22 thoughts on “TBT: The White Queen (2013), Ep. 1

  1. I watched this a few years ago, before they made the sequels, and I thought that it was the best attempt at historical accuracy out of the trilogy (not that that’s a high bar to clear). Not everything is right, but at least there are references to actual things from history, unlike the craziness that came later.

  2. I’m glad that you are finally reviewing The White Queen but Max Irons (son of Jeremy Irons and Sinead Cusack) plays Edward IV in the series not Aneurin Barnard.

  3. This is one of the few PFG adaptations I don’t hate. I actually really like the “witches” angle, since it’s something unique to this series. And Margaret Beaufort is just so insane, she cracks me up. I Stan her IRL, but for some reason, this depiction of her doesn’t make me livid like the others do.

    1. I have the same feelings towards this Margaret! I think in the White Queen she is just so boringly evil with no depth but in this one I found her religious fervour to be somewhat interesting and yes she also has pretty funny scenes lol. I guess the approach feels more nuanced and not just “Elizabeth Woodville/Elizabeth of York good Margaret Beaufort bad”. Her costumes are kinda crazy though.

      1. I think it’s a testament to the actress that she played her so much “zealot” to the hilt, we actually loved seeing her do it.

  4. PG loves the Yorks, so the Yorks are well treated in this show:)
    If you have the audacity to be a Lancaster/Tudor on the other hand…

    “I can excuse nepoticide, but I draw the line at being welsh” (PG’s line of thinking🤣)

    I like the costumes, it’s luckily prior to my own era of interest, so I can go “pretty!” without thinking about accuracy

    I’m not a ricardian, so eeeh, it’s not my fav show for plot reasons, and I haven’t rewatched since its release, but if you like Dick the third, or is neutral on him, then I think you’ll enjoy this more than I did:)

    1. That’s not entirely true – the only form of nerd I dislike more than a Ricardian would have to be those smug, snob-bothering, ill-willing Oxfordians and their nonsense (May they all be slapped with a dirty glove: HUZZAH for the Swan of Avon!), but I rather enjoyed THE WHITE QUEEN and happily attribute to it my rather sizeable soft spot for the work of Ms. Rebecca Ferguson and Mr Max Irons.

      1. We must have been divided at birth! Richard must have known from the hour he decided to depose his nephews he’d have to kill them too or his throne would never be safe.
        I’d mind Oxfordians less if they hadn’t chosen the most worthless nobleman in late 16th century England as their faux Shakespeare.

        1. My standard reply to Oxfordians is why did the Earl publish crap plays (I had to read some in graduate school) under his own name and great plays under a pseudonym. They have no answer.

          1. Good One! In fact the entire Shakespeare wasn’t Shakespeare edifice falls down very the simple fact writing lays was not declasse. There was no reason for the author to try to hide his authorship.

      2. Now, now–there are Ricardians here, nerdish and non-. But while I doubt the guy killed his nephews, I also doubt he was a perfect lamb. Successful royals, such as Edward IV, had to be pretty ruthless.

  5. Also, this is ground zero for my ongoing battle to convince myself that NO, it’s not just me, Ms. Ferguson really DOES look uncannily like Ms. Ingrid Bergman…

  6. Even if I didn’t hate PG for practically everything she has ever written or ever said, I don’t think I’d ever get past the promo shot of Rebecca Ferguson enthroned, using as a sceptre a 20th-century field marshal’s baton with the figure of St George just casually snapped off so that there’s still a bit of dragon sticking up that they couldn’t be bothered to sand off!

  7. Even when they remember the hairpins, the hair’s still too modern! (And of course only the older ladies get headdresses, natch)

  8. Maybe Agnes Sorel’s breasts really did look like that! That would certainly get the king’s attention.

  9. Lots of Linen and Velour? I don’t hate these costumes, they’re something Vaguely Medieval-ish? I can’t wait to be disappointed once we get to the other players! I remember something about the girls getting one dress for an episode or 2?

  10. Le Sigh. Max Irons. I’ll be over here fanning myself.

    Also, Janet McTeer just adds value to anything.

  11. A contemporary noble wrote Edward IV that though Elizabeth Woodville was beautiful and virtuous she was not of suffiently high birth to become queen. This is interesting because it implies that even an opponent to the marriage had no fault to find with Elizabeth but her birth. Her reputation for arrogance seems entirely based on her insistance of being treated with the same ceremony as earlier queens which was completely understandable and necessary but resented because of her birth. Like other unpopular consorts Elizabeth was blamed for any unpopular thing her husband did but there’s no reason to believe she had great influence over him, certainly not to the point of making him do anything he didn’t want to. Naturally Elizabeth took an interest in promoting her family but it’s clear Edward chose to promote the Woodvilles as a counter to his troublesome, over mighty subjects.
    Frankly my impression from contemporary sources is of a woman in slightly over her head trying to deal with unreasonable hostility and major threats to her own safety and that of her children.

  12. This series was an entry for me into the era, and I really don’t hate it, especially compared to the sequel series that feel so contrived. Maybe it’s the acting caliber? Anyway, very interested in your take!

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