Now boarding: the ship to BBC's "Atlantis"!
The show's main protagonist, Jason, is from the 21st century. He boards a submarine to search for his father, the glass cracks, the submarine floods, and he washes up on shore in Atlantis. Not only is he aware of the legend of the long-lost city, he has knowledge of some of the other mythology that begins to pop up during his time there. One such example occurred when Jason nobly defended the life of an abandoned infant, but his expression appeared somewhat distressed when he learned of the infant's identity (Oedipus). However, Jason is not omniscient. Early on in the show, the character of Medusa was introduced, pre-snake-hair, and Jason did not appear to exhibit that same distress towards her.
Though Jason is heroic, displaying great bravery and selflessness towards those in need and those he cares for, he is not without flaws. In the presence of Princess Ariadne, his love interest, he has occasionally found himself tongue-tied and nervous. This slightly gawky behaviour is highly endearing to viewers, and many have boarded the ship of Jason/Ariadne. With evil forces lurking in the shadows, looking to break them apart before they've even truly joined together, this will likely be an epic love story to behold.
Princess Ariadne is portrayed by Aiysha Hart, whose scenes with Sarah Parish's Pasiphae are some of the strongest of each episode. Pasiphae is Ariadne's (evil) stepmother, but the dynamic between the two is anything but cliched. While Disney princesses often flit about, smiling, and remaining blissfully unaware (or borderline apathetic) of the evil doings of their evil stepmother, Ariadne is perfectly aware of the fact that Pasiphae is up to no good. Every episode brings forth a battle of wits between the two. Sarah Parish has brought to life a cunning villain, with a tremendous appetite for power. Pasiphae is a tremendous foe for the show's heroes, and the war between them is only just beginning.
The progressive casting seen in Merlin, in which Angel Coulby, who is of both black and Anglo descent, was cast to play Guinevere, is yet again seen in Atlantis, since Aiysha Hart is of Anglo and Saudi Arabian descent. The decision of the show runners to prioritise performance ability over simply maintaining a particular "look" is highly praiseworthy. As a biracial female myself, I am especially pleased to know that this generation has more strong female characters to look up to that reach a wider scope of cultural backgrounds.
Atlantis also has an abundance of banter between the main three characters: Jason, Pythagoras, and Hercules. Though Jason is the newcomer of the group, and occasionally finds himself unaware of certain traditions within Atlantis' culture, the group has strong cohesion and the three of them are able to joke with one another and provide a great deal of amusement to viewers. Given the darker nature of many mythologies, and the devastation it will bring to the story arc, the ability to still find things to smile and laugh at is not only important to keep up the mood of viewers; it is symbolic of how finding merriment can help oneself through even the darkest periods of life.
Atlantis is a dynamic show, that blends comedy, drama, fantasy, mythology, and adventure. It has great potential to develop a strong following of its own, given the success of other British fantasy and sci-fi programs, such as Doctor Who, Merlin, Being Human, and Misfits. It is of little surprise that Atlantis has already been renewed for a second series. Filming of Series 1 has already wrapped.
Atlantis debuted on BBC One on September 28 in the UK, Space network on October 12 in Canada, and is set to begin airing in the States on November 23 on BBC America. Wherever you live, tune in to watch this fantastic new show!
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