The Winter King

The writing is impressive as it borrows quite heavily from the original source material while still managing to bring something new to the table.

To describe it as a pre-Christmas treat would be a stretch. But for those who like their medieval adventuring on the dark side, The Winter King is broody, moody and magnificent.

With its deep bench of European thespians, this is an actor-forward series, with equal emphasis on verbal sparring and gory battles. If you love the Arthurian legend, this is a top-notch alternative take on the familiar story with some smart and welcome changes.

Its sumptuous scenery, sprawling vistas, and gorgeous castles are certainly easy enough on the eyes, and its core cast of performers is remarkably solid. But if you’re looking for an Arthurian retelling that has something new or interesting to say about King Arthur’s journey or our obsession with it, it might be time to go read a book instead.

It’s middling, lacking the wit and audacity of House of the Dragon or peak Game of Thrones. But a few episodes in, after a stodgy start (setting up its kingdoms, dynasties, feuds), the Arthurian storytelling starts coming through strongly and things liven up. Be warned, though, even for the fantasy genre, it’s jaw droppingly violent.

It plays so fast and loose with it that devoted fans of the original Warlord Chronicles should probably just go and have a lovely re-read of the whole lot instead of tuning in. But for non-purists – settle in, sit back and enjoy 10 hours of bloody warfare, heavy robes, pagan rites, lupine spirits, horrible baddies and worse hair

While its more grounded take on King Arthur’s origins could appeal to fans of “Thrones” and dadcore nonfiction tomes alike, “The Winter King” is also missing the complex, nuanced characters who turn dry facts into compelling fiction.

Once the table-setting is out of the way, though, The Winter King is able to slow down enough to find its own groove. .... Yet there’s never enough tension over whether Arthur’s efforts will prove successful.

The result is a serviceable yet underwhelming middlebrow epic, which adds little to an already overcrowded canon.

A bit like modern Britain – though unlike that other Dark Ages epic shot in Northern Ireland – the Winter King feels deflated and underfunded.