User reviews

Not for the first time is it necessary to point out to several of the reviewers of "The Borgias" that the show is not a documentary. The creators have used a historical basis as a jumping-off point and then gone on a riff for the sake of poetic license, much like a jazz musician might do with a standard piece of music.

I think "The Borgias" is a fascinating show -- the story lines are excellent and the production values are breathtaking. Almost every scene looks as though it had been lifted in its entirety from a Renaissance painting.

I'm also amazed that at least one reviewer believes that Jeremy Irons cannot act. I'd be interested to hear what criteria that person has apropos of acting excellence. Jeremy Irons is a fine actor, one of the best.

I don't believe I'm alone in the hope that there will be a third season -- and many more seasons to come. The era is a cornucopia of rich material for a drama such as "The Borgias." Thank you, Neil Jordan, and the rest of the crew and cast. You've enriched my life.

I loved every minute of this pilot. I was a little unsure at first when I read the show's summary because I'm usually not a fan of period drama. But I am huge fan of European history and have always thought the Borgias family contributed some of the most interesting stories in Rome's history. So, because of that, I decided to give it a try... and thankfully I was not disappointed. I can't wait to watch the next episode. Jermery Irons is AMAZING in his role as the newly crowned Pope. His superb acting sets the tone and elevates the bar for the whole cast. I can't imagine anyone else in that role, but him. The story draws you in right from the beginning, and moves along quite quickly. The sets were extremely detailed and visually stunning, as were the costumes. There was little I could find wrong with this this first episode. Showtime has done it again & brought us quite a gem.

If you're on the fence and unsure whether or not to watch this movie- like drama, I suggest you give it a try. I promise you won't be disappointed.

-T DeMon Spencer

This show had so much more to give. I have watched it more than 5 times and every time I say, there were so many more stories to be told.

Why didn't they continue with Cesera's wife in France get some air time? Why did Micoletto continue on with his story? So many more to invest in. Lucresia, she married into a family where her husband could've become someone.

I liked this story. I can't imagine why they dumped it after 3 seasons. The characters were really believable and the father, the Pope was hungry for power.

Get the writers back and please carry on the wonderful story line.

This series is without a doubt intriguing, intelligent, and phenomenal! No one can say that there is not enough story lines to fulfill another 3 more seasons of this film series. Cesare alone can fulfill several episodes by himself! Rodrigo and Lucretcia and the other characters lead to a strong and powerful story line as well without leaving any of us wondering what happened to so-in-so? This show is one of the best period piece films, shows, series, etc that has come along in many years and I HOPE and PRAY that Showtime and all its co-hearts in business understand that the Fans want the show to go on! Please do not take this away from us! The actors are absolutely some of the best and under appreciated in the business and WE the FANS want MORE BORGIAS!! BRAVO BORGIAS!

The best word to describe this show is 'beautiful'. The sets and costumes, like other reviewers have pointed out, are stunning. Everything flows together cohesively, and nothing feels out of place or awkward.

Going into this show, from the buzz surrounding it, I was expecting a soap opera, akin to The Tudors. Calling it a soap opera, however, really doesn't do the show justice. From what I've seen thus far, I'd compare it more to HBO's Deadwood or Rome. Sure, it shares some elements with soap operas, but it's so much more. It's hard to describe without giving out spoilers, though, so you'll just have to see for yourself.

I watched many historian series, like Rome, Tudors, or Ivanhoe. All these series were good, in my opinion Rome was the best and i thought that it would be impossible to make better series in that genre. Judging on pilot of the Borgias i was wrong. Casting is spectacular, all the actors are brilliant in their roles, specially Jeremy Irons as pope Alexander, and Colm Feore as cardinal. Storyline is swift, with good tempo, and also very interesting. Maybe there are some holes in historical view, but despite that series is Brilliant. I can't wait for more, and if it stays on this track, it will be one of the best series ever made! It is a shame they don't give Oscars for TV performances. Jeremy Irons would deserve one just for starring in pilot of the series !!!

