Camelot on Starz

[Diogenes the Cynic]

Anybody watching the new Camelot series on Starz? It's three episodes in now, and I have to say it's better than what I was expecting. It's not too cheesy, the acting is good (particularly by Eva Green as Morgan), and it's trying to be more naturalistic than fanciful (though it still has magic).

There are some twists on convention, some good, some meh. I like that Arthur's adopted brother Kay is shown as a supportive mentor and ally - a true big brother, instead of the resentful and jealous douche that he often is. Merlin is shown to be kind of a dick and a manipulator. More Karl Rove than Gandalf, and he (to this point) refuses to do magic. I don't think I like the twist on the Arthur/Guinevere/Lancelot triangle, though (if that's what they're doing). The knight isn't even named Lancelot, so maybe this is just some kind of preamble.

As I said before, I think Eva Green is the standout so far as Morgan. She has a smoldering intensity to her that's really working. She dominates every scene she's in.

Joesph Fiennes as Merlin is pretty good too, but his character isn't very Merlin-y. Maybe that will change.

All in all, it's not too bad a show so far. Plenty of Starz level sex and nudity too (though, as with Spartacus, maybe a little too much man ass).

Who else is watching this, and what do you think?

[LVBoPeep]

I watched the first one and liked it but mostly because JAMES PUREFOY!!! Then I looked on IMDB and saw they are only using him for two episodes :( so my interest quickly diminished after that.

[Tarwater]

Arthur is such a whining, self-absorbed kid. They've taken a really interesting direction with the character. I've watched two episodes, and Arthur has been almost inhumanely repellant, to the point where I'm starting to dislike the actor, whom I'm sure is a stand-up guy outside of this role.

[Contrapuntal]

I'm of two minds. I like the re-telling, but the 21st century dialogue and concepts really take me out of the moment.

[quixotic78]

I've seen two episodes, and it's OK. I totally agree about Eva Green -- she's an example of perfect casting. She's just totally owning that role. I think I like the direction they're going with Merlin, although I wish they had just cast Chris Meloni if they were going to cast his exact twin. I think I like the new twist on the Lancelot/Arthur/Guinevere triangle, although that might be because I thought Lancelot (or whatever his name was) was gay. Hell, he still might be for all we know.

I, too, will miss Marc Anthony, aka King Lot. Seems like a bad decision to me to kill off such a presence two episodes in, but maybe we'll get lucky and Morgan will resurrect him or something.

I'll keep watching, but I don't expect to love it the way I do with Spartacus. (Then again, I didn't expect to love that series after the first two episodes either!)

[liz999]

i have seen the last episode and although it's a bit better than the former ridiculous ones, it's still one big yawn. not exciting, not interesting, nothing. the writers should take a look at the Borgias or game of thrones. camelot is a flop. and yes, the actor playing the king has no charisma and will never have.

[elfkin477]

I like it well enough, except that the whole cast are better actors and more attractive than the kid playing Arthur... besides his too widely set eyes, he looks like the middle boy from Hanson. Oh well, at least the rest of the cast is nice to look at and listen to.

Eva Green is a wonderful actress, so how come I've never seen her in anything but the forgettable Kingdom of Heaven? And speaking of actresses, how cool is it that the one who plays Guenevere played Morgan as a child in Mists of Avalon?

Does anyone know if this show is based on any particular version of the king Arthur legends (or a novel about him)? There are several variations and I haven't been able to pinpoint it.

Oh, and a dumber question...is Leontes supposed to be Lancelot?

[JeffB]

I like it well enough, except that the whole cast are better actors and more attractive than the kid playing Arthur... besides his too widely set eyes, he looks like the middle boy from Hanson. Oh well, at least the rest of the cast is nice to look at and listen to.
I agree that Arthur is by far the weakest actor.
Oh, and a dumber question...is Leontes supposed to be Lancelot?As far as I know, Leontes is a newly created character. Every version I've read has Guinevere as Arthur's wife, with no previous marriage. Lancelot doesn't appear until after they are married. The plot change just further contributes to making Arthur into an angsty teen.

[Gangster Octopus]

Its interesting how when I first started watching I really hated the choice for Arhur, but I think he is growing on me, not sure why. I think it is because he didn't seem very kingly, but now it is clear he is learning how to be king. I am still not 100% sold, but I am accepting of him in the role.

I very much like the show, I must admit. I too am curious if the Leontes storyline is a replcement for the Lancelot one or if it is apart and we will stil get to see Lancelot. I suspect he wil show up later, because in fact that is how he appears in the histories. He is a knight from France who comes to England based on Arthur's reputation.

[Acsenray]

I haven't seen it yet, but just looking at the promotional info on the Starz website, as far as the female cast is concerned, it looks like a dream come true!

[Simplicio]

Its interesting how when I first started watching I really hated the choice for Arhur, but I think he is growing on me, not sure why. I think it is because he didn't seem very kingly, but now it is clear he is learning how to be king. I am still not 100% sold, but I am accepting of him in the role.

