Warning: This article contains MAJOR SPOILERS for Amazon’s My Lady Jane and the book on which it’s based.
Summary
Prime Video’sMy Lady Janemakes multiple changes from the book, improving character arcs and adapting the story for the screen. The historical fantasy series twiststhe true story of Lady Jane Grey, also known as the Nine Days Queen. Rather than making her a 15-year-old victim of the monarchy,My Lady Janechanges the main character’s story, empowering her to take an active role in rewriting history.
My Lady Janeis based on the titular young adult novel by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows. While the central events of the story remain the same, the showrunners made many changes to the book. Changes are natural when it comes to show adaptations, becausewhat works on the page won’t necessarily have the same impact onscreen. The creative team behindMy Lady Janedid a great job choosing what would remain the same and what would be better changed, with almost every choice having a clear narrative purpose.
Who Voices The Narrator In My Lady Jane
The Narrator shapes the story in My Lady Jane and establishes a distinct perspective, making the actor who voices him essential to the show.
13Jane’s Mom And Lord Dudley Arranged The Marriage In The Show
Jane’s Mom Has More Influence In Amazon’s My Lady Jane
In theMy Lady Janebook, Lord Dudley manipulates King Edward into ordering Jane and Guildford’s wedding. The writing only alludes to her mother’s involvement when Jane states her mom has set up multiple engagements for Jane in the past. The fact that Edward chose the match and ordered the wedding creates tension between Jane and Edward.
However, the series changes the story by making the wedding a collaboration between Jane’s mom and Lord Dudley.This gives Jane’s mom a bigger role and character arc in the story.By having Edward sign off on the marriage, the Prime Video show still preserves the conflict that isolates Jane from her closest confidant. Moreover, it maintains Lord Dudley’s scheme by involving him in the decision.
12Henry The Eighth Is A Famous Ethian In The Book
The Show Removes Henry The 8th’s Ethian Background
One massive changeMy Lady Janemakes to the book is that the Amazon show removes Henry the Eighth’s Ethian form. In the book,he is called “the lion king” because the famous monarch turns into a lion.He repeatedly uses these abilities against anyone who angers him. However, the show presents him as a Verity who hates Ethians.
According to the Narrator, King Henry the Eighth turns on Mary’s mom when he learns she is an Ethian. This is the driving force in Mary’s all-consuming, unadulterated hatred of the magical beings. They could still theoretically introduce his Ethian form ifMy Lady Janegets a second season, but it seems unlikely, given the implications of his Verity form.
11Jane Meets Guildford Before The Wedding In Prime Video’s My Lady Jane
Jane And Guildford Have A New Meet Cute
The way that Jane and Guildford meet in theMy Lady Janebook and series are vastly different, changing how the characters interact and think about each other. In the novel, Jane goes over to meet Guildford, but he’s in his horse form. Rather than tell Jane, Guildford’s family allows her to believe he’s out galavanting with women. However, she doesn’t actually meet him until the wedding.
The series introduces Jane and Guildford at a pub without them knowing each other’s identity. Jane perceives him as someone who drinks and behaves rudely, while he thinks she’s pedantic and annoying.Their prior interaction shades their perception of one anotherwhen they meet at the wedding. This change helps set the viewers’ expectations of their dynamic early on.
10Edward Is Gay In The Amazon Show
Edward No Longer Has A Romantic Subplot With Jane
The best change that the Amazon show makes to the source material is Edward’s sexuality. In the book, he isn’t gay. Instead, he and his cousin Jane have romantically loved one another since childhood. This creates an awkward and painful-to-read dynamic, which creates unnecessary drama between Jane and Guildford. The latter gets jealous, reading into everything Jane and Edward say and do.
This was undoubtedly the worst part of the book. Luckily, Edward’s sexuality change removes this subplot entirely, creating a best-friend dynamic between Jane and Edward. Additionally, Amazon’sMy Lady Jane showadds a compelling queer romance in the not-so-historical romance genre. The show treats King Edward and Fitz just like every other romance, giving them sexual tension and a steamy making-out scene – a refreshing choice since LGBTQ+ sexuality is still somewhat taboo onscreen.
9Guildford Wants A Cure For Being An Ethian In The Show
Guildford Internalizes The Hatred Of Ethians
Within the book, Guildford may not openly admit to being an Ethian, but he isn’t ashamed of that fact either. His issues are with how Ethians are treated, not the fact that they exist. This is changed in Prime Video’sMy Lady Jane, where Guildford seeks a cure for his Ethian form. He has a deep-seated shame that harms his self-esteem.
