My Review of Mary & George: "War"

 

Written by D.C. Moore And Laura Grace

Directed by Florian Cossen 

King James (to George): "An old fool's lust blinded me, but now I see. You're the traitor."

It's been seven episodes but I went the slow path and chose to watch this on a weekly basis. I think that was a good decision. This finale certainly brought things to a fiery ending for both George and King James.

Their relationship had effectively soured between episodes with James in isolation in the woods and George getting a bit too big for his boots and acting like the King himself. That of course would backfire on him here. Sadly for George, not everyone shared his ambition.

Trying to get Charles married to the Spanish Princess came to a screeching halt this week and George only made the situation worse. He pretty much exaggerated to Charles why the marriage wouldn't go ahead and he effectively declared war on Spain in the King's. Of course, Mary tried to step in to save the monster she created but it was definitely a case of too little and too late.

George would no longer listen to her and her attempts to manipulate the King were initially countered by George fucking him in the woods. Then word of war with Spain got out and whatever hold George had on the King was gone in an instant. James had quite the wake up call. He even stripped George of his titles but before he could put his lover to death, things went badly for the King.

Yes, George proved that power always meant more than any loyalty to the King. George didn't hold back on killing King James and he almost got away with it. Given the amount of lives that George ruined in his mother's (and his own) quest for power, there's a suitable irony in his death coming a very unexpected person. 

As for Mary, she didn't quite suffer as much as the King or her son, but it's clear that Sandie's death affected more than she wanted to admit, along with knowing that George had a part in it. That and her inability to get the King back on side and her son's demise. Whatever she achieved definitely came with a hefty price overall.

- Sir Francis Bacon was missing his nose and had the stench of death. Mary saw that as enough reason not to kill him.

- George's second child was born shortly before his own demise while him and Charles were likened to brothers.

- George had flashbacks of various men and women he fucked over the years during this episode.

- Chronology: The series ended with 1628, marking George's death.

War marked a very strong ending for the series. Throughout these seven episodes, Julianne Moore, Nicholas Galitzine and Tony Curran delivered with their performances and didn't put a foot wrong. I had a great time with this show.

Rating: 8 out of 10

My Review of Mary & George: "The Queen Is Dead"

 

Written by D.C. Moore And Anchuli Felicia King

Directed by Florian Cossen

Mary (to George/Kit): "I'll need things of you both."

Heading into this penultimate episode, you had both mother and son on the ropes as it seemed like their enemies were closing in around them and their allies were no longer going to be of use to them. What were they to do?

Edward Coke might have agreed to his daughter wedding John Villiers but he's certainly soured to the reality of their ill advised union. Not only that, he went out of his way to take down both Mary and George in his own rather spiteful way. Also, Francis Bacon and Sandie.

Sandie's part in murdering Sir David certainly came back to haunt her that her death was massively signposted throughout. She tried to warn Mary, who in turn resorted to her own desperate measures in order to secure Sandie's freedom. Sadly for Sandie, even when she manage to get a pardon, it didn't prevent her from being a casualty. Francis Bacon certainly knew how to hold a grudge.

Bacon's downfall this week also felt rather telegraphed. Mary was quick to use George's disadvantage with Coke in order to have Bacon stripped of his titles. Mary asked a lot of George but for Kit, she asked very little by comparison. George got even by having Sandie removed from her.

George certainly was manoeuvring a lot this episode. When he wasn't trying to prevent Coke from killing him and Kit, betraying Bacon and being at the behest of his mother, there was also his scenes with King James and Prince Charles. Those scenes were definitely interesting to watch.

It took a lot to snap the King out of his funk over Queen Anne's death and the expense of her funeral but he eventually did it. Then there was facilitating Diego's (Unax Ugalde) plot to get Charles to marry Maria Anna of Spain. It helped that Charles seemed keen on the idea. 

- Sandie revealed that her real name was Cliona to the woman who would end up murdering her in the carriage.

- George grew his hair between episodes. It now looks similar to King James's. He also became a father to a girl named Mary.

- The last two episodes have been short on sex scenes between George and James. We did have George fooling around with Katherine though.

- Chronology: 1619, following the death of Queen Anne.

The Queen Is Dead made for a solid penultimate episode. We got downfalls, deaths, marriage plans, new heirs and so on. Now just the finale to get to.

Rating: 7 out of 10

My Review of Mary & George: "The Golden City"

 

Written by D.C. Moore 

Directed by Alex Winckler 

George: "I didn't do it for Spain or for gold. I didn't do anything. James did."

Francis Drake: "Yes, that's the story we shall tell and keep telling. Good boy."

This week, we had an episode where one half of our mother/son Duos influence began to grow while the other's was starting to diminish. Not hard to guess which applied to which.

George had grown fed up of his mother's controlling ways and this week, he found himself in a position where a marriage alliance could be used to his own advantage. Hence his union with Katherine Manners (Mirren Mack). Well, one that took some persuading.

You could argue that Katherine was manipulating George as much as his mother has been doing this series but George soon realised that being married to Katherine could work along with maintaining his relationship with the King as well. A relationship that nearly came to blow this week.

