You Should Be Watching: Britannia
There isn’t a massive shortage of television shows in the historical sense (Turn, Rome, Spartacus, Knightfall, Black Sails, The Spanish Princess all come to mind), but it always seems like these shows fly under the radar for a couple of seasons before I ever decide to jump on board. That is exactly what happened with the Epix show Britannia. It is now enjoying its third season and I’m jus doing my best to catch up with this amazingly entertaining series.
Season 1 opens up with the 43 AD invasion of the British Isles by the Romans. General Aulus (David Morrissey) and his Legion land their ships on the shores and immediately begin the process of using their superior military numbers to coerce natives into acquiescing. For those that do not, there is the end of a sword. Morrissey is awesome in this role, especially for anyone who really liked his character in The Walking Dead. He’s a man who realizes that they can’t just fight all of the inhabitants at once and need to use every tactic they can to conquer.
The series also focuses on Cait (Eleanor Worthington-Cox) and Divis (Nikolaj Lie Kaas) as they attempt to evade the Romans long enough to rescue Cait’s father and, in Divis’ case, use his magic to infiltrate the Roman army and go all the way to Rome to kill the Emperor. Their interactions together is what makes the show so much fun to watch.
The mysterious ways of the Druids also plays a big role in Britannia. General Aulus has some understanding and appreciation for their power and isn’t afraid to confront them or their magic. The show doesn’t try to stick to the historical writings (which there are lots), but uses enough to make it interesting in the historical sense. I’m a big fan and if you enjoy your history, you should definitely check it out.
