“Valentines, sorceries, purple doublets. Any jury would laugh you out of the court. But then there won’t be a jury, will there?” – Thomas Cromwell
No jury. No trial. Only an interrogation team, perfectly convinced about Thomas Cromwell being a traitor, asking ridiculous questions. And an Act of Attainder which Cromwell himself also used against others.
Upon arresting him, Kingston brings Cromwell to the Tower, to the very room that Cromwell himself built for Anne Boleyn before her coronation. It is also the same room the late queen spent her days before her execution. Now, in his solitary confinement, it is inevitable for Cromwell to reflect on his past. And characters from that past, varying from Anne Boleyn to Cardinal Wolsey to Dorothea to the French executioner haunt his dreams.
Rafe is Cromwell’s first visitor. He has always been the closest to Cromwell. And the most loyal. If he had known about Cromwell’s upcoming arrest, he would have let him know. That is why Rafe was left in the dark about the arrest and that Wriothesley called him for some master secretary business minutes before the Privy Council Members started their attack on Cromwell.
Rafe shares that the parliament took the news about Cromwell in silence and the only person who tried to talk for Cromwell was, unsurprisingly, Rafe himself. But nobody heard him. Cromwell asks about Cranmer. The Archbishop is expected to write Henry a letter. Huh?
Cromwell is keen on protecting his family. He tells Rafe that he, his nephew Richard and his son Gregory should avoid each other, because seeing any two of them together could make their enemies take it as a conspiracy. He does not want Gregory or Richard visit him, either.
The furniture which I take as a medieval torture device for a second turns out to be a table installed for the interrogation. The interrogation committee is a joke: the new BFFs Norfolk and Gardiner along with two men who should be thankful to Cromwell for how far they have come: Richard Riche and Thomas Wriothesley who avoid eye contact with Cromwell. UGH. And the interrogation itself is a complete farce. Outrageous questions, forged letters, and lots of words. I love it that Cromwell is poised. His inner strength peaks that he has a peacefulness about him. And his sarcasm is spot on.
They start with Cromwell’s wardrobe! He had that purple doublet back in the day when he worked for the Cardinal. How dare he thought he could wear purple, a color reserved for the royals and the bishops?
Then they move to some letters they claim that have been found at Austin Friars. Cromwell is waiting for them to tell him what they are.
I cannot guess what you might forge, can I?”
Indeed.
Lutheran letters, Riche says. One is directly from Martin Luther himself and the other one is from Melanchton, his collaborator, whom Henry himself writes to. So does this make Henry Cromwell’s co-conspirator or what?!?! The committee also claims that Cromwell has letters from the German princes urging him to take the most unfavorable discourse for Henry. Now, put aside the fact that these letters do not exist, it would be laughable to think that Cromwell would keep them in the open if they existed.
The interrogation is interrupted with a letter arriving for Norfolk. The King of France is congratulating them for getting Cromwell down. No surprise there, my lord Norfolk. The King of France should be relieved that Henry will no more have the best advisor in Europe.
Cromwell knows that Norfolk has advocated an alliance with France for a long time. We have seen Norfolk trying to have Henry marry from France in Episode 4 Jenneke. King Francois has probably hinted to Norfolk that an alliance between England and France could be possible with a condition attached: Cromwell needs to go. This also explains the letter from the French Ambassador to his king that Wriothesley got hold of and showed Cromwell in Episode 5 Mirror: The letter said that Henry would take the Privy Seal from Cromwell and give it to Fitzwilliam. We don’t know if Henry was convinced from the get-go or Norfolk and Gardiner had to come up with false accusations against Cromwell and convince the King who loves crazy conspiracy theories.
The interrogation committee is now inquiring about Cromwell’s wealth. How much did he make when he worked for Wolsey who was known to enrich his servants? Not in his case, Cromwell says. Wolsey owed him money but because he was arrested before he could pay back his debts, he cost Cromwell money in the end. Next is the ring that the Cardinal gave him. It has certain properties. Is it me or Richard Riche really looks embarrassed when he talks about sorcery and that Cromwell makes princesses fall in love with him through the ring?
“I am turning them away daily.”
“But you didn’t turn away Lady Mary, did you?”
