Prime Video's 'My Lady Jane', a creation of Gemma Burgess and adopted from the novel authored by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows, offers a different view of the Tudor dynasty. This drama is distinguished from the numerous others through its focus on Lady Jane Grey, often side-lined as a minor figure in history. Known for her brief 9-day rule in England following the demise of Edward VI, she was executed once Mary I seized control. But 'My Lady Jane' presents a different scenario.
It swerves so far from historical reality it almost mirrors a fantasy. The primary divide in this 16th-century England isn't religious, rather between Verities (regular humans) and Ethians - a persecuted group capable of shapeshifting into animals. Jane is portrayed as a Verity whose empathy towards the Ethians could endanger her unexpected ascension to power, especially when under Mary's notice.
Jane's character is portrayed as an 'intellectual rebel', a firm stereotype of a 'strong female character'. She dreams to stay single while writing a compendium of medicinal herbs but is instead married off to Guildford, the son of a prominent lord. However, it isn't long before a mutual attraction springs between them, despite demands for divorce from their first day.
'My Lady Jane' isn't typical even in its approach to storytelling, giving an amusingly irreverent narrative. An unnamed narrator provides commentary on the plot with a touch of humor and sarcasm while the soundtrack boasts female-led covers of rock classics like "Rebel Rebel" and "Tainted Love”. Elegantly adorned with humor, the drama also features some unexpected transformations from humans to animals.
However, despite its entertaining elements, 'My Lady Jane' lacks depth in its characters' relationships and in addressing the social justice aspect. Lady Jane Grey's role as the righteous freedom fighter does not delve deep enough to express the complexities of real heroism.
Though 'My Lady Jane' aims to be a feminist re-imagining of the 'ultimate damsel in distress', turning tragedy into triumph, it loses sight of the real Lady Jane Grey along the way, casting her instead into a cheeky fairy tale.
