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# Fug the Show: Wolf Hall, "Three Card Trick"
- URL: https://go-fug-yourself.ghost.io/fug-the-show-wolf-hall-three-card-trick/
- Published: 2015-04-12T00:46:41.000Z
- Updated: 2015-04-15T18:02:33.000Z
- Author: Jessica  
- Tags: #wp, #wp-gallery, #slideshow, #Import 2026-10-07 07:41

## Informative Caption Hall

![wolf-hall-recaps](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/b9/bfb99790-924d-4e41-a7e6-5e3c6e04fe57/content/images/static-gofugyourself-com/uploads/2015/04/img_9369.png)

Why should I set the scene when the show has helpfully done it for me?

## Informative Caption Hall 2: Informative Captionier

![wolf-hall-recaps](https://static.gofugyourself.com/uploads/2015/04/IMG_9370.png)

Spoiler: This will not end well for....a lot of people. Like, *a lot* of people.

## Informative Caption 3

![wolf-hall-recaps](https://static.gofugyourself.com/uploads/2015/04/IMG_9371.png)

I told you this show was understated.

## Dark Hall

![wolf-hall-recaps](https://static.gofugyourself.com/uploads/2015/04/IMG_9372.png)

This seems like as good a place as any to discuss the lighting on this show, which I think was MASTERFUL, a statement I have literally never made. It's incredibly dark, generally, because they made the executive decision to film the entire thing by candlelight. (So, you know, Realistic Tudor England Lighting.) Apparently, loads of people have complained that it's too dark, but I think it's really cool and extremely interesting. ([There's an article about how this was possible on *The Guardian*](https://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/feb/10/bbc-burnt-20000-on-wolf-hall-candles-says-director?ref=go-fug-yourself.ghost.io). Apparently the candle budget was enormous.)

Here, you can't tell but a bunch of dudes are galloping up to see Cardinal Wolsey, led by the Duke of Suffolk and the Duke of Norfolk, and they're there to force Wolsey to give up his position by giving them his Great Seal, announcing that he is OUT as Lord Chancellor. (Norfolk is Anne Boleyn's uncle; he's also -- and this gets awkward for him later, surely -- Wife #4 Catherine Howard's uncle. So basically he's the uncle of not one but TWO beheaded Queens, which is a terrible track record). The Duke of Suffolk is Charles Brandon -- or, as I like to think of him, Hot Henry Cavill's part on *The Tudors*.

## Great Seal Hall

![wolf-hall-recaps](https://static.gofugyourself.com/uploads/2015/04/IMG_9373.jpg)

The aforementioned Great Seal [has a totally fascinating history and I invite you to fall into its Wikipedia Wormhole](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great%5FSeal%5Fof%5Fthe%5FRealm?ref=go-fug-yourself.ghost.io). Anyway, giving it to Norfolk/Suffolk would be, as far as I understand it, tantamount Wolsey to agreeing to step down from his position of power (and, while we're here, I am SURE I am going to goof up a variety of historical facts given that most of my remaining knowledge of Tudor England comes from all the novels I've read set therein, so PLEASE weigh in in the comments with corrections or interesting tidbits or historical whatevers), so Wolsey is understandably not super stoked to do it. (His response to Nor/Suffolk's bombast is a wry, "you'll have supper?")

But Cromwell brilliantly lawyers Wolsey from having to give in-- first having Wolsey note that (a) he needs a written request from the King, which they don't have (because I believe it's a lie, but Nor/Suff don't know this, and are mostly irked that Wolsey expects them to ride back to WINDSOR for a PIECE OF PAPER in SUCH TERRIBLE WEATHER! They're just trying to ruin his life! How dare he ask them to catch cold!), and that, anyway, (b) he can't give the Great Seal to any old dingbat, he has to give it to the Master of the Rolls (paraphrased), so they "better come back with him." The expression on Cromwell's face while this is playing out is so brilliant; a very, very subtle "let's see if I can get away with this." The Folks storm out with many a flourish of their capes, and Cromwell tells Wolsey he only bought them a day, which is in fact the case. The next day, a bunch of Official Guard-Like Dudes (real historical title) come and commandeer his house and all his stuff. The house, Wolsey notes, is to go Anne Boleyn. (Cromwell grumpily wonders when she became an archbishop; we of course will later find out that Henry REALLY doesn't care if a building is owned by the church or not.) Wolsey is very sanguine about it, and refuses to hear a bad word about the King.

