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There were so many things that occurred during this episode that I thought it best to break them into their own sections.

Anne

I continue to be mesmerized by Anne and by the portrayal of Natalie Dormer.  FINALLY the Anne we all know and love is back.  Pushed on by her brother George, she has stopped laying in her misery.  She's strong and doing things that are probably not in her best interest.  For example - telling off Cromwell?  Probably not the wisest of decisions.  Granted, it doesn't appear that the King shares the same closeness with him that he did with More or even Wolsey - but Henry had been very firm earlier in the episode about what her role was.  We'll get to that in a minute - but either way, it's great to see her finally back to the feisty Anne.  I do suspect that aside from her father scolding her about Cromwell - the King will at some point too.

The opening sequence when Anne has a nightmare about Lady Mary was beautifully filmed.  Natalie looked stunning - but the way it was filmed was brilliant.  There were several shots in this episode that were stunning in their beauty.  The opening sequence and the final sequence - with Anne twirling around in her golden dress.  Beautifully done. 

It was also great to see Anne and Elizabeth together.  I've received emails from several Tudor history buffs and one thing everyone has agreed on was the fact that Anne was a very loving mother.  I can only imagine how difficult it must have been to be separated from your child.  Natalie did a great job conveying both the anguish and the joy when she was at the pond with Elizabeth.  I'd imagine it was a mixture of tears of joy and tears of happiness.

We continue to see the setup for what will eventually be Anne's downfall.  Her ladies in waiting seem to think she's having an affair with both her brother and Smeaton.  Oh, if only they knew it was George and Smeaton who were in the relationship.  I still continue to be baffled by the role of the (fake) assassin.  And the fact that she danced with him at her little party?  Odd and out of place, in my opinion.

I was SO overjoyed to see Anne finally stand up to her father.  It seems all the men in her life want to take credit for the role they played in Anne being with the King.  It was their idea at the start - certainly.  But it was Anne who got herself there.  To me, no one else can take credit for the fact that she is the Queen of England.

The scene ends with Anne telling her father that Katherine is dead and she's pregnant with a son (how does she know?).  Funny - and eerie - the laugh these two share over this news. 

Anne and Henry

Those two kids are crazy, are they not?  Talk about passion mixed with disgust - that's the exact description of who Anne and Henry are this episode.  But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Anne continued to push Henry about the betrothal of Princess Elizabeth to the son of the King of France.  Henry, who has clearly had enough, states that it's alright for Anne to be concerned for the welfare of their daughter.  But that it's up to him to decide on higher matters.  She goes to contest - but he immediately puts her in to her place.  Not to worry - Anne will be the one in control shortly.

Henry broke up Anne's little party - which was fascinating to watch.  I was waiting for him to really lay in to her - but instead they launch in to this very seductive dance in front of several members of court.  We also see quick flashes to what is taking place later that night.  Anne and Henry are overcome with passion.  Considering how brutal Anne was in this scene with Henry - clawing his back, slapping him (!!!), and pinning him down - it's evident she's in control.  I loved that she seemed to finally be able to take out  her anger on him.  Given the situation - I think this is the only situation where she'd be able to slap Henry and get away with it.

But she also pushes her luck further - mentioning to Henry that she believes she can't conceive a son because Katherine and Mary are still alive.  He is shocked when he realizes what she's saying - that she wants them dead.

Henry & Jane

We knew the day had to come - the day we meet Jane Seymour.  Jane became King Henry's third wife.  It's obvious in this episode how smitten he is with her.  Although their first meeting appeared brief - he followed up the meeting by asking her father for his permission to have Jane join the Queen's ladies in waiting.  Oh boy, this should be good.

Katherine of Aragon

Another thing we knew was coming was the death of Katherine of Aragon.  Maria Doyle Kennedy has played the role of Katherine to perfection and it's terribly sad to see her go.  We've lost so many strong players from The Tudors - it will be hard to not picture them as part of the show next season.

Either way - Katherine's death was very touching.  She saw her daughter Mary (albeit an illusion), wrote out her will and sent a letter to the King.  She definitely was on top of her to-do list.  When she passed - in some ways it was nice to know that she was finally at peace.  The turmoil that had surrounded her for several years was now gone.  She was at rest. 

Huh??

-  Consider me baffled as to why Katherine's lady in waiting Elizabeth hung herself.  What was that about?

-  I was also a little confused by the fact that Smeaton is jealous of George.  I did not realize their relationship had grown to such a level.

-  Something that jumped out at me this episode ... where in the world is Anne's uncle?  He was so prominent last season and we haven't seen him since.  Was this explained?  Did I miss it somehow?

-  It was also nice to see Henry being a father to Elizabeth.  We've mostly seen him as very detached from his children.  It was great to see him not only holding her and being affectionate, but actually playing with her.  Ahh, he was a real person.        

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