Mary & George is Appealing to our Gay Senses

This season, Starz has offered us a deliciously naughty historical series – complete with intrigue and gay sex – in Mary & George. Executive produced and co-starring Julianne Moore, the seven-part series is based on Benjamin Woolley’s non-fiction book The King’s Assassin detailing the real-life affair between King James VI and I and George Villiers, the 1st Duke of Buckingham in the early 1600s. Starring the uber-hot Nicholas Galitzine (Red, White, & Royal Blue) in plenty of skin-showing love scenes, Mary & George easily appeals to our gay senses but ends up being so much more.

Usually when reviewing a new show, we watch a few episodes to get the gist and feel of the show before giving our opinion. Well, we got the entire series as a screener and ended up binge-watching it. It is a meaty series, to be sure, and there’s as much of a history lesson and behind-the-scenes of English politics during the 1600s as there is drama. The first episode is such a tease. It is a mix of Real Housewives, a dark Disney fairy tale, and a bit of The Women, all mixed in with lavish costumes, lush cinematography, and a sweeping score. This is a historical series but spices things up with modern flair in terms of dry humor and the perfectly placed “fucks.” Unlike other shows that plod along with exposition for the first two or even three episodes, this story unfolds quickly, assuming the viewer has a brain and can follow along.

There is no hiding that Julianne Moore, as the conniving mother who forces her son into servitude and lust for the King, is the villain here. She tears up the scenery without apologizing, a melting pot of Miranda Priestly, Joan Crawford, Betty Davis, and Maleficent. We know that Julianne Moore can act, but here she is having fun and stealing every scene she is in. Her one-liners would make Karen Walker jealous, and her timing and coldness endeared her to the audience without any right to. She is vicious, she is a murderer, she is a liar, she shows no mercy…and we love her for it. During the first episode, we see exactly why she is the way she is. Does it offer her character reprieve for her actions? No, but at least we understand better.

Her big plan and the basis for the entire series is to pimp her son out to the King of England so assumedly her family could have a better life under the protection (and wealth) of the Court; in actuality, she just wants to run the nation and wear big outfits. You go, girl! The power she wielded as a female in the 1600s is admirable if the means not deplorable. In the first episode, we also see the facets of George’s sexuality. Gay, straight, bi? Who knows? It seems a bit all over the place but clearly dictated by his mother. Awkward! George has his first threesome with two French boys. Though timid at first, this will mark the only power that George will have in this story, the power of his looks and sexuality. Is that enough? With our focus on good looks in the gay community, does that power diminish when the new, flashier object comes into play? This scene also marks the nude debut of actor Galitzine.

Photo courtesy STARZ

Photo courtesy STARZ

But, as drool-inducing as the first episode is, it is a bit misleading as the series blossoms into more than just an evil mother and her sexy son infiltrate society story. The story quickly develops, and the characters become more than just stereotypical fodder. Each character has their own tragedy, and the show gets heavy, quickly. There’s a lot of bloodshed, some in evil fun, and some in some real sadness. The show is a roller coaster. The running themes are lust and greed, not just from the mother and son duo, but from just about every character in this winding story. As the story progresses, we see Julianne Moore’s character fall into her own type of love, with a woman no less. Like the other relationships in her life, is it out of true love or is it just lust or need? Is the real tragedy that love just never seems able to take roost? Is that life, can true love ever be attained?

The heaviness continues as the characters get closer to their goals, but farther from happiness. Being content and happy just seems impossible in this world. The chemistry between Moore and Galitzine as the title characters is heartbreaking in its honesty. We are led to believe that above everyone else, these two are truly bonded. But is even this kind of familial love empty? It makes the viewer question their current relationships even in modern times. Do we ignore certain needs just because of the power of beauty, sex, and stature? Are we surrounding ourselves with surface happiness, missing out on what really matters in the end? There is no happy ending here, and so even if the journey has been at many times fun and super gay, there is an emptiness it leaves you with. But that is the power of the show. It traps you with its finery and ends up getting you in the gut.

Artistically, the show is meticulously crafted. The sets, costumes, lighting, medieval score with modern beats, a perfect cast (even to the bit players), and adherence to historical detail, all come together in what should be an award-winning presentation. The audience is enveloped in this world without hesitation. Thematically, the show ends up being a tragedy even with its early teasing of a fun, gay affair. The revealing gay sex scenes become less about being titillating and more about showing the characters’ power play, and the tragedy that can come from giving in to such sexual pleasure.

This show is a definite must-watch. It is a queer story set against a very different backdrop than what we have seen. Hopefully, this will serve as inspiration for more of these queer stories that are outside of the box and delivered with such artistic excellence.

You can watch Mary & George on Starz.