Guildford’s desire for a cure also drives a wedge between him and Jane in a way that isn’t present in the original story. The book presents the two as agreeing that Ethians deserve safety and protection. However,Guildford sees Ethianism as an aberration in the show, while Jane wants to embrace it as a normal genetic deviation. Jane loves him – horse form and all.
What Are Ethians & Verities In My Lady Jane? What Their Conflict Is Based On
The central conflict within Amazon’s My Lady Jane pits Ethians against Verities, which ties into the story’s fantastic and magical world.
8Amazon’s My Lady Jane Replaces Grace With Fitz
Fitz Has A Better Romance With King Edward
King Edward’s romantic interest in the book is an Ethian Scottish woman named Grace. She also serves as one of the leaders of the Pack, the group of Ethians who raid and pillage the Verities. Prime Video’sMy Lady Janereplaces Grace with an Ethian named Fitz, who isn’t a leader in the Pack but is a part of the group.
Fitz helps introduce King Edward to the Packand encourages him to fight for his throne. Unlike Grace, Fitz isn’t threatened or bothered by Edward’s role as a monarch, seeing this as just another facet of his love interest. This acceptance makes Fitz and Edward’s romance in the show stronger than that of Grace and Edward in the book.
7The Amazon Prime Series Includes Lots Of Sex
The Sex Scenes Add A Raunchier Element To My Lady Jane
While sexual tension abounds between the main characters of theMy Lady Janebook, there are no sex scenes, with the book only briefly alluding to Jane and Guildford having intercourse at the end. Additionally, the character Jane has almost no theoretical knowledge of sex, calling it a“very special hug.”
The authors likely avoided sex scenes to make it more acceptable as a YA novel. However, the Amazon series ages up the characters and maturity level, establishing the raunchiness and steaminess from the start.My Lady Janeincludes a surprisingly high number of risqué scenes.Moreover, Jane jokes and talks about sex, proving that she’s knowledgeable despite her inexperience. This feels more realistic than the chaste depiction of the character and world in the book.
6Guildford’s Mom Wasn’t Murdered In The Book
Guildford’s Mom Tells Him He’s Getting Married
Guildford’s mysterious backstory in Amazon’sMy Lady Janeshapes his self-hatred, but it remains a mystery for most of season 1. Jane eventually learns thathis first transformation occurred on the day his mom died, and he blames his Ethian form because he’s not sure what actually happened. This backstory, while compelling, was created for the show. In the book, Guildford’s mom is divorced from his dad but is very much alive.
Guildford’s mom comes over to the estate so she and his dad can tell him about his impending marriage. Ultimately, the Prime Video series likely killed her for two reasons. Firstly, she’s an unnecessary character, only appearing in the one scene. Secondly, Guildford’s dead mom creates a deeper and more complex backstory for theMy Lady Janecharacter.
5Prime Video’s My Lady Jane Adds The Snake Scene
Bess Brings A Snake Into Jane’s Room
One scene created specifically forMy Lady Jane involves Bess bringing a venomous, deadly snake into Jane’s room. She does so at her sister Mary’s insistence, but immediately regrets the decision, preventing the animal from attacking Jane. This scene helps establish Bess’s morality and relationship with her sister and Jane.
In both the book and series,she has a strong sense of right and wrong.She would never harm her cousin or even let Mary do so. Even though they aren’t siblings, Bess treats Jane like a sister and has a contentious relationship with Mary, but she cherishes her whole family. Unfortunately, because of their division, she’s forced to take sides. While the snake scene doesn’t occur in the book, that version of Bess certainly would’ve acted similarly in that situation.
My Lady Jane Soundtrack Guide: Every Song & When They Play
My Lady Jane is an updated twist on a renaissance story, reflected in the show’s soundtrack, which uses recent songs and covers of classic hits.
4King Edward’s Grandmother Wants To Commit Genocide In The Show
Edward’s Grandmother Has A Nefarious Personality
King Edward’s grandmother plays an important role in both theMy Lady Janebook and show, but the two versions of the character have vastly different personalities. Her Ethian training in the book is kind, patient, and compassionate. She also doesn’t harbor hatred for the Verities. In the show, she’s cruel, manipulative, and abusive. Moreover, in one of the most bizarre changes, she wants to commit genocide of the Verity people.
Edward’s grandmother excitedly explainsthe prophecy for which she wants him to be the chosen one – a person rising up to kill every Verity in existence. She’s quite disappointed to find that Edward won’t fulfill the prophecy. There’s no clear logic for this change other than to maybe show an example of extremism.
