I didn't dislike this show, but I wanted to like it more than I did. The Name of the Rose it's not.
Overview: Henry VIII wants to close down a Benedictine monastery and confiscate its wealth. But instead of just doing it, he wants to find a good excuse by proving that the monastery is engaged in illegal conduct, including murder. Thomas Cromwell chooses Shardlake, a hunchbacked, handicapped lawyer, to carry out this mission for the Crown..
For those who enjoy an escape into the past, this should be just the thing. But, while the period sets and costumes all work, there is something missing. The plot moves forward very slowly. Shardlake just lets things happen, showing few signs of his supposed intelligence. Yes, he does have one or two fine moments (no spoilers here), but it takes too many episodes, and some of his insights toward the end really could have come in episode one.
And then there is the egregious casting. Yes, I know there were moors in Tudor England, and a moorish physician makes sense, but this cast is just too diverse and anachronistic. Why bother with the efforts to recreate the Tudor era authentically on screen when the cast is so thoroughly 21st century.
Overall, I liked it but didn't love it and even just four episodes was too many for the lackluster storytelling.
Overview: Henry VIII wants to close down a Benedictine monastery and confiscate its wealth. But instead of just doing it, he wants to find a good excuse by proving that the monastery is engaged in illegal conduct, including murder. Thomas Cromwell chooses Shardlake, a hunchbacked, handicapped lawyer, to carry out this mission for the Crown..
For those who enjoy an escape into the past, this should be just the thing. But, while the period sets and costumes all work, there is something missing. The plot moves forward very slowly. Shardlake just lets things happen, showing few signs of his supposed intelligence. Yes, he does have one or two fine moments (no spoilers here), but it takes too many episodes, and some of his insights toward the end really could have come in episode one.
And then there is the egregious casting. Yes, I know there were moors in Tudor England, and a moorish physician makes sense, but this cast is just too diverse and anachronistic. Why bother with the efforts to recreate the Tudor era authentically on screen when the cast is so thoroughly 21st century.
Overall, I liked it but didn't love it and even just four episodes was too many for the lackluster storytelling.
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