The Fantasy Romance TV Show My Lady Jane was an immediate success with critics and audiences when it premiered in June 2024 on Prime Video, largely thanks to its sense of humor. Based on the book by Jodi Meadows, Brodi Ashton and Cynthia Hand, My Lady Jane has taken the best parts of period romances, speculative fiction, and comedy and combined them into one of the freshest takes on all three genres that audiences have seen in recent years. The comedic timing of the tremendous cast and sharp writing make it one of the funniest shows of 2024.
Led by Emily Bader and Edward Bluemel as Jane Gray and Guildford Dudley, My Lady Jane It featured the chemistry of the central pairs, and critics and audiences alike were not disappointed. The fact that My Lady Jane was canceled has been a source of outrage and criticism against Amazon Prime. Many other fantasy series that have received worse reviews and have much larger budgets are renewed, while My Lady Jane was eliminated after just one season. Although it seems unlikely that My Lady Jane will be saved, it's still fun to return to the unique season and enjoy its games.
10
“Fingers Crossed”
Season 1, Episode 2, 'Wild Thing'
My Lady Jane nailed the enemies-to-lovers romance trope with Jane and Guildford. Although they once met by chance, Jane and Guildford have no idea that it is the person they found so attractive but obnoxious in the tavern who is also the person they are marrying. At the wedding, despite being a little pleased that Guildford was the one at the altar, Jane does her best to cancel the wedding, pretending to have the disease, a lung disease. Of course she doesn't, so the nuptials go as planned.
At the reception, Guildford criticizes Jane for trying to get out of the marriage and asks how she created the fake blood that came out of her mouth. Instead of admitting his trickery, Jane recovers and tells Guildford that she may very well have the disease and that they will both die. In response, Guildford says, “fingers crossed,” implying that he doesn't believe her for a second and is more than capable of keeping up with her tricks and deceptions.
9
Lord Dudley and Lord Seymour beg Jane
Season 1, Episode 4, “Bluebird is Dead”
Lord Dudley (Rob Brydon) and Lord Seymour (Dominic Cooper) form a hilarious duo in My Lady Janeas the two hate each other and find themselves on opposite sides of almost every conflict, fighting like children. When Seymour and Mary (Kate O'Flynn) try to frame Dudley for the poisoning of King Edward (Jordan Peters), that's exactly when Jane is named Queen and is trying to rule for the first time. She is keen to determine who is responsible for Edward's death, whom she loved like a brother.
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Series |
Rotten Tomatoes critic score |
Rotten Tomatoes audience score |
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My Lady Jane (2024) |
95% |
91% |
Of course, Dudley had nothing to do with Edward's poisoning and Seymour is the real culprit. but they both make fools of themselves trying to convince Jane of their innocence. Although it is a somewhat dramatic moment, it is also satisfying because Jane feels no love for her father-in-law and resents him for forcing her to go through with the marriage. Seeing him and the odious Seymour beg while the actors demonstrate their comedic skills is a strong tension-breaker.
8
Frances's “First Best” Ability
Season 1, Episode 7, “Another Girl, Another Planet”
Frances is one of the best characters in My Lady Janeand although she is not afraid to sell her daughters for power and money, she does it with talent and style. Few can say that their mothers give as much advice about intimate relationships as Frances, and although Frances's comments embarrass Jane and her sisters, they are hilarious to the audience. She has a self-love affair in My Lady Jane with Guildford's brother, Stan (Henry Ashton) and is proud of her achievements in the bedroom.
Ultimately, Frances is a survivor and knows exactly how to manipulate the truth and manipulate monarchs to ensure her family survives each regime change.
Ultimately, Frances is a survivor and knows exactly how to manipulate the truth and manipulate monarchs to ensure her family survives each regime change. After Jane is arrested for treason by Mary, and it appears that she and the head of her family are at risk, Frances assures Katherine (Isabella Brownson) and Margaret (Robyn Betteridge) that her second best skill is playing the court game. When asked about her first best skill, she tells her daughters that it is a specific sexual act.
7
“This is a dagger”
Season 1, Episode 3, “With a Girl Like You”
As one of the best period romance TV shows, My Lady Jane knows how to create tension between its romantic protagonists. In episode 3, “With A Girl Like You,” Jane and Guildford take a not-so-romantic walk through the woods as they prepare to pay the ransom for Jane's captured friend. Of course, things don't turn out as Jane imagined, and she and Guildford are not the conquering heroes she planned. However, Jane sets out alone, but is soon surprised by Guildford, who decides to join her. in an unexpectedly gentlemanly twist.
Naturally, Jane can't make things easy for him and doesn't take it well when he says he came to protect her, because she can take care of herself. When Guildford says she needs to arm herself with a dagger and pulls out a small knife, she shows him how prepared she is by pulling out a big, scary dagger of herself. It doesn't take long for the two to engage in a duel, which results in one of the couple's most iconic scenes on the show.
6
“Do you come here often?”
Season 1, Episode 1, 'Who's Next in Line?'
