I was sad that The Great was cancelled by Hulu without being given the opportunity to finish out its story. I was aware that the 4th season really should be its last, as the lack of Nicholas Hoult would have made it hard to do much more than a season to wrap up storylines, but instead we got three seasons and no ending. In comes My Lady Jane, with much of the same style of revisionist humor, delightful ensemble, and its own voice to help highlight the relevance of a historical footnote in Lady Jane Grey. While The Great certainly loved its sexual forwardness, and appetite for graphic violence, My Lady Jane relies heavily on a plot element that simply could not have actually happened. It’s rewriting history, and proud of it.
Jane Grey (Emily Bader) is living in a man’s world. Despite being a cousin of the King, her life is basically determined for her. Matches are made, and she’s betrothed to someone who can advance her socially. After a few episodes of bumping around, this ends up being Gilford (EdwardBluemel) in a match made by their parents, who is later revealed to be a horse. Not a spelling error, not a euphemism, but a horse. Basically, what My Lady Jane has done is added to history a group of hybrids known as Ethians, who have the ability to turn into an animal. Of course, Gilford is mortified when he realizes he is one, and seeks a cure. So, when the King dies in a mysterious murder/accident, his last will names Jane in charge of the region, and she can use her newfound power to help her husband from not turning into a horse all the damn time.
The court is aware Ethians exist, and for a non-Ethian to be married to one is basically considered beastiality, so if anyone found out, Jane could be killed. She fires everyone in the Royal stables except for a loyal servant to Gilford who is already aware of his situation. The rest of the season is fleshed out by storylines in the supporting cast, intersecting with Jane’s. Her mother (Anna Chancellor) is very much a social climber, who loves being mother to the new Queen, and is trying to find matches for her two younger daughters as well. She did not know that Gilford was an Ethian, and resents his father for lying about it. The biggest problem for Jane is Princess Mary (Kate O’Flynn), who thought she was next in line, and will do literally anything to make sure Jane is removed from the throne. She has help from Lord Seymour (Dominic Cooper), a rather sniveling man trying to subvert Jane’s authority, because he thinks Mary will elevate his status when she ascends the throne.
All of these wacky characters are supported by a truly hilarious narrator, constantly breaking the fourth wall and directly addressing the audience. Some of these performances are truly memorable, but the show doesn’t work without Emily Bador as Jane. She has to be great so she can make everyone else better. It’s the kind of performance that people could and should remember, and hopefully will inspire fans to keep watching and get this show a second season.
And yes, a second season is very possible. As you have already been told, history is being rewritten, and in the face of all these shape shifting Ethians, this alternative look at Jane Grey can easily sustain a few seasons.The ensemble is smart, even beyond the main cast, and there are plenty of twists along the way.
The audio description is done by Media Access Group, written by Malden Cusack, and narrated by Brianna Gould. there are several moments in every episode that you’ll be grateful for audio description, not just because there’s a humor to this, but because of the things like various people shape shifting. There’s not a ton of violence, especially compared to The Great, but what is there is well done, and the ensemble is quite large, and everyone is tracked well, and introduced so we know who is who without being deeply confused. it does have to navigate around a built in narrator who takes up some of the obvious breaks, but he’s totally worth it.
The only problem that I had was runtime. This is a show that needed to benefit from the freedom to have a flexible runtime appropriate to each episode, so it never drags. Some of the earlier episodes drag a bit, and every episode is almost exactly 45 minutes. The great thing about streaming is that runtime doesn’t matter, so a consistent runtime here is a little baffling, as it feels unnecessary and doesn’t properly support the show.
However, i did really enjoy the full first season, and I’m being optimistic that Amazon will do a second season. I’m very much on board for more adventures of Jane gray.
Final Grade: A-
