Netflix’s Cursed is not the Game of Thrones replacement you were looking for

Netflix’s Cursed, an R-rated fantasy series that reinvents Arthurian legends, has a lot on its plate. A coming-of-age story that follows a teenage Nimue, also known as the Lady of the Lake, her 10 episodes try to juggle war, a love story, a medieval quest that traverses the land, and a famous destination that is ready to be subverted.

However, after a promising start, it becomes clear that Cursed doesn’t have a firm understanding of what kind of show he wants to be, by not linking all of those elements into a connected entity. Torn between young adult drama and R-rated violence, Cursed seems to decide it’s best to meander through Game of Thrones territory, with court politics and a unique and impressive battle sequence.

The wide English valleys are beautiful, and some of the images evoke co-creator Frank Miller’s comics: Sin City, 300 and the graphic novel on which the show is based. But disappointingly, the biggest Cursed, yes, curse, is reduced to its main character.

The show finally fails its young protagonist, who holds all the promise of a heroine wielding a sword destined to lead her people to freedom. Instead, Nimue teeters in romance and absurd decision-making, without a real personality that allows her to shine as the powerful sorceress she is prepared to be.

Note: Minor spoilers ahead.

We start when Nimue (13 Reasons why Katherine Langford) is selected to be the next Summoner of the Occult. The role involves protecting your druids by using their gift to summon the elements.

Instead, Nimue rejects the position, calling it a curse. She laments her people for kicking her out, after a demonic encounter frightened her physically and mentally from childhood.

Along with comic relief best friend Pym (Lily Newmark), Nimue heads to the docks, but instead of catching the next ship leaving there, they meet Arthur, played by Devon Terrell, the first black actor in the paper. .

Like most of the characters with legendary names that appear on the show, Arthur has some quirks that mark him as different from what we’ve traditionally seen. In addition to a beautiful singing voice, he is a scruffy gentleman who enchants Nimue, creating a love story that ultimately lacks authentic moments to win the flying sparks.

When the Red Paladins, magic-hating church agents, invade the village of Nimue, she is tasked with bringing the Sword of Power to Merlin (Gustaf Skarsgård of the Vikings). But Merlin is not at her magical best, drinking her sorrows instead of doing what her boss, a smug Uther Pendragon, asks of her.

Politics between the kings, including the Viking leader Ice King and the warrior queen Red Spear, boil in the background and soon engulf Nimue. You must also decide what to do with the Power Sword, which everyone wants.

While it’s refreshing to see Nimue shed her traditional antagonistic role, as well as do more than simply hand Excalibur over to Arthur, she is wrong in a similar way to Daenerys Targaryen. After going from being a naive queen to being a religious figure that inspires the oppressed, Nimue has huddled in a story that takes away all that triumph.

It’s frustrating, after we see her grow throughout the series. Finally, accepting his responsibility as leader of the Fey, he makes some key decisions that bear fruit and, most importantly, brings together the wooded-type Fey tribes. She even wins a memorable title like Wolfblood Witch.

But then she throws her sword down a ravine in sudden fury, and a character actually calls her out for being unreasonably “crybaby.” She never takes an episode with a mentor to explore the limits of her rare magic, or has a triumphant moment to bite her demons. Worse yet, she is confined on the sidelines in the final battle to save her people and stop the “age of men.”

Nimue plunges her foot into being the hero you want her to be with a pumping moment from Wonder Woman at the end of the first episode. However, despite his intriguing twist on a legendary figure, Cursed leaves no lasting impact. Too long and skinny, he finds his focused rhythm and otherworldly atmosphere fade away as surface-level Game of Thrones politics gets in the way. The show is set for a second season, but the most interesting aspects of its history already seem to be behind it.

Cursed is now available on Netflix.