Biblical 'Kings' premieres with solid acting, regal expectations
March 22NBC kicked off its newest midseason series, "Kings," last Sunday with a two-hour pilot episode complete with action, romance, betrayal and mystery. Backed by stunning visuals and terrific acting, the episode showed promise and ambition but also revealed what the series will have to do (and avoid doing) if it wants to last. "Kings" is essentially a modernization of the King David story from the Bible. And yes, it's much more than a Sunday school lesson. In this version, David Shepherd (played by Christopher Egan) is a young soldier fighting for his kingdom of Gilboa (think contemporary New York City, but sleeker) against the neighboring Gath. When his unit learns that two of its men have been taken hostage, Shepherd goes against orders and sets out on a rescue mission that ends successfully after he blows up an enemy tank named, of course, Goliath. When Shepherd begins his mission, however, he doesn't know that one of the hostages is Prince Jack Benjamin (Sebastian Stan), and just as Shepard's court-martial is about to begin, King Silas Benjamin (Ian McShane of "Deadwood" fame) shows up to change his life completely. The King brings Shepherd back to Gilboa's capital, Shiloh, for a lavish hero's welcoming ceremony and offers him a coveted new job as military liaison to the royal press secretary. Although he is reluctant to take the job at first (he's not a city boy), Shepherd agrees to stay, giving himself ample time to get to know the king's daughter, Michelle (Allison Miller). As the plot progresses, some secrets are revealed about King Silas and Prince Jack that promise to provide interesting subplots in the future; Silas has a secret second family and seems to have married the queen for her money. Silas' brother-in-law is introduced as his slimy financial chief who may prove to have more power than the king himself. The series is already falling into some clichéd characters — secret families, romancing the princess, slimy brother-in-law — and certain elements feel predictable. It also borrows its overarching story and characters from classic tales, not only biblical ones. Accordingly, the young, handsome, innocent hero is going to get the beautiful girl, and the prince is going to be jealous that someone else is getting all the attention. These are minor flaws, however, that are redeemed by the show's beautiful scenery, well-designed graphics and stellar performances. The battle scenes are gray and gritty, while the city scenes are bright and sleek and fully immerse the viewer into the show's fantasy setting. McShane's acting anchors the show, as he is able to sell even the cheesiest line with his eyes alone. Clichés and a predictable plot don't make this show any less entertaining. NBC has ordered a 13-episode first season for "Kings," and that may be more than enough. Not only did the show premiere to low ratings (a mere 6 million viewers tuned in over the two hours), but it already feels like it may be better suited for a miniseries format than that of a full-fledged weekly series. "Kings" can't rely on shiny graphics or Bible-lovers alone if it wants to see a second — or even the rest of its first — season. The show must work to its strengths, namely its superb actors, in order to create characters with depth that will keep audiences interested. It must continue to develop Shepherd as a likeable everyman who is getting caught up in his newfound fame and status and King Silas as a vicious monarch who has his redeeming qualities. "Kings" has much more working for it than against it, including series creator Michael Green, who has previously worked on shows like "Heroes" and "Everwood." "Kings" launched with a grand premise borrowed from a familiar source to create a dazzling alternate reality, and it would be a shame if it did not get a chance to fully realize its vision. Here's to hoping this exciting new series won't be prematurely dethroned. Long live the "Kings."
