The White Queen Recap: The Final Battle

* Spoilers ahead if you haven't seen Episode 10, "The Final Battle."

Huzzah—I finally had a chance to watch the finale of The White Queen. I'd actually been dreading the episode quite a bit because in case it isn't obvious from how much I've mentioned Richard in these posts, I'm totally of the belief that history has been rather unkind to him. So it was with much grimacing that I sat through this ep; I could barely watch the TV during the Bosworth scenes.

The episode begins with Elizabeth out of sanctuary and back at Grafton. Her eldest daughters, Elizabeth and Cecily, remain at court, much to Anne's displeasure. Seeing tensions rise between Anne and Richard, particularly over the younger Elizabeth (Unless otherwise noted, whenever Elizabeth is mentioned, I'm referring to Elizabeth of York and not her mother, Elizabeth Woodville.), saddened me terribly. Their son, Prince Edward, is sickly and later dies, followed soon after by Anne's death. Everything just goes to hell for Richard, and to think that this all comes straight out of history . . . that's a very depressing thought.

Margaret is her usual wacky self, writing furiously to Henry to get himself to England. She worries about Stanley's loyalty, especially since he and his brother are notorious for taking opposing sides so that there's always a Stanley on the winning one. Her anxiety really kicks in when Richard threatens to kill Stanley's son if his father fails to turn up for the battle. Stanley warns Margaret that he won't abandon his own son for hers. Without his men, Henry doesn't stand a chance.

Well, anybody who's seen the episode and/or knows their history can tell you who the Stanleys end up supporting. I seriously couldn't watch Richard's death. I also tried to tune out the part where Margaret told all of the men kneeling before her newly crowned son to continue kneeling before the mother of the king. Ugh. I couldn't help but feel some sympathy for Elizabeth—I personally would not want Margaret for a mother-in-law.

Back in Grafton, Elizabeth Woodville welcomes her son Richard, whom she'd secretly sent away while an imposter assumed his identity, home. And that's pretty much it. Richard III was the last Plantagenet king as well as the last English king to die in battle. For further Ricardian reading, I highly, highly recommend Sharon Kay Penman's superb historical fiction novel, The Sunne in Splendour as well as Paul Murray Kendall's Richard the Third, a biography.

Well, I think I'm done with recapping TV adaptations of books for a while, at least until the return of Game of Thrones next year, which cannot arrive soon enough!

The White Queen Recap: The Princes in the Tower

* Spoilers ahead if you haven't seen Episode 9, "The Princes in the Tower."

Hey—I actually had time this week to sit down and watch TV! It's been a while, and I was kind of tempted to continue watching The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey over on HBO even though I'd seen it already because, hello: Richard Armitage! I guess you could say I had a bit of an internal battle over which Richard to watch, but in the end I switched to Starz because I've been feeling so guilty about my lack of blogging lately and wanted to get this post up as scheduled.

Traitors Everywhere!

Man, it killed me to watch Richard bestow titles on two traitors-in-waiting: Stanley and Buckingham. He told them he was grateful for their loyalty, which made me cringe.

A Tale of Two Princes

Princes Edward and Richard are all anyone talks about in this ep, and with good reason. They've been declared illegitimate but still pose a threat to Richard's reign. Elizabeth worries about the fate of her boys, though it's really Edward she's concerned about since the real Prince Richard was smuggled out of England in last week's episode and secretly replaced with an imposter. Meanwhile, Anne goes to the Tower to look in on them and has a conversation with Robert Brackenbury that will come back to haunt her later in the episode.

So Much Conspiring

I thought this was one of the better paced episodes, what with all the plans to stab Richard in the back constantly changing. At first Elizabeth thinks that Margaret and Buckingham are both on her side when they offer to break the princes out of the Tower. In exchange, Buckingham's daughter will marry Prince Edward, Henry Tudor will be allowed to return from exile and marry Princess Elizabeth, plus be named heir to the throne after Edward.

Save or Slaughter?

That's Stanley's ultimatum to Margaret as they discuss what's going to go down when the Tower is stormed. Sure, Stanley says, they could rescue the lads, but what would become of Margaret's plans to put her darling Henry on the throne? Now, if something unfortunate were to happen to the boys . . . Henry's chances of becoming king look so much better!

Storming the Tower = Fail

The operation fails because no one anticipated how well-guarded the boys would be. Richard learns what happened in London while on progress in the North and plans to have his nephews moved there. Stanley, still pretending to be all for Richard, passes this news to Margaret, who hatches a new plan: team up with Buckingham. The Duke has access to the boys, and everyone will think Richard killed them. Buckingham's terms for his loyalty to Henry Tudor are that he be crowned king if Tudor dies. At this point, I think I just wanted to slap all of the conspirators: Stanley, Margaret, and Buckingham. So Buckingham upholds his end of the bargain, and Stanley is anxious because Margaret didn't actually see the bodies of the princes. Stanley's worried that Buckingham is just holding them somewhere. In the meantime, thanks to Buckingham, rumors are spreading that Richard is responsible for the boys' deaths.