This is a prestigious dramatic-historical series created by Neil Jordan and broadcast on television from 2011 to 2013. The series tells the story of the Borgia family, a powerful family of Spanish nobility, whose origins were in the Aragonese town of Borja, and established in Játiva, kingdom of Valencia, and later in Gandía. The family was very influential during the Renaissance. The series created by Neal Jordan distributes a good portrait of the historical period, the papacy, conclaves, ecclesiastical hierarchy, but mainly focusing on the ambition, lust, corruption and desires of the wealthy Borgia family. The series was well based on the Borgia family (originally Borja), the Spanish dynasty settled in Italy, made up of Pope Alexander VI and Vannozza de Cattanei, along with her children César, Lucrecia, Juan and Gioffre Borgia.

The series begins with the rise to the papacy of the vice-chancellor and cardinal, Rodrigo Borgia (Jeremy Irons), who achieves victory in the Conclave of 1492, through bribes, thus incurring Simony, to the displeasure of several of the members of the College of Cardinals, among them is Cardinal Giuliano Della Rovere (Colm Feore), who is the first to denounce Borgia for buying the election, the result is barely known. Developing an interesting and twisted portrait of the bloody dynasty that spawned a pope, Alexander VI, as well as the role model for Machiavelli's "The Prince," his son Cesare Borgia (François Arnaud) , and a legend of femme duplicity, daughter Lucrezia Borgia (Holliday Grainger). When Rodrigo takes power he can no longer openly have relations with women and his mistress and mother of his children Vanozza dei Cattanei (Joanne Whalley) objects to his dedication to the church over his attentions toward her. When Rodrigo feels further pressures form the affairs of office he turns to young Guilia Farnese (Lotte Verbeek) for comfort, who in turn becomes his lover, causing further fracturing of the happy Borgia household. Alexander VI makes his son, Juan de Borja y Cattanei (David Oakes), captain general and flag bearer of the Papal Armies. Meanwhile, at the same time, Caesar begins to be involved in sordid and undercover romances, as well as several questionable maneuvers, including murders, which he executes with the help of his condottieri, Michelleto, ordering him to try to assassinate Della Rovere, who is traveling through all over Italy, trying to find allies to overthrow Pope Borgia. The series takes a turn, when Della Rovere gets the support of the French king, Charles VIII, whom he convinces to invade Italy, in order to depose the Pope, in exchange for the fact that once the Borgias are annihilated, he, as the new Pope, recognizes him and then taking place the conquest of the Kingdom of Naples.

From then on the network of intrigues is unleashed with the Borgias becoming its nucleus, Alexander VI forging a marriage alliance between his daughter Lucrezia Borgia and Giovanni Sforza, in order to obtain the favor of such family, in addition to also ascending to another member of it, Cardinal Ascanio Sforza, to the rank of vice-chancellor of Rome. Simultaneously, the new pope begins a passionate romance with a noblewoman, Giulia Farnese, at the same time that he seeks to consolidate his power with the expansion of the College of Cardinals, appointing 13 new cardinals, completely loyal to him, including his own son, César Borgia, with the aim of dismantling the plot that Della Rovere presides against him. Finally, he plants the evidence for Della Rovere to be accused of public lust, which causes his flight from Rome.

This is an exciting TV drama from ¨Showtime¨ network with full of historical events, emotions , political ambitions and sexual relations. Interpretations are uniformly good: Jeremy Irons as Rodrigo Borgia, scheming his way into becoming pope and to be the head of the Roman Catholic Church as Pope Alexander VI; Francois Arnaud as Cesare Borgia who bribes the voting bishops to elect his father as Pope; Colm Feore as Cardinal Della Rovere who's openly opposed to his election; Holliday Grainger as Rodrigo's daughter Lucrezia Borgia; Sean Harris as hired assassin Micheletto who is ultimately turned by Rodrigo's son Cesare and hired as a spy; and David Oakes who played Cesare's younger brother Juan, among others. The series created by showrunner Neal Jordan in 3 seasons and 29 episodes was well directed by Kari Skogland, John Maybury, Jon Amiel, David Leland, Jeremy Podeswa, Simon Cellan Jones and Neil Jordan himself.

