Sadly Over-hyped

The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

There is definitely an excellent idea hidden in the background of the film. Unfortunately, it's difficult to find it.

Having watched all episodes of the three seasons recently, it's not surprising that the series was canceled before the proposed fourth and final season began.The first season was okay (6.8/10) with nice cinematography, costumes and very good acting. The story was a bit weak in parts.The second season was better (7.3/10), especially episodes 5-8. But the third season was disappointing (2/10). There was no need of the incest, it brought down the ratings I'm sure. The story became repetitive, unrealistic and rather dull.

Have a love for historical period dramas, the cast is an immensely talented one (seeing Jeremy Irons' name on any cast list has me sold) and the period depicted of the Borgias and the Renaissance is truly interesting. Regardless of its historical inaccuracies, 'The Borgias' makes for riveting and addictive viewing, so much so that it is not hard to forget that there are facts played far and loose with. It is a real shame that it didn't last longer when it puts a lot of series and historical dramas in recent years to shame, that it ended as abruptly and incompletely as it did in its prime and there are shows airing now that were not good in the first place or once great shows past their sell by date is really unfortunate. Didn't come watching 'The Borgias' expecting a history lesson and didn't get that, instead an exceptionally well made series that has flesh, blood and guts and, while fittingly melodramatic, there are plenty of thrills, chills, fascinating characterisations (that have far more complexity than a good deal of the black and white treatment of historical characters), tension and emotion to prevent it from being soap-operatic and nothing felt jarring dialogue-wise. Something that already puts it above for instance the recent 'The White Princess'. One may question why the historical inaccuracies were an issue in that and other things like 'Victoria' and not as much here. Basically it's all of the things above and that any inaccuracies did not come as a detriment of convincing drama or characterisation, with characters that are interesting and not distorted. Nothing here took me out of the setting or period and there was a real sense of time and place, whereas there are other historical dramas that are reminiscent of modern soap opera ('The White Princess' was a notable recent example) rather than the wide range of emotions and conflicts that 'The Borgias' had. Didn't find any content gratuitous. Melodramatic? Yes, and unashamedly proud of it (not wrong either, it's a very dramatic period). Riveting? Oh yes. Distasteful? No.As said, 'The Borgias' is exceptionally well made. It is exquisitely shot and the quality of the settings, scenery and costumes will have one gasping in awe. To me it was reminiscent of stepping into a Renaissance painting, a great feeling to have. The music suits the tone of the storytelling to a tee but isn't too intrusive.Writing is incredibly thought-provoking, intelligent and flows beautifully. The storytelling really packs a punch while not going overboard. The characters fascinate in personality and development, Cesare especially.Jeremy Irons heads a sterling cast and his towering acting is one of 'The Borgias' greatest pleasures. Sean Harris and Francois Arnaud leave one on the edge of their seats with their conflicted characters, and Holliday Grainger is a bat-out-of-hell Lucrezia. In summation, brilliant and should have lasted longer. 10/10 Bethany Cox

I came across The Borgias going through Netflix suggestions and I was blown away. It centers on the Borgia family and its perils to maintain fortune and power in 15th century Rome. What I liked the most about this series is that there are no unidimensional characters. There isn't classic stereotypes, the bad can be endearing, the good can be greedy and so on. Rodrigo, the father and Pope of Rome, as an example is a corrupt womanizer who goes through extreme lengths to get what he wants, but has a love so deep for his family that's moving. He also believes in God and is somewhat a pacifist. What is both cringe worthy and beautiful is the relationship between Cesare and Lucrezia. They are brothers in love and they are doomed to spend their lives with unsatisfying people, since what they really want is to be with each other. The actors playing those characters are so good that you find yourself rooting for this couple and every time I caught myself not finding them together utterly gross, I reminded myself that they are not siblings in real life, because the chemistry between them is impressive. All the actors in this show are superb, however one of the highlights is probably Sean Harris and his portray of Micheletto, an illiterate assassin whose eye expressions convey more emotions than a lot of the dialogs. So, for an entertaining time in front of the TV giving some poetic license to history, you should definitely watch The Borgias.

The Borgias is a series of episodes that would most appeal to those who are 21 and up and for those who enjoy intrigue and historical type drama. The Borgias is not for the faint of heart. The series reminds me of "The Godfather" with a papal twist. However, the pope is not the Godfather, Cesare Borgia is. The pope's daughter in the series comes off sweet and innocent. Yet, in reality, she was more like Cesare and extremely ruthless. In essence, she was her brother's sister. I enjoyed all three seasons of the Borgias. It was good to keep most of the episodes just under an hour in length. Each episode made me look forward to the next. I was disappointed not to see a fourth season which would hopefully take me to the death of Pope Borgia. The episodes demand your entire attention. These episodes are good for prime time and anytime. So enjoy with a glass of wine.