ARTS & CULTURE
12 Obiter Dicta
A TV Series Review
The Borgias
anthony choi › staff writer
Originally Aired On: Bravo!, Showtime
Series Length: 3 seasons, 29 episodes
S
e t du r i ng t h e turn of the 16th century, The Borgias follow the rise and fall
of the notorious, Rodrigo Borgia, and his
family, whose very name became a byword
for depravity, nepotism, and corruption. The series
begins in 1492, immediately following the death of
Pope Innocent VIII, and sees Cardinal Borgia (played
by the ever fantastic Jeremy Irons) manoeuvre his
way to the office of the Vicar of Christ and become
Pope Alexander VI through a series of bribes, alliances, and other political machinations. The rest
of the show then details he and his family’s struggles to maintain and expand their newfound power
in a world of shifting alliances against enemies both
internal and external, including subversive and everambitious cardinals, rival ruling families such as
the Sforzas, and even the mighty Kingdom of France
itself.
ê Photo credit: Amazon.com
The acting, writing, costumes, and settings of
the show are simply marvellous. The plot advances
at a fairly brisk pace with action always around the
corner, leaving audiences hungry for the next turn of
events. The story remains relatively true to the actual
history, which itself oozes of political intrigue and
drama. Any deviations from the source material are
usually made in good taste and preserving the believability and plausibility of each character’s motives,
actions, and any
resulting chain of
events. Costume
and set designs are
top notch, rivalling Holly wood
product ion s i n
quality and authentically replicating the clothing and settings of the period, with only very minor
exceptions (such as the unlikely homogeneity of soldiers’ accoutrements during this time period, which
appears to be a common issue among many historical
shows – but that’s just me admittedly being unnecessarily nitpicky).
In terms of acting, Jeremy Irons in particular does
a fantastic job as Rodrigo, playing him as a cool, calculating, and bitingly sardonic Pope, who inwardly
struggles between what appears to be a genuine aspiration to uphold the moral sanctity and uprightness
demanded of his position and the base desires and
ambitions for himself and his family. This is not to
say that Irons’ Rodrigo is always the “coolest cucumber” in the room, as he also possesses a fiery temper
that can be
downright terrifying, particularly in situations
when his Papacy
or his family are
at stake. Indeed,
Irons’ performance provides the necessary complexity required of one of the most controversial characters of Renaissance Italy.
The rest of the cast also delivers a solid performance. Colm Feore plays an ever implacable and
self-righteous Cardinal Giulliano Della Rovere (an
apt characterization for the man who would be later
known as the “Warrior Pope”), who is the primary
arch-nemesis of the Borgia family and who appears
to make it his very purpose to destroy and overthrow Rodrigo. While this portrayal may appear to
be a seemingly one-dimensional caricature, it certainly is understandable given that the real Della
Rovere instituted a number of policies against the
Borgia family following his ascension as Pope Julius
II that suggested that the enmity transcended beyond
mere rivalry. Indeed, on the day he became pope, he
declared that:
“I will not live in the same rooms as the Borgias
lived. He [Alexander VI] desecrated the Holy Church
as none before. He usurped the papal power by the
devil’s aid, and I forbid under the pain of excommunication anyone to speak or think of Borgia again.
His name and memory must be forgotten. It must be
crossed out of every document and memorial. His
reign must be obliterated. All paintings made of the
Borgias or for them must be covered over with black
crepe. All the tombs of the Borgias must be opened
and their bodies sent back to where they belong - to
Spain.”
Not surprisingly, no Borgia ever again rose to a
position of prominence from that point onwards.
Ultimately, The Borgias is a show for both history lovers and drama addicts alike. In particular, if
one is a f an of shows such as Game of Thrones, House
of Cards, Rome, The Tudors, or Boardwalk Empire,
then The Borgias will definitely be right down one’s
alley. And as an added bonus, there is also a European
production of the very same story (unsurprisingly
titled, Borgia) if ever one finishes The Borgias and is
suffering from the post-viewing withdrawal typical
of finishing an outstanding television series. All-inall, most definitely recommended. u
“The plot advances at a fairly brisk
pace with action always around
the corner. . .”