Borgias is a superb series; of those which are made less and less nowadays with an equal quality.

• The cast is brilliant. I mean diamond-like brilliant. Jeremy Irons is so good that sometimes, I think the guy is from another world and on a whole other level of acting; he brings his personal never-ending charisma and professionalism to the show; his chemistry with his children and back are one of the main forces behind the series success. Francois Arnaud is beautiful, has menacing charisma and the right choice for the character. Holliday Grainger shines with her beauty, artful wittiness and charismatic magnetism. She is like a lollipop that never ends and that you can never get enough of. The supporting cast do a marvelous job and are perfectly synch with the main cast.
• The script and storyline are captivating, intriguing, unfold well with equally good character development.
• The cinematography, sceneries, costumes and actions are superb, never repetitive or boring and work hand in hand with the play of the cast.

The ending of the series in 3 seasons was a bit rushed and a 4th one would have been welcomed, providing viewers with more detailed story and plots, increasing the quality of the show with definitely more polished varnish.

Overall, a superb and satisfying journey throughout that I will never forget and that I will always recommend with warm enthusiasm.

It amazes me today that those of us who have spent a life time studying history, are expected to turn off that knowledge, just so we can enjoy shows like "The Borgias" because just thinking of historical inaccuracies in series like this could actually drive one quite loopy. So this is my first point, the Borgias, much like the Tudors is NOT accurate history. Ok. Now I have got that off my chest. The good points. There is some terrific acting from Jeremy Irons & Sean Harris as Micheletto. Lotte Verbeek makes superb use of her classical renaissance looks & I enjoyed François Arnaud as Cesare. The costumes & setting are absolutely gorgeous, the pacing is good & at times it is very engaging. However much like the Borgias stable mate "The Tudors" it suffers from far too many unnecessary sex scenes & even has full frontal male nudity, which makes this very much an adult drama. I seem to say this time & time again. Soft porn sex scenes in mainstream drama adds absolutely nothing to the story, or the enjoyent of the show & when we add in the mix of such high caliber acting giants like Jeremy Irons & Derek Jacobi, I feel this cheapness just insults the efforts of their superb work. Anyway this is certianly in the "R" rated catagory.

On many levels however this show is very watchable as it is well put together & in many ways it is better than the Tudors for production value. I continue to enjoy the diligent work of method actor Sean Harris which sparkles in the Borgias, even if his character comes across as having weird sado masochist leanings, but his role here is terrific to watch. There is not much bad language, but be prepared for full frontal nudes & sex scenes, which I feel lets down the tone of the story. There is some violence, but it is not too excess, & the stories are generally good. Put it simply this is just a decent binge worthy watch for a rainy day!

For historical accuracy though, you really need to open a book.

Like other recent similar series the settings of the period are captured beautifully, i.e. The Medici, but there is hardly a grain of historical truth in this show. While the names of real characters are used they bear little resemblance to the real people and most of the events here never happened or varied wildly from how they are depicted. In drama there is always some room for historical license, but there has to at least be some underlying truth and fidelity to history. This story line has none. There are some people named Borgia, but they have been made cartoon figures 100 times more evil than they actually were. This "history" is based upon there attitude prevalent in prior fiction and a historical reputation generated by enemies. The Borgias were no saints, but they were nowhere as evil as legend has it, and certainly not as depicted in this show. The screenplay is simply awful, misleading, historically inaccurate, and way off the mark. Key characters, such as the assassin, the Turk, etc. are unknown to history. The depiction of Machiavelli and the Medici is way off base, etc. etc. The other European "Borgia" series is far far better.

