Wolf Hall: The Mirror And The Light fans left 'crying so much their throats hurt' after 'absolutely gutting' BBC finale
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Wolf Hall: The Mirror And The Light fans were left in floods of tears at the 'devastating' finale of the hit BBC show on Sunday.
The decadent costume drama based on Dame Hilary Mantel's novel of the same name and starring Sir Mark Rylance and Damian Lewis follows Thomas Cromwell in the aftermath of the execution of Queen Anne Boleyn.
While the death of the Queen has left the King free to marry again, the politics at court are deadlier than ever before.
An isolated and increasingly desperate Cromwell, played again by Sir Mark, will stop at nothing to cling on to power, while an increasingly paranoid King Henry, again played by Homeland star Damian,proves more and more difficult to please.
And the final episode saw Cromwell's downfall play out, with the once mighty courtier stripped of his titles and brought to the Tower of London on treason charges.
Following the crushing end to the show, viewers took to social media to share their sadness that it had wrapped, and praised Sir Mark's performance.
Wolf Hall fans were left in floods of tears at the 'devastating' finale of the hit BBC show starring Sir Mark Rylance, Timothy Spall and Damian Lewis on Sunday
The decadent costume drama based on Dame Hilary Mantel's novel of the same name follows Thomas Cromwell after the aftermath of the execution of Queen Anne Boleyn
Tthe final episode saw Cromwell's downfall with the once mighty courtier stripped of his titles and brought to the Tower of London on treason charges
One person took to X to share that they hadn't wanted the series to end, while others said the final episode was 'haunting' them.
They wrote: 'Watched the final episode of Wolf Hall in 10/15 min segments, it was so good I didn’t want it to end so I longed it out #WolfHall' and 'The final minutes of Wolf Hall have been haunting me ever since last night. What an astonishing series.'
Another fan commented: 'Can we all stop with the Wolf Hall comments now please. I’ve got stuff to do but I’ve been sat here for almost an hour now crying.'
While others were sad to see Sir Mark's performance come to an end, writing: '"What's left is like a sucked plum stone, on the side of a plate." What a line! Absolutely gutted that this masterpiece is at an end. Mark Rylance was born to play this role. Simply sublime.'
And one fan took to X to say: 'Just finished the final episode of #WolfHall and my throat hurts from crying. What an incredible production. Mark Rylance is such a sublime actor.'
Others who found the finale to be tear-jerking wrote on X: 'Hilary Mantel and Mark Rylance have broken my heart. As Cromwell fell so did my tears - and I doubt I’m alone.'
And one said: 'Unbearable. Could hardly watch the last half hour. Not sure I will sleep. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such brilliance.'
And while fans of the show were devastated to see it come to an end, it's not all bad news as ITV has announced a blockbuster new period drama to rival The Mirror And The Light.
And while fans of the show were devastated to see it come to an end, it's not all bad news as ITV has announced a blockbuster new period drama to rival The Mirror And The Light
While the sumptuous drama includes the rise and fall of Anne Boleyn and her doomed marriage to the famous Tudor monarch, the one character missing from the exciting story is her daughter, the future Elizabeth I.
However, the famous monarch's early years will be the main focus of ITV's new six-part series Majesty.
Instead of a true historical account, Majesty will tell a re-imagined story of Elizabeth's life based on the many conspiracy theories which surrounded her in younger years.
The short synopsis peaks potential viewers interest by asking: 'Was the Virgin Queen hiding a profound secret?
'And how did this overlooked, embattled princess become the most powerful ruler England has ever known?'
Majesty's writers, Joan Rater, Tony Phelan and William Harper, have not divulged which 'profound secret' the show will explore, but history fans will surely hope for it to be based on a famous conspiracy theory.
And following the crushing end to the show, viewers took to social media to share their sadness that it had ended and praise for Sir Mark's performance
Elizabeth I became Queen at the age of 25 and was the last monarch of the Tudor dynasty, ruling from 1558 to 1603.
After the discovery of a mysterious grave in the mid-19th century, speculation swirled that Queen Elizabeth I of England was, in fact, a man in drag.
According to the theory, the real Elizabeth died of a fever in 1542, just a few months away from her ninth birthday.
Supposedly, an outbreak of plague in London had forced the young princess and her entourage to seek refuge at Overcourt House near the village of Bisley in the Cotswolds.
When her infamously short-tempered father, King Henry VIII, was due to pay a visit, Elizabeth's governess, Lady Katherine Ashley, panicked and replaced the 'dead' heir with a red-haired boy who resembled her after no local girls were deemed passable.
The theory says that little Elizabeth was buried in an anonymous grave in the grounds of Overcourt House whilst the so-called 'Bisley Boy' would go on to become one of England's most famous monarchs.
Missing from Wolf Hall is Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn's daughter -the future Elizabeth who will be the main focus of ITV's new six-part series Majesty
Queen Elizabeth I was the daughter of King Henry VIII and his second wife Anne Boleyn
Majesty's writers, Joan Rater, Tony Phelan and William Harper, have not divulged which 'profound secret' the show will explore, but history fans will surely be excited to see
Many scholars have dismissed the wild claim as misogyny plucked from the idea that a woman could never harness the extraordinary leadership qualities, academic brilliance, and financial acumen that Elizabeth I demonstrated during her reign.
Meanwhile, others say the idea holds weight based on the fact she never married, never had children and once told a group of soldiers she had 'the heart and stomach of a king, and king of England too'.
Unfortunately, period drama fanatics will likely have to wait until 2026 for Majesty's release as filming is set to commence in 2025 before the lengthy process of post-production begins.
All episodes of Wolf Hall and Wolf Hall: The Mirror And The Light are available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
