'The Tudors': What the king wants, he gets

April 13, 2008 8:19 PM

This week, in the third episode of season two of The Tudors. Henry does everything to cut his ties and move forward with his desires on every level.

His many attempts to have his marriage to Katherine annulled by the Catholic Church have failed and he does not want to wait further.

Anne Boleyn is already walking around the castle stating that she has cravings for apples, which must mean she is pregnant. So secretly, Henry marries Anne so he can make her queen.

Meanwhile, back in The More, exiled Katherine is told of the marriage and warned not to retaliate. She is stripped of her title and wages but can keep her property. She declares that,"As long as I live, I will call myself the Queen of England." You have to feel for her. She has, as she notes, been humiliated in every way. She's been tossed aside by Henry, sent to live in exile and unable to talk to her daughter, Mary.

The power struggle between Henry and the Pope are still quite evident in this episode. Henry appoints Thomas Cranmer to the head of the Church of England. While the pope agrees to this "nobody," he is hoping to win Henry over and again get him to bow to him. That certainly does not happen as the Pope declares his new marriage null and void. He then gives Henry until September to take Katherine back or be excommunicated.

Threaten as the Pope might, Henry declares all of it "too late."

Henry requests a huge public relations event, a parade previous to Anne's coronation. "I want the people to love their new queen as I love her." But few people show up and even Anne notices it is "more like a funeral than a parade."

If only she had known -- the funeral that would have to happen would be for the member of the court just behind her who unknowingly took a bullet from another attempted assassination.

As the episode winds down, we get a glimpse of the future of England and the sisters who will fight over it as Lady Mary (who is no longer allowed the title of princess), is told she cannot communicate with her mother if she still believes her to be queen, even though her father has a new queen.

And Elizabeth is born to Anne, for which she is sorry. Even though Henry tells her, "You and I are both young and by God's grace, boys will follow," he take a lover -- Lady Elenore. When the king isn't satisfied by one thing, he will go after his desires until they are fulfilled.

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