Tom Burke
Santiago Cabrera
Howard Charles
Luke Pasqualino
Peter Capaldi

Created by:
Adrian Hodges

2014-
Adventure, Drama
BBC America
TV-14

“The Musketeers” looks like it stole the set of Bree (the location of the Inn of the Prancing Pony) from Peter Jackson’s “Lord of the Rings.” It also looks a bit like Ridley Scott’s “Robin Hood,” which starred Russell Crowe. That’s not a bad thing, though. It works. Essentially, “The Musketeers” is what you would expect from a modern-day TV period-piece adaptation of “The Three Musketeers,” set in France in 1630. (Of course, the French are played by Brits.)

In the first episode of “The Musketeers,” things are taken fairly seriously; there isn’t a lot of humor on display (well, at least not in this episode), but there is a bit of it. It mostly comes from beats that we’ve seen before, though. For example, Aramis dangles from his lover’s window to hide from the Cardinal, her benefactor.

For the most part, “The Musketeers” concerns itself with matters at court, with intrigue, and with a bit of adventure. Its first episode is closer in spirit to “The Tudors” than it is to BBC’s “Robin Hood.” (It does have elements of both, though: court intrigue from “The Tudors,” adventure and sword-fighting from “Robin Hood.” That balance may change as the series progresses. We’ll see.) So, this isn’t a silly series (and it could be). You can take it seriously without taking it too seriously. And the sword-fighting in the pilot is OK. It isn’t anything to get excited about, but it’s not bad.

Overall, that’s my opinion of the first episode: not bad, but nothing to get excited about. These people know what they’re doing, though. They start things off solidly. But where’s the spark?

While I didn’t find the opening of “The Musketeers” as compelling as I wanted it to be, some seeds have been planted that may turn into something later on. This series could find itself if its creative team develops those seeds with precision and energy; the potential’s there. So I’ll give “The Musketeers” some time before I render my final judgement. …

Now that I’ve made it to the middle of the first season, “The Musketeers” has settled into the “capable” category. Everything is “capably” done. It won’t blow you away or provide enough tension to be compelling, but it does look and sound the part.

If you like adventure television with a more serious edge, then “The Musketeers” may do the trick.

Verdict: OK to Somewhat Good

About: (Source: musketeers)

BBC AMERICA’s drama series, The Musketeers, returns for season two in January. The series, which has thrilled audiences across the globe, having sold to 140 territories, is set on the streets of seventeenth century Paris, where law and order is more of an idea than a reality. Returning for season two is Luke Pasqualino (Skins, The Borgias) as D’Artagnan, Tom Burke (Great Expectations, The Hour) as Athos, Santiago Cabrera(Merlin, Heroes) as Aramis and Howard Charles (Royal Shakespeare Company) as Porthos. They are joined by Marc Warren (Hustle, Mad Dogs) as the Comte De Rochefort. Created by Adrian Hodges (My Week With Marilyn), this is a fresh and contemporary take on the classic characters in the much-loved novel by Alexandre Dumas.