MERLIN

I saw this series on Amazon and had to give it a chance; a few years back I read the classic fantasy The Once and Future King and its finale’ The Book of Merlyn by T.H. White. It is a lighter version of the saga of King Arthur loosely based on the much older (poem?) Le Morte d’Arthur by Sir Thomas Malory.

Because the lore surrounding King Arthur is varied to begin with, many characters’ names were familiar, but the circumstances of their role were changed. I have to believe that, in addition the many historical versions of the story, the producers took additional license with it to fit the appetite for magic and fantasy and to fill several seasons with content.

The acting is good enough, and a few of the plots seem contrived, yet I keep watching. I always wonder–as I did with Harry Potter–how the powerful magicians (witches, warlocks, sorcerers, etc.) choose when to use their powers and when to leave themselves vulnerable.

THE WHEEL OF TIME

Another Amazon series I watched. My interest had been piqued by the participation of Rosamund Pike, a fine performer. It did not take long before I felt that the material was a piecemeal knockoff  of  prior successful series like Dr. Who, the Hobbit, etc. That said, if you could keep track of the names of races, lands and tribes of key players, it got pretty interesting. Though this had a more serious tone than Merlin, the quality of the acting and of the production was about on the same level as Merlin. And as with Merlin, it was never clear why those with the power of magic used it when they did.