Peter Straughan returns to PBS Masterpiece with “Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light”, the long-awaited sequel to his Oscar-winning series. The show explores Thomas Cromwell’s (Mark Rylance) rise to Lord Privy Seal and his final four years, delving into a dense internal examination of a man facing time’s end.
The series begins after Anne Boleyn’s execution, with King Henry VIII (Damian Lewis) preparing to wed Jane Seymour. However, the kingdom is on fire amid the king’s split from the Pope, and Cromwell works tirelessly to solidify the line of succession while navigating the volatile monarch’s whims.
Cromwell is haunted by visions of Anne Boleyn and his late mentor Cardinal Wolsey (Jonathan Pryce), who died of dysentery on his way back to London. As he searches for answers, Rylance carries a striking complexity across the series, often leaving viewers pondering the clues that led him to this impossible impasse.
Straughan’s sequel offers a broader portrait of the Tudor world, where men can be kingmakers but also wield destructive power. With stunning performances from Lewis and Rylance, “Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light” is a masterful exploration of Cromwell’s descent into darkness, premiering March 23 on PBS Masterpiece.
Source: https://variety.com/2025/tv/reviews/wolf-hall-the-mirror-and-the-light-review-pbs-1236344296