PhoenixRising

Only Julius Caesar. I haven't watched Richard III or any of his plays about the Tudors, Lancasters, and Yorks. I always wondered how the people of the Elizabethan era viewed Shakespeare's historical plays when the events had happened so recently that people already knew how they were going to end?

Okay, I'm ready to start!

Nikki K

I suppose a lot of it was propaganda too. But yeah, I'm certain a lot has been written about the perception of the plays at the time though I haven't looked into that.

Okay. Let's get started... opening credits... more ... you guessed it... ROSES!!!

PhoenixRising

Ah yes, roses. But it's not like I can criticize given the many symbols and mascots our sports teams use.

Is this the part where Lizzie supposedly gets close with Richard?

PhoenixRising

Margaret writing to Henry again. And her husband is really getting on her nerves.
And now she just found out that Richard has freed Elizabeth and her daughters. God has chosen York and Rivers after all?

Uh oh, Edward has a fever. Anne's worried that he might be cursed?

And Richard has found out about Lizzie's betrothal to Henry in an attempt to unite the two families and end the war.

Oh, poor Edward. He's really sick.

Nikki K

And Elizabeth is at home.

Yeah well, Stanley is taunting Margaret again. I hate that guy. He has to be put into place... well... towards the end of the episode.

Richard looks even more the villain dressed in black. And now his son is sick. Poor boy. On the upside, he'll never have to see Wales.

PhoenixRising

Wow, how the tables have turned. Where at one point, Anne and her sister, Isabel had to bow before Queen Elizabeth, now Anne is Queen and has Elizabeth's daughters, Lizzie and Cecily bowing to her.

And Edward is looking on with interest. He's intrigued by Lizzie's playing. Poor Anne was just with her sick son, Edward, and now she has to walk in on her husband, Richard, dancing with Lizzie? I guess this is all leading up to TWP.

Nikki K

The rumours that Richard terrorized Anne until she died of fright or starved herself are probably right.

Actually Margaret is not wrong – Richard probably did show affection for Lizzie to shame her or rather Henry. So what he just says to Anne makes sense.

Awww, little Maggie brings the bad news that her cousin is dying. Again stressing the upside of never having to go to Wales. Anne and Richard are distraught. For once I don't hate them both.

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Yeah, he's a real Archie Bunker type. He's just given Margaret the bad news about Richard's infatuation with Lizzie.

I think I told you he reminded me of Darth Vader. Of course, Richard also resembles Cesare Borgia here.

PhoenixRising

I heard he wept at her death, but then there are a lot of rumors about everything.

Anne can see what's going on between Richard and Lizzie. But he's using this situation to turn the supporters of the Rivers against Henry and bring them to his side.

Ohhh, now Anne is telling Richard that they may have been responsible for the deaths of the Princes because of this curse.

Man, I can't believe this. Richard invited Lizzie to dine with him right in front of Anne and everyone. And now Edward is dying.

PhoenixRising

Oh for f's sake! Lizzie is holding Richard's hand right there during the funeral, in front of a grieving Anne?

Anne looks terrible here. And once again, she's blaming witchcraft and Elizabeth.

And apparently she hasn't been able to have any children after Edward. And she's going on about him and Lizzie now. Wait, now she's accusing him of killing the Princes?

Nikki K

Yeah well, it's been known to happen that couples have children even after 10 years of not having conceived... persistency is the key.

Don't be daft Lizzie, you're not in love. Ewww... this scene, I always have to look away.

I liked that Elizabeth is more prudent here in her letter, refering to the fact that Richard may as well have been the murderer.

Ah, the first signs of Cecily needling Lizzie.

Again, Lizzie, don't be daft...

PhoenixRising

Yeah, but here Richard did seem genuinely confused by the Princes' disappearance. I don't think the show runners would have him do that if he were the one who killed them.

OMG, Lizzie told Richard that she's in love with him and kissed him? That was quick. And now she's telling her mother about this and she's practically preparing herself to be the next Queen of England when Richard marries her.

Wait, where are Jasper and Henry? They're in a prison?

Perkin Warbeck, A.K.A. Edward Plantagenet, Duke of York.

Nikki K

Both Mark and François were better looking. But yeah... equally unsuccessful in the end in battle.

Ah yes, Anne is actually right in scaring Richard with the loss of the support in the North if he shames her. See, it's little details like that that I enjoy.

Oh my, look at at Richard and Anne sitting on their thrones – and compare it to Edward and Elizabeth earlier. They are so sinister and plotting as opposed to joyfully reigning.

PhoenixRising

Wow, Richard is practically Anakin Skywalker here.

Anne has to watch Lizzie get fitted in a dress identical to hers? Richard is telling Anne why he's doing this, but she's pissed at him. Richard might turn the Yorks and Rivers away from Henry, but the Nevilles could turn against him if he shames her.

Poor Anne is suffering from tuberculosis. She wishes now she had never been Queen.

Wow, she had a really horrible nightmare. She saw the dead boys. But this is her guilt talking. She wasn't responsible for their deaths. She's asking Sir Robert for the truth. He told her that he didn't. Of course he didn't kill them. It was Margaret and Buckingham.

Nikki K

There are the Ricardian apologists who believe it wasn't him but at the end of the day it's actually quite well accepted that it was Richard. There's a book you could read which actually examines all the theories in detail and comes to the conclusion it was Richard. It's by Alison Weir – "The Princes in the Tower".

Oh look, an eclipse... not of the Twilight variety. Yep, Anne died of a broken heart.