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The Tudors - The Complete Second Season |  | Directors: Ciaran Donnelly, Colm McCarthy, Dearbhla Walsh, Jeremy Podeswa, Jon Amiel
Actors: Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Henry Cavill, Natalie Dormer, Maria Doyle Kennedy, Nick Dunning
Studio: Showtime Ent.
Category: DVD
List Price: $40.99
Buy New: $16.99
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Seller: Amazon.com
Rating:  155 reviews
Sales Rank: 236
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Widescreen, NTSC
Languages: English (Original Language), Spanish (Dubbed)
Rating: Unrated
Region: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1
Number Of Discs: 4
Running Time: 542 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 7.6 x 5.4 x 0.7
MPN: 892714
UPC: 097368927148
EAN: 0097368927148
ASIN: B001EO748M
Theatrical Release Date: 2008
Release Date: January 6, 2009
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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Product Description
Genre: Television: Series
Rating: NR
Release Date: 30-DEC-2008
Media Type: DVD
Amazon.com
Power, sex, delusion and tragedy were hallmarks of The Tudors: The Complete First Season, and they are all the more so in The Complete Second Season. The story of Britain's King Henry VIII (Jonathan Rhys Meyers), The Tudors is a dynamic history of a kingdom whose role on the 16th century world stage seems largely defined by Henry's narcissistic whims. Season two is very much taken up with Henry's determination to break free of papal authority in Rome and establish himself as head of England's church--all because he seeks to divorce Queen Catherine (Maria Doyle Kennedy) and marry Anne Boleyn (Natalie Dormer). Meanwhile, poor Catherine is kept locked away from court, unable to see her daughter Mary (Sarah Bolger) but refusing to relinquish her throne despite such punishment. As for Anne, she enjoys Henry's passion and commitment, but only to a point. When Henry marries her (in a union not recognized by Rome nor many British subjects) and she does not produce a male heir, his fickle attentions begin to wander, and a grand power play by Anne's father, Thomas Boleyn (Nick Dunning) begins to unravel. In time, Henry's focus shifts to soon-to-be third wife Jane Seymour (Anita Briem), whom the king sees as a symbol of his own redemption after the complications of his love life to date. Toward the end of The Complete Second Season, all the hints that Henry's lack of scruples is leading to a full-scale psychological breakdown begin to show, manifest in his many cruelties and--at the last minute--a clear sign of his notorious gluttony to come. Other stories woven into the colorful, lustful, intrigue-driven season two concern the fate of Henry's one-time mentor Sir Thomas More (Jeremy Northam), who refuses to cooperate with Henry's attempted separation from the Catholic faith and pays dearly for it. The pope himself (Peter O'Toole) turns up in sometimes near-comical responses to the king's intransigence, and the untimely fate of many interesting characters during Henry's wrathful sweep of his court proves a shocking development mid-season. All the actors are first-rate, even down to the smallest roles, and the show's spare but compelling use of nudity and sex scenes makes The Tudors powerful adult entertainment. --Tom Keogh
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Showing reviews 1-5 of 155
 Bravo!! August 27, 2008
kc_sunshine101 (California)
206 out of 210 found this review helpful
If you liked season one, you are going to love season two. However, if you only liked season one for the racy sex scenes, you will be disappointed. Season two focuses on the political aspects of Henry VIII's reign and the downfall of Anne Boleyn. The show received a ton of criticism for being historically inaccurate in season one, and thankfully, they really cleaned up their act for season two. I have since read several books (Alison Weir and David Starkey both have good ones) and the effort to make season two more accurate is obvious and I think that the viewers will appreciate that. I certainly did. Here is a summary of my favorite episodes from season two:
Episode 2- Henry tells Anne that he intends to marry her and make her Queen of England. He dubs her Marquess of Pembroke and they travel to France where Henry presents her to Francis I (King of France) as his future wife. She does an amazingly enchanting dance with her ladies for Francis I that will leave you drooling. Henry and Anne finally seal the deal; she becomes pregnant with Elizabeth I.
Episode 5- This episode is centered on the downfall of Thomas More. This is some of the finest acting work that I have ever seen. Jeremy Northam gives the performance of a lifetime. This episode will make any grown man cry. Henry makes the tough decision to execute the only man that has ever had the integrity to be honest with him and stick to his beliefs even during the political mayhem of the time. Without giving too much away, the ending sequence is breathtaking. Bravo to both Jeremy Northam and Jonathan Rhys Myers, both did a great job in this episode.
