Gunpowder, Treason and Plot is a four hour mini-series which aired tonight on CBC. The series is the story of Mary, Queen of Scots and her son, King James I of England, and the plot to bomb Parliament in the turn of the 17th century, now commemorated in England as Guy Fawkes Day.
Aired in two parts, it is really in the second part that the series really gets going, but then you have Robert Carlyle playing King James I, bringing the full Begbie level psychosis to the role (plus a club-foot, violent sexual abuse of his wife and not more than a bit of homosexual harassment).
I won't be surprised if the second half of this series doesn't get aired in the States anytime soon since it mostly deals with a religious based plot to effect an act of "terrorism" by blowing up the Houses of Parliament.
Robert Carlyle is at his unhinged best as King James (the dude who brought you The Bible).
The series is well worth checking out for some perspective, especially when dealing with people who slang around the term "terrorism" too freely (in the show, King James makes sure to use thumb-screws so the conspirators can sign their confessions). So there is torture, rage, hearts ripped out (um, yes, literally) and heads on pikes. And it ends with "God Save the King".
(well, not exactly, it ends with Carlyle's King James telling the portrait of his mum - "if only you could see me now")
.jpg?t=20120527181101)
Article comments