Like others, I had some reservations about a punk rock take on the early days of Shakespeare's career until I saw the previews and was intrigued by what WAS historically accurate. I can say it's a mix of 75% enjoyable and 25% frustration. None of the frustrating elements have anything to do with it being punk rock but everything to do with missed opportunities.
I enjoyed seeing the football-like atmosphere of the theater as this is exactly what a theater would have been like. I liked seeing a young and unsure Richard Burbage where both he and Shakespeare had to learn their trades. I like seeing James Burbage in action and the unsung theater support staff through Alice and her mother. A full of himself and dangerous Kemp. The ever-partying but emotionally empty Marlowe and Southwell's Catholic underground with all of its darker treatments. In my opinion, episodes 3 and 4 were some of the best as you could probably make entire films just out of Shakespeare's Catholic connections and his relationship with Marlowe. I enjoyed his relationship with Alice.
What I didn't like were the missed opportunities. When his wife, Anne, showed up I was hoping for someone who matched Shakespeare as a believable partner. One who could read as there is circumstantial evidence that she could. Someone who could plausibly stand in for Shakespeare in business matters when he was working in London. Instead, we just got the really old stereotype of the illiterate wife who just "doesn't understand" her artist husband. This was quite a let down and a yawn that it fell into such predictability. Also, no relationship whatsoever with his daughters just the son. You had a real opportunity to delve into Shakespeare's personal life and explore questions like: What did an 18-year old wanna-be poet see in a 26-year old landowner's daughter? What do lines in Sonnet 145 where Anne "saved my life" mean? How was his daughter Susanna like Shakespeare?
The other major let down was Marlowe. After getting such a great setup where Marlowe came across as this Mercutio-like figure of being both a friend and dangerous man he disappears from Shakespeare's direct story. I really thought that when they got to the writing of Henry VI that the show's writers would tie in the recent scholarship that Marlowe had collaborated on them. In such a setup you could get the in-jokes of how early Shakespeare imitated Marlowe, have Shakespeare and Marlowe bounce ideas off of each other, talk shop about writing, and further the relationship set up in the first 4 episodes. There's even a juicy domestic comedy dealing with murder that they are supposed to have collaborated on. None of that.
The worst part was the kid Presto. This story was boring and ultimately led nowhere.
I'm intrigued by the introduction of the mixed race Emilia Bassano. I'd love to see a second season where they would explore Shakespeare's and Bassano's love affair and love triangle with the Fair Youth of the Sonnets. Eventually leading up to and dealing with Marlowe's death.
Overall, great effort and hope there's more.
I enjoyed seeing the football-like atmosphere of the theater as this is exactly what a theater would have been like. I liked seeing a young and unsure Richard Burbage where both he and Shakespeare had to learn their trades. I like seeing James Burbage in action and the unsung theater support staff through Alice and her mother. A full of himself and dangerous Kemp. The ever-partying but emotionally empty Marlowe and Southwell's Catholic underground with all of its darker treatments. In my opinion, episodes 3 and 4 were some of the best as you could probably make entire films just out of Shakespeare's Catholic connections and his relationship with Marlowe. I enjoyed his relationship with Alice.
What I didn't like were the missed opportunities. When his wife, Anne, showed up I was hoping for someone who matched Shakespeare as a believable partner. One who could read as there is circumstantial evidence that she could. Someone who could plausibly stand in for Shakespeare in business matters when he was working in London. Instead, we just got the really old stereotype of the illiterate wife who just "doesn't understand" her artist husband. This was quite a let down and a yawn that it fell into such predictability. Also, no relationship whatsoever with his daughters just the son. You had a real opportunity to delve into Shakespeare's personal life and explore questions like: What did an 18-year old wanna-be poet see in a 26-year old landowner's daughter? What do lines in Sonnet 145 where Anne "saved my life" mean? How was his daughter Susanna like Shakespeare?
The other major let down was Marlowe. After getting such a great setup where Marlowe came across as this Mercutio-like figure of being both a friend and dangerous man he disappears from Shakespeare's direct story. I really thought that when they got to the writing of Henry VI that the show's writers would tie in the recent scholarship that Marlowe had collaborated on them. In such a setup you could get the in-jokes of how early Shakespeare imitated Marlowe, have Shakespeare and Marlowe bounce ideas off of each other, talk shop about writing, and further the relationship set up in the first 4 episodes. There's even a juicy domestic comedy dealing with murder that they are supposed to have collaborated on. None of that.
The worst part was the kid Presto. This story was boring and ultimately led nowhere.
I'm intrigued by the introduction of the mixed race Emilia Bassano. I'd love to see a second season where they would explore Shakespeare's and Bassano's love affair and love triangle with the Fair Youth of the Sonnets. Eventually leading up to and dealing with Marlowe's death.
Overall, great effort and hope there's more.
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