Friday
Mar202009
Kings
Friday, March 20, 2009 at 2:31PM
He asked, "Son of man, can these bones live?" I said, "O Sovereign LORD, you alone know." Ezekiel 37:3
Can this Blog live? We’ll see. It’s worth taking another crack at it. And what could possibly cause me to break my silence? What else but television! Yay, television!
Anybody else catch the season premiere of Kings last Sunday? If the over all numbers are any indication, it’s not likely. I’m sure NBC was pretty disappointed. Which, in this age of network impatience, means the show probably won’t be around for long. If you’re going to, you’d better catch it while you can. You can watch it at the NBC website or on Hulu.
For those of you who have read your Bible, it’s more than worth it. Kings is a modern day take on the stories found in 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel. It’s the story of David and Goliath, King Saul, Jonathan, Michal, and the prophet Samuel. Besides, anything with Ian McShane (King Silas) is worth consideration.
The story is set in Shiloh, a booming metropolis and the capital of King Silas’ domain. Young David Shepherd (get it, “shepherd”?) is discovered on a remote farm by the Reverend Samuel, who anoints him by giving him a watch that’s engraved with the royal seal.
Cut to a battlefield where David singlehandedly destroys a tank (called a Goliath) and rescues the King’s son, Jack, from behind enemy lines. David returns to Shiloh as a national hero and is given a reputable position in the King’s court.
There are numerous parallels to the Biblical account. Too many to name here. My favorite scenes involve the Rev. Samuel, especially the scene in which he comes to King Silas to inform him that the Lord’s favor no longer rests with him and that another king will be taking his place. There are also places where the show differs from the Biblical narrative. (One such example involves the King's son, Jack.)
Some critics are calling it a soap opera. Others are calling it Shakespearean. Both descriptions are accurate. For my part, I’d just call it Biblical. It’s not for the kids. But, technically, neither are the stories of the Old Testament--at least not the uncensored versions.
The characters are appropriately sketchy, as were the people of Ancient Israel. Remember, the only real hero in scripture is God. The rest are prone to weaknesses of all kinds: violence, lust, fear, jealousy, deceit. It’s all there in the Bible, and it makes for pretty good drama.
I doubt it will be around for long, which is a shame, because I’d really like to see the drama unfold. Most intriguing [and tragic] would be getting to watch David, the young, charismatic farm boy, become the deeply flawed king. Equally amazing would be the opportunity to see his redemption. There’s enough source material to keep this thing going for a long time. There just doesn’t seem to be enough viewers.
Oh well, I guess I could just read my Bible.
Can this Blog live? We’ll see. It’s worth taking another crack at it. And what could possibly cause me to break my silence? What else but television! Yay, television!
Anybody else catch the season premiere of Kings last Sunday? If the over all numbers are any indication, it’s not likely. I’m sure NBC was pretty disappointed. Which, in this age of network impatience, means the show probably won’t be around for long. If you’re going to, you’d better catch it while you can. You can watch it at the NBC website or on Hulu.
For those of you who have read your Bible, it’s more than worth it. Kings is a modern day take on the stories found in 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel. It’s the story of David and Goliath, King Saul, Jonathan, Michal, and the prophet Samuel. Besides, anything with Ian McShane (King Silas) is worth consideration.
The story is set in Shiloh, a booming metropolis and the capital of King Silas’ domain. Young David Shepherd (get it, “shepherd”?) is discovered on a remote farm by the Reverend Samuel, who anoints him by giving him a watch that’s engraved with the royal seal.
Cut to a battlefield where David singlehandedly destroys a tank (called a Goliath) and rescues the King’s son, Jack, from behind enemy lines. David returns to Shiloh as a national hero and is given a reputable position in the King’s court.
There are numerous parallels to the Biblical account. Too many to name here. My favorite scenes involve the Rev. Samuel, especially the scene in which he comes to King Silas to inform him that the Lord’s favor no longer rests with him and that another king will be taking his place. There are also places where the show differs from the Biblical narrative. (One such example involves the King's son, Jack.)
Some critics are calling it a soap opera. Others are calling it Shakespearean. Both descriptions are accurate. For my part, I’d just call it Biblical. It’s not for the kids. But, technically, neither are the stories of the Old Testament--at least not the uncensored versions.
The characters are appropriately sketchy, as were the people of Ancient Israel. Remember, the only real hero in scripture is God. The rest are prone to weaknesses of all kinds: violence, lust, fear, jealousy, deceit. It’s all there in the Bible, and it makes for pretty good drama.
I doubt it will be around for long, which is a shame, because I’d really like to see the drama unfold. Most intriguing [and tragic] would be getting to watch David, the young, charismatic farm boy, become the deeply flawed king. Equally amazing would be the opportunity to see his redemption. There’s enough source material to keep this thing going for a long time. There just doesn’t seem to be enough viewers.
Oh well, I guess I could just read my Bible.
tagged Bible, TV in Amen Corner, Blog
Bible, TV in Amen Corner, Blog
Reader Comments (3)
Yes, we watched the program. We had low expectations of Hollywood and were still disappointed. I appreciate the ideal of modernizing the story but one should remain true to the character and principles of the original. It was a downer that I wish we hadn't bothered to tune in.
For those who haven't read the biblical account lately here's
DAVID VS. DAVID
Biblical David: Brave Warrior and Giant Killer (giving God the Glory)
Hollywood David: White-flag waving automotive mechanic and accidental hero for destroying a tank while trying to surrender
David a Biblical Role Model: Man after God's own heart:
David the man as imagined by Hollywood: Displays no particular love for the Lord
David son of Jesse: Married to Saul's daughter as reward for killing 100 of the kings enemies (he actually killed 200)
David son of Hollywood: Steals the heart of the kings daughter from her father by taking her side on a political issue
And for good measure I add:
Biblical Jonathan son of Saul: Best friend of David who together with his armor bearer slew 20 men
"Jack": Spoiled, petulant homosexual (who seems modeled more after the biblical Absolom, spoiled son of David than the true Jonathan)
i have had an absurdly busy week and therefore wasn't able to watch the first episode of this until after the second one had aired. my initial reactions were that 'the old testament certainly makes for riveting television.' i will refrain from too much of a post until after i have seen the second episode and possibly a few more to see how the story develops. especially considering, as robert has already mentioned, this will probably not last very long as it is a very ambitious concept for network television. much like the astoundingly good 'studio 60 on the sunset strip' before it and 'pushing daisies' in the interim, this show doesn't stand too much of a chance of lasting long due to its high concept nature.
i will weigh in on some of the things mentioned here though. whether or not david was going to surrender to the tank is somewhat immaterial: he went in without the 'the king's armor' on a mission that seemed suicidal to get back the men from the camp. the bravery was not, in this case, him standing up next to the tank but the acts preceding that event. also, i do very much like the shakespearean and complex nature of the characters as it doesn't allow them to hide behind their good deeds. david was a very very complex biblical character and i agree w/ robert in that the stories of the old testament are the dark and twisty stories of the bible. God is the only true hero there, and i am very very curious to see how that will play out in this version of the story.
"Dark and twisty"...I like that. It's not that they aren't beneficial, it's just that they reflect people at their best and their worst. Reminds me of the time, long ago, when I tried to preach a sermon on Jephthah's daughter (Judges 11:29-40). That didn't go well. At least, now when I feel like a sermon bombs, I can always tell myself, "At least it's not as bad as the Jephthah sermon."