(S02E09) "These bloody days have broken my heart. My lust, my youth do them depart. And blind desire of ambitious souls who haste to climb, seeks to revert. And about the throne, the thunder rolls." --Sir Thomas Wyatt (voiceover)

This was a dark episode. As much as I disliked Anne during her ascension to the throne and sided with the steadfast and pious Queen Catherine, I hated seeing Anne's demise come to a head this episode. Somewhere along the way, Anne became the victim on this show. The Tudors, in my opinion, has done a good job of creating a multi-faceted character on the part of Anne Boleyn. Once a villain, she ended up a sacrifice to male-dominated political power play.

(S02E08) Much to Anne's chagrin and Henry's delight, Jane Seymour joined the queen as the new lady-in-waiting. Henry, not as athletic and spry as he once was, was injured in a jousting match. Everyone scrambled to figure out who will succeed him if he does die. Pope Paul III decided to execute the Bull of Excommunication against the king. Jane Parker started planting her seeds of revenge against her husband. And Thomas Cromwell continued to do what he's done since the end of season one, play puppet master. (Okay, puppet master is harsh.)

What an episode! My review is after the jump.

(S02E07) I need to point something out first. When they show Jonathan Rhys Meyers in the opening credits, he stares into the camera and widens his eyes just a little bit at the last second. It's perfectly sexy and haunting and dangerous at the same time. I know some readers have commented that his portrayal of Henry is insufferable at times (too much screaming "I'm the king of England" and the like). But I think Rhys Meyers' Henry VIII balances a good amount of wanting to do the right thing (or at least feel like he's doing the right thing) with wanting to do exactly what he wants, because after all, he's king.

A review of tonight's The Tudors (not just the opening credits!) is after the jump.

(S02E04) The 16th century soap opera continues... George Boleyn is having an affair with Mark Smeaton. Anne's pregnant again. Henry's on mistress number two to keep him company while the bun is in the oven. Henry passed a bill making him supreme ruler of everything. Lady Mary lost her title to a little baby named Elizabeth.Trouble is brewing overseas with the French king not recognized Anne as queen and the Spanish emperor planning Anne's assassination. Now, all we need is for someone to come back from the dead or have a sex change.

I can barely keep up with The Tudors. How about you? Let's talk about it after the jump...

(S02E01) The Tudors is back. And in true Tudor style, it's back with a vengeance. Last year in the season finale we left Henry on the brink of a climax. And I would say no pun intended, but if you saw the season finale, you know that pun was definitely intended.

A lot was set in motion with the premiere of The Tudors. The ambitious Boleyns will rise even higher in the king's esteem this season. However, if you know your history, you'll know that we will watch their bloody fall from grace too. Henry and Anne's fiery relationship will deteriorate. And influence of Protestantism will continue to surge, while Catholicism in Britain will collapse almost entirely.