Excuse Me While I Go Put Down This Rebellion

Richard heads out to battle to stop Buckingham and Tudor. He knows about Buckingham's betrayal from having intercepted Margaret's letters.

Let's Make It Rain

Princess Elizabeth asks her mother where Tudor is supposed to meet Buckingham (in Wales) and wishes it would rain. Guess what happens next? It rains so hard, Tudor can't set sail, and Buckingham is forced to march through nothing but mud. With Richard in pursuit, Buckingham's men begin to flee, and he realizes he can't possibly win against Richard. I wish I could make it rain on command; I could save so much water by not having to use the lawn sprinklers!

Bye Bye, Buckingham

When Richard returns to London, he goes to the Tower himself and is dismayed to discover that the boys are indeed gone. Buckingham is executed, and Margaret is put under house arrest for her treason. She accuses Stanley of setting her up so he could take her money, and he's just like, puh-lease.

The Showdown

Richard goes to see Elizabeth in sanctuary and asks her if she's hidden her sons away somewhere because they're not in the Tower. He promises her that he had nothing to do with their deaths and guarantees her safety if she lives sanctuary. But—she'll be under house arrest because he can't trust her not to rebel against him. Her daughters Elizabeth and Cecily are to go to court.

We'll Curse the Culprit Together, But You Still Have to Marry Henry Tudor

The title pretty much says it. The Elizabeths curse whomever is behind the princes' deaths. Elizabeth the elder is determined that her daughter will still wed Tudor.

Next Week: The Finale

The final episode airs next Saturday; it should be action-packed, to say the least.

The White Queen Recap: Long Live the King

* Spoilers ahead if you haven't seen Episode 8, "Long Live the King."

Whoops—this recap is a little late. I didn't have the chance to watch this week's episode until tonight (on demand channels, you are a godsend!), thus the delay in writing this post.

This was a bit of a tough episode for me to watch because it marked the start of a chain of events that I've been dreading seeing play out in the series. I think both history and Shakespeare have been rather unkind to the real Richard III, and I'm really not looking forward to the final two episodes, the last one in particular. I feel like Episode 8 moved quite swiftly and covered a lot of territory, and I'm a little stumped as to how to break it down like I've been doing for the previous episodes. So for this post, I'm just going to write in regular paragraphs without headings.

Last week saw the downfall of George, Duke of Clarence, ending with his execution for treason. This week's episode opens with some informative onscreen titles to let you know that it's now 1483 (already!). Henry Tudor is all grown up, as are several of Edward and Elizabeth's children. Edward isn't looking so well in the health department, and it's not too far into the episode when it's clear that he's not going to be king for much longer. He asks for Richard while Elizabeth panics about how she's going to keep the throne within her own family. She wants her brother Anthony to rule for Prince Edward until he comes of age, but Edward names Richard Lord Protector.

Edward's death divides the court, and Elizabeth knows she's in trouble. She orders Prince Edward be brought to her in London so he can be crowned, but his escort is intercepted by Richard and Sir Robert Brackenbury. The prince is taken to the Tower of London, and, having been raised by his Woodville relatives, isn't very receptive to Richard. Elizabeth runs to sanctuary with her other children (and a chunk of the royal treasury) and sends a letter to her brother Edward asking him to bring his fleet to her aid. Unfortunately for her, the letter is intercepted and leads to the arrest of her son, Thomas Grey, and her brother, Anthony.

Amidst all of this chaos, Stanley and Margaret are biding their time, waiting for the right moment to snag the throne for Henry. For all of her religious fervor for the past how many weeks, Margaret proves herself quite the plotter and manipulator here, pretending to be Elizabeth's friend while Stanley feigns being on Richard's side. Oh Margaret, despite all of your talk about how you wanted to become a nun and whatnot, we all know that you're willing to do anything to see your darling become King of England.

Anne shows off a pretty ambitious side in this episode as well, urging Richard to punish Anthony Woodville and going so far as to exhort him to take the crown for himself. And so Richard eventually does both, ordering the executions of Anthony and Elizabeth's other son from her first marriage, Richard Grey, and ascending the throne as Richard III.

I'm sorry, but I rolled my eyes a tad when Elizabeth cursed Richard's sword arm and the scene cut to Richard gripping his arm in pain. Is that going to come back to haunt him at Bosworth in two weeks?

Um, I also couldn't take the Duke of Buckingham too seriously with that hairdo. Rory from Doctor Who, I barely recognized ye!

Well, only two episodes remain. Did I mention how much I'm absolutely dreading them for Richard's sake?

The White Queen Recap: Poison and Malmsey Wine

* Spoilers ahead if you haven't seen Episode 7, "Poison and Malmsey Wine."

This week's episode was very George-centric, with George going off the deep end. Like, really far off the deep end. There was also talk of poison every few minutes, hence the title of the episode, though not so many mentions were made of malmsey wine . . . .

Aaaand . . . We're Fast Forwarding Again!

