The White Queen: Season 1 (2013)
Average Rating: 7.2/10
Reviews Counted: 14
Fresh: 11 | Rotten: 3
No consensus yet.
Average Rating: 8.1/10
Critic Reviews: 8
Fresh: 7 | Rotten: 1
No consensus yet.
Season Info
Court intrigue, murder, romance and seduction drive this historical drama about the quest of three women and those around them who will stop at nothing in their efforts to become queen of England. The series begins in 1463, as a secret wedding between widowed commoner Elizabeth Woodville (Rebecca Ferguson) and King Edward IV (Max Irons) kicks off a deadly power struggle. Believing that her son, Henry Tudor, is destined to mount the throne, and determined to see it happen, royal cousin Margaret
Network: Starz
Cast
-
Max Irons
King Edward IV -
Aneurin Barnard
Richard, Duke of Glo... -
David Oakes
George, Duke of Clar... -
Janet McTeer
Jacquetta -
James Frain
Lord Warwick -
Rebecka Ferguson
Elizabeth Woodville -
Amanda Hale
Margaret Beaufort -
Faye Marsay
Anne Neville -
Ben Lamb
Anthony Rivers -
Tom McKay
Jasper Tudor -
Eleanor Tomlinson
Isabel Neville -
-
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Episodes
In Love With the King
Historical drama about three women maneuvering to become queen of England begins in 1463, as a secret wedding between a commoner and a royal leads to some regal intrigue.
The Price of Power
After Elizabeth's coronation, Edward desires a son to solidify his reign, but court tensions escalate into war and he's forced to fight those closest to him to keep his crown. Meanwhile, Elizabeth deals with the full force of Warwick's hatred.
The Storm
To further her son's claim to the throne, Margaret Beaufort joins Warwick's rebellion against Edward, but when the insurrection is thwarted, the traitors flee for their lives, with Jasper Tudor going into exile, while Warwick and George sail to France.
The Bad Queen
Exiled in France, Warwick still plots to control the crown. His youngest daughter Anne is used to make an unexpected alliance, giving him command of a huge army. When Warwick lands in England, Edward must decide whether to fight or run. Terrified, Elizabeth escapes to sanctuary, not knowing if her husband is alive or dead. She gives birth to a longed-for son, but is in fear for her life as Warwick enters London.
War at First Hand
Lancaster is restored to the throne, with Warwick in control. But rumours that Edward is returning with an army unsettle the court. Anne and Margaret of Anjou sail from France, uncertain they will reach Warwick in time to win. Divided families face each other across the battlefield. Can Elizabeth's witchcraft save her husband, or will Warwick triumph? As many fall in the battle, everyone's fortunes change forever.
Love and Death
The crown is secure, but there is no peace at court. Elizabeth suffers more emotional turmoil as she loses those closest to her. Margaret Beaufort plans a political marriage to bring Henry home from exile - but has she met her match in Lord Stanley? Anne's marriage made her a traitor, so she is handed into George's care. His motives for keeping her away from court are questioned by Richard, who fears for Anne's safety.
Poison and Malmsey Wine
George's anger at losing the Warwick inheritance and his failure to capture the crown resurfaces, with horrific consequences. As the court divides, George openly accuses Elizabeth of witchcraft and Edward of murder. This is treason, and Edward must condemn his own brother to death. Elizabeth finally has revenge on those who killed her father, but it does not bring her comfort.
Long Live The King
Dark days could be ahead for King Edward as all the key players look to connive and even kill their way into being named "His or Her Majesty." -- (C) Starz
The Final Battle
'The Final Battle' Reaching a climactic end to their respective journeys, Anne, Queen Elizabeth and Margaret give rise to a new generation looking to scheme, manipulate, and seduce their way onto the English throne.
Critic Reviews for The White Queen: Season 1
The White Queen is gauzier than The Tudors, and it contains more overacting; but it scratches the same itch.
It's a great tale and beautifully told with beautiful actors...Don't miss it.
[Max] Irons, ... along with the rest of the cast, makes The White Queen an entertaining romp through a complicated and fascinating period of English history.
Its success is due largely to the costumes, set dressing, and comeliness of the two leads.
White Queen is one of the more handsome and polished imports the premium service [Starz] has offered.
You could do worse than The White Queen.
Part soap opera, part war film, and part melodrama, this series is an intoxicating jaunt through a snippet of British history fraught with contentious loyalties and lethal power struggles.
Mmmm, steamy.
It gets bogged down in then-this-happened, then-that-happened jumps through history.
If it had less magic, the miniseries might really have cast a spell.
It's... a well-plotted, accurate-enough romantic saga that finds a sweet spot somewhere between Richard III and The Real Housewives of Eltham Palace.
It's the kind of lavish, sexy period piece you'd expect from a 10-part series based on historical novels by Philippa Gregory.
Emma Frost's propulsive potboiler of an adaptation is even more delectably unreliable than Philippa Gregory's novel.
The miniseries presents a sprawling 10-hour epic that, if nothing else, commits fully to its scope, employing half the working actors in the UK and surrounding countries in service of its storytelling.
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