## Boelyn Hall

![wolf-hall-recaps](https://static.gofugyourself.com/uploads/2015/04/IMG_9378.jpg)

This episode is not at all chronological, which makes it hard to recap sometimes, but stick with me. We learn that Anne B was brought back from the French court to marry into Ireland, but she got all lovely dovey with Harry Percy and, essentially, Anne's romantic entanglements have been causing High Drama for everyone for YEARS. (Percy, by the way, is of The Percys Who Are the Current Dukes of Northumberland, [last visited by me in the *Downton* finale recap.](https://www.gofugyourself.com/downton-abbey-recap-season-five-christmas-special-03-2015/img%5F8830?ref=go-fug-yourself.ghost.io) It's like Six Degrees of Percy on Masterpiece this season.)

## Anne Hall

![wolf-hall-recaps](https://static.gofugyourself.com/uploads/2015/04/IMG_9380.jpg)

Wolsey, in fact, puts the kibosh on Anne marrying Harry/Henry Percy, because he "has to hold the North one day" and ergo isn't allowed to pick who he'd like to marry. One day, I'd like to take a class called GREAT BRITAIN: 1500 YEARS OF PEOPLE NOT BEING ABLE TO MARRY WHO THEY WANT TO MARRY AND HOW BADLY THAT WORKED OUT NEARLY EVERY TIME.

Anyway, Wolsey handwaves Anne's father's note that he thinks Anne and Percy may have Done It and demands that she be married off tout suite. And there you have Motivation for Anne Boleyn to Hate Cardinal Wolsey Number One.

## Tapestry Hall

![wolf-hall-recaps](https://static.gofugyourself.com/uploads/2015/04/IMG_9382.jpg)

I just like tapestries.

## IMG\_9384

![wolf-hall-recaps](https://static.gofugyourself.com/uploads/2015/04/IMG_9384.jpg)

Herein we learn that Cromwell is lovely to his children, kind and loving to his wife, and forward thinking in his beliefs, as his eldest daughter is very well-educated and he makes a joke about her becoming mayor one day. We also learn that he's got an English translation of the Bible kicking about, so he's at least Secretly Heretic-Adjacent, although he's refreshingly non-dogmatic about it. It is a very sad sad shame when both daughters and Liz, his wife, die later in the episode. Stupid Rapid Death Inducing Fevers of The 16th Century. They are the worst.

## Episode Title Hall

![wolf-hall-recaps](https://static.gofugyourself.com/uploads/2015/04/IMG_9386.jpg)

Herein, we learn that Cromwell lived in Italy for a time (and later we learn he was a solider for hire for the French), and also we get a recap of Henry VIII's problems. To wit: Catherine of Aragon has not given him a son after 18 years of marriage and he's decided that clearly God is punishing them. The reason? Catherine was married to Arthur, Henry's elder brother, and when Arthur died, swore she and he had never consummated their marriage. The Pope issued a dispensation, she and Henry shacked up, everything was fine! But now HVIII has decided NOTHING is fine and she must have been lying and he wants -- well, you know the drill. Cromwell tells Wolsey that he heard that "when \[Catherine\] defeated the Scottish, I heard she wanted to send the Scottish king's head in a bag to Henry. To cheer him up...She's a fighter."

Indeed she is. I remember spending much of history class (and historical novels) thinking, "Man, Aragon, just PACK IT IN. Make him pay you handsomely and go whoop it up in Spain." Obviously, I get why she didn't: Religion, love, respect, reputation, politics. But I think if I had been in her shoes, eventually I would have been like, "Jesus, FINE. ENOUGH. SHUT UP."

## Exile Hall

![wolf-hall-recaps](https://static.gofugyourself.com/uploads/2015/04/IMG_9387.png)

In case you're wondering where we are.

