Over the past few years, many new promising and not so promising shows have aired on NBC-and gone as quickly as they came. Which makes it understandable why the wildly original drama Kings was lost in the shuffle. Kings is a modern retelling of the biblical story of King David, set in a kingdom very similar to any 21st century Western city. The hour long drama follows a young David, as he goes off in to battle to fight for his country, the “Kingdom of Gilboa”. He is unwittingly flung into the public spotlight after he saves the Prince of Gilboa from the enemy camp. The show follows David as he navigates the brutal and tricky world of politics and royalty he becomes a part of. The one thing that stands out about Kings, from the first few scenes of the pilot, is its sheer daring and refreshing originality. The show combines many elements unseen on any other television show in recent memory. Kings is deeply rooted in the biblical story of David, yet not religious in any sense of the word. The show uses biblical elements to give weight to the alternative universe it is set it. Clear from the set designs, beautiful image after beautiful image, artful dialogue, and otherworldly feel of the drama, the producers of Kings were aiming to create something epic. The grandiose feel of the show worked against it, however, as it premiered in March 2009 to abysmal ratings.
Despite the accusations of “pretentiousness” the show endured (not entirely unfounded), the lack of any sort of audience was quite surprising considering the outstanding and varied cast. Top of the ladder is Ian McShane, of Deadwood fame, as the psychotic, loving, ruthless, conflicted King of Bilboa. McShane does some of the best work of his career as the King of Bilboa, stepping into the shoes of a role only he could fill. The concept of this show required actors who could be convincing as a true royal family. McShane is utterly convincing as a man who is forced to give up part of his humanity to keep his kingdom together, a man who slowly loses sense how terrible the terrible things he does are. The actor’s deep set, dark eyes and craggily face convey the years of pressure his character has endured. McShane is able to deliver the King’s grand speeches with a stunning force and sting. Once scene in particular, where the King quietly and furiously confronts his son’s “disgusting” homosexual “dalliances”, is frightening and brutal. Several other actors in the show come a close second. Dylan Baker is the even more brutal brother-in-law of the king, who is the Dick Cheney to McShane’s George Bush. Baker’s performance is hilarious and scary at the same time. Other memorable perfomances from the short lived drama include Susanna Thompson as the icy Queen. The most under-rated actor in the show would have to be Sebastian Stan, as the self-loathing and jealous Prince, he takes out his bitterness on everyone around him, particularly his savior David. Stan is quite a promising young actor, who might be remembered as the lovable and reckless rich kid in The Education of Charlie Banks, but is probably better known for his relationship with Leighton Meester (otherwise known as Blair Waldorf from the CW’s Gossip Girl).
David has been known in many ways throughout history, film, and legend. In Kings, the creators chose to depict David as a prophet figure; a decent, good, brave, intelligent, and incredibly handsome young man at the brink of greatness. Yes, the show does depict David with every single one of the previously mentioned virtues. And his few flaws are only designed to endure us to him more. For the TV audience used to the House M.D.’s of the television universe, such a wholesome character may have turned viewers off. The terrible and unclear marketing of the show prior to its airing may not have helped either. Despite the, at times, cloying aspects of David, it is hard not the find him enduring, and yes, inspiring. Australian actor Christopher Egan, who recently starred in Letter to Juliet with Amanda Seyfried, brings a refreshing openness and innocence to the character which only the deeply cynical could turn from.
The pilot sets up the entire arch for Kings, and many of the characters. David with his family at their lovely farm, David going off to fight a neighboring kingdom with his brother, David saving the Prince’s life, David being swept up by the media, etc. However, the show proceeds at a delicate yet dramatic pace that makes it a compelling and appropriate first episode. At times, watching Kings is like glimpsing some vaguely familiar dream world-everything is the same but somehow different. One of great scenes from the pilot is from the first ten minutes. Eamonn Walker, the intimidating and striking African-American actor (in a show that could have used more), plays the Reverend Samuels. In one of the first scenes he meets David, when he asks him to fix his car. This is one of the few moments in the show that alludes to the homosexual aspect of David and Samuel’s relationship. The simple repair of Samuel’s engine and his payment with an old watch is an exchange loaded with biblical and sexual tension. The show, unfortunately, did not do much more to expand that homosexual undercurrent, or even develop David and Samuel’s relationship fully. The show may have been less grandiose and more interesting if it had played with this relationship more. David’s marriage to Michal in the Bible is turned into a more conventional and predictable romance with the Princess.
In the end, the continuously falling ratings of Kings caused it to be canceled after four episodes, and the rest of the episodes were aired on Saturdays. In the end, the show ended up with one, 13-episode long season, sufficient to build up a storyline and resolve it, with a nice ending filled with potential. This engrossing drama, unfortunately, came at the wrong time. People don’t seem to be in the mood to endure any more high concept television shows. Maybe if the show had aired now, after the end of the pop culture phenomenon Lost, it would have gotten more attention. Kings, unlike most high concept shows of recent history (FlashForwards, V, Heroes), was felt truly biblical; not just in its storyline, but in its implications. What would it be like to live in a world with kings and queens? What would it be like to have to rule a country? This show makes you think, but also lets you fall into its cacophony of images; gorgeous buildings, royal decadence, and blood soaked battefields.
