‘Thrones’-like ‘Beowulf ’ wields a mighty sword
Even if you didn’t know the legend of “Beowulf,” you’d get a pretty good idea of what you’re in for with the new adaptation on the Esquire Network, premiering Saturday, because of the opening title sequence: It’s no accident that it evokes the start of “Game of Thrones,” and it’s not the only wannabe to do so.
If you haven’t noticed, every time someone takes the wraps off another “GOT”-like epic, whose cast is usually bearded and given to animalpelt fashion, someone brings a whole bunch of cellos into the recording studio for the soundtrack, and animators create a flowing CGI sequence evoking the rising towers and twirling gears of the “Game of Thrones” opening.
“Beowulf: Return to the Shieldlands” may begin with a copycat title sequence, but it quickly stands on its own feet as a swashbuckling tale of a young hero who battles giant, vicious creatures known as Grendls and against equally vicious humans for his rightful position in the court of his dead adoptive father, Hrothgar (William Hurt).
Beowulf (Kieran Bew, “Da Vinci’s Demons”) returns to his home of Herot, one of 13 tribes comprising the Shieldlands Alliance. As a boy, after he saw his father savagely murdered by a Grendl, a kind of giant ape-wolf hybrid, Beowulf was adopted by Hrothgar, the thane of Herot and of the Shieldlands Alliance.
Now Hrothgar is dead and his widow, Rheda ( Joanne Whalley, “Wolf Hall”), is the new thane. Her son, Slean (Ed Speleers, “Downton Abbey”), is resentful that his father didn’t bestow the title on him, but he’s spent a lifetime not being good enough.
When they were boys, Beowulf and Slean fought for Hrothgar’s approval, and Beowulf was always the favorite. Beowulf ’s return to Herot reignites the rivalry between Slean and himself, which is only exacerbated by Beowulf ’s attraction to Slean’s main squeeze, Elvina (Laura Donnelly, “Outlander”).
Things get worse for Beowulf when he’s discovered standing over the body of Bayen (Nigel Cooke, “Arthur and Merlin”) and wrongly sentenced to death for his murder.
All of this is set against the backdrop of fear that the Shieldlands Alliance cannot continue to hold now that Hrothgar is dead. Rheda may be strong enough to lead her own tribe, but can she fill her late husband’s shoes in holding the entire alliance together? Other tribal leaders are certain to see an opportunity for advancement.
In other words, if this were another TV show, maybe one airing on HBO, you might say something like, “Winter is coming.”
Yes, the plot mirrors “Game of Thrones” on many levels. There aren’t any dragons — not in the first episode, anyway. But there are savage Grendls, which are based on Grendel, the monster who is slain in the Anglo Saxon epic poem “Beowulf,” dating from between the 8th and 11th centuries. The series, created by James Dormer, is vaguely based on the poem but with all kinds of liberties taken with plot and character. In fact, at times, “Beowulf ” has more in common with “Game of Thrones” than the ancient epic.
The 13-episode series may be imitative, but it’s well plotted, acted and directed. Bew is solid in the title role, as is Speleers, who is every bit the petty, envious and devious villain you’d want Beowulf to face.
This is the Esquire Network’s second scripted series (after last year’s “Spotless”), and it’s an impressive step toward expanding the network’s content variety.