{"id":288925,"date":"2026-02-13T07:25:13","date_gmt":"2026-02-13T07:25:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/288925\/"},"modified":"2026-02-13T07:25:13","modified_gmt":"2026-02-13T07:25:13","slug":"new-king-arthur-series-rises-to-the-level-of-game-of-thrones-in-episode-5","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/288925\/","title":{"rendered":"New King Arthur Series Rises To The Level Of Game Of Thrones In Episode 5"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBy Jennifer Asencio<\/a>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t | Published 18 seconds ago\t\t<\/p>\n

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Episode 5 of The Pendragon Cycle: Rise of the Merlin is titled \u201cThe Price of Failure.\u201d While that may seem like the name of a young adult book, it\u2019s a layered story that deftly establishes the future of the legends we know.<\/p>\n

The cold open is not the only time we see Merlin as a child, as his past is woven throughout the episode through flashbacks that explain his \u201cmissing years.\u201d All this history is resurrected in his memory by a necessary return to the lands of Yr Hen Ogledd, the site of his childhood. His Atlantean heritage doesn\u2019t help him, either, since he\u2019s hardly aged while people he knew in his youth have.<\/p>\n

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Meanwhile, Aurellius and Uther have gathered the kings of England to make an alliance that names Aurellius high king, where they are having troubles of their own. Gorlas has the most battle experience and thinks he should lead the armies, much to the chagrin of notorious hothead Uther. But when Uther goes to negotiate with the war leader, his life will be changed forever.<\/p>\n

A Step Back From The Previous Episode<\/p>\n

This episode wasn\u2019t quite as good as the last, mainly because it lacks the kind of large-scale battles that made the last so intense. However, there is a lot of drama here, as tense negotiations are taking place across England. Gorlas, played by experienced Arthurian actor Chick Allan, delivers vigorous opposition, but the intrigue runs throughout as characters work at cross-purposes to undercut one another.<\/p>\n

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There are a couple of instances of errant CGI in the episode: Merlin\u2019s eyes always seem to glow when he does something magical, and this hasn\u2019t improved. A wonderful scene of approaching Saxon ships would have been even better (and eerier) had it looked a tad less cartoony. Merlin\u2019s magic tricks this time aren\u2019t as overwhelming as they should be, including a levitation scene in which the harness on the actor is so obvious that you can tell where the crane must have been. I have to admire the use of practical effects and the adept deletion of their mechanics, but it reduced the dramatic effect of what was supposed to be an important scene.<\/p>\n

However, these scenes are offset by attention to other important facets of production.<\/p>\n

You\u2019ll Believe You\u2019re In The World Of King Arthur<\/p>\n

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The makeup that comprises wounds and injuries that are important to the story is very well done and really conveys the savagery of 6th-century fighting. A scene in a medical tent is brutal in its realism. None of this ever devolves into gore, but empathetic viewers will cringe and wince along with the patient.<\/p>\n

The settings this time were extremely well-done. The war camp brings the audience into the reality of early medieval campaigns. Most notable is the stronghold of Goddeu, which is stunning both inside and out. I can forgive if the long exterior shot was CGI, because the interior sets brought it to vivid life as a working structure with real people living within its walls.<\/p>\n

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The natural scenery steals the show, though. Lush groves are juxtaposed with green-blue river valleys and rocky<\/a> coasts. One mountainous valley where a child gets lost conveys such urgency and isolation that it makes me wonder how many other children have wandered through there and never come back. The lighting that accompanies the episode\u2019s resolution illuminates it in gorgeous gold, heightening the scene\u2019s contrast.<\/p>\n

Great Performances Continue Carrying Pendragon<\/p>\n

Alex Laurence-Phillips once again shines as Merlin\u2019s sidekick Pellaus. He doesn\u2019t have as much to do in this episode other than comment about events, but his snappy dialogue, coupled with the actor\u2019s comic timing and expressive delivery, make him the best part of the show. This was the only thing that kept me engaged in the events in Goddeu.<\/p>\n

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Myles Clohessy\u2019s Uther displays all the character\u2019s infamous temperament, while Aurellius, played by Finney Cassidy, confidently holds in at bay while trying to charm the other kings. The dance between them and Gorlas was so engaging that, no matter how gorgeous the set of Goddeu was, I couldn\u2019t help but want to be back in the war camp watching the machinations taking place. The men dominated this episode, with only two important female characters involved: the mysterious Ganieda and a young princess with a big destiny.<\/p>\n

Arthurian Legend And Christianity Collide<\/p>\n

Fans of Arthurian legend will start to recognize the names of some of these characters. Uther, for example, is a very important figure to Camelot, and so is Morgain. A few of the other names are more obscure, and I don\u2019t want to give away any spoilers, but once these figures begin to come into the scene, it\u2019s hard not to anticipate what\u2019s coming. <\/p>\n

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What must be said for Stephen Lawhead\u2019s writing and Jeremy Boreing\u2019s adaptation is that they were very aware of this when they wrote it, and they use what the audience thinks it knows against us. Just when you think you know what\u2019s going to happen, that anticipation is deftly subverted without being ignored.<\/p>\n

Christianity appears a little more prominently in this episode, as key characters have converted to the new religion. The overtones are a little thick at times, but the show has still gone out of its way not to attack or denigrate other religions. The cold open contradicts itself by declaring an action ignorant, then showing the very same character performing the ignorant act, but religion in the episode is highlighted by one of Rose Reid\u2019s few appearances, when Charis gives Merlin very sage advice about belief.<\/p>\n

The Pendragon Cycle Maintains A High Level Of Quality<\/p>\n

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Although Episode 5 wasn\u2019t quite as good as its predecessor and doesn\u2019t use the techniques that succeeded for Episode 4<\/a>, the script is still strong enough to be interesting. Once again, I compare it to its most famous competitor, Game of Thrones<\/a>, because there is a very similar struggle going on. Several people think they should be in control of events and are willing to come to blows for it. The biggest difference between that show and this one is that the places were real, and the diffracted kings recorded in poetry.<\/p>\n

The Pendragon Cycle: Rise of the Merlin has risen to the level of the Westeros saga, and even when there\u2019s not a lot of action, there\u2019s still plenty of conflict. There are only two episodes left after this one, and it will be exciting to see how the series concludes. Episode 5 drops at 9 pm on Thursday on Daily Wire+.<\/p>\n

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