Everything about this Neil Jordan (The Crying Game, Breakfast on Pluto) constructed television series is rich. The colours are vibrant, the costumes ornate, each set elaborate, the women beautiful and voluptuous, and the men all grapple for power. Do not go into this expecting to learn anything about history as they are not too concerned about being accurate. This is basically an historical period done a la soap opera. Plenty of excess with lots of greed, lust, vengeance, and plotting. Never a dull moment during the reign of the Borgias family. As the cherry on the top of this very fun sundae – Jeremy Irons is absolutely fabulous as Pope Alexander VI. You get every second uncut of the fun and games in the papal offices and the dirty politics in the 1490s.
Episode 1: The Borgia Bull: Feeling rather pleased with himself and his family, Pope Alexander VI decides to throw a celebration in Rome for all the common people while a plague goes on in Naples that has touched the King of France (played by Michel Miller)
Episode 2: Paolo: Paolo’s mother and Cesare (played by Francois Arnaud) plan for one night that Paolo (played by Luke Pasqualino) and Lucrezia (played by Holliday Grainger) can be alone and the Pope takes to the streets of Rome to learn who the people really are.
Episode 3: The Beautiful Deception: The aftereffects of the death of Paolo, the father of Lucrezia’s child, are felt and Cardinal Della Rovere (played by Colm Feore) plots to remove Pope Alexander VI.
Episode 4: Stray Dogs: The French have retreated and there is celebrating in Rome. At a local convent a horrific discovery is made.
Episode 5: The Choice: The French are defeated and Micheletto (played by Sean Harris) returns to his boyhood home and meets someone from his past.
Episode 6: Day of Ashes: Cesare returns to Rome and makes some confessions to his father. After hearing them Pope Alexander VI makes a decision that makes Lucrezia very unhappy.
Episode 7: The Siege at Forli: A doctor tells Julius that he has syphilis and then he abducts Caterina’s (played by Gina McKee) son torturing him in front of his mother.
Episode 8: Truth and Lies: Lucrezia agrees to marry Calvino (played by David Alpay) so she can continue the affair with Raffaelo (played by Tom Austen).
Episode 9: World of Wonders: Calvino tells Pope Alexander VI that he cannot marry Lucrezia because of Raffaelo. Antonello (played by Jesse Bostick) is named the Pope’s taster.
Episode 10: The Confession: Savonarola, who was tortured until confessing to heresy, is burned at the stake. The Pope will not have a funeral for Juan until it is found out who killed him.
Special Features: Promo Reels and Alternate Trailers, Cast and Crew Interviews, Behind the Scenes, Bloopers