Since it is already Episode 7 of 10 and we've got to get to Bosworth (which, for Richard's sake, I am dreading to the extreme), a leap forward in time was necessary yet again. The episode opens one year after last week's ep left off. Edward is partying hard with his brothers and Thomas Stanley . . . while Elizabeth is giving birth . . . again. George, feeling like the neglected Plantagenet brother, suggests that Edward go to war against France. Guess who George thinks would make an excellent regent of France? That's right—George! He can barely conceal his jealousy of Richard's titles, and he just gets loonier from here.

Make Friends, Margaret

Margaret is one of Elizabeth's ladies, but neither is happy with the arrangement. Margaret gets booted out of Elizabeth's chamber where the queen is having her baby and runs into Stanley, who urges his wife to get chummy with the queen. Margaret is called back, and at first everyone fears that the baby is stillborn until he starts crying in Margaret's arms. Elizabeth believes Margaret has somehow saved him and buries the hatchet with her. That's probably not wise, Elizabeth, as Margaret and Stanley are both plotting to put precioussss Henry Tudor on the the throne.

The Return of the Countess of Warwick

George is quite a busy, busy man this week, not only prompting Edward to pay France a visit but also hatching a plan to swipe the Countess of Warwick's money. Richard acts first and brings her to Anne; mother and daughter proceed to have a rocky reunion.

Everybody Has Kids Now!

Thanks to the time jump, we see that Richard and Anne now have a son, Edward, while George and Isabel have a daughter, Margaret. Isabel is expecting again, and she hopes that she'll give George the son and heir he so desperately wants.

Forget This, I'm Going on Pilgrimage

Elizabeth's brother, Anthony Woodville, thinks Edward is crazy to go riding out to war again. Anthony decides to sit this one out and go on a pilgrimage instead. Hmm . . . it sounds like he and Margaret would get along famously.

Curses!

Now that Elizabeth and Margaret are besties, or so Elizabeth thinks, the queen has Margaret listen in on Anne and Isabel's conversation at court. A hysterical Isabel believes that Elizabeth is responsible for the death of her first child and has cursed her unborn one.

I'll Pay You to Go Away

King Louis of France literally pays Edward for peace. Edward is all too happy to agree to these terms and heads back to England an even richer man. Richard is upset that his brother would just sell out like that, and George is livid that he's not going to be regent of France. To make matters worse, Edward offers some of the newly acquired riches to his brothers to try and smooth over the situation. Not exactly a good idea.

It's Time to Fight Magic with Magic!

George, you bad, bad boy. First you go behind Edward's back and promise Calais to King Louis of France in exchange for an army to take the English throne. Then you hire a sorcerer of your own to battle Elizabeth's witchcraft. This can only end in disaster, obviously.

Bad Mothering

The Countess of Warwick, miffed over the whole house arrest and being stripped of her fortune business, continues being mean to Anne. She tells her daughter that Richard only married her for her money and will end up divorcing her and taking it all.

And Now for the Poison Part

Isabel is absolutely paranoid that Elizabeth is going to kill her, and George only further fuels her anxiety by telling her that Elizabeth poisoned and killed their dog. After giving birth to a son, Isabel becomes ill and dies. Word begins to spread that Elizabeth is responsible, and she wants Edward to do something about George's public accusations of witchcraft against her. Edward won't, so she takes matters into her own hands and summons Anne for an audience. Elizabeth is pretty nasty, calling Anne stupid, and demands to know if Anne thinks she poisoned Isabel. At least Anne got to make up with her mother, who apologized for abandoning her.

It's a Costume Party!

After George escapes Stanley's attempt to arrest him on Edward's orders, the wayward Duke of Clarence crashes a masquerade ball thrown in celebration of Edward's anniversary on the throne. Things get pretty ugly, what with George's mad ranting and having to be forcibly removed from the king's presence.

George Gets Judged

George is charged with treason. Edward acts as prosecutor, and there is no defense for George. Cecily, the Duchess of York, first begs Richard to do something for George and later begs Edward for mercy after George is found guilty. Edward knows about George's deal with Louis and orders his execution. George asks to be drowned in malmsey wine, and, well, his request is accommodated.

Count to Five, Margaret

With George deceased, Edward gives back the title Earl of Richmond to Henry Tudor. Margaret gets her hopes up and asks Stanley if her son will be allowed to return to England, but that is not to be. Stanley reminds her that five people still stand between Henry and the throne.

The Richard Watch

I love the scenes between Richard and Anne; they're by far my favorite couple. The closer we get to the end of the series, the more I worry about how he's going to be portrayed in the upcoming weeks, especially considering how pro-Elizabeth and Margaret the series seems to be to me. We shall see.

The White Queen Recap: Love and Death

* Spoilers ahead if you haven't seen Episode 6, "Love and Death."

I've griped before about how rushed this series often feels because of the amount of history that is being compressed into a relatively short run of episodes, and this week seemed particularly hurried. The characters really don't have a lot of time for their story arcs to build; one week they're acting one way, the next they're acting another (I'm thinking especially of Anne here). There are only four episodes left, so I can only assume that the whirlwind tour through the last days of the Plantagenet dynasty will continue.

