Step inside the Tudor Dynasty with us as we handpick our favorite superlatives for each episode of Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light – from ‘who wore it best’ fashionable costume and top villain, to outstanding scene and perfect cinematography – and everything else in between! Up this week:
Episode 2: Obedience
USA Air Date: Sunday, March 30, 2025
Plot Summary: As the dissolution of the monasteries gathers speed, Cromwell makes a personal pilgrimage to Shaftesbury Abbey to speak with a young nun, who profoundly shakes his view of himself.
Gingersnap
Who Wore It Best – The Gold Masks
Lumon isn’t the only company with a Choreography and Merriment department 😉 The masquerade dance at Court is lively and full of energy with a sense of mystery and excitement, as all the dancers wear beautiful golden masks while the guests try to figure out who is who. Sign me up for that party.
Life of the Party – Henry VIII
This social butterfly doesn’t want the party end. Henry is still wearing his Turkish regalia days after the party has ended. Like the BBC states, “There’s nothing worse when they’re not as excited about your outfit as you are.” LOL
Best Cinematography With a Badass Quote – Shaftesbury Abbey Scene
This scene between Thomas Cromwell and the Head of the Abbey at Shaftesbury was a beautiful shot, and filmed at Gloucester Cathedral in Gloucestershire. The scene reveals an empty hall made of cold, hardened marble as arched buttresses shrink smaller and smaller the further your eye carries toward the darkened entrance in the far background. With her austere stare the Sister coldly cautions Cromwell, “I give you warning. And you can carry the warning to the King. I will not surrender this house. Not this year, not next, nor any year this side of Heaven.” NOT FOR SALE, MISTER! For more Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light filming locations, visit here.
lady trader
Who Wore It Best – Henry VIII
Henry in his “Turkish” costume was all kinds of right, and all kinds of wrong at the same time.
Girl Boss – Dorothea
Dorothea put a stake into Cromwell’s heart and I’m here for it. Anyone who can make Cromwell break down and cry will have a seat at my table every time!
Call the Police – Henry VIII
We all saw that, right? Henry just stole the ring Cromwell had made for Mary! That is the second ring he took that was supposed to be Mary’s. What is up with that?
Damianista
Who Wore It Best – Jane Seymour
Jane Seymour is wearing a stunning red velvet dress (which we will see again and in more detail in the next episode) with a square neckline decorated with jewels. Her pendant is an exquisite replica of the real brooch the Queen wore representing her Christian faith (IHS, the first three letters of the Greek name of Jesus). The whole ensemble is based on the Hans Holbein The Younger’s painting of the Queen on display at the National Portrait Gallery in London.
Best Ottoman Sultan Impostor – Henry VIII
Well, our prince, certainly not like any other man, carries the royal Ottoman turban in style! I wonder if Henry is jealous of the Ottoman Sultan who can marry as many women as his heart desires. Should he have been an Ottoman Sultan, Henry would not have had to divorce Catherine or behead Anne. He would have married those two and Jane, and also anyone else he wanted from the Imperial Harem and had too many sons to count. Suleiman the Magnificent, who ruled the Ottoman Empire at the same time Henry ruled England, had at least eight sons five of whom grew up to be adults.
Worst Poet Ever – Thomas Howard the Lesser aka “Tom Truth”
“What helpeth hope of happy hap,
When hap… will hap unhappily,
And thus my hap my hope has turned,
Clear out of hope into despair.”
I am still giggling about Cromwell refusing to continue reading his poem:
“It’s not the handwriting – it’s very good – it’s just… it’s just my tongue. It just refuses to do it.”