## Prayers Hall

![wolf-hall-recaps](https://static.gofugyourself.com/uploads/2015/04/IMG_9388.jpg)

We flip back and forth between exile -- the current day -- and the past. Exile, in case you are wondering, is totally cold and unpleasant and basically sucks.

## Awkward Dinner Hall

![wolf-hall-recaps](https://static.gofugyourself.com/uploads/2015/04/IMG_9391.jpg)

It's not *Masterpiece* if there isn't a HELLA AWKWARD DINNER PARTY. Here, Cromwell shows up at a dinner (to which he was invited) to come face to face with Sir Thomas More, who is of course going to take over Wolsey's job. The gentleman in the foreground is Chapuys, the Spanish ambassador to England, Catherine's lawyer (for lack of a better term) in her suit with Henry, and when he popped up, I admit that my reaction was, OH RIGHT THIS GUY, prompted solely from all the Philipa Gregory books I have read in my life in which he pops up to give wise counsel to someone.

Anyway, Chapuys and More chatter derogatorily about Cromwell in Latin, thinking he doesn't understand them, but of course he does, and this leads to spirited conversation about whether or not Wolsey is corrupt (More's take, as you probably remember from 10th grade history). It's just one Sarah Bunting: Moldy Dinner Roll short of SOMEONE having a total strop. (But not Cromwell. He's a very calm man. The definition of still waters running deep. He just wants the recipe for the sauce.)

## Pope Hall

![wolf-hall-recaps](https://static.gofugyourself.com/uploads/2015/04/IMG_9471.jpg)

In this flashback , all hell has broken loose. The Pope has been taken prisoner by Catherine's relative and there's a LOT of talk about "Christendom," which is one of the words which acts as a signifier that you're watching a period piece. But Cromwell has come to tell Wolsey (eating cherries, in a nice bit of Virginity Symbolism) that Henry has switched genital allegiances from Mary Boleyn to Anne, her "flat-chested sister." Wolsey is WAY unconcerned and is basically like, "eh, he's going to hit that and quit it; don't worry too much." So now we know that Wolsey lacks the gift of second sight.

## Foreshadowing Hall

![wolf-hall-recaps](https://static.gofugyourself.com/uploads/2015/04/IMG_9475.jpg)

Mrs Cromwell is bathed in heavenly light and talks her husband into going to see his Terrible Drunk Father, and the Tiniest Cromwell Girl is wearing angel's wings and the Smart Cromwell Girl is wisely asking her father whether or not she may choose whom she marries, and this is how you know they are ALL DOOMED. IT'S TERRIBLE. (I mean, it's terribly sad. It's actually very beautifully done and quite understated.)

## Protestants Hall!

![wolf-hall-recaps](https://static.gofugyourself.com/uploads/2015/04/IMG_9479.jpg)

The up-shot of this scene where Cromwell is meeting with his fellow Possible Protestants is him basically saying, "Oh my god, you guys. Thomas More is totally going to try to kill us all, so PLEASE KEEP A LID ON THE HERESY OKAY. PLEASE."

There's even a great moment where the Lead Protestant starts talking about the whereabouts of William Tyndale, who translated the Bible into English, and this one Protestant Extra makes an AMAZING, "oh my god DUDE SHUT UP THAT'S A SECRET" face. There is something wonderful to me about taking the lead Protestant and making him intentionally kind of annoying. (Maybe if *Reign* had done this, I wouldn't have lapsed into a coma every time they started talking about the Reformation.)

## Sad Hall

![wolf-hall-recaps](https://static.gofugyourself.com/uploads/2015/04/IMG_9482.jpg)

And then Cromwell comes home from his Irritating Meeting of Unreasonably Mouthy Protestants and EVERY WOMAN IN HIS HOUSE IS DEAD. Mark Rylance is SO SO good in these scenes, I can't even tell you. It's basically all just in his facial expressions -- he has very few lines. He is masterful in this part. And it is really really heart-wrenching, which is truly something to be said for the death of characters you've only know for half an hour.

