Netflix’s foray into the fantasy genre didn’t stop with The Witcher and the streaming juggernaut decided to continue riding on this popular obsession with Cursed, a new live-action series based on the Arthurian legend.
You’ve obviously heard of King Arthur and his heroic deeds in the quest to unite the land of Albion. You’ve definitely seen Merlin in many adaptations on the small screen or theaters, too. And you’ve probably lived through the story of the Knights of the Round Table countless times. Netflix’s new fantasy show narrates the legend in a different light though than anything you’ve known thus far.
Cursed is the story of Nimue, the Lady of the Lake, in a quest to find Merlin and deliver Excalibur. Only this time, she’s the one true hero of ancient Britain instead of Arthur. Over the course of the first season, Nimue finds herself running from Uther Pendragon’s Red Paladins, more often than not successfully. But the finale ends on a cliffhanger. After defeating Father Carden with the help of Morgana (Morgan le Fay) and finding Merlin, the two heroines try to loose the Red Paladins by crossing a stone bridge. Much to their dismay, however, Sister Iris suddenly reappears, shooting Nimue in the shoulder and stomach.
Merlin tries to hold on to Nimue – revealed to be his daughter – but she slips and falls into the water. An enraged Merlin then takes hold of Excalibur and calls on lightning, killing the Red Paladins and scarring Iris. He then escapes with Morgana.
Meanwhile, Arthur teams up with the Red Spear, but something unexpected sets up the show for introducing more characters from the mythology. The Weeping Monk turns on the paladins and saves Squirrel. As they ride to safety, Squirrel says that his real name is Percival, while the Weeping Monk is revealed to be Lancelot.
As for Nimue, the closing moments of Cursed show that she’s still alive. So, when Netflix moves forward with season 2, she’ll probably use magic to revive herself. To top it all off, Sir Lancelot, the greatest and bravest of the Knights, has now joined the gang, making the prospects of a second season all the more exciting.