Women Rule in "My Lady Jane"
The latest entrant in the "radical retelling of historical events" category - this one modernizes 16th Century Britain while sprinkling in a bit of fantasy and a ton of fun
First two episodes were watched in time for this review.
For humor-filled deets on the screening experience and to see what else I’m watching 🔗 is here
My Lady Jane [Trailer] on Prime is based on the travails of the British queen dubbed, the "Nine Days' Queen” because this is how long she lasted as Queen of England before she was executed by “Bloody Mary” Tudor, the Catholic monarch to Jane Grey’s Protestant lineage.
These details are not facts that are essential for watching My Lady Jane, the series adapted from the 2004 book by Gemma Burgess and directed by Jamie Babbitt (But I’m a Cheerleader) but they help with context. What is most definitely needed is a healthy dose of whimsy and a belief that humans can turn into animals, like a horse, bird, or even a bear. It’s a twist you weren’t expecting, and strangely it works.
Forget Aslan, the lion deity featured prominently in C.S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia. In My Lady Jane, the reimagined battle between the “Eðians” (pronounced Ethians) who are half-humans capable of transforming into animals, and the “Verities,” who are full-blooded humans, serves as an allegory for the historical conflict between Protestants and Catholics. In this alternate retelling, Eðians are treated as second-class citizens, much like the religious minorities of the time, while the Tudors, or Verities, hold the power and view animal magic as evil and something to be eradicated. The Verities fear the Eðians’ power for they can’t possess it nor can they contain it effectively.
Lady Jane Grey emerges as a compelling protagonist - a fiercely independent and erudite noblewoman on the cusp of an arranged marriage to her would-be adversary, Lord Guildford Dudley (portrayed by Edward Bluemel). Jane is characterized by her exceptional intellect and unwavering determination, yet her bookish nature and sheltered upbringing have left her woefully unaware of the monarchy's deep-seated corruption and the systemic injustices perpetrated against the Eðian population. The same can be said of her cousin and clueless bestie, King Edward (expertly acted by relatively unknown actor, Jordan Peters), who is slowly being poisoned by his “bloody” sister, Mary.
An Aside: This last statement could also be a line in the show itself. I’m not divulging either way but it sounds characteristically Zoomer enough to make the cut. The show’s narrator is no Lady Whistledown, but he could easily be a disciple of hers and it’s clear he’s been fashioned after her.
In a commonly employed romantic trope (coined “mistaken identity”), Jane mistakes Dudley for his oaf of a brother and devotes much time to protesting the arranged relationship, only to find out she’s wedding (and soon to be bedding for public viewing, at that) the hot man she met at the bar, the real Guildford. This is the same man she met while galavanting in disguise as a commoner and shared “lust at first sight,” with per the narrator.
In Summary
If you enjoy shows that delve into scandalous power plays and political intrigues like House of Cards, The Tudors, and Mary & George, combined with the sharp comedic satire of Fleabag, and a modern, feminist portrayal of historical figures akin to Dickinson and Catherine Called Birdy, all wrapped in a Bridgerton-esque style tailored for a young adult to an adult audience, then this is the perfect series for you.
Given that Prime had two consecutive Summers of a powerhouse Young Adult (YA) romance, Jenny Han’s hit The Summer I Turned Pretty whose third season is returning in 2025, the studio is likely hoping that My Lady Jane will fill the void and cement their Summer teenbuster dominance. I’d say that with My Lady Jane they have a horse in the race, no pun intended. This reference will make more sense after you watch the first two episodes.
The Screening
My 12-year-old, a former Marketing intern for Beth’s TV & Film Recommendations, and a witty, says-it-like-it-is critic attended this screening with me. While there were some “yummy time” moments (meaning those of a sexual nature) that she averted her eyes for, she was able to watch most of the scenes and enjoyed them. There was one unexpected bear brawl whose noise freaked us both out.
Her take on the series:
I like that she’s [Lady Jane] a strong independent woman and she can also still have a boyfriend and husband. Modern period piece tales don’t really tell that story.
What Else I’m Watching or WILL BE
Wolf Like Me - Widower Gary (Josh Gad or Olaf from Frozen) lives in suburban South Australia with his 11-year-old daughter, Emma, both struggling to connect. One day, Gary and Emma's car is hit by Mary (Isla Fisher!), a stranger who helps Emma after she suffers a panic attack. Surprised, Gary and Mary go on a date that ends with Mary racing out the door. After Gary discovers Mary's secret (see title), their connection deepens with some uncertainty, but maybe they'll find everything they've been searching for.*
*Synopsis courtesy of Wikipedia and edited by me
The Bear (the show that wins all the awards and with good reason)- Season 3 (👂Sufjan Stevens’ Chicago) returns on June 27th
When we left Carmy in season 2 he was locked in a meat locket. Is he still there? Geek Girl - YA spin on a She’s All That or Sabrina (if you want to go way back) premise of the “geek / ugly duckling” girl who transforms into a confident, beautiful girl or woman. Some heady mental health topics for teens include bullying and panic attacks. It’s a bit deeper and darker than I expected but still has a whiff of wholesome Heartstopper (for anyone who watched this adaptation) vibe. A few moms of teenagers recommended this to me and it doesn’t disappoint…in small doses.
Land of Women - It’s a Summer guilty pleasure show that boasts strong cross-generation and cross-cultural female relationships. As the show’s producer and lead actress said on the topic of this show, “I watch TV right now, and it’s all dystopian futures and the world is going to end and governments are going to collapse and robots are gonna take over,” Longoria says. “It stresses me out and gives me anxiety. I want to watch something to escape. I want to see romance. I want to see beautiful backdrops. And that’s what we’re doing. And then, you get wine porn.”
Let’s Discuss
What shows are catching your attention?
What activities do you like to do in the Summer that are adjacent? I consider reading TV adjacent since I tend to envision the book I’m reading in cinematic form.
On the subject of bloviated terms like “-adjacent” this is an oldie but goodie on “garbage talk” in the corporate world [Vulture]
Summer beach reads are a thing, but what about Summer beach watches? If such a concept exists, what are your Summer watches? Also, what constitutes a “Summer Watch” for you? I always consider Grease [1978] a Summer watch even though it’s very back-to-school. Still, Summer Lovin’ is a catchy tune.
Any recent movies you’re excited about seeing in the theater? I just saw Thelma about a grandmother who was conned out of money and went on a journey in her scooter across L.A. to reclaim her money from the thieves. The film was created by Josh Margolin and is based on his 103-year-old grandmother’s experience with scammers. A 94-year-old June Squibb stars in the titular role and she will be nominated for an Academic Award for “Best Actress.” Watch it and then click on the link. [Review]
This is one of the shows I’ve been meaning to watch but haven’t gotten round to yet.
Congrats on winning the raffle and not getting killed out of jealousy!
I now have three shows to check out from your post, so thanks for that.
An old film I watched and quite enjoyed is Grace of My Heart, written and directed by Allison Anders. I found out about it because it's loosely based on Carole King's life. Great cast led by Ileana Douglas and an always fun John Turturro, but lots of familiar faces. I imagine you've already seen it. I seem to discover films decades after they come out. I'm now re-watching My Best Friend's Wedding because it's leaving Apple. It's so different from how I remember it. Something about those 90s movies is attracting me lately!