Knightfall debuted on the History Channel this week, right after its excellent and enormously successful Vikings.  The new series has possibilities.

It focuses on a group in a period of time not often (if ever) seen on television, the Knights Templar in their period of decline, after their losses in the Holy Land, headquartered in France, with a soon-to-be-hostile king.   They're in decline, but still powerful, and reminiscent of the Jedi in Star Wars, fighting a losing battle (at least in the first two trilogies) against the burgeoning empire.  This of course is no coincidence, given that George Lucas modeled his Jedi after the Knights Templar, among other groups.

In the first episode of Knightfall, we see the Templars coming to the aid of the downtrodden, which at this point include the poor and Jews who are being forced to leave their home by the French King, ostensibly to "protect" them for the virulent anti-semitism in his kingdom.  The knights are great fighters, savvy, and in some cases lusty, including one of their leaders have a passionate affair with the Queen.  That, presumably, will be at least one of the reasons he'll turn against them.

In our own history, the Knights Templar were an important group, transcending their time with innovations in everything ranging from banking to societies that pull the strings above and below governments in power.  Freemasons are the best-known group with some connection to the Knights, and there are others.

Knightfall looks to have a keen historical eye, and a sense of the subtle differences among the Templars themselves which makes for compelling narrative.  I'm going to give this series a shot.

 
historical science fiction - a little further back in time