Premieres Sundays March 23 - April 27, 2025 at 9 p.m. on KPBS TV / PBS app
The sequel, WOLF HALL: THE MIRROR AND THE LIGHT picks up in 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.
Why Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light is a Must-Watch
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. 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?
Eagerly awaited and years in the making, WOLF HALL: THE MIRROR AND THE LIGHT will trace the final four years of Cromwell’s life, completing his journey from self-made man to the most feared, influential figure of his time. Cromwell is as complex as he is unforgettable: a politician and a fixer, a diplomat and a father, a man who both defied and defined his age.
EPISODE GUIDE:
Episode 1: "Wreckage" premieres Sunday, March 23 at 9 p.m. on KPBS TV - 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" premieres Sunday, March 30 at 9 p.m. on KPBS TV - 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" premieres Sunday, April 6 at 9 p.m. on KPBS TV - 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" premieres Sunday, April 13 at 9 p.m. on KPBS TV - 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" premieres Sunday, April 20 at 9 p.m. on KPBS TV - 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: premieres Sunday, April 27 at 9 p.m. on KPBS TV - 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.
Stream On Your Schedule: The series will be available to stream with the PBS app.
CATCH UP: The most thorough way way to gear up is to watch WOLF HALL Season 1. Now through March 23, you can stream all six episodes of WOLF HALL Season 1 and on the free PBS app. You can enjoy Season 1 with PBS Masterpiece on Prime Video (subscription required) and iTunes.
PODCAST: The MASTERPIECE Studio podcast revisits WOLF HALL Season 1 with two fascinating episodes: a 42-minute Wolf Hall recap hosted by Jace Lacob and a 34-minute conversation with Oxford educated historian and author Kirsten Claiden-Yardley, who provides valuable historical context.
Credits: A Playground and Company Pictures co-production for the BBC and MASTERPIECE. The series will be distributed internationally by Banijay Rights. The series is directed by Peter Kosminsky, adapted by Peter Straughan, and produced by Lisa Osborne. Executive Producers are Colin Callender and Noëlette Buckley for Playground, Peter Kosminsky, Lucy Richer for the BBC, and Susanne Simpson for MASTERPIECE.
