Mary & George
Ever since The White Queen took the world by storm in 2013 Starz has made a bit of a name for itself with rather bawdy historical dramas. One could almost call them historical fantasies, given their laxity with regard to historical accuracy, but I think complaining about historical dramas is one of the reasons we like to watch them so much. To be drawn into a love story or political machinations while totally trashing a farthingale or a stomacher, now that's the stuff. Though a should say Bridgerton deserves it's own circle of hell for what it does to Regency fashion. Seeing as Starz has run through a fair portion of Philippa Gregory's back catalog, they've turned to other sources over the years, most notably Diana Gabaldon and her Outlander empire with the odd historical text thrown in. And each and every one of these shows I've devoured, even if sometimes Starz has let their audiences down by cancelling remarkable shows even after they've "renewed" them. I will forever lament Becoming Elizabeth and Dangerous Liaisons. Though I will say I don't know how Becoming Elizabeth could have continued after the death of Thomas Seymour, whereas my brother wanted it to last just long enough to watch Edward VI die. But seriously, both could have had Outlander level fanbases given the chance. Well, maybe that's stretching it, but I would have always tuned in. I first heard about Mary and George when Julianne Moore was on an episode of The Graham Norton Show. I don't remember what she was promoting, but she was talking about filming in England and my ears perked up. I was intrigued and when after a little research I saw Tony Curran was in the show I was going to watch it no matter what. It's Tony "I was Vincent van Gogh on Doctor Who" Curran for crying out loud! And yes, I apologize, I was totally ignorant as to who Nicholas Galitzine is, I now know better. This show is an odd one. It leans into the queerness and the lascivity of the English Court during the reign of James I which makes it more historically accurate and sets it apart from the crowd. The problem is you don't like a single character. You pity Tony Curran as James I, but Mary and George Villiers are nasty pieces of work. It's not just that Mary wants to protect her family, she's greedy for status and will get it however she can, even if that's pimping out her son to the king. Everyone is just lewd and unlikable, but I think that was entirely the point. You aren't supposed to like the monarchy, you're supposed to be shocked that people this fucked up are in control. And for that added dash of meta humor Nicola Walker as Elizabeth Hatton is sheer brilliance. She's there being snarky and calling everyone out. She is a gem in a pile of feces. But in the end the takeaway I was left with was this show perfectly melded the high art and the low. The bodily functions of copulation with cinematography that mimicked Rembrandt's greatest works. It might have been lewd, but oh how beautiful it was.
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