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 3: Defiance
USA Air Date: Sunday, April 6, 2025
Plot Summary: A rising in the north destabilizes Henry’s kingdom. Despite the risks to his own life, Cromwell moves to protect Lady Mary from becoming the Rebels’ greatest prize.
Gingersnap
Who Wore It Best – Queen Jane Seymour
Jane wore a stunning gown of vibrant purple-violet and gilded gold to the sip-n-see gathering at Chester Place, the Seymour family’s London residence. Purple can signify royalty and spirituality and gold is often associated with wealth, luxury, and power. No doubt she wanted to look her best to welcome Nan and her brother Edward’s newborn baby to the family, but she was glowing for other reasons 😉
Most Gruesome Fate – John Bellowe
Cromwell’s servant John Bellowe (not pictured) was blinded and sewn into the hide of a skinned bull by the Rebels. Then they set the dogs on him. A beheading almost sounds more humane.
Biggest Oops of Mistaken Identity – The Cromwells
Thomas Cromwell thought he was arranging a marriage between Queen Jane’s widowed sister Elizabeth “Bess” Seymour-Oughtred and his son Gregory Cromwell, but their brother Edward Seymour assumes it is Cromwell himself, and Bess obliges. Talk about a faux-pas love triangle mess that was the latest rumor mill at Court! Alas, the betrothed Bess finally made it down the aisle to her rightful groom…Gregory.
Lady Trader
Who Wore It Best – Queen Jane Seymour
I am going to pick a purple anything as my favorite, so this gorgeous gown was a no-brainer for me to pick as my best look of the week. Only royalty were allowed to wear the color purple during Tudor times. This restriction was part of the sumptuary laws, which dictated what people could wear based on their social status, so to this I say – Yass Queen!
Black Crow – Jane Boleyn, Viscountess Rochford
She wears all black, creeps around, and always has something nasty to say. If that doesn’t describe a black crow, I don’t know what does! (As an aside, I do miss Jessica Raine in this part, but Lydia Leonard does a great job.)
Is That You Freddy Krueger? – Henry & Cromwell
Henry is having nightmares, Cromwell is having nightmares; I fully expected to see the man in the green and red stripped shirt pop up! (This is an 80’s reference, so if you are any younger than 40, I apologize!)
Damianista
Who Wore It Best – Queen Jane Seymour
We saw this absolutely stunning red velvet dress partially in Episode 2 Obedience and now it’s on full view in Episode 3 Defiance.
The dress has a square neckline decorated with jewels. The pendant Queen Jane is wearing is an exquisite replica of the real brooch she wore representing her Christian faith (IHS, the first three letters of the Greek name of Jesus). The whole ensemble is based on Hans Holbein The Younger’s painting of the Queen on display at the National Portrait Gallery in London. I just love how rigorously the costume design team studied the portraits of Holbein to provide the most authentic wardrobe for the cast.
The Most Eligible Bachelor in England – Thomas Cromwell
Despite the mockery about his lowly background, Cromwell is the most eligible bachelor in England! From the elite on the Privy Council to the commons in the north of England, everybody is talking about his marital status. And when he tries to arrange a marriage between Queen Jane’s widowed sister Bess Oughtred (aka Elizabeth Seymour) and his son Gregory, the Seymours assume it is Cromwell himself who wants to marry Bess!
Master Manipulator – Thomas Cromwell
The rebel army has grown. They now have 50,000 men in the field. There is no army the King can muster that could meet such a force.
Then what do we do?
So, Christophe, what do we do? We lie.
( Cromwell laughs ) That’s right, we lie.
The rebel army growing up to 50,000 men presents a huge challenge for the King’s forces. So Cromwell offers a truce promising the rebels that Jane will be crowned in York, that they will have a parliament in the North, and a general pardon. Have rebels never heard of commitment problems? Come winter, when the food is scarce and disease breaks out, Henry’s forces put an end to the uprising.
The Most Stressed Out Mom-To-Be – Queen Jane Seymour
What if the baby is a girl?
Jane may not have seen Henry on the day baby Elizabeth was born but we have.
“Call her Elizabeth. Cancel the jousts.”
And we all know what happened to Anne Boleyn for not being able to give Henry a son. Yikes!
For your information, it was established only in the late 1950s that the father determined the sex of the child!
Love our Wednesday posts!
Fun Trivia: I saw Lydia Leonard as Anne Boleyn in the stage version of Wolf Hall on Broadway back in 2015. And now she’s playing Lady Rochford in the TV version of The Mirror and The Light. Small world!