This TV-series is brilliant so how can it only have 7,9 in rating? The first season was excellent and the second was even better at some points. I am watching the third season right now and it's good! The soundtrack alone is stunning and sometimes i find myself distracted by the atmospheric music that is played during the scenes. The actors are very good and the overall story is both unpredictable and immersive. The costumes as well are really well done, i have to say everything is good with The Borgias and those who downvoted the series obviously doesn't see the brilliance in it.

The Borgias is one show you shouldn't miss!

It's rare that you find a series nowadays that has it all - but as far as I'm concerned & I've seen my share, The Borgias does. They have done EVERYTHING right on this show. Created by our own Neil Jordan (I am Irish btw), it is rumored o be one of the most historically accurate period pieces on tv. From the casting, to the Hungarian sets, to the sumptuous cinematography to the writing & direction, every episode left me wanting more. The only gripe was they only made 3 seasons! Jeremy Irons is perfectly cast as the power hungry, lecherous, scheming Pope Alexander VI who will do anything to get what he wants but also to keep his family together as they are outsiders to the whole of Italy.

Absolutely well worth investing in the box set!!

Like many people who watch this series and others like it, I often pick out moments which are fictional or an historical event that is slightly altered. It doesn't really matter though especially if what the writers come up with instead is still interesting and entertaining.

The first series focuses on the Borgia family's rise to prominence and the Popes children's gradual loss of innocence who grow into corrupt, murderous figures. The second series then follows Lucrezia's several love interest stories and the bitter sibling rivalry between Cesare and Juan. Finally, the third series follows the Pope and his son Cesare fighting their main enemies Caterina Sforza which leads to an epic conclusion with the battle of Forli.

The good points of this series for me is the general tone and atmosphere of the show. This is created by the actors and the setting of the show. The era itself holds strong interest as during this revolutionary time which saw the rise of Da Vinci, Michaelangelo and grand architecture there are dark, viscous conspiracies going on. The whole cast are top notch, in particular David Oakes who plays Juan. His ability to jump from emotion to emotion just like that shows his talent in full flow. Sean Harris who stars as Micheletto is the underrated star of this show. Jeremy Irons is marvellous, need I say more its Jeremy Irons c'mon. I am also a huge fan of orchestral music in shows and it features prominently here and adds to the mood perfectly.

For some, this show may feature too much gore or sexual content, as there is at least one sexual scene every episode. However if you're comfortable with this sort of thing then I can give you no negatives. If you're an anal historical fan who purely wants fact and non-fiction drama then this probably isn't for you but give a try anyway.

In my view its fabulous and I am one of those who was gutted to hear that it was cancelled after 3 seasons due to budget concerns despite consistently getting successful ratings. I highly recommend this show and advise you not to be put off by the fact that it was cancelled because honestly The Borgia's Requiem Mass has come too soon.

While the acting is absolutely fantastic and the casting is out right seamless accepting for David Oakes as Juan the show is only flawed in that it is historically inaccurate in several areas. Jeremy Irons is always fun to watch is roles like this, he can't help but wear his heart on his sleeve. François Arnaud is particularly brilliant in his portrayal of the conflicted Cesare and the performance of Holliday Grainger was awesomely stellar. I watched the French/German production of the same name. It's too bad one can't squeeze both of them together to make a really great story about this transgressive family. They don't make stories of this nature often.

Premiere episodes are sometimes awkward because there is so much to establish that it sometime feels contrived--not so with The Borgias. The writing/plot is compelling, the costumes and set are beautiful and I'm definitely hooked by all the fine performances.

Someone else wrote that Jeremy Irons is a reason in itself to watch and it's true--he does a fantastic job in the lead. The woman who plays Lucretia--Holiday Grainger- also gives a very nuanced performance.

The only thing that I thought was awkward was the chemistry between Jeremy Irons and Lotte Verbeek-- although it works in their favor during the confession scene. She's a great actress and definitely on par with Irons but I just don't believe their relationship yet.

All in all--very reminiscent of the Tudors--if you loved that series you will equally enjoy this.

