Keep Your Knife Bright
Elizabeth is just a girl when she is born to the Duchess of Suffolk and her husband, Henry VIII. She is the only one of Henry’s children to survive infancy. Elizabeth is raised by her aunt, Lady Jane Grey, who is also Elizabeth’s godmother. Lady Jane tries to keep Elizabeth close to her and teaches her how to be a good queen. In 1547, England is in turmoil after Henry VIII’s death. The new king, Edward VI, has no children of his own and he wants to marry Elizabeth so she can become the next queen of England. Lady Jane tries to keep Elizabeth away from Edward VI and his advisors, but she eventually falls out with them and decides to support Edward VI instead. Elizabeth eventually becomes queen of England after she wins a battle against Edwards forces. She starts a new dynasty that will continue for many years.
There are three children of Henry VIII: Princess Mary, Prince Edward, and Elizabeth. They are all Catholics, and their father is Thomas Seymour, who is in love with Catherine Parr. For those who know their history, this is Henry’s wife.
Anyway, Edward (who’s known as “Somerset” here for his title as Duke of Somerset, which makes sense given two Edwards in this show would be a tad confusing for the average viewer) informs the children that Henry is dead. “Long live the King,” He utters, dropping to his knee before Edward, who’s now the King.
Edward VI is taken to Whitehall Palace by Somerset, who encourages him to seek counsel with one voice. The King nods in agreement, but can’t seem to understand what’s being said. Somerset is trying to seize power, and the new King seems confused.
The Lord Protector, Edward VI, and Somerset are discussing the future of England when Thomas Seymour interrupts. He points out that as siblings they should both be equals and should have a say in the government. Edward VI is not happy with this and orders Somerset to leave the room.
Thomas is eventually told to leave by his brother, where he ends up singing through the courtyard of Chelsea Manor that evening. ..
He meets Elizabeth too, and the pair trade quips. “Glory to you, Princess Elizabeth!” He eventually booms, before catching up with Catherine and informing her of what’s going on.
Thomas is worried that Somerset will take over the council, but then Catherine has an ace up her sleeve - Elizabeth. ..
With Edward VI on the throne, moves are made to try and honour the promise Henry VIII made, that being to marry Mary Queen of Scots. Edward is not happy, but Somerset sees this as an opportunity to bring Scotland under control. ..
The proposed marriage between Edward Seymour, the English controller and Scotland’s king, and Jane Grey, the daughter of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon, would solidify Seymour’s control over England and Scotland. The Scots are not happy about this prospect, and it is likely to lead to war. ..
The ambassador of Spain quizzes Mary over the current arrangement in place with Edward VI. He asks where her values lie, with faint whispers of mutiny holding on his tongue. “My brother is King, you and my opinions are best kept to ourselves.” She says.
Elizabeth contemplates whether to marry Thomas Seymour. The thing is, Seymour and Catherine Parr seize their opportunity while Edward Seymour is gone, off fighting in Scotland. They end up paying a priest to have them married.
As this is going on, we cut to the battlefield where Somerset leads the troops to victory in the battle of Pinkie Cleugh. They soon head back to England, where Lord Dudley is quick to throw shade at Thomas for being foolish with Catherine Parr.
The focus here is on Edward VI and after his victory, he looks favourably on Jane Grey, who he really wants to wed.
Thomas and Elizabeth talk about marriage while Catherine Parr and Edward are talking. Thomas is happy for them, but Somerset is not.
The Lord Protector is livid with his brother, but given that Edward VI has given them his blessing, there’s not much the Lord Protector can do. Still, hostility spreads when word reaches the court that Mary has fled from Scotland to France. That earlier victory was fruitless; everything seems to have been for nothing. ..
Catherine is livid when she finds out that Jane Grey has decided to stay at Chelsea Manor. She confronts Jane about her decision and tells her that she should have been more careful about who she allowed to come and stay in the house.
Thomas emerges from the shadows and confirms that this was his idea, which makes sense given what we heard during the banquet. He also confirms this to Elizabeth in private, along with Edward wanting him to marry Mary to “stamp” the Catholic out of her. ..
As the episode comes to a close, Elizabeth moves in to kiss Thomas but he pulls away slightly, asking her “what are we going to do Elizabeth?” As he leaves her to think this over, the series leaves a lot of enticing drama on the horizon. ..
The Episode Review
Starz has a decent track record when it comes to historical dramas and Becoming Elizabeth is no exception. With accurate costuming, an enticing cast and (from what I can gather from this first episode) a very accurate timeline of events in Elizabeth’s life, this one could be a sure-fire hit.
The series has a nice flow to it and although the lighting is very dark, it’s pretty accurate when you think about the time period. I advise shutting the blinds/curtains if you intend to watch this one during the day!
The show has been capturing the dramatic events of this period quite well. With some very dramatic events to come in the future, it will be interesting to see how Becoming Elizabeth will bring all of this to life. ..
The first episode of Starz’s historical drama “The Crown” was well-done, though some viewers were left feeling a little let down.