The charges about Mary remind me of the play Henry wrote about Anne Boleyn in Wolf Hall Episode 6 Master of Phantoms.
“I’ve written a play. A tragedy… My own story. I want you to see her true nature. I believe she has committed adultery with 100 men.”
What goes around comes around, I am sorry to say. Cromwell helped the King to get rid of Anne via outrageous charges against her, including adultery with her own brother! And now Norfolk and Gardiner are helping the King to get rid of Cromwell via outrageous charges, including his desire to be the King! They treat past events such as Mary calling Cromwell her only friend (because he was!), Cromwell being Mary’s Valentine (they had a draw!), the ring that Cromwell had for Mary (Henry liked it so much that he chose to give it to his daughter himself!) and Mary sharing her private health matters with Cromwell (Is toothache a private issue?!) as evidence for their intimacy.
Richard Riche: “She gave you a pair of gloves. That signifies hand in glove. That signifies alliance. That signifies matrimony.”
Thomas Cromwell: “The King of France gave me gloves. He didn’t want to marry me.”
They don’t care. They remind him that he, once asked, said that whether a woman could rule depended on whom she married. Norfolk remembers that when Henry had his falling accident and was considered dead or dying, the first person Cromwell asked about was Mary. Cromwell did that because he wanted to protect Mary from Norfolk himself and his niece Anne Boleyn in case of Henry’s death. But Norfolk claims that Cromwell asked about Mary because he would marry her and sit on the throne. That is why he has sent all her suitors away.
The committee claims that Cromwell made good friends with the Imperial Ambassador Chapuys, Wriothesley being witness to them dining together twice a week, and made him promises about Mary. It does not matter if Cromwell does not think he made promises. Chapuys thought he did. Mary thought he did. And obviously Wriothesley thought he did. I am sure Norfolk and Gardiner have been whispering this into Henry’s ear for a long time.
Next the committee discusses that Cromwell’s Plan B was to marry the King’s niece Margaret Douglas whom we have met in Episode 2 Obedience! That’s why he did not take her disobedience to the King seriously. What? Wriothesley getting offended that Cromwell shrugged off the affair he uncovered? How shameless! And Riche of all people reminding Cromwell that he talked about his dealings with Katherine of Aragon in Episode 2 Obedience? Disgraceful.
Cromwell: “You have known about this a long time, Riche. What stopped you from speaking out?
No answer.
Norfolk changes the subject. The King, he says, hates a man who breaks his word. And Cromwell did not keep his word about Reginald Pole. I believe this is the only charge Cromwell may agree with his interrogators. Not that he is guilty about it. But because he thinks he has failed at getting Pole.
As the interrogation committee is done for the day, Gardiner brings up the King’s so-called marriage to Anne of Cleves. It turns out that Henry says the only person who knows about the marriage better than anyone, except for himself, is Cromwell. So Gardiner asks Cromwell to write down everything about the marriage – from the first negotiations to the wedding night.
Wriothesley lingers behind as the others leave the room. Looking embarrassed, he tells Cromwell that he is doing what is doing because he has to (Gardiner threatened him?) but that he wants Cromwell treated with respect. Norfolk wants Cromwell to have the most painful legal death but the King has told Wruothesley that Cromwell could write to him.
Rafe shows up with Cranmer’s letter. The Archbishop’s letter may not be as strong as it could be but it has a punchline that gives Cromwell some hope.
“Who will your Grace trust thereafter, if you cannot trust him?”
Indeed. And that, I think, is Cromwell’s hope, too. That he may not be replaceable.
But Rafe breaks the news that Wriothesley has moved into Austin Friars, Cromwell’s home. The King has tasked him to dissolve the household there which, according to the interrogation committee, falls a short of 3,000 people! WTF?
While he laughs at this crazy number, Cromwell admits he gave a lot of “roaring boys” as he calls them, such as Richard Riche himself, jobs. And he admits he possesses weapons but they are not to form an army to fight the king as his interrogators claim. He augmented his resources after the northern rebellion so that he can send men to fight FOR the king next time.
