What's Up - Your guide to what's happening in Fayetteville, AR this week!
Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/1095535
T10 WHATS UP! March 24 - 30, 2019 na. He admitted that he "didn't really think it through," but ex- pressed excitement about this opportunity to play Talus, whom he described as "basi- cally the equivalent of a medi- eval drill sergeant." Returning this season is "The Frankenstein Chronicles" actor Ed Stoppard as the com- plex and increasingly evil King Philip the IV of France. On por- traying the nefarious royal, Stoppard told Syfy Wire that "it's not often seen in charac- ters who ultimately behave in such an appalling manner that there's a scope there for the au- dience to instill some empa- thy." King Philip was, in fact, a friend of the order and of Landry himself, at the begin- ning of Season 1, but the revela- tions of an affair between his friend and his queen were the final nail in his "nice guy" cof- fin. It will be exciting to see Stoppard play a full-fledged villain this season. Also returning are Gene- vieve Gaunt ("The Royals") as the clever, calculating Princess Isabella, Simon Merrells ("Spartacus: Blood and Sand") as seasoned Templar Tancrede and Jim Carter ("Downton Ab- bey") as Pope Boniface VIII. Aaron Helbing, whose re- sume boasts producing credits for series such as "The Flash" and "Black Sails," is the new showrunner for "Knightfall," and his enthusiasm for the se- ries and the upcoming story- lines is contagious. At a recent TCA event, an eager Helbing said that Season 2 is all about "brotherhood, redemption ... and revenge." He also shared that tons of research goes into penning the show's storylines, and that while "Knightfall" is "not beholden" to historical ac- curacy, most of what we see on screen is directly inspired by real historical figures and events. Any medieval history buff would immediately know that "Knightfall" is not a direct or accurate retelling of history. Instead, showrunners have opted to use history as a jump- ing off point, and have framed the show as a mythology-in- spired epic, much like Histo- ry's own "Vikings." There are many fascinating and layered secondary char- acters pulled straight from history in "Knightfall" (Pope Boniface VIII and King Philip come to mind), and the crux of the story is pulled straight from the past as well: though the Knights Templar and the King of France were once thick as thieves, their rela- tionship had soured signifi- cantly by the late 1200s, and by 1312 the king had pressured the pope to dissolve the order completely. Of course, that doesn't mean the Templars disappeared forever. There are many tales of secret or- ders and clandestine mis- sions, and the legend of the Templars has persisted throughout the centuries. It will be exciting to see how the show handles these events in future seasons. And for those of you who couldn't care less about history or historical accuracy, there are epic battles, forbidden ro- mances, murder mysteries, heartbreaking betrayals — this series has it all. The star of the show, Cullen, may even be all it takes to keep you tuning in week after week. The "Black Mirror" actor is in top form, and he handles the deep emo- tional scenes as naturally as he handles the major battle scenes (that is to say, very well). He told AOL that he was inspired and excited by the role, saying, "It's a classic story that I've been obsessed with since I was a kid ... it's something I've been waiting my whole life to do." The appreciation for the part is clear considering how hard he works to make it come alive. Find out what's next for Landry when the second sea- son of "Knightfall" premieres Monday, March 25, on History. Ed Stoppard as seen in "Knightfall" continued from page T2 Marching on: Season 2 of 'Knightfall' premieres on History TV FEATURE