Picking up where many anachronistic historical series have left off, My Lady Jane is a marvel. Like its period drama contemporaries, the story takes known facts and twists them for a modern audience.
Adapted from the young adult novel of the same name, the Amazon Prime series is an uplifting take on a tragic historical event. Jane Grey, portrayed by Emily Bader in the series, was a woman who had no control over her life. She lived in the time of the Tudor kings and was part of a plot that followed the death of Henry VIII. The king famous for dissolving the Catholic church in England in order to marry Anne Boleyn, left his succession in disarray.
His only male heir was Edward VI, his son by Jane Seymour, who died young. That left Henry’s daughters, Mary and Elizabeth. And though they would eventually rule in their own right, the crown first went to Jane Grey, who was Edward’s cousin. Jane’s ambitious family brought her to power, only for her to be beheaded. The series takes a more optimistic track, and weaves a genuinely funny feminist tale full of hit songs, social commentary, and — of course — romance.
Who is Guilford in My Lady Jane?
The main conflict of the series revolves around Jane’s inability to control her life. The first episode hammers this home by throwing Jane into a marriage against her will. Steadfastly against the institution, because it would take away what little independence she has, she is promised to Lord Guildford Dudley (Edward Bluemel). The lord has the reputation of being a philandering fighter, and someone Jane would never promise herself to.
Or at least that’s what she thinks. Unaware of his identity, Jane meets Guilford before the wedding, and feels palpably attracted to him. Guilford is poetic, unpredictable, and undeniably attractive. Though she detests the idea of marriage, her attempts at getting out of it are for naught. She marries Guilford due to pressure on all sides. The two become part of the classic enemies-to-lovers trope. Unlike other period dramas like Bridgerton that force the trope, the two leads of My Lady Jane have undeniable chemistry.
The two get married before they have a chance to even kiss, making the rest of the season an exciting push and pull between the eventual lovers. This push and pull becomes even more complicated by Jane’s realization that her husband is part of the maligned Ethian sect. His ability to turn into a horse makes him a pariah society and endangers his life and Jane’s. This reality adds even mores takes to the series, not just romance. My Lady Jane combines love, adventure, and fantasy in one of the most entertaining shows of the year.