‘The Winter King’ review: King Arthur channels ‘Game of Thrones’ in gritty drama

King Arthur will get the “Recreation of Thrones” therapy within the gritty new drama “The Winter King.” 

The interval piece, airing Sundays (9 p.m. ET on MGM+), is predicated on “The Warlord Chronicles” novels by Bernard Cromwell. It’s a retelling of the well-known King Arthur story set in Darkish Ages Britain, the place the land is split into warring tribes who’re always battling with the Saxons. 

The present is gritty, bloody and typically campy, with unhealthy wigs galore.

It’s no masterpiece however, regardless of its flaws, there’s nonetheless sufficient in it to captivate followers of exhibits corresponding to “Vikings” and its spinoff, and “Home of the Dragon.” 

“The Winter King” begins with Arthur (Iain De Caestecker), the illegitimate son of the king who’s a warrior on a battlefield. (Naturally, there are many closeups of his face trying grim and smeared with dust and blood to ascertain what sort of present that is proper off the bat.)

When Arthur brings his slain brother’s physique house to his abusive father, King Uther (Eddie Marsan), he’s livid and almost kills Arthur. However the king’s advisor, Merlin (Nathaniel Martello-White), convinces the king to banish Arthur as an alternative. 

From there, the present jumps round in time — with the display screen usually studying “3 months later” or “8 years later.” It follows a number of totally different characters and their plotlines, together with Arthur, together with Merlin’s protégé, Nimue (Ellie James), a witchy girl who can talk with the gods however struggles between her obvious future and her need for an everyday life with a household; and Derfel (Stuart Campbell), a boy whom Arthur rescues from a mass grave.

The eight-year time soar exhibits that Derfel grew up within the idyllic village of Avalon following his rescue, however he feels compelled in direction of life as a warrior as an alternative of a quiet farm life. (He and Nimue even have a little bit of a star-crossed love.)

When the king has a brand new child boy, Mordred, and names him as his inheritor, Merlin has a imaginative and prescient that the boy will likely be a tyrant who destroys Britain. So, Merlin units out to convey the exiled Arthur again, since he thinks that Arthur is the one one who can cease that from occurring and unite their kingdom towards exterior threats. 

Much like “Recreation of Thrones,” the collection tries to concurrently be a grounded pseudo-historical drama and a fantastic fantasy; for instance, it’s set in a historic period, and a few characters corresponding to Derfel are actual (he was a Celtic Christian monk from the sixth century), whereas different characters corresponding to Merlin are legendary figures. 

Magic is actual on this world: Merlin is proven having visions, and Nimue communicates with the “gods” within the type of a wolf in an apparition.

The setting just isn’t the Camelot from legends however Dumnonia, which is the historic identify for a kingdom in Britain that existed throughout this time interval. 

And there are not any Knights of the spherical desk (but).

“The Winter King” additionally performs quick and free with the King Arthur story. As an example, in some variations of the well-known story, the villainous Mordred is Arthur’s illegitimate son or nephew. On this model, Mordred is his half-brother.

The writing is usually clunky, with characters who really feel like archetypes greater than folks. 

However, there’s one thing absorbing about “The Winter King,” and its pacing by no means drags. 

It’s not glorious TV however ought to enchantment to any followers of gritty “swords and sandals” epics.