by Mike Hilty, Contributing Writer
Amazon Prime Video has made a name for itself with an incredible arsenal of shows that tie directly to stuff you can buy on their primary website. It’s a great strategy to create corporate synergy and help others learn more about the source material for their shows. Whether it’s The Boys, The Summer I Turned Pretty, or Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Amazon’s bench of shows is incredibly deep, with diverse content. My Lady Jane is the latest addition to this outstanding catalog.
Based on the book of the same name, My Lady Jane is about flipping the damsel-in-distress story and turning it on its head. Lady Jane Grey (Emily Bader) ascends to become Queen of England after King Edward (Jordan Peters) declares in his will that she should succeed him. Commonly known as the Nine-Day Queen, she was executed in favor of Mary (Kate O’Flynn). In the TV series, however, they presume what it would have been like had she had a chance to rule more, and change the outcome of her story.
I love alternative history stories. They bring a fresh take to something without knowing where the story is going. My Lady Jane does a fantastic job of staying true to most parts of history, while changing one critical piece that would alter history. This doesn’t feel like a Renaissance Faire, either. The costumes and sets are all incredible, along with a script to ensure the dialogue sounds authentic from the period. Yes, I concede they mix in some modern dialogue in there. However, it’s not distracting or out of place; it all feels organic.
The most significant change to history is the addition of fantastical elements. At the very beginning, this is just a historical comedy, but by the end, it’s high fantasy through and through. If this isn’t your cup of tea, consider yourself warned. The fantasy is integral to the story, because it shows how Jane truly cares about all her subjects. She decides to pursue equality, which ultimately gets her in trouble. The themes regarding prejudice are unique, and help give the audience clues about Jane’s level of compassion in an increasingly hostile England.
Moreover, Jane has to deal with a rebellious group of nobles because she is a woman. My Lady Jane doesn’t shy away from men’s struggles with a queen during this story. Everyone sees Jane as weak, because she lacks experience in governing or fighting. But she proves that integrity comes at a cost, and is willing to sacrifice her life to do things properly for everyone around her. It’s pretty admirable that Jane is usurped from her crown by Mary, but the way it happens here is an exciting turn of events.
However, My Lady Jane wouldn’t work without a strong lead that can handle comedy, seriousness, and everything in between. Bader embodies Jane with her quest for knowledge and a desire to look after everyone for the common good. She also has fantastic chemistry with her husband, Lord Guilford Dudley (Edward Bluemel). Bluemel and Bader are playing chess with their dialogue, when everyone else is playing checkers.
Dudley has a challenging task in front of him. He is forced to marry Jane, but also has his demons to deal with. The progression of their relationship is natural, and it’s obvious that these two would match up perfectly with one another. Their scenes have robust dialogue, and they can play off each other enough to know when to push and when to reign it in. Even with Jane by his side, Guildford gets a story with nuance, as well as some twists and turns I certainly didn’t see coming.
I’m usually not a huge fan of narration, but something about Oliver Chris made it work for me. The narrator helps push the story forward, but also gives us some critical information that will be helpful down the road. Also, the narration is exceedingly funny, but doesn’t overpower the scene. Kudos to Chris for doing a fantastic job with the narration and making it palatable for someone like me.
Our main antagonists are Lord Seymour (Dominic Cooper) and Mary. Cooper and O’Flynn are so good together because they understand what it means to be an antagonist. They each have very different agendas, but Lord Seymour knows how the game is played with the nobility. Seymour is a weasel, but there are a few parts that are redeemable.
I was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked My Lady Jane. It’s a shockingly witty and funny show led by an outstanding narrator. Bader and Bluemel are one-of-a-kind to each other, and Cooper and O’Flynn are dynamites. I will be there to discover what’s next, because I want to support as much from Bader as possible. This isn’t just counter programming for The Boys — My Lady Jane demands more attention from people looking for historical fantasy and comedy, a niche audience.
Rating: High Side of Liked It
My Lady Jane is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video
You can read more from Mike Hilty, and follow him on Instagram, Letterboxd, and Serializd