## It's All About Wolsey Hall

![wolf-hall-recaps](https://static.gofugyourself.com/uploads/2015/04/IMG_9489.jpg)

A bit later, Wolsey is like, "I CANNOT BELIEVE they've making an envoy of the Pope come here to England and rule on the validity of Henry's marriage to Catherine!" and as a viewer, you are so caught up in thinking, "OH MY GOD SHUT UP HIS WHOLE FAMILY JUST DIED!!!" you don't even realize that he just delivered a bunch of exposition you needed to understand the rest of the episode. I watched this episode twice and it wasn't until I came back a third time to look something up that I even noticed that. THAT is well done exposition.

## Kick Him Hall

![wolf-hall-recaps](https://static.gofugyourself.com/uploads/2015/04/IMG_9490.jpg)

In case you were wondering, Cromwell's father, who beat him TERRIBLY as a child, may now be sober but he's still a total asshole. *Nothing* is coming up Cromwell.

## Boys Hall

![wolf-hall-recaps](https://static.gofugyourself.com/uploads/2015/04/IMG_9492.jpg)

These two are Ralph and Rafe -- Ralph is the one who WASN'T on *Game of Thrones* nor in *Love, Actually* and he is Cromwell's nephew. Here, he asks if he may take Cromwell's name. It's implied that he's doing this in part because of how so much of Cromwell's family just died, and HE needs a father. It's very sweet in a sort of bumbling dude way and Cromwell is very touched. Richard Cromwell it is! The other is Rafe, whose face I love. (Ralph, on the other hand, has the least Period Piece Face of anyone in this show.)

## GOSSIP HALL

![wolf-hall-recaps](https://static.gofugyourself.com/uploads/2015/04/IMG_9493.jpg)

Over to the Catherine v. Henry Marital Proceedings and can I just say that if I had been alive in these days, I would have been SOOOOO ALL OVER this gossip? If my husband had been present at these proceedings, as soon as he got home, I would have been like, "and then what did he say? And what was she wearing? I told you I never really liked her, right? But she IS right that you can't just TOSS YOUR WIFE OUT if you want to marry someone else. I HOPE YOU KNOW THAT, CHARLES." (My fictional Tudor husband is a very kind and long-suffering and extremely handsome Duke of Something Unimportant called Charles and he NEVER asks follow-up questions and he's terrible at taking mental notes for me, so eventually I just have to get my gossip elsewhere, which will probably land me in The Tower.)

## Catherine Hall

![wolf-hall-recaps](https://static.gofugyourself.com/uploads/2015/04/IMG_9494.jpg)

Catherine basically says, "Henry, you KNOW I was a virgin, so why don't you take a seat?" She does it with a very heavy seasoning of GUILT.

## Hans Holbein The Younger Hall

![wolf-hall-recaps](https://static.gofugyourself.com/uploads/2015/04/IMG_9495.jpg)

I love that our first look at Damian Lewis as Henry VIII is as full-on Hans Holbein-y as possible.

He stands there and listens as people testify. Catherine sticks to her story, and some old dude tells a very off-color joke about how Prince Arthur popped out of his bedroom the morning after his wedding, noting that he was parched CUZ HE WAS IN SPAIN ALL NIGHT GET IT SHE'S SPANISH??? The court has the good grace to not seem to find this joke very funny. SHE'S RIGHT THERE. She is still the Queen, you old coot. Have some respect.

## Gossip Hall 2

![wolf-hall-recaps](https://static.gofugyourself.com/uploads/2015/04/IMG_9499.jpg)

When court breaks for a recess, Rafe points out that NO fifteen year old boy is going to pop out after his wedding night and be like, "sorry, I'm afraid I'm not quite sure how it works." He believes their virtuous queen. "Believe nobody," is Cromwell's assessment.

## Lute Player Dick Hall

![wolf-hall-recaps](https://static.gofugyourself.com/uploads/2015/04/IMG_9503.jpg)

I hate this dick of a lute player, who once worked for Wolsey and now plays his lute for Anne Boleyn. All you need to know about him thus far is that he's a total pain in the ass and a complete snob and hates everyone and is the worst. YOU'RE A LUTE PLAYER YOU UTTER DINK.

