Pope Alexander VI, also known as Rodrigo Borgia, had grand ambition for himself and his family.  Allegations of murder, adultery, incest and bribery, litter the family history.  If you give a read to the wiki, you'll see why both Canal+ and Showtime are producing separate series about these people: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Borgia  However, if you want maximum enjoyment of the series, it might be better to leave the real events unknown.

This review is about the Canal+ version that is currently available on Netflix: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1736341/

I have not seen the Showtime version, but from the clips and trailers, I feel the Canal+ production is superior in quality.

I started watching a couple episodes into the first season.  Chiquita had already started the series, and explained who the essential characters were for me while Rodrigo wheeled and dealed to win the Cardinals' vote for Pontiff.  I was hooked.  The characters were not just flawed (oh how they were flawed) but extremely believable.  Watching all these characters slip further and further into degradation was fascinating, especially since the series appears to be holding to the major facts of the family's history, and including some rumoured tales as well.

The casting is great work.  Each of the characters in this series matches well with historical paintings of their real life counterparts.  The acting is top notch.

A word of warning, however.  There is a lot of violence and full frontal nudity in this series.  Since it's not just pretty people you see naked, it gives the series a sense of rawness.

The Good: Quality production.  Great cast.  Story sucks you in.  You legitimately root for and hate characters (sometimes at the same time)
The Bad: Have to wait till 2014 for Season 3
The Ugly: Even I felt the need to look away from some of the torturous death scenes (like sawing men in half from scrotum to cranium)

I felt the weakest acting was of the actor playing Cardinal Borgia.  The other actors, to me at least, seemed so much better, which made his acting stand out in contrast.

How did you enjoy the Pope Milking scene?

Is that a joke?  Which Cardinal Borgia do you mean?  Rodrigo?  Cesare?  Or one of the Cardinal cousins with Borgia in their name?  

I don't recall any milking scene.... must've blocked it out.

At the beginning of the series there's only one cardinal borgia is there not? Rodrigo.  That's the actor to which I refer.

How can you not remember the pope milking scene!?  It's the scene where Rodrigo tries to keep the pope alive by bringing in a very busty wetnurse to breastfeed the pope so he lives long enough for Rodrigo and gang to get the last will revoked to a previous will.  You see the pope lying down suckling like mad.

Quoted from Hawkeye

How can you not remember the pope milking scene!?

Here's how:

Quoted from Diddly

I started watching a couple episodes into the first season.