Living & Arts

‘Kings’ loses the sandals, keeps the story intact

In print | April 2, 2009

Pop culture has long been wary of updating scriptural stories for contemporary times. Greek myths, Shakes-peare plays and Jane Austen novels have all been transplanted to the 20th (or 21st) century, but when it comes to stories from scripture we seem to prefer robes, sandals and archaic (even Aramaic) dialogue. Even Monty Python’s loopy, revisionist “Life of Brian” took place in the original historical epoch.

The creators of the new NBC show “Kings” then, took a risk by transplanting the story of King David to a hypothetical near-future (or alternate universe, or something) where bows and swords have become tanks and guns and palaces have been replaced with steel-and-glass skyscrapers. The cast of characters, however, has remained largely the same, which allows for the basic Biblical story of corruption, power and purity triumphing over depravity (for a while, anyway) to play out in much the same way as the original.

And play out they do, in a power struggle between two men that is fascinating despite the fact that the source material is several thousand years old and the conclusion has, therefore, already been decided. (Say what you will about the Bible and those who thump it, but the stories have stuck around for so long because they’re really, really good.) In the world of “Kings,” the Biblical Saul is Silas Benjamin, King of Gilboa (“Deadwood”’s master of depravity Ian McShane), a slick power player whose impeccable suits hide a soul that is rotting from the inside.

Silas’ foil is David Shepherd (Christopher Egan, an Australian who belongs to the Heath Ledger school of gorgeous), a naively good-looking soldier in the Gilboan army who rockets to national prominence after single-handedly facing down an enemy tank, known as a Goliath. (Minus points for lack of subtlety here, but I can totally see an army naming a tank after a Biblical giant). During the course of this heroic action, David saves the life of Silas’ son, Jack Benjamin (occasional “Gossip Girl” player and real-life Leighton Meester beau Sebastian Stan), which earns him the King’s recognition and a cushy post in the new, shiny Gilboan capital, Shiloh (a digitized, bizarrely new and shiny-looking Manhattan). Well, it seems cushy, at least until David’s star begins to outshine those of Jack and Silas, a development that puts his life into no small danger. Also, he has a thing for Silas’ daughter Michelle (Allison Miller), which probably doesn’t help his safety. (You know how dads are).

“Kings” has a compelling story going for it, and it dramatizes that story with some beautifully shot set pieces, the most intriguing of which is David’s encounter with the Goliath. The scene plays out in the sickly shade of night-vision green made familiar in coverage of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the action is shown in large part through the camera of an astonished Gilboan soldier, whose photographs bring David to the attention of King and country. The device of shooting through the camera is evocative, bringing to mind both the Biblical confrontation between David and Goliath and the famed photo of the Tiananmen Square protester standing up to a line of tanks. The camera also adds some nice commentary about the world of YouTube and 24-hour news (a theme that resurfaces in later episodes) and shows just enough action to allow for a twist later in the episode.

To put it simply, it’s a hell of a scene.

The technical aspects of the show are impressive (except for one scene that involved some very fake-looking CGI butterflies), but technical prowess means nothing without strong performances. Luckily for “Kings,” the cast has talent in spades. (Well, except for Miller, who plays Michelle with so little personality that I keep forgetting she even exists). The star of the show is McShane, an actor so beloved for his role on “Deadwood” that critics would probably endorse a choice to emcee “Paris Hilton’s My New BFF.” Luckily for the rest of us, he declined that invitation in order to deliver another great performance; his Silas is dangerously charismatic, a decadent, corrupt monarch who survives on his ability to manipulate everyone around him. The genius of McShane’s performance, however, is that he allows Silas an occasional flash of humanity, a glimpse at who the man could have been had he not been corrupted by the power that he claims as his destiny.

As fascinating as Silas is, however, the show does not belong solely to McShane. Emerson is convincing and likeable as David, a farm boy and soldier whose experience has not prepared him for the political intrigue of Shiloh. Susanna Thompson is a picture of WASP-y perfection as Queen Rose, an icy figure whose ambitions may exceed her husband’s, while Dylan Baker is appropriately sleazy as her brother, the power behind a Halliburton-esque corporation know as CrossGen. And another HBO alumnus, Eamonn Walker of “Oz,” plays the Reverend Samuels (as in the prophet Samuel) as a powerful man who can be a source of wisdom and strength, but whose conviction that he is the mouthpiece of God often leads him to be cold, if not downright cruel.

The most compelling story, however (aside from the central conflict between David and Silas), is that of Jack. As played by Stan, Jack is a character whose pouty lips and party-boy ways cover both his extreme selfishness and an obsessive desire to please his father. Silas, however, will never be pleased with Jack because the prince, no matter how he hides it, is gay, a fact that the king cannot accept. Jack’s predicament makes one thing clear: the buildings may be shinier and the crown might have been exchanged for a three-piece suit, but prejudices haven’t changed.

Alex is a sophomore. You can reach her at aisrael1@swarthmore.edu.