Jane and Guildford's first meeting is one for the ages, and as the narrator suggests, although they may not feel love at first sight, they certainly feel lust. Locking eyes with him from across the tavern, Jane approaches Guildford, and sparks fly, with the two joking and exchanging little digs early on. However, Jane's opening line helps ease the tension and sets them up for a verbal sparring match as Jane tries to recover after asking Guildford if he “comes here often.”
Although Jane is the heroine and undeniably brilliant, she is far from perfect and becomes nervous in Guildford's presence.
The typical and often mocked phrase, “You come here often,” is well known in modern society, and while Jane using it here is anachronistic, it is a scene that defines the show's sense of humor. Although Jane is the heroine and undeniably brilliant, she is far from perfect and becomes nervous in Guildford's presence. Of course, Guildford is equally confused, as shown in the rest of the scene, which perfectly establishes their dynamic.
5
Stan's Serenade
Season 1, Episode 4, “Bluebird is Dead”
The relationship between Stan and Frances is not on the same level of epic love as Jane and Guildford's romance, but it's a fun contrast for the audience to watch. Frances has no problem using Stan like she does everyone else, but the poor young man can't help but slowly fall in love with Frances, even though she always rejects him and says their relationship means nothing to her. This culminates in Stan taking matters into his own hands with a romantic gesture, 16th century style.
Serenading Frances with a lute under her window, Stan makes a fool of himself and embarrasses Frances, but it's a great moment and a vital one. The stakes are getting higher right now My Lady Janeand it's important for funny scenes like Stan's misguided romance to punctuate the drama of Jane and Guildford's secret. Unfortunately, in Stan's rush to please Frances and win her love, he accidentally reveals Guildford's true identity.
4
Edward learns the ways of the kingdom
Season 1, Episode 2, “Wild Thing”
King Edward has the worst luck in My Lady Janewhen the young king begins the series by being poisoned, and his sister Mary plots his death to usurp him throughout the story. Being protected his entire life and prevented from experiencing the reality of the kingdom, Eduardo has no idea what to expect when he discovers he is being poisoned and must take matters into his own hands. Venturing into the market undercover with his ally, Petunia (Tallulah Greive), he is delighted to be insulted and ridiculed by the common people.
Everyone he talks to doesn't treat him like the king, and although Edward is emotional, it creates a hilarious juxtaposition between the things people are saying to him and his heightened reaction.
Everyone he talks to doesn't treat him like the king, and although Edward is emotional, it creates a hilarious juxtaposition between the things people are saying to him and his heightened reaction. Even if your goal is to find out who poisoned you, Edward clearly wants to get away from the castle and understand how the world works. This ties into his later arc, when he escapes from prison twice and goes on the road with Fitz (Joe Klocek), the man who changes his life.
3
“Lost”
Season 1, Episode 2, “Wild Thing”
It doesn't take long for Guildford and Jane's playful banter to turn into outright hatred, even if that hatred is tinged with desire. On their wedding night, despite their mutual attraction, Jane and Guildford don't communicate well about how they see each other, and the secrets they keep make it impossible for them to act on their feelings. When Guildford says he needs a drink for what seems like the millionth time that night, Jane decides she's had enough.
After an explosive argument in which Guildford says horrible things to Jane that go against everything she believes in, she throws a drink in his face and leaves him drenched. In response, he tries to throw one back, but she dodges and rubs the fact in his face that he missed. Unable to say how angry and hurt they are, Jane and Guildford resort to schoolboy insults and make each other look ridiculous. It's funny to look back on that moment when compared to how far the couple ultimately came.
2
Margaret saves Katherine from the wedding
Season 1, Episode 3, “With a Girl Like You”
Though murder is never funny, It's hard not to see the end of the detestable Duke of Leicester (Jim Broadbent) as a good thing and hilarious in the way he acts. Jane's younger sister, Margaret, is characterized by having intense and violent tendencies from the beginning, but most of the time she channels them into protecting her sisters. After Frances realizes that the Dudleys have no money, she sees no choice but to marry Katherine to the decrepit old Duke of Leicester in a terrible twist of fate.
Resigned to her fate, Katherine informs Margaret that she too will end up marrying whoever she is told and will end up in a terrible situation. Of course, the free-spirited Margaret refuses to accept this and decides that Leicester will never get his hands on her sister, killing him by suffocating him with an apple. It's a bizarre scene, as a young woman commits murder, but that contrast is where the humor comes from. It also helps that Katherine appreciates this gesture so much.
1
Jane tries to comfort her team
Season 1, Episode 7, “Another Girl, Another Planet”
In the last few episodes of the series, Jane has been through a lot and it seems that her fate is sealed. While waiting for her trial, which she knows will be a farce since Mary is presiding over it, Jane is sent home to await her summons and tries to keep her head up for the sake of the team who have known her for years. In typical Jane fashion, she quotes an obscure line of literature that no one really understands. However, in this case, even she is not sure what that means.
However, this dark humor and the release of tension in the darkest moments is what My Lady Jane do the best. The show understands that it's not a full-blown drama, so seeing Jane march in agony to her death isn't what the audience wants to see. Additionally, as a character, Jane will always try to make the best of a situation and usually ends up embarrassing herself a little, even when her life is on the line.