Can the new series compete with Game of Thrones?
The television series The Letter For The King was released in March of 2020. A year and a half after its release, the show hasn’t risen to popularity like other fantasy series such as Shadow and Bone and Game of Thrones. Why isn’t A Letter For The King considered a staple on the fantasy watch list? Is the show a hidden gem that got buried beneath others? Overall, is The Letter For The King worth the watch or worth the skip?
The Letter For The King is a coming-of-age adventure fantasy series that follows the development of a young squire in his unexpected quest to save the kingdom from a catastrophic event. The teenage squire, Tiuri, answers a cry for help that leads him on a journey across the land to deliver a timely message to the king, all while being hunted down by the kingdom’s most experienced knights. Along the way, he encounters a handful of friends and enemies, and seeks to control his newly discovered powers.
While Tiuri and his friends must face a unique struggle each episode, none were memorable or head-jerking. With only six episodes, the show felt like it was repetitive and lacking suspense. This would have been slightly less of an issue if the main characters were more interesting. Tiuri, the main squire, didn’t speak much, which contributed to the lack of bond between the characters. This left a severe absence of connection between Tiuri and the viewer, making the show feel less engaging.
For a show advertised as fantasy, there was a large shortcoming of this particular genre. With only six episodes, the power of one of the main characters was discovered three episodes in. This left little-to-no time for the development or usage of these powers. It felt that if the powers were developed sooner in the series, there would have been more of a connection with the fantasy aspect of the show. The ending of the show also felt very rushed and underdeveloped, as it was squeezed into the last three-quarters of an episode. I would have expected it to be longer since the whole show is based on getting this letter to the king.
Overall, the show didn’t feel as unique and engaging as it showed in the trailer. It seemed underdeveloped and rushed in many areas, oftentimes leaving the audience confused or unengaged. The show wasn’t terrible, but there is a reason why it never took off. In conclusion, save yourself the time, because The Letter For The King is not worth the watch.