Pendragon Cycle: The Last True Bard

When Merlin talks about the “Summer Kingdom” his tone and imagery are not so different than Ronald Reagan’s vision of a “shining city on a hill.” However, to realize such lofty ambitions, the men of Britain must fight—and many will likely fall in battle. However, if they submit to the Saxons now, all their dreams of independent dignity will surely die. They are not quite ready, but the battle must be joined anyway in “The Last True Bard,” the first season finale of creator Jeremy Boreing’s Pendragon Cycle: The Rise of Merlin (based on Stephen R. Lawhead’s novels) which premieres today on Daily Wire+.

Even though Merlin returns from the North with King Custennin’s reinforcements, King Aureliius’s army is still badly outnumbered. However, desperate times call for desperate battle strategies. Uther and Custennin devise a high-risk plan that could work, but the battle chief would feel more confident if Merlin led their armies—even though a resulting victory would likely elevate him to the throne of Britain’s new High King, rather than his brother, Aurelius. However, this is exactly the kind of temptation Merlin has struggled to resist.

There will be no avoiding the bloodshed in “The Last True Bard,” so fittingly, the final episode is helmed by action movie specialist Jesse V. Johnson. Things will truly get Medieval.  Yet, the highlight might be Merlin’s inspirational song, which is too haunting to compare to a pre-game pep talk. It is hard to describe, but it might be the best staged scene of the first season.

The finale also drops a small but significant revelation that completely changes viewers’ understanding of many previous scenes—yet it makes perfect sense in the context of the show. The season closer also faithfully reflects the spiritual dimensions of Lawhead’s novels by emphasizing not all conflicts are physical in nature. Tantalizingly, it also leaves viewers wanting more with a massively Arthurian tease for the next anticipated season.

Indeed, this is a fitting wrap for the first season, offering some closure, but reminding viewers there is plenty more to come. It provides Tom Sharp’s best showcase yet as Merlin and proves why future seasons need much more of Emree Franklin’s Morgain.

This is a successful series that started strong and payoffs audience investment during the finale. The way critics have either ignored or dismissed it, because they hold a political grudge against its streaming platform is an indictment of the sad state of contemporary cultural criticism. I would advise fans Arthurian fantasy trust their own judgement and make up their own minds. (Frankly, this is one of the few shows that I’ve continued reviewing new episodes after the premiere, because I wanted to watch them.) Highly recommended, the first season finale of Pendragon Cycle: The Rise of Merlin starts streaming today (3/5) on Daily Wire+.