Tv review: The Pendragon Cycle
I’d heard about this show a while ago and decided to give it a go seeing as it is now on Amazon Prime. Fantasy tv shows have a very hit and miss reputation. When there’s a Game of Thrones there’s a Rings of Power and countless other cheap looking and cheesey shows that dabble in the genre. The Pendragon Cycle I am pleased to say really surprised me.
The Pendragon Cycle: Rise of the Merlin is the sort of fantasy series I have wanted to see since the BBC production of Merlin. It is ambitious, steeped in British mythology and prepared to treat the origins of Britain with the scale and seriousness they deserve.
It is not perfect. Some questionable costume choices, reports of behind-the-scenes difficulties and the apparent lack of continued support from the Daily Wire have all cast a shadow over it. Yet the series itself remains a thoroughly enjoyable piece of fantasy that deserved a much bigger push.
Based on Stephen R. Lawhead’s Pendragon Cycle, the story takes us back before the familiar age of King Arthur. This is a Britain still being forged through blood, faith, prophecy and war. Rather than beginning with Arthur pulling a sword from a stone, the series explores the people and events that will eventually make his rise possible.
That alone makes it feel different from the endless retellings of the same Arthurian story. This is not the polished Camelot of knights, tournaments and round tables. It is a harsher and more dangerous world in which Britain is still little more than an idea.
The story is easily one of the series’ greatest strengths. It understands that the Arthurian legends are bigger than Arthur himself. Merlin is not merely a mysterious old wizard waiting to advise a future king. He is placed at the centre of Britain’s creation and made into an active, formidable figure with his own struggles, loyalties and destiny.
And, frankly, Merlin is a badass.
This version of the character is intelligent, dangerous and capable of taking matters into his own hands. He is not reduced to a passive fortune-teller who appears occasionally to deliver cryptic warnings. He fights, schemes, suffers and influences the world around him. There is a sense that he is becoming a legend before our eyes.
The performances help sell the material. Fantasy dialogue can easily become stiff or unintentionally ridiculous, particularly when actors are expected to discuss prophecy and destiny with completely straight faces. For the most part, the cast manage to ground the story and make its larger ideas feel believable. The characters feel like people caught in the violent birth of a nation rather than performers dressed up for a medieval convention.
The action is another highlight. The battles have a sense of weight and brutality, with enough scale to make the conflicts feel important. They are not simply there to provide spectacle. The fighting reflects the dangerous world these characters inhabit, where leadership is earned through courage and survival can determine the future of an entire people.
The music also deserves recognition. A fantasy series like this lives or dies partly on its atmosphere, and the score gives the story the sense of myth and grandeur it needs. It helps elevate the landscapes, battles and moments of prophecy without overwhelming them.
Most importantly, Rise of the Merlin is about the origins of Britain. That gives it an identity many modern fantasy productions lack. British mythology is filled with extraordinary material, yet so much of it remains neglected or stripped down into the same familiar collection of Arthurian clichés. This series reaches deeper, exploring the blood, belief and legend from which Britain and its greatest king will eventually emerge.
It is frustrating, then, that some of the production choices occasionally undermine the world being created. Certain costumes look convincing and suitably weathered, while others feel conspicuously modern or totally out of place. In a grounded historical fantasy, one weak costume can pull you out of a scene almost immediately and like so many other movies and shows it suffers from the no helmets in battles idiocy. It is not enough to ruin the series, but it does highlight the limitations of the production.
More troubling are the reported behind-the-scenes dramas. Whatever the full truth of those disputes may be, they have become an unfortunate part of the conversation surrounding the programme. Viewers should be discussing the story, performances and mythology, not trying to work out what happened between the people making it.
The apparent response from the Daily Wire is equally disappointing. The company seemed to lose interest in promoting the series, leaving it without the sustained marketing campaign such an ambitious production required. It is difficult to build an audience when even the organisation responsible for releasing the programme appears reluctant to champion it.
That is especially frustrating because Rise of the Merlin represented an opportunity to prove there is an audience for fantasy rooted in traditional myths and heroic storytelling. If companies want to challenge the established entertainment industry, they must be willing to support their productions after the cameras stop rolling. Creating a series is only half the battle. It still needs promotion, visibility and long-term commitment.
Despite these problems, I enjoyed The Pendragon Cycle: Rise of the Merlin. Its strengths outweigh its weaknesses. The story is compelling, the acting is strong, the battles are exciting and Merlin himself is one of the best reasons to watch. It also embraces the mythology surrounding Britain’s origins with genuine enthusiasm.
It is a shame that events surrounding the production may have damaged its future, because the foundations were there for something special. With stronger costumes, better promotion and fewer distractions behind the scenes, it could have grown into a major fantasy saga.
As it stands, Rise of the Merlin is an ambitious, entertaining and occasionally brilliant series that deserves more attention than it received. If you enjoy Arthurian legend, historical fantasy or stories about the violent birth of Britain, it is well worth watching. Hopefully if it does well on Amazon Prime, Amazon may be inclined to make season 2. Fingers crossed!"
Rating: 8/10
