Contains spoilers for this episode and earlier episodes.
Jane's death leaves Henry withdrawn while the court continues to compete for influence around him and his infant son. Access to Edward is tightly controlled at Hampton Court, where Lady Bryan supervises a household organised around keeping the prince safe. Francis Bryan obtains permission to visit, but Edward Seymour arrives to assert his own authority as the child's uncle. Elsewhere, the killing of a court servant adds another unresolved quarrel to Cromwell's work. His inquiries do not produce the quick answers he wants, and the rivalry between households survives the queen whose death has temporarily drawn the king away from ordinary court business.
Religious policy also moves in a direction that unsettles Cromwell. Henry's independence from Rome has not made him willing to follow every reform his adviser favours. The Six Articles reaffirm traditional beliefs and bring severe punishments for those who reject them. Cromwell must listen as the new requirements are read, while Brandon and the conservative bishops welcome the result. Henry is pleased to decide the settlement himself, leaving the minister who promoted change to reckon with limits the king can impose whenever he chooses. After the meeting, Cromwell and Rich discuss the danger of their position. Will Somers occupies the throne in a final mocking image, laughing through rooms where Henry's decisions have left little room for anyone else's certainty.