He's a lot better in the latest episode,as they gave him something to do other then moon over Guinevere or wait around for Merlin to tell him what to do. Hopefully future plots will involve him doing more king stuff.

But I like the series in general, especially Merlin as a bi-polar Karl Rove.

[Dewey Finn]

So far I haven't found it very engrossing. Actually, it's been kind of boring. (I keep hoping for something like Rome, which captured my attention much quicker and more effectively.)

[DigitalC]

It's not as good as Rome, Spartacus, Game of Thrones or even Pillars of the earth. The female eye candy is nice, but unless they ramp up the raunch quite a bit it is not going to make up for the boring story. Killing James Purefoy in the second episode = huge mistake.

[elfkin477]

It's not as good as Rome, Spartacus, Game of Thrones or even Pillars of the earth. I disagree - it's much less stupid than Pillars Of The Earth.

[Diogenes the Cynic]

I think the last couple of episodes have been kind of mixed. Some things are good - I liked the whole trial thing - but other things have just been weird. I agree that the kid playing Arthur doesn't seem to project much power. The guy playing Leontes is better. Hell, the guy playing Kay is better.

[Acsenray]

They made Morgan the daughter of Uther and his first wife? That's a huge departure from the traditional story, in which she's the daughter of Ygerne and her first husband. Don't you lose the whole thing about Uther visiting Igraine wearing Gorlois's armor and Morgaine being the only one to realize he's an imposter?

[Acsenray]

It annoyedme when one of the characters spoke of their country as "England." The R-Bs would not have a concept of England as a country or a people. They would have only spoken of Britain or, at the most South Britain (as opposed to Caledonia or Albania on the north).

[Acsenray]

R-Bs = Romanized Britons

[Acsenray]

Waitaminit, Claire Forlani is English? She sure fooled me in Mallrats. (And yes I'm of the generation that has never missed a Kevin Smith movie, not even the bad ones.)

[Boyo Jim]

I've recently started watching Camelot, Game of Thrones and The Borgias, and they are kind of running together in my head.

So far I like Game of Thrones best. Both Camelot and The Borgias seem a bit more soap opera than quality drama, and The Borgias script seems particularly pedantic.

I will keep watching Camelot. It's not bad, which makes it great compared to most of what's available on TV.

FYI, I think Rome was one of the best shows ever, and I'm a pretty big fan of Spartacus too.

[Simplicio]

So far I like Game of Thrones best. Both Camelot and The Borgias seem a bit more soap opera than quality drama, and The Borgias script seems particularly pedantic.

I've been watching all three, but I think I'm giving up on The Borgias. It doesn't have any interesting characters, and seems to be too focused on whose having sex with who in place of a plot. Too bad, since the pilot was kind of interesting, but they didn't really run with the ideas from it in the following episodes.

[Gangster Octopus]

I've recently started watching Camelot, Game of Thrones and The Borgias, and they are kind of running together in my head.

So far I like Game of Thrones best. Both Camelot and The Borgias seem a bit more soap opera than quality drama, and The Borgias script seems particularly pedantic.


Of course the source material for Camelot is pretty much a soap opera, too.

[Acsenray]

I find that some of the dialogue is slightly too contemporary in its idiom and takes me out of the suspension of disbelief, such as

-- "You're with me" -- an instruction from Morgan (IIRC) to a lackey, meaning to accompany her. It's something I expect to hear from Helen Mirren in Prime Suspect, not from an iron age sorceress.

-- "You know me. I never miss an invite." -- Merlin to Morgaine

[C K Dexter Haven]

We watched the first four (?) episodes, and then gave up. I don't mind people taking liberties with the Arthur story (killing off Lot, marrying Guenivere to some new character, etc) but we had a real dislike for the Arthur character that we never got over. There were a couple of nice moments -- the sword in the stone, for instance -- that then got wrecked with Arthur falling over the waterfall. Basically, we felt it was meh.

It might have been damaged by running alongside GAME OF THRONES and BORGIAS. They're all being done as soap operas, but this one was the weakest. We stopped DVRing.

[Acsenray]

I agree with some of your points.

I really, really dislike Arthur. The actor is too pretty. He plays Arthur as too much of an impulsive adolescent. He's really unlikable.

I quite like Morgan and Merlin. I like how the story took fantasy elements like the sword in the stone and the lady of the lake and re-crafted them.

I'm still annoyed, however, that Morgan is the daughter of Uther instead of being the daughter of Igraine and Gorlois.

I'm going to stick with it for now, along with The Borgias and Game of Thrones. Mostly because at this point the good still outweighs the bad. And also because there never seem to be more than a handful of serious, adult dramas. And, on principle, I support serious, adult dramas that are sexually explicit. I want to encourage more of that.

[the lone cashew]

I am still learning the Camelot characters, having missed the first episode or two but am enjoying the show. Although I agree with those who think it pales in comparison to Game of Thrones, it's definitely less cheesy than Pillars of the Earth, which was way too soap opera-ish, imo.

