“Knightfall” wants to be a serious medieval epic about the Knights Templar. It mostly succeeds at being a pulpy, often silly one instead. The show, created by Don Handfield and Richard Rayner for the History Channel, premiered in December 2017 and ran for two seasons across 18 episodes before getting canceled in May 2020.
The premise is simple: Landry de Lauzon, played by Tom Cullen, is a brave warrior discouraged by the Templars’ failures in the Holy Land. He gets reinvigorated when he learns the Holy Grail has resurfaced. That sounds promising. What follows is a show that spends more time on sword fights and supernatural relics than on the political machinations that actually brought down the order.
“Go deep into the clandestine world of the legendary brotherhood of warrior monks known as The Knights Templar.”
Trailer, via HISTORY.
Landry’s Demotivation
Landry starts as a brave warrior discouraged by the Templars’ failures in the Holy Land. That’s a strong starting point. But the show’s treatment of him drifts between noble tragedy and cartoonish buffoonery. His arc, which involves breaking his vows and having to start over, is meant to be weighty. It lands as a sitcom trope.
Philip’s Revenge
King Philip IV of France, played by Ed Stoppard, is the real engine of the story. He orchestrates the persecution and suppression of the Templars on October 13, 1307. This is the historical hook the show leans on hardest. But the show buries the actual events under a pile of treasure hunts and mystical quests.
The New Cast
Season two added new faces. Mark Hamill joined as Master Talus, an old Templar veteran of the Crusades who trains younger knights. Tom Forbes took on Prince Louis, the violent and unpredictable son of King Philip. Genevieve Gaunt joined as Isabella, King Philip’s daughter and the future “she-wolf of France.” She replaced Sabrina Bartlett, who played the princess in season one.
Underworld: Blood Wars actress Clementine Nicholson plays Princess Margaret, Prince Louis’s wife.
What Works
The production values are solid. Filming in the Czech Republic and Croatia gives the show a dark, brooding look that fits its subject matter. The cast, anchored by Cullen, Delaney, and Merrells, is game for the material even when the script isn’t.
What Doesn’t Work
The pacing drags. Episodes repeat themselves, and the show’s obsession with the Holy Grail overshadows the real historical conflict. The political stakes are diluted by fantasy elements that don’t quite fit the period.
Final Verdict
“Knightfall” is a missed opportunity. It has a great premise and a talented cast. It squanders both by leaning too far into spectacle and not far enough into the actual history of the Templar suppression.
- The premise: a great hook.
- The cast: solid performances.
- The setting: dark and atmospheric.
- The execution: weak on the history that made the Templars famous.
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