Entertainment
New King Arthur Series Ends With Epic Battle, Screaming For A Second Season
By Jennifer Asencio
| Published
A finale for a season of a series has two jobs: to close the season’s story arc while also leaving enough of the larger world’s story open for a possible next season. This is even more important for serial shows like The Pendragon Cycle because the entire season usually has its own plot and circumstances while introducing elements of the larger story. The seasonal arc is supposed to provide closure in case the series doesn’t continue its larger arc with another season.
A Sprawling Setup Hints At A Much Bigger Picture
While the overarching plot of Rise of the Merlin is how he winds up advisor to the One and Future King, Arthur’s parents have only just met, and right now, there are Saxon invaders to take care of. Lots of them. A lot more of them than there are Britons under Aurellius’s banner, and some of his allies are getting scared.
Fortunately, there’s Gorlas to hold things together with his usual candor, while his beautiful daughter Ygerna makes eyes at Uther. All of Briton’s kings must unite to fight this threat, but there are a few in question, and Merlin isn’t back yet. Regardless, ready or not, it’s time for war. Will Merlin bring reinforcements? Will Briton prevail against the Saxons? Will Aurellius become High King?
While all the short-term threads are tied together, this finale didn’t seem like an ending. It left more questions than answers, and a lot of the plotlines that have long-term arcs did not get resolved. This is but a segment of Merlin’s very long life, the part that positions him as the eventual advisor of Uther and his son, Arthur. The Pendragon Cycle is not a contained story in the first place, but the window we are provided is not adequate, and I couldn’t help feeling that the series could have benefited from one more episode. Or, perhaps, a second season, please.
Nevertheless, the immediate threat of Hengist and his hordes of barbarians hangs over the camp during the first half of the episode. Having participated in the Society for Creative Anachronisms, a historical cosplay group for medieval enthusiasts, I felt right at home among the tents, kitchen tables with cooks portioning herbs, squires frantically running from encampment to encampment, and especially the noise.
Dramatic intrigue aside, the camp feels like it leaps out of history, which has been a strength of the show in its later episodes. Did I mention the noise? This camp is a living place, and the din of activity is always present in the background, contributing deeply to its authenticity. This episode hardly has any soundtrack music, and this was a good choice that allowed each scene to speak for itself.
Once the armies face off, though, the episode turns into something else: an amazing spectacle of savage medieval warfare, starting with the eerie effect of the Saxon army’s approach. The lack of soundtrack music is even more effective here. Gritty, chaotic, and violent (hide the kids and the squeamish), this is the best battle in the series. The direction of Jesse V. Johnson really takes the forefront at this point. Once again, authenticity reigns as the camera is deftly maneuvered through the field to follow the various players and their tribulations. Distant shots of the battlefield give a sense of scale that compliment the close frames by adding more urgency to them.
The Epic Battle Buildup
Josiah Nelson’s script shows off both his strengths and his weaknesses. I’ve said before that he’s great at drama, tension, and character development, but that sometimes he lingers too long on both the decision to act and the action itself. In a few places, scenes start to lag, but these are quickly caught before they become tiresome. A lot of time is spent in the build-up to the battle, with the various under-kings squabbling, plotting, and considering retreat. Nelson’s writing is especially good when he’s focused on this kind of intrigue.
The actors seized this opportunity. Riveting performances abound from all the cast, but the spotlight this episode falls to Chick Allan as Gorlas, Nicholas Boulton as Morcant, and Steve Varnom as Custennin.
In pairs, they shine, but when confronted with one another, their performances are mind-blowing. Boulton has been excellent through the entire series at portraying Morcant’s Doubting Thomas attitude toward the youthful king and is especially vibrant with the Saxons on the doorstep. Allan brings his rugged humor to Gorlas’s loyalty to Aurellius, especially on the battlefield. Varnom is at his best, now that Custennin is allowed his full range, especially in battle while wielding a very unusual weapon. But in an episode full of great acting, it’s almost unfair to single anyone out.
A Climax That Needs Closure
The finale of The Pendragon Cycle: Rise of the Merlin seems to have been the focal point of all the production. Hints of it have been dropped along the way: beautiful sets, attention to small details of medieval life, and intense skirmishes that were only a taste of what was to come. This episode brings all that to a resounding crescendo of cinematic visual spectacle. It is almost perfect. Almost.
But the elephant in the room is that it doesn’t provide the closure of a finale. There is still more of Merlin’s story yet untold, too much left undone and unseen. Fans of Arthurian legend will be left with a sense of foreboding that is unfitting for a finale, especially if the show never gets a second season. The single weakness in an otherwise great finale is that Merlin’s story is so dominant over the entire series that it takes precedence over the Saxon invasion, and not enough closure is offered him, which made the finale bittersweet.
Nevertheless, there are so many good things about the finale of The Pendragon Cycle that it’s unfair to hold the fate of future seasons against it. On the contrary, I want to see another season, and the best way to get one is to watch the show and encourage Daily Wire+ to make more.
The Pendragon Cycle: Rise of the Merlin is now streaming in its entirety on Daily Wire+. Check it out and give this Arthurian epic the attention it deserves.