Judgment Day for Anne

Anne goes before Edward and asks for his forgiveness. The king pardons her, much to Elizabeth's extreme displeasure. Anne presses her luck somewhat by inquiring about what will happen to her mother, who is still in sanctuary, but Edward has no intentions of welcoming the Countess back to court. Anne is to live with Isabel and, eww, George, who is appointed by Edward to act as Anne's guardian. Be afraid, Anne. Be very afraid.

Meow!

Living with her sister and brother-in-law turns out to be almost like living in prison for Anne. She begins to suspect that Richard has brought her to them so George can control her inheritance—if the Countess of Warwick dies and Anne is unmarried, Anne's share of her mother's fortune will go to her skeevy brother-in-law. Unfortunately for Anne, she airs her grievances to Isabel in front of Isabel's ladies, and the sisters end up getting into a nasty fight.

There's Only You, Margaret

Margaret's mother is on her deathbed and asks for her daughter's forgiveness. Margaret launches into some speech on her favorite topic, religion; I kind of tuned her out because all I heard was blah, blah, blah.

I Do Not Approve of This Parenting Plan

Prince Edward is to be sent to Ludlow, in Wales, to begin his path to kingliness. Elizabeth is angry at this idea (Elizabeth gets angry quite often during this episode) and vehemently opposes it.

Trouble with a capital "T"

Beyond awkward: Elizabeth catches Edward with his mistress, Jane Shore. As if that weren't enough for her to deal with, Jacquetta is seriously ill and doesn't have much time left.

Because Nothing Says Drama Like a Secret Meeting at Night

Anne gets rather snotty with Richard, accusing him of not caring about how horrible life with George and Isabel is. He tells her that he's asked his brother about her numerous times, only to be told that she's still grieving. He also advises her to placate George and Isabel until he can talk to Edward about her situation. Because he cares.

Dee-nied

Margaret has been hoping to join her son and Jasper Tudor in exile. Jasper, however, informs Margaret via letter that the best thing for her to do is to stay put in England. Obviously, she's disappointed, as evidenced by her dramatically ripping Jasper's letter in half. She then gets the brilliant idea that she should marry into the House of York. Richard, run away now. Far away. Very far away.

Someone's Going to a Nunnery

Anne is horrified that George plans to shut her up in a nunnery and, in desperation, arranges another secret meeting with Richard. She kind of made me laugh with her remark to him about being grown up because 1) she pouts quite a bit in this episode and 2) when Richard asks her to marry him, her initial reaction is, like, you'll have all my money! Sheesh. Just say yes, for heaven's sake!

Ick, It's Thomas Stanley

Knowing what a backstabber this guy is, I don't have much more to say than that.

A Double Tragedy

Edward and Elizabeth's newborn son does not survive, and Elizabeth also suffers the loss of Jacquetta, who's always been such a strong presence by her side.

A Double Wedding

Well, not exactly, but Anne and Richard's marriage is interspersed with scenes of Margaret marrying Thomas (Beard of Awesomeness) Stanley.

Hugging It Out Always Works

Anne is preparing to leave for Warwick Castle, where she and Richard will make their home, when Isabel arrives to see her. The sisters kiss and make up, with Isabel promising to never let Anne down again.

That's Funny, You Both Still Look About the Same

Elizabeth confronts Edward about Jane Shore, and he lamely replies that she knew what she was getting into when she married him. He also comments that they're not young anymore, which was pretty funny since they both look like they've hardly aged.

The Richard Watch

Lots of Richard this week (finally). I felt a little sorry for him, being the target of a good deal of Anne's frustration over being trapped under George's roof, but hey, Richard did get her out of there!

The White Queen Recap: War at First Hand

* Spoilers ahead if you haven't seen Episode 5, "War at First Hand."

We're at the halfway point of the series, and I have to say that it's been quite underwhelming for me thus far. If I hadn't decided to do the weekly recaps, I'd probably still watch the show until the end but fast forward through all of the slow bits. I'd be a quitter, however, if I only recapped half the episodes, and that would bother me a great deal, so on we go with looking back at Episode 5.

Is This Just Seasickness, or Do I Really Hate Being on a Boat with My Mother-in-Law That Much?

Margaret of Anjou sets sail for England at last, and unlucky Anne has to travel on the same ship with her. Margaret does all she can to rattle Anne, who really finds her backbone in this episode and doesn't let her monster-in-law bully her. Meanwhile, in England, Isabel informs her father that George has defected back to York after Warwick asks where his wayward son-in-law is.

Jasper Only Answers to One Call to Arms (Hint: It's Not Warwick's)

Edward is back on English soil, and Warwick is rallying the troops. Jasper Tudor defiantly tells Warwick that he'll only raise men to fight in response to Margaret of Anjou's call to arms. So there, Warwick!

Camping in the Crypt

Elizabeth and her children are holed up in the depths of Westminster Abbey. Elizabeth hears someone approaching and readies herself to attack, but surprise! It's only Edward, who can't hang around for long because he has to go fight the Lancastrians and all that.

It's Tough Being in the Middle

As Warwick prepares to face Edward in battle, Isabel is understandably frustrated with being the daughter of a Yorkist turned Lancastrian and the wife of a Yorkist turned Lancastrian turned Yorkist again. Her father advises her not to show favor to any side until the winner is determined, and then pledge her undying loyalty to the victor. Parenting 101, right there.