This is a purely cookie-cutter period drama from Showtime once again.

The Tudors (also Showtime) seasons 1-2 was very good but from season 3 onwards, everyone was mailing in their performances and the writing was perfunctory at best.

The Borgias is definitely on a par with the latter - they've merely swapped some of the character and place names etc to come up with this "new" production.

The only character of genuine interest is Micheletto, the assassin; every scene with him is a whole cut above the average.

How I can be saying this when we're talking about a period of legendarily scandalous behaviour in the heart of the Vatican being portrayed by some top-drawer actors is beyond me and I am terribly disappointed to be doing it.

I don't know whether it's the writing and/or direction that is at fault here (I can't really blame the actors as they have little/nothing to work with) but this is a really wasted opportunity to put out some high quality drama for once.

Very disappointing.

The story of the Borgias, especially if certain of the most salacious rumors about them are actually true (questionable assumption though), is one of the very most dramatic and interesting stories in European history. But, at least through four episodes, this show has made it all seem a little boring.

I have no doubt that as the story progresses, there is no way things won't become at least slightly more interesting, just because some much more controversial stuff is about to go down. But after watching the first four episodes, I have concluded that an error was made in choosing the writer or writers. Many of the lines are awkward and not believable. I find myself often asking, "Now, why would this character have said that?" and "How does this line advance the story?" and "What purpose did that line serve other than to waste time?"

It seems like the writing is uninspired. Much of it is what I would call "clunky." It's just kind of awkward, clumsy, tedious, and comes off like the work of people who are not experienced or adept at dramatic writing in the historical fiction genre. It's not unlike daytime soap opera quality writing.

I do not think there is much doubt that the man who became Pope Alexander VI was a morally-challenged but shrewd politician, bent on gaining and then retaining the kind of power that, at the time, only being pope could provide. Yet Jeremy Irons seems more often than not to portray him as a little on the hapless side. I wish he were portrayed more like a smart, wicked, power-hungry man, although perhaps with an arguably good overall purpose driving him, shrewdly manipulating things under the cover of the cloak provided by the office of the pope. When I think of Pope Alexander VI, I think of someone more like, I don't know, maybe somewhat like the godfather in The Godfather, except perhaps even more devious because he has obtained the office of pope and the protection that office provides. In many ways, Jeremy Irons' portrayal is the opposite of this.

And Jeremy Irons' continual saliva-sucking sounds--the sort you sometimes hear from folks that are getting used to their dentures--are really annoying.

I don't think he is a bad actor. I think he has been much better in other things, but mostly I fault the writer(s). I also think a lesser known actor should have been cast in this role. There is no point at which I believe I am watching Pope Alexander VI--I am always very aware that I am watching Jeremy Irons attempting to get through this bad script.

Most of the other actors are hampered by the awkward and amateurish writing as well. Although I have nevertheless enjoyed the performances of Joanne Shalley as Vannozza, the mother of Giovanni, Cesare, and Lucrezia; and Colm Feore as Cardinal Rovere.

It makes me a little sad that this is the series that got made, because there was a lot of potential for a really good drama to be made out of the story of the Borgias. Essentially, this is, for the most part, boring, awkward, and bad, at least through the first four episodes. Yet there is some potential for this to get better--I think that if the writing team gets some help in the future this could easily improve.

The inevitable comparisons to The Tudors are made by people, because that show too was on Showtime, but for that series, I considered the writing, for the most part, masterful, and the part of King Henry VIII played and cast superbly. I wish that were the case here. So far, it definitely is not.

I have only seen the first two episodes of The Borgias but am already deeply immersed in this brilliant series.

The production is beautifully set and the atmosphere of the period is captured with detail and accuracy. The wonderful cast, led by the superb Jeremy Irons, is excellent and as good as I have ever seen in a production of this kind.

This series proves once more that good television is superior to most of the films produced today. This is a must for anyone who enjoys a fascinating story, based on real history, and an ensemble cast of actors chosen with care. Highly recommended.