Wreckage

I thoroughly enjoyed Wolf Hall Series 1, although Hilary Mantel's Cromwell is portrayed as benign as opposed to history's judgement that he was a sort of Machiavellian character.

It was against this background (I rated Series 1 as a 9 out of 10) that I was looking forward to Series 2. It's slow, plodding television and Rylance almost sends the viewer to sleep. Lewis has not been fattened out, whereas by the time Henry married Ann of Cleves, he was morbidly obese with both legs badly ulcerated. Lewis only displays a left leg limp.

Spall portrays an excellent Howard/Duke of Norfolk and we haven't really seen the scheming Richard Rich.

Cromwell was better portrayed by Leo McKern in A Man For All Seasons and although Mark Rylance is a superb actor, he is only portraying Mantel's vision of Thomas Cromwell.

I may revisit this review if Episode 6 excels.

Viewed BBC 10th Nov 2024.

A rather drawn out story for the episode, picking up where series one completed.

Hope it improves or I'm going to be rather disappoint and an upset viewer because you've got to admit there is not much else on the box worth watching.

One point I will state which gives it 10 out of 10 ...there is no repulsive vulgar language in it.

The characters and history of those people is so well known the stage, scenes and costumes are all looking first class, albe a little too clean for that period.

Cromwell still comes across as a discerning politician with a softer heart than people can imagine, shrewd in diplomacy and handling of the king, who is still played by the red-headed Damian Lewis.