Every once in a while I watch something that makes me think less about the story and more about how the thing was actually made.
That’s where I landed with The Pendragon Cycle: Rise of Merlin. I watched the first few episodes expecting swords, magic, and people throwing hands — because if you’re doing Arthurian fantasy, that’s kind of the deal.
Instead, what I got was a show that looks good, has some interesting ideas, but also shows some production and storytelling mistakes that filmmakers can actually learn from. (WARNING! This is only based on the first 3 episodes!)
And if you’re making movies or TV, sometimes watching something that’s imperfect is more educational than watching something flawless.
So let’s break down the lessons.
Lesson 1: If You Promise Fantasy Action… Deliver Fantasy Action
When audiences hear:
- Merlin
- King Arthur
- knights
- magic
They expect movement and spectacle.
Instead, the early episodes spend a lot of time setting things up with dialogue and politics before you get much combat.
Now setup is important. World-building is important.
But if your genre promises swords and sorcery, you need to sprinkle that into the early episodes so viewers stay engaged.
This is a pacing lesson:
Give the audience a taste of the genre early so they know what they signed up for.
Lesson 2: Editing and Continuity Matter More Than People Realize
One thing that stuck out immediately was some continuity issues during action scenes.
There’s a fight happening in the rain where you can clearly see the downpour changing between shots, almost like it was filmed at different times.
There are also moments where:
- background elements disappear between cuts
- framing doesn’t match
- spatial continuity breaks
These are the kinds of things audiences might not consciously notice, but they feel them.
It pulls people out of the story.
This is why:
- script supervisors
- continuity tracking
- careful editing
are so critical on larger productions.
Lesson 3: Time Jumps Must Be Crystal Clear
There’s a moment where the story jumps forward and it honestly feels like you missed an episode.
I actually had to double check to make sure I didn’t skip something.
That’s a classic storytelling problem.
When a time jump happens, the audience needs clear signals, like:
- visual changes
- character shifts
- narration or context clues
Otherwise viewers get confused and start thinking the problem is them, not the show.
Lesson 4: Show the Interesting Stuff
Another thing that stood out is that there are moments where the show skips scenes that would actually be fascinating.
For example, there are pieces of lore — like things related to Merlin’s background — that feel like they should be explored more deeply.
Instead, the story sometimes jumps past those moments.
This is a common writing mistake:
Sometimes filmmakers cut the scenes the audience would most enjoy.
If something expands the world or deepens the mythology, it’s usually worth showing.
Lesson 5: Characters Who Throw Hands Steal the Show
There’s one king character who jumps straight into battle and actually fights alongside his troops.
That guy immediately becomes one of the most interesting people in the show.
Why?
Because action reveals character quickly.
When characters:
- make decisions
- take risks
- get into fights
the audience understands who they are much faster than through dialogue alone.
Lesson 6: Tone Matters
One of the biggest things I noticed is that the show takes itself very seriously.
Almost every scene feels heavy and dramatic.
And that’s fine sometimes — but when a story never lets the audience breathe, it can become exhausting.
Even serious stories benefit from:
- moments of levity
- humor
- character warmth
Real people aren’t serious every second of their lives.
Stories shouldn’t be either.
Lesson 7: Visual Quality Still Counts
To give the show credit where it’s due, it looks good.
The sets and costumes are solid, and the production design clearly had some money behind it.
That visual credibility matters in fantasy.
If the world doesn’t look believable, the audience won’t buy into the mythology.
Even when the storytelling has issues, strong visuals can keep people watching.
Final Thoughts
After the first few episodes, my overall take is that The Pendragon Cycle is watchable but uneven.
The acting is decent. The world looks good. There are interesting pieces in there.
But it struggles with:
- pacing
- editing continuity
- unclear storytelling beats
For filmmakers though, that’s actually valuable.
Because every project — good or bad — teaches something.
And the big takeaway here is this:
When you’re working in a genre with big expectations like fantasy, you have to balance world-building, action, tone, and clarity. If any one of those things slips, the audience notices.
I’m still curious to see where the show goes.
But if nothing else, it’s a reminder that even well-funded productions can stumble — and indie filmmakers can learn a lot from watching where that happens.