It's Not About You, Margaret!

Truer words were never spoken! Sir Henry Stafford gives Margaret Beaufort a coronary by informing her that he's taking his tenants and going off to fight for York. At least under Edward's reign, Sir Henry says, there was peace, and there won't be any if Lancaster wins. In the funniest Margaret quote of the week, she declares that she will not pray for her husband's return, like she constantly has God on speed dial or something.

Barnet

Finally—some battle scenes! Thanks to a dense fog, Edward and his army sneak up on Warwick and his men, and several slow-motion shots of swords clashing ensue. The fighting pauses for a moment so that Warwick and his one-time protégé, Edward, can stare meaningfully at each other before a York soldier stabs the Kingmaker.

The Fallout from Barnet

With Warwick dead, Margaret of Anjou has to change tactics. Now her army will march to Wales to join forces with Jasper Tudor. Anne is upset over the news about her father but gets no sympathy from Margaret or Margaret's son. First Anne begs to be taken to her mother, but the Countess of Warwick has fled to sanctuary. And so Anne finds herself riding to Wales.

Show Some Respect, George

At the service for Warwick, George suggests that the once mighty Kingmaker should have been treated as the traitor he was, prompting reminders of George's own treasonous behavior. With Warwick gone, Elizabeth removes his name from her little curse list. Guess whose name remains on there? That's right—George's!

You Want Me to Set Up My Army Now?

Margaret of Anjou orders her troops to camp for the night at Tewkesbury and tells Prince Edward of Lancaster to organize the men into their lines. Edward looks so enthused about the prospect of the whole battle thing; it's only his future crown he's defending. The only person who seems gung-ho about the impending showdown with the Yorkists is his mother.

Apparently Recreating Tewkesbury Was Not in the Production Budget

We don't get to see what happened on the battlefield for this one. It's all over for the Lancastrians, and Margaret prepares to flee with Anne. Before Anne can get away, she's surrounded by a gang of soldiers and about to be assaulted when . . . Richard shows up! Do Not. Mess. With Richard. Margaret of Anjou makes a desperate offer to Richard: she'll name him her heir if he joins up with her. That's a big NO from Richard. Margaret is to be taken to London, and we last see her sobbing over her son, who was killed in battle.

Goodbye Again, Henry

With the Lancastrians' defeat, Jasper Tudor is heading into exile with young Henry. Margaret (Beaufort) bids them a teary goodbye and can't help working her favorite line, "It's God's will," into the proceedings. She arrives back home in time for her husband, Sir Henry, to die from the wounds he received at Barnet. I'll miss Sir Henry; he was a decent guy, and being married to Margaret was certainly a daily trial.

The Cost of a Crown

All is well with the House of York again, as evidenced by the scene of everyone dressed in their royal finery. In the middle of the night, Edward tells Elizabeth that he needs some fresh air, but what he's really off to do is take care of the former King Henry VI, as in making sure the Lancastrians no longer have a figure to rally around. Elizabeth follows Edward, who's being assisted by his brothers in this task, and is horrified by what she witnesses. How else did you think that shiny, golden crown was going to stay on your head, Elizabeth?

The Richard Watch

Huzzah! Richard FINALLY gets some significant screen time! He and Anne are very sweet together, and I liked how he stood up to George when the latter went on his rant about Warwick.

The White Queen Recap: The Bad Queen

* Spoilers ahead if you haven't seen Episode 4, "The Bad Queen."

I rather enjoyed this week's episode, maybe because quite a lot happened, plus we're inching closer and closer to an actual battle (judging from the preview of next week's ep, it looks like we'll see Barnet).

Don't Give Me That Look, Young Lady

Elizabeth has a vision in her washbowl (no, really) of the baby Isabel lost and freaks out. Jacquetta comes running into the room, and Elizabeth tells her mother to leave her alone. Jacquetta gives Elizabeth this look that says, "You may be the Queen of England, but I'm still your mother, and don't you dare speak to me like that." Elizabeth feels a bit guilty about summoning the wind that battered Warwick's ship on which poor Isabel had to give birth and worries that Warwick is more desperate than ever to get a handhold on the throne.

This Was a One-Way Trip

In France, Anne wonders when it'll be possible to return to England, and Isabel informs her that after everything that's happened, there will be no return for them. This is only the beginning of the bad news for Anne in this episode.

Yay Henry, Yay!

Young Henry Tudor is practicing his swordsmanship, and Margaret wholeheartedly approves of his mad skills, obviously. She also nearly has a heart attack when her precioussss takes a nick to the face from his instructor's sword. Imagine what her reaction would have been if Henry had gotten seriously injured.

George Doesn't Understand

Warwick's latest power scheme involves marrying Anne off to Edward of Lancaster, son of the former King Henry VI, and return Henry to throne. George, upon whom Warwick once rested all of his dreams of being an in-law to a king, does not approve of this plan and lets Warwick know it.

Where's Jasper?

