Will There Be a ‘Wolf Hall’ Season 3? What to Expect After ‘Mirror and the Light’
Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light is finally returning after a decade away. The PBS Masterpiece drama’s first season, just titled Wolf Hall, debuted in 2015 on PBS and was based on the first two books of Hilary Mantel’s historical trilogy, Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies. Season 2 adapts the third and final novel that also gives the sequel series its name, Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light. But will there be a third season of this historical drama?
Here’s everything we know about Wolf Hall‘s future.
When does Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light premiere?
The Mark Rylance, Damian Lewis, and Kate Phillips-led drama premieres Sunday, March 23, at 9/8c on PBS.
Will there be a Wolf Hall Season 3?
The two seasons have different titles, were made a decade apart, and are technically separate shows, but The Mirror and the Light is the de facto second season of this Masterpiece drama with much of the original cast reprising their roles. Tom Holland, who starred as Gregory Cromwell in Season 1, is replaced by Charlie Rowe in the new series. And Claire Foy will not be back as Anne Boleyn, as the character died in the first series. Season 2 kicks off with the aftermath of Anne’s beheading as Thomas Cromwell (Rylance) attempts his continued management of King Henry VIII (Lewis).
The Mirror and the Light has been described as the final season in the trailers. The trailer released on January 31 calls this season “the epic conclusion” of the story. As of the time of publication, Wolf Hall has not been renewed for a third season. It’s unlikely that it will be given the time between the seasons and the second season adapting the final novel in this trilogy. The “epic conclusion” language should be enough confirmation that this show intends to end with this second installment.
Of course, this is based on real-life events. The creators could just pull from history if they really wanted to. But it’s more likely that they’re just adapting Mantel’s books and calling it quits.
Nick Briggs / Playground Television (UK) Ltd
What happens in Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light?
Masterpiece has provided a detailed description for what to expect this season. It reads: “May, 1536. Anne Boleyn, Henry’s second wife, is dead. As the axe drops, Thomas Cromwell emerges from the bloodbath to continue his climb to power and wealth, while his formidable master, Henry, settles to short-lived happiness with his third queen, Jane Seymour. Cromwell, a man with only his wits to rely on, has no great family to back him, and no private army. Navigating the moral complexities that accompany the exercise of power in this brutal and bloody time, Cromwell is caught between his desire to do what is right and his instinct to survive. But in the wake of Henry VIII having executed his queen, no one is safe.”
“Despite rebellion at home, traitors plotting abroad and the threat of invasion testing Henry’s regime to breaking point, Cromwell’s robust imagination sees a new country in the mirror of the future,” the description continues. “All of England lies at his feet, ripe for innovation and religious reform. But as fortune’s wheel turns, Cromwell’s enemies are gathering in the shadows. The inevitable question remains: how long can anyone survive under Henry’s cruel and capricious gaze?”
Who is in the Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light cast?
In addition to Rylance and Lewis, The Mirror and the Light stars Miss Scarlet‘s Phillips as Jane Seymour, Lilit Lesser as Princess Mary, Jonathan Pryce as Cardinal Wolsey, Harriet Walter as Lady Margaret Pole, Harry Melling as Thomas Wriothesley, Thomas Brodie-Sangster as Rafe Sadler, Timothy Spall as the Duke of Norfolk, Alex Jennings as Stephen Gardiner, and Charlie Rowe as Gregory Cromwell.
Nick Briggs / Playground Television (UK) Ltd
When are new episodes of Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light?
Here’s the release schedule along with episode descriptions for the six-episode season.
Episode 1, “Wreckage”: Sunday, March 23, 9/8c, PBS
In the wake of Anne’s execution, the King weds Jane Seymour. Marital bliss does nothing to quell Henry’s rage at his daughter, and Cromwell makes a risky play to save Princess Mary from her father’s murderous streak.
Episode 2, “Obedience”: Sunday, March 30, 9/8c, PBS
A secret marriage brings scandal to court, giving Cromwell the opportunity to bring his adversary Norfolk down for good. But an unexpected encounter forces Cromwell to question where his loyalties lie.
Episode 3, “Defiance”: Sunday, March 23, 9/8c, PBS
Rebels in the North demand Cromwell’s head and a return to the old Catholic ways. With King Henry VIII beginning to contemplate his chief adviser’s failings, Cromwell withdraws from court and receives unexpected news from across the sea.
Episode 4, “Jenneke”: Sunday, March 23, 9/8c, PBS
The birth of a prince comes at a terrible price and Cromwell must help the King remarry. With European politics in disarray, Cromwell sees a chance to form a new alliance.
Episode 5, “Mirror”: Sunday, March 23, 9/8c, PBS
Cromwell brings Anne of Cleves to England to be Henry’s new wife. With France and the Holy Roman Emperor together threatening to invade England, the marriage will cement an alliance between the powerful reforming princes of Europe and defend England from attack.
Episode 6, “Light”: Sunday, March 23, 9/8c, PBS
Fortune’s wheel turns as Cromwell finally finds himself in Henry’s crosshairs. Charged with treason and feeling the axe’s edge, only a masterstroke of political maneuvering can save him from the scaffold now.
Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light, Premiere, Sunday, March 23, 9/8c, PBS
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