You know the story of Merlin and Arthur. Plenty of TV shows and movies have given us the tale, so is it really worth watching The Pendragon Cycle: The Rise of Merlin on Daily Wire+? If you want to watch a different retelling of the story, then definitely.
The Pendragon Cycle is not your typical Merlin story. Rather than being set in the Middle Ages, it’s set during the time the Romans occupied Britain, at a time when Christianity was on the rise and people had to choose between the faiths.
This isn’t some wild, fictionalized telling of the story, though. Okay, anything that involves King Arthur and Merlin has elements of wild fiction because at the heart of it, there’s a fantastical world. We don’t know just how much of it was true, although there are signs in history that it could be. But when you throw in the magic that every story of Merlin does, you get a fantastical world.
The Pendragon Cycle is based on Stephen R. Lawhead’s novels, with the first season covering the first two books. That means we go right back to the start, to the story of Taliesin.
Creating strong storytelling to get us ready for battle on The Pendragon Cycle: The Rise of Merlin
The first two episodes, which this review is based on, do give us a few battles here and there. However, the story isn’t heavy on them. It feels more like the start of Game of Thrones, setting up the character arcs and internal struggles of the world rather than throwing us straight into the bloodshed.
We get to see the conflict that characters like Taliesin and Charis have to make, as they figure out what their visions are telling them and which God they need to (initially) believe in. As they turn toward Christ, we see more internal struggles as their faiths are tested.
Getting to know who the characters are on an emotional level helps to draw us in, and it makes some of the heartbreak even harder to take. I don’t want to give too many spoilers, but like with Game of Thrones, you probably don’t want to get attached to too many characters right away. You know, just in case your favorite dies.
Seven episodes to cover two books of The Pendragon Cycle
In a way, I do wish that more time was devoted to the first book. We cover everything within the first two episodes, and while that works well, there are characters that I want to see more of. At times, I felt like I didn’t know where in the timeline we were, as the first episode jumps a little bit to tell the stories.
However, this is about “the rise of Merlin,” and naturally, we need to get into that part of the story relatively quickly. The third episode will pick up with the second book, which heavily focuses on Merlin, and this is what the majority of the trailer focuses on.
You don’t need to know the books to fully understand the story. Sure, there were moments I had to go back to figure out the timeline, but the characters are developed in their own right. There are hints of how they fit into the Arthurian legend that we already know, with mentions of the Lady of the Lake and Morgana (via the character Margain). The show treats you like you haven’t read the books, so that you can understand how the characters fit together.
It's just one of those shows that you have to pay attention to the whole way through, just like The Witcher, and honestly, that’s a great thing. It’s time that we all put our phones down while watching a show and appreciate the work that goes into it.
Visually stunning every step of the way
While the storytelling is important, getting the visual effects for a show like The Pendragon Cycle: The Rise of Merlin is essential. The great news is that this Daily Wire+ series manages it from the start.
From a smaller streamer like Daily Wire+, I wasn’t expecting a Netflix- or HBO-standard of quality. And yet, that’s what I got. The costumes are crafted beautifully, and the sets make you feel like you’re in the middle of Roman-conquered Britain. There are times that the visual effects feel like CGI (because they are), but that adds to the fantastical element of the story.
The lighting is just right, as we switch between time periods and character stories. Once you do start to pay attention and actually watch rather than scroll (I challenge you to do it!), you can quickly tell the difference between memories and current-day story arcs based on the coloring on the screen.
So much effort has been put into this that I already need a second season. The storytelling is there, and the craftmanship is out of this world. Now, The Pendragon Cycle: The Rise of Merlin just needs its audience, and it deserves it.
The Pendragon Cycle: The Rise of Merlin premieres with its first two episodes on Thursday, Jan. 22 on Daily Wire+, and then airs weekly on Thursdays.