Yorkist Sir William Herbert turns up at Pembroke Castle looking for Jasper Tudor and and busts up Margaret's happy reunion with Henry with the news that the place is now his. But it belongs to Henry, protests Margaret! She gets all agitated and not very nicely tells her husband that Jasper would have done something about this travesty. I really do feel sorry for Henry Stafford; the guy never gets a break from hearing about how awesome Jasper Tudor is.

The Other Margaret

This was our first look at Margaret of Anjou, queen to Henry VI and mother of Edward of Lancaster. Like Margaret Beaufort, this Margaret is also crazy. I thought she put some much needed spark into the show, though. As for Edward—what is going on with his hair?! On first impression, he does not look like a pleasant fellow at all, and later in the episode, he reveals just what a monster he is. While his mother looks on. Yuck. Poor Anne; not only does she end up with a horrible husband, but a horrible mother-in-law as well. And Elizabeth thinks she has the worst mother-in-law in the world!

Word Travels Fast

Back in England, Edward receives news of Warwick and George's alliance with Margaret of Anjou. Edward, ever the forgiving brother, is prepared to offer George yet another chance to prove his loyalty. Jacquetta and Elizabeth go see Cecily, the Duchess of York, and ask her to persuade George to ditch Warwick and return to Edward. Cecily complies, sending one of her ladies to France to deliver the message to George via Isabel.

More Margaret (Beaufort) Rantings and Ravings

I figured I'd sum up the rest of Margaret's shenanigans here. She goes ballistic when Herbert won't let Henry leave Pembroke because the boy is now under his guardianship as punishment for the treason committed by Margaret's brother. Her departing words to her son take the form of her diving into her "You'll be king one day, Henry!" inspirational speech. Later we see Margaret all depressed because she hasn't heard a peep from Henry, and she confesses to her husband that as a girl, she wanted to join a convent and become a saint. That was like, the funniest thing I've heard her say so far, seconded by her cry later on in the episode that it's against God's will for Henry to fight for York when he's forced to go with Herbert to support Edward against Warwick and George's impending invasion.

Guess Who's Not Queen Anymore?

Elizabeth's sons from her first marriage, Thomas and Richard Grey, rush to their mother in the Tower of London to tell her that Warwick didn't land where he was expected to and took Edward and his troops by surprise. Edward, Richard, and Anthony Woodville have fled to Flanders, and Warwick has ordered Jacquetta's arrest for witchcraft. Elizabeth narrowly escapes the Tower with her children and seeks sanctuary in Westminster Abbey, where she gives birth to a male heir for Edward. Meanwhile, Warwick has successfully restored Henry VI to the throne, but worryingly for Warwick, Margaret of Anjou still hasn't upheld her end of their deal to bring her promised army to England.

The Richard Watch

Richard has a new hairstyle! Not sure how I feel about this yet. He only had a handful of lines again, but at least he was by Edward's side during the discussion of bringing George back into the fold. I really, really hope that if the battle of Barnet is the centerpiece of next week's episode, Richard gets the spotlight he deserves because, you know, he only commanded the vanguard and all. Oh, and this is the battle that took place in a thick fog, and I think I've already figured out how the show is going to explain the weather conditions. It looks like Elizabeth and Jacquetta will be quite busy next week.

The White Queen Recap: The Storm

* Spoilers ahead if you haven't seen Episode 3, "The Storm."

Hooray for this week's episode not fast forwarding a few years into the future, unlike what happened last week. Three episodes in now, I'm finding the series more of a soap opera with fancy costumes and sets than period drama, but to me, it's still better than most of the fare TV has to offer on a Saturday night. I've also noticed that the show tends to skimp on battle scenes, though we did glimpse the Lancastrian and Yorkist army camps in this episode. For the most part, however, characters discuss rebellions that need putting down and we see them ride off to fight, but that's the end of it. I suppose budgetary concerns restrict the number of epic battle scenes that can be staged, but this series does take place during the Wars of the Roses.

Being a Hostage Isn't So Bad

Warwick is holding Edward in his castle, though if one had to be held captive, a castle that looks like Warwick's isn't the worst place one could end up. Edward and Warwick bicker a lot, with the Earl angry that he's been pushed aside in favor of the Woodvilles and Edward angry about, well, the whole being held hostage thing.

Jasper Says . . .

Margaret Beaufort is all giggly over a letter she's received from Jasper Tudor saying that Edward is about to be dethroned by his brother, George. Just about every sentence on Margaret's side of the conversation with her husband, Henry Stafford, begins with, "Jasper says . . . ." Way to be subtle about your feelings for Jasper, Margaret.

We Three Queens

Anne Neville marvels over the arrival of Queen Elizabeth's coronation furs for her sister, Isabel Neville, who'll be queen to George's king. Isabel worries that too many women are being called queen: Elizabeth, Margaret of Anjou (looks like we'll see her in the next episode), and soon, if everything goes according to her father's plan, Isabel herself. Poor Isabel thought she was marrying for love but now realizes that she was just a player in her father's game.