Episode 7- Anne realizes that she will never truly be Queen of England as long as Katherine is alive. She is starting to realize that her days are numbered and she is quickly losing the King's favor. Anne and Henry share a sex scene that will make your heart race. Amazing camera and editing work in this episode from the dance/sex scene to the final scene that I will explain in a second. Katherine dies and Maria Doyle Kennedy really shines as she hangs on for dear life until the very end. Anne and Henry have their infamous celebration in the courtyard and Anne has a very intense scene with her father at the very end where she announces that all is good in the world, "There is good news all around. Katherine is dead and I am pregnant. I am pregnant with the King's son. We are on the edge of a golden world!"
Episode 10- There is no doubt that season two belongs to Natalie Dormer as Anne, but here she leaves the viewers with no doubts. She IS Anne as she awaits her death in the tower and finally takes leave of the world. Calling her performance amazing would be an understatement. Everything from her quiet hysterics to her eerie calm to her infamous line, "I have a little neck." She captures everything that we know about Anne Boleyn and her final days in the tower. I have watched this episode over and over and over again and cry like a baby every time. They really paid a lovely tribute to this fascinating woman, even down to the color of her gown and her final words as she approaches the scaffold. Brilliant!! I definitely felt a sense of loss that Natalie won't be on the show next season, but we should be proud of her representation of Anne Boleyn. Natalie will truly be missed and the other cast members have big shoes to fill.
I do want to point out a couple of things that I did notice that were inaccurate just in case people want to discuss it here. In episode one, Charles Brandon tells the King that he has remarried and that his wife's name is "Catherine Brooke" when her name was actually Catherine Willoughby. He also said that he needed a mother for his young son, when in fact, he already had 3 children by this time. Also, in episode one there is a scene where Thomas Wyatt and Anne Boleyn are in bed together. They show this as some sort of dream or figment of his imagination, but I cannot figure out why they would do this in the first place. It is known that Thomas Wyatt did have some sort of affection toward Anne, but this scene may cause a bit of confusion for viewers that aren't as familiar with the story. Also, in episode ten, after they arrest the men (Thomas Wyatt included) Cromwell tells Wyatt that he will be freed and he yells after Cromwell, "But I am the only one who is guilty!!" I don't really think that this was necessary since there is no evidence to back up any type of physical relationship between the two of them or any proof that Thomas Wyatt had some sort of obsession/imaginary relationship with Anne going on in his own mind. However, I do think that historians generally agree that he was enamored by her.
Absolutely gorgeous vision of a crucial moment in history! Highly recommended. September 12, 2008
JF (IN.,USA)
66 out of 69 found this review helpful
There will be spoilers here - a caveat. Please read on.
Meet Henry VIII as he was as a young man: a political rock star -- handsome, robust, wild, spoiled, and hot-tempered. Everything he wanted, he got -- except for that elusive male heir...
The Tudors (SII) is an absolutely gorgeous visual ode to one of the most controversial chapters in Western political history. The series itself is a dazzling celebration of Tudor-era music (a precursor to our own pop music), stunning costumes, lovely, lusty women and handsome manly men, breathtaking castles and Tudor manors. Season II is even more provocative, dangerous, and sexy than the first season. Bravo, Showtime, for producing such a lush, thoughtful, and beautifully produced series that is above all an intelligent meditation on the shifting nature of politics and the dangers of gross imbalances of political power.
I am a literary scholar who specializes in this period and I love the adaptation, despite some of its loose treatment of dates and persons. The series captures the tumultuous *spirit* of Henry's era. The series allows us to peer into this astonishing historical moment, the instant when England broke from the Church of Rome. The future of politics and the state of nations would never be the same. Another plus: Henry's queens are brought to life beautifully by Maria Doyle Kennedy (as the pious and determined Katherine of Aragon) and by the newcomer Natalie Dormer, who excellently plays the controversial Anne Boleyn as a fierce social-climber haunted by her past and troubled by her father's rabid political manipulations. Dormer's Boleyn has a look deep in her eyes that shows us that she knows, in her soul, that she is doomed. This is a testament to Dormer as a young actress; she shows us the "arc" of Anne Boleyn as Anne/Natalie matures from a young and ambitious mistress to-the-king to a neglected, then persecuted, wife and lonely mother (to Elizabeth I, future great queen). JRM is also splendidly original as Henry: brash, lustful, and temperamental. We can believe in his Henry's burning love for Anne as well as his eventual hatred for her and his willingness to have the mother of his child executed.
