This is the weekend that the new and final season of Showtime’s “The Tudors”  hits the small screen in the USA (and for our friends overseas, it’s a good time to buy a plane ticket and stay a while!). Toast the final hurrah of the show that tickled Tudorphiles and won over others with its sheer eye candy and soap-opera storylines. Whether you throw an all-out throwback bash, or just gather a few close gents or ladies-in-waiting around the telly, have fun at the expense of the most luscious yet dysfunctional dynasty in history: 

Dress the part. No costumes? Cleavage will do.

Serve “head-y” snacks — Roast a head of garlic, mix the paste with EVOO and salt/pepper, and spread on baguette slices. Must be a baguette because you might as well introduce something French now–Mary Queen of Scots is just around the corner! Carry on the execution theme with Boar’s Head sliced meats for a cold-cut platter. Chop up a head of lettuce for a salad, as you’ll need something from the veg group. It’s more than the court bothered to do. 

Sip something tasty (perhaps a Bloody Mary?) every time:

• …the Massive Monarch bellows “I’m the king of England” or inappropriately eyes a court vixen
• …Charles Brandon seems to be experiencing an internal struggle
• …Anne of Cleves smiles pleasantly & you can see the “I’m so glad I still have a head” thought bubble above her
• …Kitty Howard looks clueless and/or giggles
• …you notice that the executioner or peasants have stumps for teeth while the royals have straight, gleaming choppers
• …twice if the executioner or peasants have straight, gleaming choppers
• …something happens and you know that ”that’s not really what happened!”
• …anyone dies

Remember to celebrate the history of this famous family and all those who were involved with it as you celebrate the series. Cheers and happy viewing!

Watch the entire first episode of “The Tudors” season 4 right here right now! Special thanks to Showtime for making this available.

*Update: A swanky HD version is available here.

Image via Wikipedia

Less than four weeks until the start of the fourth and final season! The big event starts at 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Sunday, 11 April for fans in the States (the UK start has not yet been determined). 

While many of us wish the series could go on, history gets a bit sketchy down the road. Exhibit A: the season one composite character of Margaret, Henry VIII’s sister, played in a deeply tanned and full-lipped way by Gabrielle Anwar. In the series, Margaret digs Charles Brandon (like most of the viewing audience) but has to marry the king of Portugal, whom she offs. She then marries Brandon but dies soon afterward.

In reality, Henry VIII had two sisters: Margaret (who married James IV, king of Scotland) and Mary (who did, in fact, marry Charles Brandon and go on to have four children with him). Margaret and James’ granddaughter was Mary, Queen of Scots. No Margaret, no Mary Q of S, none of that Mary Q vs. Elizabeth I jazz. Futhermore, Mary and Charles Brandon’s granddaughter was Lady Jane Grey, who briefly came in handy between Eddie VI and Mary I. So the composite character of “Margaret Tudor” ixnayed the possibility of tackling true Tudor history post-Eddie.

So a sequel is not to be, but let’s enjoy what was and what’s coming! Pop in to Pop Tudors for a hilarious video recap of last season’s finale. My favorite lines? “[Katherine Howard] is everything [Anne of Cleves] wasn’t: young, slutty, and creepy!” and “Spoiler: Everyone dies on this show.”

There’s a trailer for the final season here, and the new opening credits here. Take a peek behind the scenes of the new season over here.

Got the yummy new poster here. Henry “I Conquered Them All” Ocho is making quite a statement, while Anne of Cleves is not having any of that, Jane Seymour is apparently drying off after a bath, and Kitty Howard is trying to form a spark between her two brain cells.   

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