Once you get past the somewhat jarring American accent that Rodrigo Borgia / Pope Alexander VI (played by John Doman) speaks in (it seems like a strange choice for the creative minds behind the series to not have Dornan, who was actually very good and quite commanding in his role of the scheming head of the Borgia family, speak in an accent more befitting his character, you actually have a really good drama.
Whilst, compared to the Jeremy Irons Borgia series that was released at around the same time, the sets might not be quite as lavish, I enjoyed this version more, thanks to the more gritty, brutal and realistic depiction of life under Pope Alexander VI. The scheming of the Borgia family (and their rivals, it must be said) knows no bounds, and the characters are brought to life well by the cast. Special mention to Mark Ryder as the intense Cesare Borgia and Isolda Dychauk as the famous (or is that infamous?) Lucrezia Borgia. Dychauk portrays Lucrezia with just the right amount of naivety, which soon becomes awareness of her station in life. She is very good in pretty much every scene she is in. What a chapter for the church this series depicts. Good stuff, if confrontingly violent at times. I guess that was the way of the world in the late 1400's, though.
Whilst, compared to the Jeremy Irons Borgia series that was released at around the same time, the sets might not be quite as lavish, I enjoyed this version more, thanks to the more gritty, brutal and realistic depiction of life under Pope Alexander VI. The scheming of the Borgia family (and their rivals, it must be said) knows no bounds, and the characters are brought to life well by the cast. Special mention to Mark Ryder as the intense Cesare Borgia and Isolda Dychauk as the famous (or is that infamous?) Lucrezia Borgia. Dychauk portrays Lucrezia with just the right amount of naivety, which soon becomes awareness of her station in life. She is very good in pretty much every scene she is in. What a chapter for the church this series depicts. Good stuff, if confrontingly violent at times. I guess that was the way of the world in the late 1400's, though.