'Wolf Hall' Pushes Cromwell from Wolsey to the Palace in "Entirely Beloved"

If the first episode of Wolf Hall was setting up a giant chess board for the Great Game to play out, this week, the power players begin to make their moves. Whereas last week spent an hour slowly building to the arrival of the main focus of our tale, Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII, this week starts off with something of a bang. In Henry's presence, Cromwell is brushed off and sent away, a snub that is hard to come back from.

Cromwell: No need to trouble God, George. I'll take it in hand.

We have a lot of Henry this week, as Cromwell's focus shifts from his entirely beloved Wolsey to the palace, as the coming chaos ladder descends for him to climb. Not a moment too soon. Wolsey begins this episode heading north to escape Norfolk's threats, doing so on the King's dime. Damian Lewis' Henry is in an emotional bind over Wolsey's refusal (or, in truth, his inability) to get him the annulment from Katherine of Aragon. He's unable to talk about the Cardinal in public, unhappy this split has occurred, and, when pushed, willing to pay the way of an old friend who was once his spiritual connection.