About what I expected from HBO
To be fair, I’m not sure that the portrayal of Franklin was that inaccurate. The scenes in France, where he was somewhat of a dandy, were probably spot on and, in my opinion, did not portray him in a positive light. From what I have read he was very well liked, and sincerely enjoyed, the French court of Louis XVI, and I think we all know what became of most of them just a few years later due to their elitist attitudes. Additionally, Abagail Adams at one point says that she doubts Mrs. Franklin would approve of a certain relationship. It is fairly widely accepted that Franklin was somewhat of a lady’s man in France.
As for Jefferson, I think it was more the actor than the script. He was just a bit effeminate. As he aged he seemed far less effeminate. HBO did not dwell on things like the Sally Hemmings Affair, which they could have, and instead chose to only discuss it essentially in passing as the Adams family sits at dinner discussing what was appearing in the papers of the day. Had they been pushing a serious agenda they surely would have focused more on that.
Overall it was an excellent portrayal of an often overlooked man. It did not stray far from historical fact, and also did not shy away from Adams’ flaws.