Critics have been "almost unanimous" in their praise of the initial series, with particular reference to the attention to period detail, the faithful adaptation of the source novels, Kosminsky's direction, and the performances of the leading cast members, particularly Rylance as Cromwell and Foy as Boleyn. Review aggregator
Rotten Tomatoes gave the show a 98% rating based on 53 reviews with an average rating of 8.4/10. The website's critical consensus states, "Beautifully filmed and brilliantly acted, Wolf Hall masterfully brings Hilary Mantel's award-winning novels to life." Sam Wollaston in
The Guardian called it "sumptuous, intelligent, event television." Will Dean in
The Independent felt that it did not compare favourably with the stage adaptation of the book, yet he predicted that it would "secure a devoted following." James Walton in
The Daily Telegraph gave the first episode five stars out of five, commenting: "it's hard to see how this one could have been done much better." Mick Adam Noya from the television review show Channel Crossing called Wolf Hall "the best show of 2015".
Sophie Gilbert of
The Atlantic wrote, "Magnificent...a tour de force." A few dissenting voices found some flaws.
The Daily Telegraph alleged that there was a substantial drop in ratings between the first and second episodes, despite all the following episodes holding high and consistent ratings.
Simon Schama stated concerns about how the series depicted historical figures.
Emily Nussbaum of
The New Yorker cited "small weaknesses", but wrote "the show's deliberately paced six hours turn out to be riveting, precisely because they are committed, without apology or, often, much explanation, to the esotericism of their subject matter."
The Mirror and the Light generated controversy over the inclusion of non-white actors, a departure from the first series. Colin Callender, the founder of
Playground Entertainment, the company that produced the series, addressed the "color-blind" casting issue, saying, "The world has changed since the first series. We felt that diverse casting was appropriate and something we should and wanted to do. It's as simple as that." However, the choice drew criticism, including from the journalist and author,
Petronella Wyatt, a descendant of
Thomas Wyatt who was portrayed in the series by a British actor originally from Egypt. Writing in
The Daily Telegraph, she called the decision "absurd" and said "to portray English aristocrats as black or mixed-race is, conversely, an act of racism, as it suggests that ethnic minorities in Tudor Britain had the doors of society flung open to them, when in fact they led drear and oppressed lives." The lighting design, which used historically accurate natural light sources (such as candlelight for evening scenes) prompted criticism from some viewers who felt many scenes appeared too dark. ==International broadcast==