A Tale of Two Series: Wolf Hall Season 2

After 10 years, the (literal) death of the author, a world-wide pandemic, and a third book, Wolf Hall has returned to screens. The hype surrounding the return was duly earned: the first season had been immaculate, with costuming, cast, and set design being impeccable. Yet, there were going to be some differences: many of the actors from season 1 had since gone on to become much more famous, and the show runners could not afford to have them back. The best example of this was Gregory Cromwell's actor, Tom Holland: he had used Wolf Hall as a launchpad for his career, and had since become Hollywood famous after he took the role of Peter Parker shortly after his stint in Tudor history. Yet, other characters' changes in actor weren't as clear, such as Amalric as Chapuys and both Richard Riche's and Wriosley's actors. The first episode handles the changes of actors in the cast pretty well: because they wanted to recap how Anne Boleyn was executed, a few of the scenes were re-shot to include the new actor. I didn't even recognise him, nor the fact it was changed at first! Yet the rest of the show was so poorly executed (pun intended): not only do some characters change actors, they also change personalities; Joel MacCormack's Call-Me Risley was a very meek, ginger haired man who hesitated to question the intentions of the lords around him, while Harry Melling's (who played Dudley in Harry Potter) dark haired portrayal is more like that of season 1's Richard Riche, who has also gone from ginger haired, to meek and brown haired. Chapuy was played by Mathieu Almaric as a bitchy Frenchman who was constantly lecturing Cromwell as to how the behaviors of his king were going to fail in the long run, yet his successor, a very faux French Karim Kadjar is much more naive and gregarious; not only a departure from the character in season 1, but the books. Even the characterisation of Cromwell faces irresponsible changes: in season 1, Cromwell was portrayed as a very private, thoughtful person. Season 2's Cromwell, however keeps announcing his darkest secrets, flirting with every young woman he sees, and seems to be showing some sort of cognitive deterioration. There are some glimmers of the old Cromwell from time-to-time, yet seeing how Cromwell is in season 2 is akin to watching a beloved family member die of dementia: this is just the way he is now, and we have to prepare for the worst, now. The writing has also taken a nose-dive: unlike many other reviewers, I really enjoyed the slow, yet meticulous pacing of season 1. Yet season 2 is so eager to reach the end of the story, many plot points have been lost in the fray. Jane Seymour and her marriage to the king is a main part of this season, yet her pregnancy, death, and funeral are all lost: Jane is a few months pregnant at the end of episode 3, heavily pregnant during the cold open of episode 4, and the hardship of the birth is not touched. The real Jane labored for 3 days before her longed for son was born, yet in Wolf Hall, it is the work of a moment, as if Jane had sneezed in the night and Edward fell out. Even in the books, the long labor fuels the outburst that Cromwell later has when Jane dies, that if she had been his wife, that he would have been better to her. Yet in the show, for all the viewer knows, Jane had a normal childbirth and got food poisoning after giving birth (another deviation from the book). Henry doesn't mourn her outside of wearing black-and-white once and then returning to normal clothing and duties. Also in the books, the council has to handle Henry's immense grief over the loss of his wife, and rule in his stead. There is also talk of the funeral, as well as how the loss affects England. None of this happens in the show. Now, we should probably address the elephant in the room: Wolf Hall season 2 partakes in colorblind casting, and there are a handful of POC in the show. Particularly, people are very upset about the fact that Elizabeth Seymour is played by Guyanese actress Maisie Richardson-Sellers. To be quite frank, I don't give a damn: we had this same fight when the Hollow Crown premiered their season 2, and everyone's grandparents have been fighting about this since. I'm exhausted by this conversation, especially when it comes to things like Shakespeare. So long as the actor is good for the role, they deserve to be in the role. I'll also point out that we should have more representation of this time period in other cultures, allowing for mostly overlooked stories to be told, but the color blind casting thing doesn't bother me that much. Now, back to the meat of the problem. I don't think I can watch the rest of this show: I am so discouraged, especially after episode 4 superimposed Damien Lewis' face onto Henry's body in a portrait. It's beginning to feel like it's slipping down the road of The Tudors, which is my comfort show, but not a good period drama. I am tired of being disappointed, and I feel as if Hilary Mantel would have been deeply offended by how this show is going. Wolf Hall: The Mirror and The Light has two more episodes here in the US before it's over, and whether you have the strength to finish it is up to you. I would not recommend this show, however.