This series is in my opinion the finest vision of this time period, superior to A Man for All Seasons, Anne of the Thousand Days, the Elizabeth I series with Helen Mirren, and numerous others. This series has sparkle and spirit in addition to rich intelligence (evidenced by its well-composed screenplay), smart casting choices (though Joss Stone is still a question mark for me as Anne of Cleves), and sensational locations. Bravo!
Excellent Television September 5, 2008
barry (Boston, MA United States)
42 out of 49 found this review helpful
I have only the highest praise for season 2 of The Tudors. I don't want to give away spoilers by going into the plot. Yes, it is history which we all pretty much know. But it is amazing to see it played out in front of you with 3 dimsional characters that make the facts take a life of their own.
The presentation is glorious. The scenery, costumes and all to do with the time period is breath taking and expertly done. And the acting is of the highest caliber.
I find complaints people have had with this season to be rather minimal. Anyone can take a masterpiece and have something with it that does not please them. For me everything about this show gives it an A +++++. King Henry and Anne Boleyn are the center here but all the other historical pieces are expertly put in.
I am amazed how the show manages to show history so true to fact, true to life and mezmerizing to view. Season 2 is an entity to itself and such ensemble acting is rare to find. View this and you will see only the highest quality television available, refresh your history knowledge and see the best acting out there.
Kudos.
Lots of 16th century sex and violence January 13, 2009
Viva (So. Cal.)
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
Okay, there is some pretty good acting too, and the production and costume design are hard to beat.
Yes, this is definitely for more mature audiences, as there is some fairly graphic sexual content, along with some stunningly realistic torture and execution scenes. Beheadings abound.
Rhys Meyers appears to have improved his acting skills from the first season, while Natalie Dormer, Maria Doyle Kennedy, and the others all do a wonderful job with their characters.
I won't get into the historical accuracy issue, as it's not my specialty.
It is quite a lavish production and there is never a dull moment.
So much better than season one! Dormer as Anne Boleyn is brilliant! February 12, 2009
CoffeeGurl (MA)
7 out of 8 found this review helpful
It seems to me that the Tudors are very popular these days. Everyone and his/her grandmother have written a novel based on one of the characters (Anne Boleyn and Queen Elizabeth I are the most popular) and it appears that Hollywood is fast on its heels. I enjoyed the first season of Showtime's The Tudors despite the fact that it focused more on Henry VIII's womanizing and debauchery than on the political aspects of the time. In fact, season one was full of inaccuracies, some of them glaring, and I asked myself if the producers had bothered to hire a consultant or if they'd simply decided to create a fictional version of the era. I thought it was sad, especially with such an incredible cast (Jeremy Northam, James Frain, Sam Neill, Nick Dunning). So, I was reluctant to watch the second season. You can imagine my surprise that season two is more closely focused on real-life historical events and less enthusiastic about young Henry's exploits.
The political stuff that took place during Anne Boleyn's reign, mainly Henry's decision to destroy the church, fascinated me, but what floored me the most was Natalie Dormer as Queen Anne. She brought this character to life, making her as complex and as human as possible. She isn't depicted as an evil vixen here, rather an ambitious and passionate woman who fought for what she wanted. Yes, it is more than implied that her father had forced her to do many of the things she did, but she did them with her eyes wide open. She was no doormat! The season finale belonged to Dormer as she delivered one of the most emotive performances I've seen on television. I was practically in tears. That episode was all about Anne Boleyn and her execution, and she will be missed next season. Jonathan Rhys Meyers does a wonderful job playing the young and charming Henry VIII. The character is despicable, though he is sometimes also depicted as somehow naïve about the people around him. Meyers humanizes the character. Henry shows a flicker of discomfort every now and then when it comes to ruining Catherine of Aragon and genuine pain for ordering to behead More. The episode closes with Henry eating from a very creepy platter with a dead swan, which I think foreshadows his decline, looks-wise. He gains weight around the time he's married to Jane Seymour. Many great actors leave the series in this season (Northam, Dunning, and others), but new ones are introduced. I look forward to watching season three. One thing is certain though: Dormer will be missed.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 155
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