Whitehall (Season 1 Episode 2): “Skilled Artifice”

The wedding is set to be in an Anglican church; however, holding close to her heart and roots, Catherine wants a Catholic ceremony as well or she will not feel she is married in the eyes of God. Barbara, his mistress, is set to deliver his second child any day. Charles has many obstacles to face that he handles with ease. Once they are married Charles takes Catherine to Hampton Court Palace for their honeymoon and eventually sends Barbara back to London. Catherine and Roger, the spouses of Charles and Barbara respectively, are beginning to tolerate less and test their limits more. Catherine has decided that Jenny, a young maid, is one she can trust and gather information about her husband’s exploits from. The queen is well aware of Barbara, but isn’t ready to throw in the towel just yet. Roger has had his fill of Barbara and his place as the stand-in father for the King’s bastard children – this throws Barbara into a fit of rage and a sticky situation. It seems that the winds of change are coming and who lands safely in the wake and who doesn’t may be very surprising.

In episode two, Whitehall continues to deliver elegance, intrigue, and scandal in top form. A lot of character development and evolving takes place in this episode. Catherine and Roger are ready to take a stand and Barbara and Charles are just learning what they are up against, both good and bad. The King may rule the land, but the players in his web of lies and deception are anything but under his complete control. Only two episodes in and the scandal is already knee deep. I cannot wait to see what happens next!

Read our other episode reviews of Whitehall.