This time it is Gardiner that lingers behind as the others leave. And he and Cromwell have the kind of civilized conversation that I liked between More and Cromwell in the first series. Cromwell learns that the King sent Anne of Cleves to Richmond and promised to join her later. And of course he did not. It is not hard for Cromwell to guess Henry’s new bride. Gardiner calls Catherine Howard a “giddy little creature.” But Cromwell is right that giddy is fine. One would not want her to think too much since history is against her. Well, it is.
A visit from Duke of Suffolk signals that there is not much hope left for Cromwell. Suffolk has a lame proposal that Cromwell should confess to being a heretic and allow Henry to bring him back to true religion. Suffolk thinks Henry would like that since he enjoyed it with that fellow Lambert in Episode 4 Jenneke.
“Lambert was burned.”
The King whose — in Damian Lewis’ words — “ability to love and then to simply discard is sociopathic” appears briefly in this episode as he makes Rafe read him Cromwell’s letter aloud.
“Read where it says he could make me live ever young.”
(After Rafe reads): “But he cannot, can he?”
It seems like Henry chooses this particular part of the letter to be read only to confirm that Cromwell is a man who makes promises he can’t keep. When Rafe subtly tries to have him change his mind, the King tells him to leave. His decision is final.
On Rafe’s last visit to Cromwell, we learn that Rafe was a young child when Cromwell took him from his family and brought him to Austin Friars. He had just left his mom, and he was at a place he did not know at all, but Rafe never cried. And now he can’t hold his tears back. Cromwell is calm. He is only thinking of protecting his family now. Rafe should tell Gregory to write a letter to the King, speak ill of his father and ask for a chance to redeem his father’s mistakes by serving the King.
The only mercy Henry has for Cromwell is that he will die by axe. I am in awe of what they talk about when they talk about mercy in the 16th century. And I am also thinking that Henry should be feeling like God since he has the power to decide who will die, and when, and how. I read somewhere that he gave detailed instructions for Anne Boleyn’s execution. I mean – who does that? It’s sick.
So history repeats itself. Wolf Hall: The Mirror and The Light ends with an execution and a wedding taking place in parallel – exactly as it started six weeks ago in Episode 1 Wreckage. And I find it most bizarre that the person who is about to be beheaded paying his executioner for his services. And it is not even the French man in Cromwell’s case.
The execution scene cannot be more poetic and I am, as someone who can’t look at execution scenes, grateful for that. Cromwell dreaming of Launde Abbey as he is giving a beautiful speech addressed to Wolsey whose ghost is in the crowd watching and not to Henry. This is the perfect ending to this monumental production. I thank all the brilliant minds in front of and behind the camera for bringing us this incredible combination of history, politics and drama at its best. Come awards season, I am so rooting for Wolf Hall: The Mirror and The Light to collect the awards like Wolf Hall did back in 2015.
Some argue that Hilary Mantel took her time to complete the last volume of Wolf Hall because she was not ready to part with Thomas Cromwell, the well-beloved protagonist she created on page and, I think, believed in. If this was why Mantel took her time writing the book, I would completely understand and sympathize. Wolf Hall is my all-time favorite book. I think the BBC production is one of the best things that happened to TV. I have had the best time in writing these episode recaps every week. It has been a true pleasure following Thomas Cromwell as he tried to change the map of the world. I will miss him.
Appendix:
This is for those of you wondering what happened to the other characters in Wolf Hall:
Henry VIII – Historical records tell us that Henry regretted his decision on Cromwell’s execution and blamed his council for making up false accusations against his most loyal servant. As Cromwell predicted, Henry was in war with France a few years after Cromwell died. His sixth and last wife was Katherine Parr who survived him. He had no more children and died in 1547.
Anne of Cleves – She has got a handsome settlement from Henry, had her independence and had a friendly relationship with the King and always had a place in the court. She may be the luckiest of Henry’s wives.
Katherine Howard – Henry’s fifth marriage did not last long. Catherine was accused of adultery with the Thomas Culpeper, a courtier,only 18 months after she married Henry. She was beheaded along with Lady Rochford who facilitated Katherine’s affair with Culpeper.
Edward VI – Henry’s only male heir became the King when his father died in 1546. He was nine. His reign introduced the Protestant Reformation to England. A sickly boy, Edward died when he was fifteen, probably of tuberculosis.
