The Borgias (2011)

The Borgias is a gripping historical drama set in fifteenth-century Italy that follows Rodrigo Borgia’s ruthless ascent to the papacy as Pope Alexander VI and the rise of his ambitious, dangerous dynasty. With bribery, murder, marriage alliances and open warfare, Rodrigo and his children—most notably the charismatic and violent Cesare and the politically used Lucrezia—maneuver through a web of enemies inside the College of Cardinals and rival states to secure power and legacy. The series mixes high-stakes political chess with intimate family intrigue, showing both the public spectacle of church politics and the private compromises and betrayals that sustain it. Viewers can expect tense plotting and frequent reversals, stark displays of brutality and betrayal, and lavish period production—sumptuous costumes, ornate courts and battlefield sequences—alongside quieter, emotionally charged scenes of manipulation, loyalty and moral decay. The tone is dramatic and morally complex: you’ll witness the intoxicating lure of power, the corrosive effects of corruption, and the personal costs of building an empire at any price.

Actors: Jeremy Irons, François Arnaud, Holliday Grainger

Genres: Crime, Drama, History

7.9 /10 7.9 /10