Knights of Bloodsteel By Tom Bock
April 17, 2009

 

Knights of BloodsteelSciFi Channel Premiere - April 19; concludes April 20 

Many mini-series will get a “nod” before the reviewers have a chance to go through the entire series. Such was not the case here. I was actually laid-up and had nothing but time on my hands. Not only did I watch the entire series, I re-viewed previously watched sections to make sure I was accurately following the story. It was worth it. 

The biggest attraction for me was three-time Emmy winner Christopher Lloyd’s performance. One of my favorite actors, I’ve enjoyed him since his days on the TV show Taxi, and his career repertoire of accomplished movies.  Another added benefit was the inclusion of actor David James Elliott, formerly of the TV show JAG. I have to admit I was not familiar with Natassia Malthe, the lead actress in the series; she ably characterized a challenging role.

Knights of Bloodsteel centers about a rare and magical element called “Bloodsteel.” This element is the only source of power in the fictitious world called Mirabilis; the issue confronting the Knights of Bloodsteel is that they are running out of bloodsteel.  Searching for bloodsteel is an activity analogous to panning for gold. In fact, it may be said that they pan for bloodsteel based on what we witness when Malthe’s character, Perfidia, finds some Bloodsteel and it is quickly taken from her. An apparent bad guy called Ber-lak, played by Dru Viergever, steals it from her. Soon after, Ber-lak and Perfidia form an alliance and the journey begins. 

When we first encounter John Serragoth, played by Elliott, he enters in a big way - fighting. It’s a grand entrance and after he wins, we can predictably assume he is the warrior of this slowly evolving group. In time, the “gore-some foursome” is knighted and their saga begins. A seemingly motley crew, they begin their quest for the bloodsteel. Adventure, peril and unexpected twists insinuate themselves along the way. 

Christopher Lloyd’s involvement is against the evil and horribly deformed Dragon Eye who seeks the bloodsteel for his own nefarious uses. Suffice it to say, however, that Tesselink, Lloyd’s character, is one of the good guys. The subplot evolves as we learn that Tesselink and Perfidia have a spiritual link, similar to the strong empathic ties among twins, that affords her the ability to sense when Tesselink is attacked. Still, her skills have not developed enough for her to know exactly what has happened. Another subplot is the sexual tension between Perfidia and Serragoth; we wait anxiously for it to happen. While the opportunity presents itself several times, thankfully, it doesn’t happen. 

One of the issues I have with so many shows today is the romantic coupling of the characters. One show that comes to mind is any of the CSI series shows. There is way too much back-story, too much angst between the characters for my taste.  The slow motion anguish of relationships don’t work out, the awkward interaction, as they try to do their job, as they attempt to get past the failed relationship, and so forth. Millions of people work together, and while some do date, break up, and even marry, there are still millions that work side by side for years and have no romantic interactions. The tension here works and is present throughout the adventure. However, I’m relieved that we don’t have to deal with it beyond that.  

This Sunday and Monday will feature Knights of Bloodsteel, on the SciFi channel. It’s worth the time to watch and enjoy, as there are interesting characters, great computer generated graphics, an intriguing story and terrific acting. So, at the end of the day when you want to kick back, put your feet up and turn on the TV, the SciFi channel delivers!