Knightfall Season 2 Episode 1 Review: God's Executioners
Lisa Babick
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The quest for the Holy Grail has taken a backseat as Landry seeks redemption from the Knights Templar.
The opening scene of Knightfall Season 1 Episode 1 featured a battle in which King Philip skewers Landry.
It's unclear if it was a flash forward to how things will play out by the end of the season, but thankfully, for now, Landry was only having a nightmare.
Still, the Knightfall creators have said that Knightfall Season 2 will be darker, more brutal, and ultimately head towards the fall of the Templar Order which began on Friday the 13th, 1307 at the orders of the rotten King Philip.
That could mean there's a strong possibility that Landry might not make it out of this season alive, but we aren't going to think about that now.
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Right now, Landry has a lot of other things to worry about like redeeming himself before his brothers and facing the biggest challenge of his life in the form of Templar initiate master, Talus.
Mark Hamill made his debut as Talus and to say the initiate master is not a fan of Landry is an understatement.
Talus had no desire to welcome Landry back into the Order's fold even if Landry was forced to start all over again.
In his eyes, Landry had committed the ultimate sin when he broke his vows by having an affair with the married Queen Joan, and Talus will do whatever he can to make sure Landry fails in his quest for redemption.
Talus' uncompassionate view of Landry might be softening, though. When he found Landry flogging himself after the brutal battle for Philip's gold, Talus gave an almost imperceptible nod of approval.
A man can be driven to madness trying to comprehend God's will.
Talus
It's hard to not to make comparisons between Hamill's Talus and the wisened Luke Skywalker in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The look he gave Landry and the look he gave Rey after she climbed up the mountain is the same.
It's the look of a man who sees the potential (and, yes, I know Landry and Rey aren't from the same cloth).
We don't know the backstory of Talus yet, but it wouldn't be surprising if his road to the Templar Order didn't go as smooth as one might think. It's doubtful he committed sins equal to Landry's, but it is possible he fell more than a few times.
One other thing that should be noted about Hamill's performance is that his voice had a gritty, Joker feel to it. Again, it's hard not to consider Hamill's past work. Mark Hamill is who he is, and in our eyes, he's a god.
But back to Landry. He's a broken and defeated man, but he's also determined to redeem himself in the eyes of God, and the eyes of the Templars despite Talus' challenges and obstacles.
He's also doing it for Joan and their daughter, Eve.
Make no mistake that somewhere deep in his psyche is an aching urge to enact revenge on King Philip for killing the woman he loved.
Philip also hasn't forgotten Landry and Joan's betrayal. He has everyone in his circle believing that it was Landry who murdered his beloved wife, but others know the truth.
However, Philip won't allow anyone to spread the truth of what happened to Joan. If he cut out one knight's tongue, he'll cut out another if they're willing to challenge his purported truths.
While DeNogaret persuaded him to hold off on his retaliation against the Templars, Prince Louis' return to the kingdom will work to Philip's advantage.
Louis was more than miffed when he learned of his mother's death. He readily accepted Philip's lies as to who was responsible for her death, but he wasn't completely satisfied.
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Somehow he found Joan's burial place and brought her corpse to his father where they all quickly realized that that the baby was removed because it was still alive.
The only positive about that revelation was that Philip believes the baby was a boy, so when he begins his hunt for his "son," he won't be looking for a girl.
Philip will be more than content to let Louis do his dirty work for him, but when it comes time (and if they are successful in finding Eve), nothing will make Philip happier than slaughtering Landry's daughter before his eyes.
It's interesting that Landry named his daughter Eve, and I can't help but think there's some significance between her name and the beginning of his new journey.
But there's also the possibility that if she survives, it will signify a beginning for the Templars. Just because the real Templar Order got obliterated in 1307 doesn't mean that the Order has to end in Knightfall. After all, it may be historically-based fiction, but it's still fiction.
We haven't seen the last of Gawain either, and he might have a part in hunting down Eve as well. He's been hiding underground, but after being approached by DeNogaret, he'll be getting back into the swing of things in no time.
Landry has a lot of his plate even if he doesn't know it yet. Dealing with Talus is only one of the many challenges he'll have to face, but Landry isn't a quitter. How long did he stay outside the Templar gates before they finally let him inside?
Landry will make things right, and even if he dies in the end, he'll still die a hero.
Over to you!
What did you think of "God's Executioners"?
How did you like Mark Hamill's Talus?
Will Talus and Landry become allies?
Will Philip find Eve?
Hit the comments and share your thoughts!
If you need to catch up, you can watch Knightfall online right here via TV Fanatic!
