Alison Herman TV Critic The MGM+ series “The Winter King,” adapted from a trilogy of novels by English author Bernard Cornwell, derives much of its plot from Arthurian myth.
But in practice, the drama acts more like earthbound historical fiction than fairy tale or fantasy. This Arthur Pendragon (Iain De Caestecker) doesn’t pull a sword from a stone in the five episodes provided in advance, nor does he encounter any dragons.
Instead, “The Winter King” deals in more pragmatic concerns: natural resources, national sovereignty and the political alliances required to attain them.
There are hints of the supernatural in figures like Merlin (Nathaniel Martello-White), though their abilities are presented not as objective reality but subjective belief that’s in quiet competition with ascendant Christianity.
Read more on variety.com