– Cunning Characters and
Genocidal Tendencies –
by Masterpiece Staff | PBS | February 24, 2025
Whether you’re drawn to Tudor history, exceptional British casting, or high-stakes drama with cunning characters the likes of Succession or House of Cards, this adaptation of Hilary Mantel’s final novel has it all. Damian Lewis (King Henry VIII), Mark Rylance (Thomas Cromwell), Jonathan Pryce (Cardinal Wolsey), and Kate Phillips (Jane Seymour) reprise brilliant performances in a sequel The Guardian (UK) calls “six hours of utter TV magic.” If you follow just one show right now, make it this one.
Now through March 23, you can catch up on all six episodes of Wolf Hall Season 1! Watch online (select “Season 1” from the menu at the top left of the page) and on the free PBS app. [General streaming available in the U.S. and Territories only]
Start the drum beat—Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light arrives Sunday, March 23, 2025 at 9/8c.
On set, behind the scenes and first look photos here:
The Talent on this Show is Off the Charts
The biggest, most prestigious names in British drama appear in Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light. Mark Rylance (Bridge of Spies) reprises his Primetime Emmy and BAFTA Award-winning role as Thomas Cromwell. He’s joined by Damian Lewis (Billions, Homeland) as Henry VIII, Jonathan Pryce (Slow Horses, The Two Popes) as Cardinal Wolsey, and Kate Phillips (Miss Scarlet, Peaky Blinders) as Jane Seymour. New cast include Alex Jennings (Mr Bates vs The Post Office, Victoria) as Stephen Gardiner, Harriet Walter (Succession, Killing Eve) as Lady Margaret Pole, and Timothy Spall (Wicked Little Letters, Harry Potter films) as the Duke of Norfolk, among others.
The Times (UK) highlights Rylance’s encore as “showing the heights of emotional intelligence that small-screen performances can aspire to.” And The Guardian (UK) says Lewis’s portrayal of King Henry VIII “perfectly captured Henry’s jovial menace throughout.”
It’s Part Two of the Highly Celebrated Original
The Peabody and Golden Globe Award-winning Wolf Hall (2015) followed Thomas Cromwell’s improbable rise to chief advisor in Henry VIII’s court. This sequel is the thrilling roller coaster ride of his struggle to maintain that power. As Cromwell rises and falls from favor, the series digs deep into his complex character: his razor-sharp mind and fierce ambition, and the personal cost of his unwavering loyalty. “Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light is a portrait of what it’s like to be at the beck and call of a despot,” says Director Peter Kominsky.
Wolf Hall and its sequel Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light are based on Hilary Mantel’s multi-award-winning trilogy. Stream Wolf Hall online between February 23 and March 23, 2025. Watch anytime with PBS Passport. If you just need a brief recap, watch this three-minute Previously on Wolf Hall video short.
There are High-Stakes Power Plays and Family Drama
The Wolf Hall sequel feels strikingly contemporary with its exploration of power—how it’s acquired, wielded, and lost. The sequel casts an unflinching eye on one of the more volatile chapters of Henry VIII’s reign, when monasteries were dissolved, uprisings brewed both at home and abroad, and even Royal Privy Council members were suspect. Political and emotional tension runs high as power plays and betrayals unfold. Trust is fragile, and personal ambitions often clash with family bonds. And in Tudor times, such intrigues had life-or-death consequences.
Expect the very best in this adaptation of Hilary Mantel’s intricate storytelling. Peter Straughan, who just won a Golden Globe and BAFTA for his work on Conclave, also wrote Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light screenplay.
Get a Fresh Take on Henry VIII
Many are captivated by the Tudor King Henry VIII—his six wives, genocidal tendencies, and lavish lifestyle, but this series provides some psychological insight for the monarch. “He wasn’t chewing chicken bones and throwing them over his shoulder,” says Damian Lewis. “I think those portrayals of him have done a disservice. …There was a deep insecurity in him underneath the magnificence. …‘The Mirror and the Light’ is [actually] a description of Henry. He is the mirror in which everyone is reflected. He can shine his light on you, and he can leave you in the dark very quickly.”
Women Wield Subtle Power
In both Wolf Hall series, Cromwell’s interactions with women stand in contrast to those with men, and it’s refreshing to see. Figures like Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, and Princess Mary are seen by Cromwell. Though often sent to do Henry’s bidding, Cromwell shows females compassion, listening quietly, and considering their circumstances. Ladies of the era “were to look pretty, act as status symbols, procreate,” says Director Peter Kosminsky. “What they’re not seen as is people with opinions worth listening to.
“We [know] from letters and papers that women approached Cromwell—wrote to him, talked to him, appealed to him, and petitioned him because they knew they would be listened to and not just dismissed out of hand.”
Filmed at Iconic British Castles and Manors
Cast and crew of Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light shot in numerous historic locations throughout England to capture the grandeur and atmosphere of Tudor England. Key filming sites include Berkeley Castle, Horton Court, Well’s Bishops Palace, and Great Chalfield Manor, which stands in for Cromwell’s Austin Friars home. Remarkably, permission was also given to film at Hampton Court Palace itself in Surrey, Henry VIII’s real-life residence.
“We filmed for the first time in Hampton Court’s Great Hall. To play Thomas Cromwell in that hall where Jane Seymour and Henry lived and worked … that’s very spooky,” says Mark Rylance. “You get a shiver up your spine walking in the places where they walked. It’s very nice for us to film in [such historic places.] In many ways, they’re a bigger star of the program than we are.”
Let the Trailer Hook You!
Read the rest of the original article at PBS Masterpiece