Lady Mary – She became the Queen when Edward died when he was 15. She worked to re-establish the Roman Catholic Church. Mary married Philip of Spain. She did not have any heirs when she died married Philip of Spain and
Reginald Pole – He came back to England and became Queen Mary’s Archbishop of Canterbury.
Thomas Cranmer – Cranmer remained as the Archbishop of Canterbury and became a leading force in the Protestant Reformation introduced during Edward VI’s reign. But he was burned as a heretic when Queen Mary sat on the throne. Yikes!
Stephen Gardiner – He was not a popular figure during Edward VI’s reign and sent to the Tower. When Mary sat on the throne, she freed Gardiner and appointed him as her Lord Chancellor. Gardiner died in 1555.
Norfolk – Henry sent him to the executioner’s block, too; but died the night before the scheduled execution. Norfolk stayed in the Tower during Edward VI’s reign but Queen Mary pardoned him and gave his title back.
Suffolk – Henry’s childhood friend died in 1545 and mourned by Henry.
Elizabeth – Henry’s daughter with Anne Boleyn sat on the throne after Queen Mary died and made England a firmly Protestant country. The last monarch of the Tudor dynasty, Elizabeth never married and ruled England for 45 years.
Gregory Cromwell – As he regretted Cromwell’s death, Henry made Gregory a baron. Gregory lived a quiet life with his wife at Launde Abbey and died in his 30s.
Rafe Sadler – While he was arrested and sent to the Tower in the power struggle after Cromwell’s death, he was able to clear his name and stayed in royal service all his life. When he died at 80, he was arguably the richest commoner in England.
William Fitzwilliam – He became the Lord Privy Seal after Cromwell’s death. He led a fighting force to Scotland in 1542 but got sick and died before reaching the border.
Richard Cromwell – Cromwell’s nephew was appointed to the King’s Privy Chamber and served in the war against France. He was a wealthy man when he died in 1545.
Thomas Wriothesley – He became the Lord Chancellor and he was one of the executors of Henry’s will after the King died. He lost to Edward Seymour in their power struggle and found himself dismissed from his chancellorship. He also lost his seat on the Privy Council.
Richie Riche – He succeeded Wriothesley as the Lord Chancellor. He became very rich and had 15 children!
Thank you for these wonderful and thoughtful recaps, I’ve looked forward to them after each episode. Wolf Hall will stand as one of the major works of our era, Dame Hilary’s pen and wit is sorely missed. Hope the WH team goes on to adapt ‘A Place of Greater Safety’.
Thank you so much for reading and for your kind words! I’m such a huge Hilary Mantel and Wolf Hall fan. And I can’t be happier that my recaps have got very good attention and love. And I can’t agree more about ‘A Place of Greater Safety.’ It’d make a superb production!
I thank you for your recaps. I unfortunately missed the last three episodes and failed to record them too. IPlayer is not available in the Netherlands.
Your excellent recaps tell me all I need to know though, as if I had watched the whole series myself. So thank you so much!
Thank you so much for reading and for your kind words! I know you can watch BBC in the Netherlands but didn’t know that there was no iPlayer. Bummer. But I’m so glad to hear my recaps were helpful
I had eagerly awaited each episode with baited breath, such a wonderful series full of intrige and scullduggery! Also I have looked forward for your recaps the next day where I could re-live each episode over again, thank you so much. Mark Rylance was absolutely superb in his role of Cromwell his acting was outstnding.
Thank you so much for reading and your kind words. It’s been my pleasure to do these recaps so we can all re-live the episodes together. Hilary Mantel was a literary genius and the tv production does justice to her monumental book. Mark Rylance may be the best living actor we have today. And he and Damian stormed it. Seeing them together on screen is a delight ❤️
I’m not prone to hyperbole but Wolf Hall was good; The mirror and the light was mesmerising, sublime and quite possibly the best piece of television production I have ever seen. I knew what was going to happen but, in the final episode especially, I was unable to look away, utterly spellbound. Thank you.
It was the perfect ending to Hilary Mantel’s monumental Wolf Hall series. Wolf Hall is one of the best things, if not the best, that happened to TV. Thank you for reading!