Michael Hirst worshipers who enjoyed The Tudors could be disappointed by Neil Jordan's creation. Indeed its premiere was heavy on nudity but The Borgias focus more on relationships and manipulation. More blood ? More sex ? The answer is definitely no and in my opinion it's a pleasant surprise because when it comes to these often dried elements other productions are dedicated to better cover them, specially with sand. So viewers accustomed to switch off their brain before watching TV should literally fall asleep. Indeed the wit of some characters is challenging to follow and paying attention to their every words is mandatory to fully enjoy how well written the dialogs are. Of course all these mind games probably feel like UFOs to some but Jordan can only be praised for bringing some substance and even intelligence to a media that desperately needs it. Beside Interview with the Vampire I have to admit that I don't know his work so I suppose his recent films turned him into
a filmmaking pope ? Then convincing Showtime to produce and air his series was probably a walk in the park, or the work of a lifetime.
As for the episode its pace was slow and nicely matched the delicate innocence of Holliday Grainger. She's 23 years old but perfect as the 13 years old Lucrezia Borgia. It was also surprising to finally witness her palette of emotions. It leads us to women rights because it seems these poor creatures had none back then and were only used as goods to superficially unite families. An other interesting element was the scene where Christopher Columbus is mentioned because it revealed how religion was greedy and vicious. As for the production it confirmed that the few flaws noticed in The Assassin were just mistakes. Bad time management ? At least it's not a question of budget and The Moor confirmed it. This 4th installment was even more impressive and the dancing sequences were well choreographed, dynamically filmed and beautifully designed. From the vivid costumes to the tension between some characters it was just great entertainment. And the bacchanal that followed should wake up your inner demons, always eager to welcome sneaking nipples and drink succulent wine. Last but not least I found the end a little rushed but it was definitely the cliffhanger a good episode requires to intrigue its audience. Stay tuned, the worst is yet to come and as Neil Jordan also wrote the remaining episodes I don't worry about their quality.
As for the episode its pace was slow and nicely matched the delicate innocence of Holliday Grainger. She's 23 years old but perfect as the 13 years old Lucrezia Borgia. It was also surprising to finally witness her palette of emotions. It leads us to women rights because it seems these poor creatures had none back then and were only used as goods to superficially unite families. An other interesting element was the scene where Christopher Columbus is mentioned because it revealed how religion was greedy and vicious. As for the production it confirmed that the few flaws noticed in The Assassin were just mistakes. Bad time management ? At least it's not a question of budget and The Moor confirmed it. This 4th installment was even more impressive and the dancing sequences were well choreographed, dynamically filmed and beautifully designed. From the vivid costumes to the tension between some characters it was just great entertainment. And the bacchanal that followed should wake up your inner demons, always eager to welcome sneaking nipples and drink succulent wine. Last but not least I found the end a little rushed but it was definitely the cliffhanger a good episode requires to intrigue its audience. Stay tuned, the worst is yet to come and as Neil Jordan also wrote the remaining episodes I don't worry about their quality.