. I would recommend to someone who likes period type shows without them having to being spot on.

I didn't have faith in mini series' being completely binge-able but I watched the whole thing in 2 days. I'm a sucker for period CNN pieces. The costumes and locations, I've got an affinity for. Historical fiction tends to be more entertaining than straight up history as long as you realize that it's mostly embellished for entertainment purposes. I hadn't seen Samantha Morton in a long time and was great as Medici. Due to being so entertained I've moved on to other originals from this channel that have also been engaging enough to binge watch. I haven't like or watched tv in 5 years but Freevee is better than Netflix right now.