## Anne Hall

![wolf-hall-recaps](https://static.gofugyourself.com/uploads/2015/04/IMG_9505.jpg)

AND HERE SHE IS. Cromwell has popped over to talk to Wolsey's Number One Biggest Hater, Anne Boleyn. And we have much to discuss on this front. I will start by noting that I thought Natalie Dormer was EXCELLENT in this role on *The Tudors*, to the point that the show truly suffered without her once she and her head were dispatched. So Claire Foy has a lot to live up to. And thus far, this portrayal of Anne is not very sympathetic. She is snide to Cromwell in the extreme - she irritatingly insists on pronouncing his name with a French inflection -- and let's be honest. This dress is HIDEOUS on her.

She tells Cromwell that he has five minutes to make Wolsey's case for her. "Otherwise, I can see you're really busy," he snarks back at her. He basically tells her that the Wolsey is the only one who can deliver a Henry who isn't racked with religious guilt. Anne just wonders why this annulment is taking so long. "And she's not getting any younger," cracks one of her ladies-in-waiting.

## Mary Hall

![wolf-hall-recaps](https://static.gofugyourself.com/uploads/2015/04/IMG_9506.jpg)

This eyeroller of a ladies maid is Mary Boleyn -- whom you may remember from history class, or *The Other Boleyn Girl*, as the Boleyn with whom Henry first took up, before throwing her over for Anne -- and she's a corker and she hates Anne and I love her. She's the one who made the "she's not getting any younger" crack. She's also a real gossip and later trots after Cromwell to confirm for him that Anne has not let Henry, er, plunder her treasury yet, but she HAS let him "pull down her shift and kiss her breasts." Cromwell notes, wryly, "Good man if he can find them," and Mary bursts into delighted laughter. I fear Mary Boleyn and I would have spent some time snickering behind our glasses of mead or whatever, probably to both of our detriments.

## Norfolk Hall

![wolf-hall-recaps](https://static.gofugyourself.com/uploads/2015/04/IMG_9509.jpg)

Norfolk/Suffolk here (this is Norfolk) is kind of amazing. Cromwell is getting himself a seat in Parliament so he can try to prevent Wolsey from being eventually executed. Norfolk, highly agitated: "Dammit, Cromwell. Why are you such a....PERSON?" It was great.

Norfolk does note that the King will agree to have an audience with Cromwell. We then lead into a whole speech about how Norfolk and Henry are irked because Cromwell argued against them invading France the last time they did it. (Oh, France and England. ALWAYS in a fight.) And Henry wants to invade again (seems about right) and they all think Wolsey wouldn't let him do THAT, either. In the course of this, Norfolk is real insulting and Cromwell awesomely corrects his grammar.

## Hedge Hall

![wolf-hall-recaps](https://static.gofugyourself.com/uploads/2015/04/IMG_9512.jpg)

I seriously just included this because I love a hedge maze. (I guess this is technically not a maze. Unless you are one foot tall. But still.)

## His Majesty The King Hall

![wolf-hall-recaps](https://static.gofugyourself.com/uploads/2015/04/IMG_9514.jpg)

AT LAST! It will not surprise you that this scene goes like so:

1) Henry chews Cromwell out.

2) Cromell responds with moxie and smarts and humor.

3) Henry is delighted by said moxie and smarts.

4) A beautiful friendship is born. OR IS IT? We shall find out in the course of due time. WOLF HALL!

[Fug the Show: Wolf Hall, "Three Card Trick"First of all, apologies for how long it took me to get to this! The recap of Sunday's episode will hopefully come to you in a more timely fashion, now that I'm not on walkabout for The Royal We. Second: this show is extremely interesting. This episode, at least, feels quite internal, which is apt given that the books are HIGHLY internal, and Mark Rylance's performance as Cromwell is spectacularly subtle. This show is in many ways the polar opposite of The Tudors - The Big Plot Moment that happens herein is handled with a minimum of bombast -- and so far, I think it's really compelling and so well done. Let's dive in. To the Tower!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bf/b9/bfb99790-924d-4e41-a7e6-5e3c6e04fe57/content/images/static-gofugyourself-com/uploads/2015/04/img_9369.png)](https://go-fug-yourself.ghost.io/fug-the-show-wolf-hall-three-card-trick-04-2015/)