Camelot is a very solid drama, if not anything else. Like Starz's miniseries from last year, The Pillars of the Earth, Camelot doesn't try to be shocking and bombastic like Spartacus does. Instead, it is presented more as a historical drama, with a degree of realism in the setting and also behavior, than a fantasy drama where there are supernatural forces which control everything. The magic is not a bunch of flashy special effects, but an understood fact that we never really see. Those who despise Spartacus for how ridiculous it is will probably appreciate Camelot for its understated, almost drab, approach to medieval times.
The plot, drawn from Arthurian legend, follows Arthur in his struggle to rule Britain while his sister Morgan tries to subvert him. The plot contains relatively few twists, and they serve not as gamechangers, but to facilitate Arthur's growth. Each event puts more pressure on Arthur to succeed, and so far he has done a good job of assuming the mantle.
For the most part, the acting is competent, and Eva Green (Morgan) is very intimidating while Jamie Campbell (Arthur) Bower has an innocence about him that works well against the ultimate destiny of his character. On the other hand, every time Joseph Fiennes (Merlin) spoke, I got a little annoyed. Maybe it's my bad memories of him on FlashForward, but he makes Merlin seem a little cuckoo.
Although there is plenty that could be improved, I like this modern retelling of the Arthur story and will continue watching
Score: 8.7/10
