Season 1 • Episode 2
LatestAna de Mendoza y de Silva, Princess of Éboli, is accused of treason and imprisoned in 16th Century Spain.
Acting
Belén Rueda's eye patch is doing more acting than most Oscar nominees.
Production
El Escorial never looked this suffocatingly gorgeous.
Writing
Turns 16th-century bureaucratic murder into genuinely gripping television.
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The real Ana de Mendoza did lose an eye in a childhood fencing accident—yes, fencing—and her eyepatch became her signature power move at court.
This production coincided with renewed Spanish interest in 'black legend' revisionism, reframing Philip II from ruthless tyrant to complicated bureaucrat. The series clearly picks a side.
ES
