This episode picked up with Elizabeth Woodville's coronation, and ended with her oath that Duchess Cecily would know her own mother's pain with the death of her son, George. In addition, she cursed Warwick and wrote his and George's names in blood.
Impressions:
-This episode was actually a bit dull in comparison with the first one, I thought. There was nothing REALLY engaging about it, and I found myself getting a bit bored with the length of some of the scenes - many of which got us nowhere in the story.
-I find it odd that this episode spanned three years, because the characters are still so underdeveloped that I don't think we have a great grasp on their motives (at least in most cases) or their real personalities. I though Max Irons struggled a bit in this episode to really convince us that he is king. Elizabeth seems almost an entirely different character - very kind and loving, and even nervous in the presence of Warwick. That, to me, doesn't seem right - and it makes me think the storyline of this episode was too hasty.
-Margaret Beaufort's scene in the chapel was just bizarre. Is it just me? I still don't know how I feel about her. I commend the actress for portraying some very believable emotions, but the actual character is strange to me so far.
-I'm loving Richard! Aneurin Barnard is, so far, playing a charming, somewhat dangerous version of a man we know so little about. There's something not to be trusted about Richard yet, but we haven't fully discovered his personality. All I know is that when he's onscreen, I'm very intrigued about what he's going to do. I hope his chemistry with Anne Neville will be believable. So far, I'm not sure how I feel about those two actors playing love interests, as their portrayals seem so vastly different.
-King Edward's first meeting with his newborn daughter melted my heart. Need I say more?
Favorite Characters:
Still Jacquetta, of course. She didn't have much screentime in this episode, but the times we did see her, she didn't disappoint me. Her emotions at the end when she discovered the death of her husband and son, were very believable and moving. As ever, she seems like the "cool mom" who is sticking by Elizabeth's side and helping her fight her battles.
I think Richard may be moving up as one of my new favorite characters, because of his brooding look. I can't wait to see him in action as the series unravels, and I'm especially excited to see how he's portrayed as King.
Warwick didn't have much time onscreen, either, but as ever, James Frain is playing him to perfection in my mind. He is an absolute sneaky serpent, and I'm still loving to hate him. His bursts of anger and yelling are really entertaining. He may be the most believable character in the show thus far.
I've already inserted the bit of criticism that I have - basically, the huge leap of 3 years the show took in 5 minutes, the somewhat weak acting on Elizabeth's and Edward's parts, and the overall dullness of the episode. Nothing particularly exciting happened, and my favorite characters didn't get much time onscreen. However, I was pleased that there were fewer racy sex scenes in this episode - though I'm still confused about why we have to see Elizabeth's breasts all the time (this time it happened while she was bathing...again). *On that note, I'm glad to hear that my readers feel the same way I do about how sex is portrayed as a main priority in these shows - it's unnecessary!* Overall, the criticism I have for this episode isn't bad - I just know there will be many episodes this season that are better!
Final Thoughts:
-I'm very anxious to see the relationship between Richard and Anne play out. I'm interested to see if they are portrayed as truly in love or not. I haven't yet read The Kingmaker's Daughter, so I'm not sure how Philippa has written it.
-I'm also pretty intrigued about the relationship between Richard and Elizabeth of York. Yes, I know, this is not necessarily a factual bit of history, but nevertheless Philippa has written it in The White Princess, which I also have to read, and I'm excited to see how it plays out!
-Not looking forward to Jacquetta's death, which I'm assuming will happen relatively soon.
-I'm ready for Elizabeth Woodville to do something epic that makes me like her more. Her comment to Duchess Cecily last week about how the proper way to acknowledge a queen is to curtsy, really showed her in the way I envision her. I need more of THAT attitude in order to feel like she's really doing the character justice!
What were your thoughts about The Price of Power?