thu 25/04/2024

Camelot, Series Finale, Channel 4 | reviews, news & interviews

Camelot, Series Finale, Channel 4

Camelot, Series Finale, Channel 4

Ill-fated mythical tale ends where it should have begun

Jamie Campbell Bower's King Arthur shows his mettle, but too late to save the series

This wasn't only the series finale, but the last ever episode of Camelot, since the American Starz network has decided to scrap plans for further seasons. It's not hard to see why. After a fairly promising start, Camelot spent several instalments staggering around aimlessly, as if writers and directors had been beheaded by King Arthur's Excalibur. Annoyingly, this tenth and final episode offered belated flashes of what the show might have been.

This wasn't only the series finale, but the last ever episode of Camelot, since the American Starz network has decided to scrap plans for further seasons. It's not hard to see why. After a fairly promising start, Camelot spent several instalments staggering around aimlessly, as if writers and directors had been beheaded by King Arthur's Excalibur. Annoyingly, this tenth and final episode offered belated flashes of what the show might have been.

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Such a pity the initially complex character of Merlin was neglected. A powerful, brooding performance by Joseph Fiennes sadly neglected - it would be good to see more of him!

typical everyone wants instant results; does no one have the time anymore to allow a plot and character to develop......such impatience. It always takes the first series to settle down before the 'real' story grows.

I think the point is being missed here. The idea of Arthur defeating his opponents single handed is nothing to do with Home Alone, I would say it is alluding to the supposed historical account of the battle of Badon by Gildas who claims "In this engagement, nine hundred and forty fell by his[Arthur’s] hand alone”. I think the real problem with this series is the difficulty we have sympathizing with the main character, especially at the end of the final episode. Arthur at the beginning is too immature to realise his honour and obligations as a king should take priority over his hormones, but I can accept portraying him like that at the start and seeing his character develop and mature. But just as we think he’s starting to grow up he blows any fledgling respect we might begin to have by sleeping with ‘Guinevere’ when Leontes is barely cold in his grave. Leontes is noble in a way we expect Arthur to be, but Arthur is just two-faced accepting Leontes forgiveness then betraying yet again the man who saved his life. I have problems with the way he is blind to the fact that ‘Guinevere’ (as he thinks she is) is behaving totally out of character by coming to his room at all. He ought to smell a rat, or send her away believing her to be vulnerable after losing Leontes and that they would both regret it in the morning. Instead he guiltily closes the door and selfishly takes his opportunity. Hardly “treasuring” her, as Leontes asked him to do! I also wonder why Morgan is allowed to still be on the loose to cause trouble in the first place, and why Merlin didn’t at least warn Arthur about her shape-shifting. I know Morgan has to conceive Mordred, but I think there could have been better ways of working this into the storyline.

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