That's a Big "Nay" to King George

Parliament says no to putting George on the throne, and Edward gets to go home to Elizabeth, who is all set for Edward to punish Warwick and George for their treason, Warwick especially for the executions of her father and brother. She gets a nasty surprise when Edward says that he can't afford fighting among his own house and will make peace with his brother and cousin, and what's more, Princess Elizabeth will be married to Warwick's nephew. Needless to say, Elizabeth is one unhappy queen.

No More Pen Pals for Margaret

Henry Stafford receives a letter of his own, informing him that he's no longer the king's sheriff. Edward has learned that Margaret wrote a letter in which she threw her support behind George; Stafford is getting the blowback. He forbids Margaret from writing to—who else—Jasper Tudor.

An Awkward Christmas

In the spirit of letting bygones (including holding your king captive) be bygones, George, Warwick, and Warwick's family are all invited to court for the holidays. Elizabeth is livid, her mother-in-law, the Duchess of York, is delighted, and Warwick can't resist provoking the queen with his presence.

Fishing for Fate (Again)

With George and Isabel expecting a child, Elizabeth is desperate to produce a male heir. So she goes to Jacquetta, who digs the fishing line out again for Elizabeth to reel in her destiny. Good news—it's a boy.

Being Elizabeth's Lady-in-Waiting Is the Worst Job Ever

Edward and Elizabeth tumble into their chamber as Anne tries to make a hasty exit, but Elizabeth demands that Anne help her with the laces of her gown. Talk about awkward. Anne practically becomes a human clothes rack, then goes to her father to talk out her traumatic experience. Warwick actually seems to be acting kind toward Anne for once, until you realize that he's hatching another plan to unseat Edward. Poor Anne—she really does want to marry Richard.

You Are Such a Liar, Margaret

This really had me laughing. Margaret promises her husband that she's going to be a good wife from now on and wants to make up with her mother, too. What's really going on is, she needs to go see her brother, who lives with their mother, and convince him to join up with Jasper Tudor and other Lancastrians in creating a diversion so Warwick and George can turn on Edward—again.

Lots of Praying This Week

I also thought it was kind of funny how Elizabeth prayed for Edward's safe return from battle. Wasn't there some kind of spell for that? Of course, pious Margaret prays for Edward to be killed. If I had a dollar for every time Margaret said, "It's God's will . . . blah, blah, blah" I'd have enough for a year's subscription to Starz. Edward isn't killed, but Margaret's brother is, after warning Edward about Warwick's trap.

Witch-y Wind

Foiled again, Warwick hightails it out of England for Calais on a ship, with George and the ladies, including a very pregnant Isabel, in tow. Elizabeth is at her wit's end with Warwick and calls upon some supernatural help in getting him out of her hair for good. As the show would have you believe, she summons an extremely powerful wind that batters Warwick's ship, which ends up being turned away at an Edward-supporting Calais.

Everything Is Peachy Keen. Well, Not for Everyone

As he promised Elizabeth, Edward arrives home safely yet again, with a cartload of peaches. Isabel loses her son, and all George has to say is that it's important they have another one. Heartless, much?

The Richard Watch

Richard, i.e. pretty much the reason why I watch this show, had like two lines all episode, one of which was kind of muted (the Parliament scene, where he basically calls George a traitor). I think young Henry Tudor had more lines than Richard did this week, and that is really, really, really sad.

The White Queen Recap: The Price of Power

* Spoilers ahead if you haven't seen Episode 2, "The Price of Power." *

I was a little worried that this post wasn't happening today because a lot of my cable channels, including Starz, weren't working on Friday night and part of Saturday. I checked one last time before I was about to call the cable company and found everything back to normal. Yay!

I thought Episode 2 was better paced than Episode 1, probably because everyone's pretty much been introduced. The part of my brain that wants to watch the show from a purely historical perspective tried to be more open-minded this week, especially toward the witchcraft. This is a TV show, after all, so I did my best to just sit back and be entertained. Which I mostly was. And can I just say that I've always wanted to try on a hennin? You know—one of those headdresses that medieval women wore that looks like a giant cone and has a veil hanging out of the top of it?

It's Coronation Day

Elizabeth is officially crowned Queen of England, much to Warwick's displeasure. The guy looks like he's been whiffing chamber pots all day throughout most of the episode, even going on a full-blown rant to the Countess of Warwick about the Queen's influence over Edward, which used to be Warwick's.

Let's Play the Matchmaking Game

Elizabeth has lots of siblings who need to be married off to well-to-do spouses, and Jacquetta pitches in by literally laying all of the cards, with pictorial representations of the prospective brides and grooms, on the table. I wonder how long it took some medieval artist to illustrate those; it's a pity Photoshop didn't exist in the Middle Ages.

Don't Scare the Kid or Anything, Margaret

Margaret Beaufort goes to see her young son, Henry Tudor, and opens the conversation along the lines of, "Henry, my son, it's so good to see you. THE FALSE YORKIST KING HAS STOLEN YOUR TITLE!!!! I'M COMPLETELY BESIDE MYSELF WITH OUTRAGE ON YOUR BEHALF!!!" I felt kind of bad for the kid, having a mother who's apparently a little bonkers and has mommy issues (with her own mommy, that is).

