Taylor Gates is a Los Angeles-based editor and critic who earned her BFA in Creative Writing from the University of Evansville. She is a member of the Hollywood Creative Alliance and is Rotten Tomatoes and CherryPicks approved.
The Big Picture Historical dramas can get a bad rap. After all, who doesn’t have a vivid memory or two of being made to slog through a tedious film in history class? It’s a shame considering, to use two adages, that those who fail to learn history are doomed to repeat it and the truth is stranger than fiction. History is not only important, but it can be highly entertaining.
It quickly becomes clear that John is not going to be Mary’s ticket to power, as there’s something a little off with him and his behavior. Thus, she pivots to George. Though he’s initially reluctant about playing her games, Mary is sharp and relentless, willing to say and do whatever it takes to land on top — including sending George off to France to learn how to become a top and seduce King James I .
The series is also reminiscent of the late, great The Great , particularly when it comes to the writing. The dialogue is written and delivered with the driest of wit, and it’s especially delicious to watch two smart, stubborn women — like Mary and rival Lady Hatton — go at it around an impeccably set dinner table. The pacing is swift, keeping everything engaging, not just in terms of conversations but in entire plotlines.
The show is also incredibly, unapologetically gay. Heterosexual relationships are, for the most part, shown as bland at best and miserable at worst — necessary transactions to secure legacies and titles. The homosexual dynamics, on the other hand, are full of passion, indulgence, and romance.
Rounding out the main trio is King James I himself. Though in lesser hands, he could simply be a prop — a symbolic object of power — Tony Curran gives him depth and sensitivity. An enigmatic figure at first, the audience slowly peels back his layers along with George. He’s one of the most powerful people in the world, but we can’t help but have empathy for him, even when he’s acting volatile or allowing himself to be swayed.
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