I thought the first episode was poor writing, not to mention atrociously loose with history.
The biggest slip being representing the Templars as some sort of Muslim slaying bunch of maniacs which is incorrect and quite insulting. For a start there were never enough of them to be in a position to conduct massacre and also the small point that one of the reasons they were finally tried for heresy, apart from the fact of their wealth and influence, was that they were, probably, too friendly with the followers of Islam. Look at the flowering of architecture that took place in Europe during and after the Crusade period? This came though Islamic knowledge, as did much new medicinal wisdom. Look at the style of Templar churches: They shared knowledge with the Muslim world and learnt much, to represent the Templars as blood thirsty haters of Islam is just drama writing trying to be so politically correct it is painful.
At one point our feisty archeologist referred to Vivienne as “a witch”. Tennyson used a form of Vivienne and the character is usually called this in Breton versions of Arthurian Mythology, but more often referred to as Nimue. She was the consort of Merlin. The original archetype was, probably, a Goddess figure. Only later when Christian influence began to denegrate the tales would she be referred to as a witch. You really would have thought a feminist, feisty woman who demonstrated a dislike for Christianity would have known this.
Lastly, a small point 666 is not the number of the beast, it is a translation error that occurred at some point when the Bible underwent one of its many translations.
Always happy to give a series a second chance, but the dialogue and exposition did not improve and this week we have a forward thinking and ethnically sound Washington fighting alongside renegade African Slaves against the nasty English. Just feel that political correctness. Some of the scenes on the tidal mud must have had colleagues of Tony Robinson whincing (is it just me or does the opening titles and music of Bonekickers bear a passing resemblance to that used by TimeTeam?)
This week I believe we have Boudica falling in love with a Roman: The woman who saw her husband killed and her daughters raped and responded by going on the warpath and castrating every Roman soldier she came across; the whole of the menfolk of St Albans if my memory serves me correctly. Can’t see her getting passionate with one of them.
writing and musing 