On this latest episode ''The Long Night'', what the heck happened at the end? First it looked like Igraine was taken secretly as prisoner being tended by that backstabbing nun, then it showed her (Igraine) riding into Camelot.. "it's good to be home." :confused:

[Diogenes the Cynic]

Morgan shape shifted to look like Igraine. The Igraine now at Camelot is really Morgan in disguise.

[the lone cashew]

Thanks for the explanation, Diogenes. Am more than a little bit disappointed though upon learning this. What's next? Quantum physics? I realize Camelot might involve magic and fantasy but the writers should draw the line somewhere - if the story gets far fetched past a certain point it can become silly.

[Acsenray]

Thanks for the explanation, Diogenes. Am more than a little bit disappointed though upon learning this. What's next? Quantum physics? I realize Camelot might involve magic and fantasy but the writers should draw the line somewhere - if the story gets far fetched past a certain point it can become silly.

It's already well established in the Arthur stories that Arthur was conceived when Merlin helped Uther change his shape to look like Gerlois so that he could copulate with Igraine. How is this any worse?

[Diogenes the Cynic]

I'm not finding the magic very intersting either. I'd rather see the show focus more on Arthur trying to establish a new kind of kingdom (protective instead of exploitive), and a more naturalistic tone. All the Morgan/Merlin intrigue and the magic is starting to get boring.

[Kinthalis]

I hate Arthur. Guy has such a dopey look on his face all the time.

But I'm liking the show. Not up to par with Game Thrones which is rocking my fantasy bone, but good and interesting none the less.

Specially like Morgan, as everyone else apparently.

[Merijeek]

It's already well established in the Arthur stories that Arthur was conceived when Merlin helped Uther change his shape to look like Gerlois so that he could copulate with Igraine. How is this any worse?

I'm not big into the Arthur legend, but isn't this STRAIGHT from the Excalibur movie, which is presumably based off...something?

-Joe

[Kinthalis]

Based on the earliest full "account" of Arthur's life. Made up completely, of course, but yeah that's how Geoffrey of Monmoth recounts (invents really) Arthur's birth.

[the lone cashew]

It's already well established in the Arthur stories that Arthur was conceived when Merlin helped Uther change his shape to look like Gerlois so that he could copulate with Igraine. How is this any worse?
Okay, I missed out on this, wasn't familiar with the root of the story. This was the first magic I had seen (or was whooshed on, until it was pointed out) - with the exception of the cauldron with the face of Igraine appearing. Uther? Gerlios? Are these people in this version? I still think it's bordering on lame, it threw the context out a bit for me. Or maybe I am just defensive for not figuring the shapeshifting out. If Morgan has this kind of power, what's the use of all these convoluted scenarios? I give credit for Liberty Starz network for plugging away with these original series attempts, and this one is vastly better than Pillars of the Earth. But HBO outshines them regularly - not only on original series productions but sports documentaries as well.

I should bail, just wait for the Camelot series to be replayed, then catch the first couple of episodes that I missed - would likely enjoy it more.

[Acsenray]

Uther? Gerlios? Are these people in this version?

Uther was in the very first scene of the series. The series begins with the return of Morgan from the nunnery and the subsequent death of Uther. On several occasions, Morgan reminds people that she is the daughter of Uther.

Gerlois hasn't been in the series yet, but Igraine admits at some point that she was married to another man when she conceived Arthur. And Merlin admits that he helped Uther trick his way into Igraine's bed in exchange for any child that might be born of that union. I don't know that they showed exactly how that happened except in fuzzy flashback.

In addition to the annoyance that Morgan has been reassigned as the daughter of Uther rather than as the daughter of Igraine and Gerlois, it also annoys me that they seem to be using "Pendragon" as a family name rather than as a title ("chief dragon," meaning "high king").

[Dewey Finn]

I should bail, just wait for the Camelot series to be replayed, then catch the first couple of episodes that I missed - would likely enjoy it more.
Don't you have HBO On Demand available through your cable service? I'll bet that all the episodes are available through that.

[the lone cashew]

Don't you have HBO On Demand available through your cable service? I'll bet that all the episodes are available through that.

Yeah, but they're replaying the episode that is current that week, in addition sometimes to the episode before that. I'm sure that sooner or later, they will get back to the earlier ones though.

Thanks for that explanation, Ascenray! It indeed help me figure out what is going on in the series.



Current episode airs in 10 minutes!

[Acsenray]

I find that some of the dialogue is slightly too contemporary in its idiom and takes me out of the suspension of disbelief, such as

-- "You're with me" -- an instruction from Morgan (IIRC) to a lackey, meaning to accompany her. It's something I expect to hear from Helen Mirren in Prime Suspect, not from an iron age sorceress.

-- "You know me. I never miss an invite." -- Merlin to Morgaine

No one else noticed this?