George certainly overstepped in the council meeting in relation to how to handle the rebellious Sir Walter Raleigh (Joseph Mawle) the best. It took Sir Francis Bacon to get George to see what Raleigh was really up to, which then led to the latter's execution when George and King James made up again.

As for Mary, having George slowly getting more politically savvy along with Bacon's influence, she was beginning to lose her hold on George. George even had no problem standing up to his mother and even calling out Sandie in the same breath. 

Not only did she lose her hold on George, but even her other son, John was completely out of her control. His marriage to Frances had fallen apart and Mary had only choice but to get him committed. 

- Mary might have gained a Countess title but her marriage to Thomas Compton also came to a halt along with her alliance with Queen Anne.

- Charles told George that he was family. This episode was signposting Anne's imminent demise.

- Frances had been cheating on John with Sandie aiding her in an abortion.

- Chronology: 1618, given the execution of Sir Walter Raleigh here.

The Golden City certainly showed the reversals between mother and son while also cementing both their future downfalls. The handling of Raleigh's story was handled decently.

Rating: 7 out of 10

My Review of Mary & George: "The Wolf And The Lamb"

 

Written by D.C. Moore 

Directed by Alex Winckler

Peter (to George): "Who the fuck do you think you're talking to, you wee English slut?"

Kit: "Me. He was talking to me."

Following the downfall of the Somersets, you'd think things might have been smooth sailing for George in his quest to keep the King, but this episode proved that boyish good looks can only get you so far. George had another adversary this week.

The adversary in question being the Earl of Somerset's cousin, Peter Carr (Dylan Brady). At first, Peter appeared to be a friend for George, one that even became a lover. George trusted him almost a bit too naively, in spite of his other brother, Kit (Jacob McCarthy) being far less trustful.

Anyways as the episode progressed, Peter's presence during the trip to Edinburgh caused tension between George and King James and the latter wasn't a bit happy about the two of them being indiscreet in their sexcapades. It was enough though to get George temporarily dismissed and for Peter to almost get his revenge.

If it hadn't been for Kit, then George would've been a dead man in this episode. Kit came at the right time, killed Peter before the latter could kill George and earned himself a position in the King's. Now Mary's hold on the King got that much bigger.

Yes, we had King James and George reunite and we got two perspectives on George's love for the late Lord Lennox, not to mention the retrieval of his heart. The King really did care about that man, given the lengths he went to retrieve the embalmed heart.

As for Mary, this week she chose to ignore the fact that John was spiralling and thought kidnapping Frances Coke and forcing the girl to marry John was the best course of action. She succeeded but she certainly passed off a lot of people in her mad quest to further protect her family's future.

- Mary's being as open about her affair with Sandie as the King has been with George. George got bit and licked a lot this episode.

- At least Thomas Compton tried to keep John from nearly drowning even if the latter still managed to attack Jenny again.

- Mary made it clear she still intended to pick George a wife during John and Frances's miserable wedding. Elizabeth Hatton paid for the very thing she desperately tried to prevent. 

- Chronology: 1617, Edinburgh and of course, Ruthven Castle.

The Wolf And The Lamb wasn't as strong as the previous ones but it had its moments. I did enjoy learning more of the King's former love and Mary's scheming certainly got worse in this one. 

Rating: 7 out of 10

My Review of Mary & George: "Not So Much As Love As By Awe"

Written by D.C. Moore

Directed by Oliver Hermanus 

George (to Robert): "Most hours I long for death but like my mother, I just wanted to fuck you. And it'll be the last thing you think of before you hang."

Ooh, this episode definitely got a little spicy, didn't it? Both Mary and George looked like they were losing King James to Robert Carr and his wife, but then things took a rather interesting turn of events. The Carrs certainly overplayed their hand.

At the start of the episode, George was forced to play music while having to watch the King fuck Robert and other pretty boys while at court, the countess took great pleasure in humiliating Mary and ensuring she left a bad first impression on the King. It really looked like they were being taken out of the game.

Fortunately for the scheming mother and son duo, they had allies in their favour. For Mary, her ally came in the shape of the Earl of Essex (Matt Barkley). He was revealed to be the ex husband of the Countess and a walking reminder of what happened to anyone unfortunate enough to make an enemy out of her.

Yes, the theme of witchcraft played heavily into this episode with rumours of both the Somersets being responsible for the murder of Sir Thomas Overbury and Mary gathering enough evidence of their guilt. However she wasn't the only one to play role in their downfall.

While George fell conveniently ill to smallpox during a heated confrontation with the Somersets and the King, at least he had Sir Francis Bacon (Mark O'Halloran) advising him somewhat better than his mother. We got a nice sex scene between George and Robert and then everything went wrong for Robert and Frances.

It was easy to not feel too bad for the Somersets as this episode really portrayed the pair as cartoon villains.  By the end of this one, George got closer to the King, played music while Mary also got the better of Elizabeth Hatton as well as getting in the good graces of the King herself.

- It seems that Frances resorted to a bit of voodoo to make George ill. King James seemed disappointed that the threat of a witch was over.

- Mary strategically allowed herself to make a show in court as well as having Sandie dressing her up garishly.

