‘Mary & George’ (2024) Series Review - Blinded by Ambition

What began as a conquest to gain fame and fortune soon turned into a blood war caused by the mother-son duo that is Mary and George. From a timid boy who fell in love with a servant to a blind man who thought that he was now the ruler of England, the transformative journey shown bewitches and makes you angry at the same time.

Being caught in a constant web spun by this duo, there come many points where you fail to understand whether the show engrosses you or makes you angry to see the extent to which they will go. Based on Benjamin Woolley's book The King's Assassin, this mini-series captures the affair between King James and George.

Beginning from a labour scene where George is born, his mother Mary is seen to be hating his offspring as she has nothing valuable to offer to him. The point to which her frustration can be seen is that she doesn’t allow the umbilicus to be cut until she decides what to call him. The family made by Mary and his husband is evil with all sorts of creatures. Spanning different timelines, we see a story in which a family climbs the stairs of English society using the mind and body of this family.

There are moments when you feel bad for both George and John and then there are moments where they look like fools. Mary has always been the brightest one as she knew what she was doing, and if ever there were consequences, she had the wit to turn the winds in her favor.

The lady sent George off to France after the death of her husband who wasn’t even paid proper respects, and within two weeks she had a new husband. Using the new husband’s money, George was sent off to a foreign land to be a gentleman. He did learn many things including whoring around and indulging in men.

As soon as Mary discovered the King’s interests, it was amusing to notice how the boy too was remodeled in the same way. She was a clever one and no matter how many lines you write to describe her character, they’ll never be sufficient. Shifting roles and sides was her forte, and by using her tricks, she gained a lot of money and prestige in society.

It takes guts to ask for the Queen’s help to get her son George close to the King, and why she helped her was initially a mystery. Over time you realize that King James's former love interest wasn’t on the Queen’s side and a new lover opened opportunities for the Queen to influence the King as he barely talked to her, being so indulged in his interests that the boys.

Escaping treason many times, the young lad soon went from a beauty to a beast, and the extent he went to drove England to many wars. The series is great for those who enjoy periodic dramas and as this one is based on a non-fiction novel, there are facts in it.

In all, the different phases of Mary, George, James, and the Kingdom shown in the series have a certain graph that the audience will notice throughout seven episodes. The politics inserted might bore you at some points however it is the driving force of the show hence you must bear with it.

The actors Julianne Moore and Nicholas Galitzine have delivered a stellar performance, and it is Moore who shined like the star she is. The last scene where she locks eyes with the camera sends chills down your spine because her gaze is so intense and tells what all she is capable of.

Final Score – [7/10]
Reviewed by - Riya Singh
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Publisher at Midgard Times