Fast Forward

There's quite a bit of history to condense into ten episodes, and time moves swiftly along in this one. First four months have passed, and then, according to the note on the screen, three years!

"Kingmaking" Can Be Used as a Verb

After Edward denies Warwick's request for George and Richard to marry Warwick's daughters, the Earl hatches a plan to put George on the throne, part of which entails playing up rumors that Edward is a bastard. George marries Warwick's eldest daughter, Isabel, and the union is also the signal to Warwick's supporters to turn against the king. Edward is later captured by his traitorous brother and cousin.

Damn, These Names Are Long!

A grieving Elizabeth wants vengeance for her executed father and brother, John. Jacquetta tells her to write down the names of those she wants cursed in blood. On a little scrap of parchment, Elizabeth manages to write "Richard Neville Earl of Warwick" and "George Plantagenet." Kudos to her for not only fitting all of that into such a small writing space, but also for not passing out from blood loss.

Richard Speaks!

Ever since I read Sharon Kay Penman's superb novel The Sunne in Splendour, which is all about Richard III and the Wars of the Roses and which I very, very HIGHLY recommend reading, I've had a keen interest in all things Ricardian. That keen interest extends to how he's portrayed in The White Queen, and you can count on there being a mention of Richard in every recap. He hasn't been given too much to do so far except exchange a few awkward glances with his cousin, Anne Neville, and draw a sword on mad King Henry VI when the latter is carted back as Warwick's prisoner. I hope that the series at least touches upon how fervent Richard's loyalty was to Edward, because from what's been shown in the first two episodes, it looks more like Edward's Woodville in-laws were his closest confidants.

And that's it for this week's recap. Barring cable troubles, see you next week!

The White Queen Recap: In Love with the King

* Spoilers ahead if you haven't seen Episode 1, "In Love with the King." *

I love me some medieval English history and anything to do with Richard III, so when I found out that Philippa Gregory's novels about The Wars of the Roses were being turned into a TV series, I was beyond psyched and planning to do a weekly recap here on the blog, à la Game of Thrones. After very recently DNF-ing The Kingmaker's Daughter and catching the sneaky airing on Friday night of the first episode of The White Queen, however, I debated going forward with the idea. Episode 1 didn't exactly bowl me over, but Ally had already gone to the trouble of drawing the above awesome graphic for me, and it was only the first episode. Here's hoping that the pacing picks up in the next one. Even if it doesn't, I'll still post a recap on Sundays for the duration of the series, because now I have to see this through. So on with chatting about the first episode!

There Once Were Two Houses

. . . that hated each others' guts and squabbled over the English throne. Edward IV of the House of York currently sits on that throne, and he's about to meet Elizabeth Woodville, the widow of a Lancastrian knight. Translation: she was married to the enemy! Elizabeth's going to ask the King for her dead husband's property, but she's about to walk away with more than that. The moment Edward sees her, it's insta-love, at least on his part. Courtship? Who needs that when you're the King of England?!

And Some Witch-y Stuff Happened

Okay—I'm not a big fan of the paranormal-esque element, and it was a big reason why I quit reading The Kingmaker's Daughter, which was told from the perspective of Anne Neville, the younger daughter of the Earl of Warwick, Richard Neville. In that book, it was as though the Woodville women's witchcraft single-handedly swept the House of York to victory over the House of Lancaster. Strategy and skill on the battlefield obviously played no roles. When she's not trying her hand at imitating Princess Leia's cinnamon roll hairdo, Elizabeth's mother, Jacquetta, is outdoors rigging up some kind of intricate fate-predicting thingy using fishing lines. Jacquetta is a smart, calculating woman, I'll give her that, but between her scrying and Elizabeth going all Professor Trelawney with her visions, well, I wasn't quite sold on that.

Craster and Cromwell Are Alive . . . and Staring Each Other Down

Hey! That's Craster from Game of Thrones as Elizabeth's father, Richard Woodville, and Thomas Cromwell from The Tudors as Warwick! They're both looking pretty good for what they went through on their previous shows.

Fancy Meeting You Here

I understand there are quite a number of important characters to introduce, but I thought Margaret Beaufort's entrance was a little awkward. It looked like she just happened to be milling about when Jacquetta passed by. Now I can't wait to see how Margaret of Anjou, queen to Henry VI and despised by the Yorkists, makes her first appearance. It'd be great if she stormed into the palace dining hall and literally flipped a table while demanding her fancy chair back from Elizabeth.

Warwick the Matchmaker Kingmaker

Poor Warwick. He goes to all that trouble to broker a marriage between Edward and a French princess, and Edward is all like, "But I'm already married!" The life of a Kingmaker is hard. Very hard.

Enough of All These Woodvilles, Where's Richard?

This episode was rather Woodville-centric and not very compelling TV for me. I kept waiting for a glimpse of Richard, Duke of Gloucester, and that's all the first episode showed of him—a glimpse when Edward introduced his two brothers upon Elizabeth's arrival as Queen of England. So I shall wait until next Saturday in the hope that he'll actually have a line in the next episode.