Starz Review: ‘Mary & George’ is a Thoroughly Entertaining and Salacious Historical Duet

Period pieces provide a look at history, not necessarily exactly as it happened but in a way that’s both digestible and enjoyable to a modern-day audience. Anachronisms and the inclusion of unexpectedly coarse language and behavior can enliven an otherwise dated storyline and make for truly great fun. The real-life source material for Starz’s limited series Mary & George is certainly saucy enough on its own, but this adaptation adds even more flavor to make it an undeniably enticing and attractive viewing experience.

Mary Villiers (Julianne Moore) makes an immediate impression during the birth of her son, declaring how useless he’s sure to be. Two decades later, George (Nicholas Galitzine) is lovestruck and heartbroken and not particularly in his mother’s good graces. She does conceive of one use for him, however, in gaining the favor of King James I (Tony Curran), who has an apparently well-known predilection for men in his court. Mary is determined to climb the social ladder and attain power for herself, and though she and George don’t always see eye-to-eye, they’re both in for this gambit, ready to do what they must to exert as much influence as they possibly can.

Mary and George comes from creator D.C. Moore, a playwright who has previously written for Killing Eve and Temple. It’s a formidable showcase for both Moore and Galitzine, who are perfectly paired as the witty, whiny, duplicitous Villiers. For fans of The Great, which was cancelled after just three seasons, this will be a welcome successor, though it leans much more heavily on the sexual content than on the comedy, emphasizing the intimate nature of the many affairs being conducted. But it does so in fabulously fun fashion, presenting its events and the trajectory to get there in an undeniably entertaining manner.

Moore, an Emmy winner for portraying vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin in 2012’s Game Change, returns to television following her far more serious role in the Apple TV+ limited series Lisey’s Story. Moore is no stranger to incorporating unhinged anger into her performances (see Magnolia for the best example), and here she folds it into someone who understands what the game is and how it must be played, but isn’t going to be all that happy about doing what she needs to do in order to get what she wants. She’s dependably excellent, and her accent work alongside a mostly English cast is solid.

Galitzine, who was on the flip side of the dynamic as royalty in Red, White & Royal Blue, is fresh off a well-received comedy with its own obsession with sex that has a very different vibe but is just as funny. His Bottoms character was a brainless jock who didn’t actually care about anyone else, and George isn’t all that dissimilar, though he does try on occasion and isn’t entirely motivated by vain selfishness. Galitzine is more than game for tapping into the complexities of this simpleton and making him very likeable even if he’s not the brightest star in the kingdom.

The rest of the ensemble contributes handsomely to the inviting tone of this show, including Curran as the king who most definitely indulges very frequently in earthly delights. One of the cast’s standouts is Niamh Algar, previously seen in Pure, Raised by Wolves, and Culprits, as Sandie, a brothel worker who spots Mary for who she is and forms an intriguing alliance with her. Following the twists and turns of this show’s many tangled webs is what makes it most worth watching, and seven episodes, premiering once a week on Fridays, should give audiences just the right mix of alluring temptation and satisfying fulfillment.

Series Rating: 8/10

Awards Buzz: Moore and Galitzine definitely deserve to be in the awards conversation, as does the series, which will have to fend off a horde of other limited series contenders to crack the top slots.