shut_uo_ste

I think you're getting into bigger questions there about who's ultimately responsible for atrocities committed in war/by governments. It's a hard question that doesn't really have a straight answer. For example in 1560 after the Amboise conspiracy, around 1500 Protestants were hung from iron hooks or nooses until they died in front of the French court. Francis and Mary watched this quite happily apparently. The order for these executions no doubt came from De Guise, but, he was representing Francis government, so was it Francis's fault?

I just want to point out that i'm not particularly anti- Valois (in fact I love them and find them fascinating). But, I don't really like that people keep saying on this board that Conde and others were villains in real life. They weren't. These were bloody times and many atrocities were committed on both sides. Who the characters are on the show (and how I feel about them) are quite different from the historical figures.

Francis is no doubt going to be shown as very tolerant in the show. But, in reality he was very much in the 'death to Protestants camp' and was happy for De Guise to continue the very stringent laws against Protestants that had been put in place by his father. It was these laws that ignited the Wars of Religion.

Anyway, I'm getting way off topic. So let's just say I'm excited to see what Sean brings to the show.