# The Serpent Queen (2022)

> An Italian-born orphan married into the 16th century French court uses intelligence and grit to survive a loveless marriage and master the brutal politics of the monarchy.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/98308

## Facts

- Seasons: 2
- Episodes: 16
- Episode runtime: 52 min
- Status: Canceled
- Genres: drama, history
- Created by: Justin Haythe
- Network: STARZ
- Cast: Samantha Morton, Liv Hill, Amrita Acharia, Barry Atsma, Enzo Cilenti, Sennia Nanua, Kiruna Stamell, Nicholas Burns
- TMDB rating: 7.7/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14022350/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: strong
- Complexity: layered
- Violence: moderate
- Tone: ambitious, tense, sardonic, bloody

## What critics say

Audience reception is positive overall, with the first season well received and the second season rated markedly lower.

## Synopsis

The Serpent Queen (2022-2024) is a American starz period drama series created by Justin Haythe for STARZ. Samantha Morton plays Catherine de Medici, an orphaned Italian teenager, with Liv Hill as her younger self, and Amrita Acharia as Aabis among the principal figures around her. Married into the sixteenth century French court with an unpaid dowry and pressure to produce heirs, Catherine must navigate a husband who loves an older woman and a royal household that treats her as a plain outsider. Her engine is quiet calculation: she tries to keep her marriage alive and learn the brutal rules of the monarchy better than the nobles who despise her. Across two seasons of eight episodes each, the series unfolds as one continuing story of alliances, betrayals and court maneuvering. Set in 16th century France, it balances lavish costume and palace interiors with a sharp, sardonic and often bloody register. Its tone is ambitious and tense rather than cozy, and its theme is survival through wit in a world that values lineage over the person. Viewers who enjoy The Tudors, Reign and Versailles will find resonance in its royal ambition and the politics of the bedchamber.

## Shows like The Serpent Queen

- [The Great (2020)](https://ember.film/tv/79346)
- [Knightfall (2017)](https://ember.film/tv/63690)
- [The Borgias (2011)](https://ember.film/tv/30388)
- [Borgia (2011)](https://ember.film/tv/31653)
- [The Spanish Princess (2019)](https://ember.film/tv/73417)
- [The Tudors (2007)](https://ember.film/tv/2797)
- [Reign (2013)](https://ember.film/tv/43886)
- [Ekaterina (2014)](https://ember.film/tv/62167)
- [The Empress (2022)](https://ember.film/tv/108751)
- [The White Princess (2017)](https://ember.film/tv/61432)

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