- I'm loving the bitchy rivalry between Mary and Elizabeth. Nicola Walker is eating up the pithy dialogue she's given.

- Chronology: Frances Carr was hanged in 1632 but I don't think we've had that huge a time jump between episodes.

Not So Much As Love As By Awe was immensely enjoyable.  The downfall of the Somersets, delving into the King's fixation on witches and both mother and son finding new allies for their cause. I had a lot of fun with one.

Rating: 8 out of 10

My Review of Mary & George: "The Hunt"

 

Written by D.C. Moore

Directed by Oliver Hermanus

King James (to George): "Take me, bury me. I want to forget who I am. I am nothing but your subject."

For a courtship, it felt like George had to go the extra mile to get his man but it also felt like he had to make no effort at all. End result though, he's certainly gotten King James well and truly hooked.

It was amusing at the start of the episode watching him go the other part of the road to try and meet the King, only to be leered at by a strange man and wind up in the mud. However bad information to one side, George still managed to charm the King.

Of course as George got closer to the King, he also put a massive target on his back by the Earl of Somerset. The latter spent so much of this episode acting the jealous boyfriend and instead of dissuading George, his various actions, including a sabotage during the hunt only brought George and James closer together. The King even bottomed for his new paramour.

Saying that, George's success wasn't solely down to him. Yes, Mary definitely continued to play her role in securing her second son's future and even enlisted the help of Sir David (Angus Wright) and Queen Anne (Trine Dyrholm) in order to do that. Having those who hated Robert definitely worked in Mary and George's favour this week.

One of the delightful parts of this episode did involve Mary's rapport with local prostitute Sandie (Niamh Algar). I could've watched more of their scenes together as they were so good. The two of them as a team also didn't end well for Sir David either.

As for the rest of the episode, Mary did try to secure her first born son John's future but thanks to Queen Anne's lady in waiting Elizabeth Hatton (Nicola Walker),  that was a bit of a disaster. Elizabeth and Sandie brought out some of the best scenes for Mary this episode.

- John murdered a dog in this episode. Mary and George couldn't cover for him and failed to get Sir Edward Coke's daughter as a bride.

- Mary had more chemistry with Sandie than she's had with either husband so far. 

- Sandie hinted at a shady past and Mary killed Sir David by poisoning prunes.

- Chronology: It was 1615 for this episode.

The Hunt definitely brought George and James together while giving Mary some great scenes with other characters. The sex scenes had an edge without feeling exploitative and there was plenty of treachery afoot as well.

Rating: 8 out of 10

My Review of Mary & George: "The Second Son"

 

Written by D.C. Moore

Directed by Oliver Hermanus

Mary (to George): "If I were a man and I looked like you, I'd rule the fucking planet."

It's been a while since we've had a rather sexy and salacious period drama and finally we've got one that's off to a very promising start. Oh and the title characters are quite the mother and son duo.

The episode opened with Mary Villiers, Countess of Buckingham (Julianne Moore) giving birth to her second son, George. As the episode would go on to demonstrate, second sons aren't looked upon favourably and have to make it in the world without the benefits of the first born.

Cut to an older George, 1st Duke of Buckingham (Nicholas Galitzine) attempting to commit suicide and pining for a serving girl he had fallen in love with. Mary wasn't sympathetic to his plight and decided that he needed to go to France to be trained into being a suitor worthy of getting a suitable mate.

George might have resented being sent away but it didn't take him long to largely speak French and he definitely became intrigued by his mentor Jean (Khalil Ben Garbia) seducing men in the more liberal household. The episode quickly revealed that George was bisexual, which would prove advantageous for Mary.

During George's absence from England, Mary didn't let time waste after her husband, Sir George (Simon Russell Beale) died. She quickly married Sir Thomas Compton (Sean Gilder) but more importantly, she set her sights on getting her new husband to host King James VI and I (Tony Curran) and decided that his lust for younger men would work in her favour.

This was where a returning George would be bested suited. Instead of a nice wife, Mary wanted her son to be the King's new lover. The only problem being that the King's current lover, Robert Carr, 1st Earl of Somerset (Laurie Davidson) was definitely an obstacle for Mary's overall scheme. George came close to losing a hand had the King not intervened.

I'm actually a little surprised we didn't get more of the King in this opening episode but Tony Curran certainly made the most of his screen time here. Despite embarrassing himself, George managed to make a positive first impression on James and Robert certainly felt threatened by George's presence. 

- We met the other children of Mary for a few scenes in the episode. Oldest brother, John Villiers (Tom Victor) making a good impression.

- For some reason, SkyTV have all the episodes now but US viewers will have to wait until April 5th for it to air on Starz.

- Mary talked about her own humble beginnings in life when getting George to go along with her plan to seduce the king.

- Chronology: The episode started in 1592 England with the majority taking place in 1612 in both England and France.

The Second Son has started this unapologetically baudy drama off on a strong note. Both Nicholas Galitzine and Julianne Moore are a delightfully scheming pair and there's some delightfully biting dialogue and a generous helping of male flesh on display in this first episode alone.

Rating: 8 out of 10