Kings - Goliath (1x1-1x2)
Watched the premiere of Kings last night. Really enjoyed it - I highly recommend watching it on Hulu or the NBC website if you didn't catch it.
The basic premise is a retelling of the story of David and Saul in a kingdom that's a sort of re-imagining of the contemporary U.S. Ian McShane (Al Swearengen of Deadwood) plays King Silas, and the show is worth it just to watch him monologue and manipulate. I'm hooked.
I was really just enthralled with the subtlety of the show - all of the Biblical parallels are there (Rev. Samuels "anointing" David with motor oil in his garage!) but, with the exception of the "David & Goliath" newspaper headline, they never really point to it. I didn't feel much of an, "Oh, aren't we so clever" vibe."
And the whole thing would be gimmicky if the characters and their actors weren't fully realized, but they are. Rev. Samuels is awesome - holy but not self-righteous - and General Abner has nailed the loyal but brutal angle (I loved the conversation between him and Silas over who they should whack). Jack is delightfully tortured and petty, and the scene where his sexuality is revealed was surprising and heartbreaking. And the Queen! Just as manipulative and tricky as her husband and her brother, but with that "I don't like to get involved in politics" veneer.
I found David to be not all that memorable, but likable enough, and I think he could grow into a character in which I'm interested. The spoilery full-season preview they showed at the end of the show hinted at that.
The basic premise is a retelling of the story of David and Saul in a kingdom that's a sort of re-imagining of the contemporary U.S. Ian McShane (Al Swearengen of Deadwood) plays King Silas, and the show is worth it just to watch him monologue and manipulate. I'm hooked.
I was really just enthralled with the subtlety of the show - all of the Biblical parallels are there (Rev. Samuels "anointing" David with motor oil in his garage!) but, with the exception of the "David & Goliath" newspaper headline, they never really point to it. I didn't feel much of an, "Oh, aren't we so clever" vibe."
And the whole thing would be gimmicky if the characters and their actors weren't fully realized, but they are. Rev. Samuels is awesome - holy but not self-righteous - and General Abner has nailed the loyal but brutal angle (I loved the conversation between him and Silas over who they should whack). Jack is delightfully tortured and petty, and the scene where his sexuality is revealed was surprising and heartbreaking. And the Queen! Just as manipulative and tricky as her husband and her brother, but with that "I don't like to get involved in politics" veneer.
I found David to be not all that memorable, but likable enough, and I think he could grow into a character in which I'm interested. The spoilery full-season preview they showed at the end of the show hinted at that.