Wolf Hall viewers issue same complaint as they claim episode 5 is ‘ruined’

Viewers who tuned into the penultimate episode of Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light took issue with one aspect of the historical BBC drama.

The six-part series traces the final four years of Thomas Cromwell (played by Mark Rylance), a key advisor to King Henry VIII (Damian Lewis) who became one of the most powerful men of the kingdom.

WATCH: Mark Rylance stars in the BBC’s Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light

While fans were full of praise for the gripping fifth episode, which introduced Henry VIII’s shortest-reigning wife Princess Anne of Cleves, some complained about the announcer talking over the credits at the end of the episode, saying it interrupted the dramatic and moving ending to the instalment.

One person penned on social media: “Marvellous episode of #WolfHall #TheMirrorAndTheLight Shame on the #bbc who don’t give us the time to let it fully sink in how good it was before a voice ruins it, by announcing, over the closing credits & music, what film is on bbc2,” while a second added: “For God’s sake, BBC, can’t you let the credits roll completely before a continuity announcement interrupts such a hugely dramatic moment? #wolfhall.”

A third viewer wrote: “The tragic and moving ending of episode 5 of Wolf Hall ruined by the squeezed credits and voice-over for what is next really disgraceful and disrespectful the mood is shattered, don’t do it BBC,” prompting others to agree, with one person penning: “Yes, absolutely ruined the tension,” while another posted: “This is a complaint that has been made over and over again and they totally ignore it.”

However, not all viewers were bothered by the announcer and took to social media to praise the incredible writing and performances. One fan wrote: “Episode 5 of The Mirror and the Light has to be up there with the finest hours of TV drama ever. Brilliant script. Stunning acting,” while another added: “Oh my. Episode 5 of Tho Mirror and the Light. Just superb. Cromwell, Henry, Norfolk, Gardiner, Mary. All wonderfully cast, acted and scripted.”

For those yet to tune into the series, it follows Thomas Cromwell as he navigates the “moral complexities that accompany the exercise of power in this brutal and bloody time” and is caught between his “desire to do what is right and his instinct to survive”.

The synopsis continues: “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.