Atlantis: Review: Series 2 Episode 3: Telemon

Ariadne has a new suitor – but is he all he seems to be?

Let’s go with “no” as the answer to that one – although it takes Jason some time to catch up with Hercules and Pythagoras in his suspicions of the new prince who has arrived at Atlantis without a retinue, and seems intent on taking the hand of the young queen.

There are a few surprises in this episode but not as many as there could have been. Of course the person who expresses her suspicions of Telemon gets her comeuppance; of course he’s got an explanation for what happened which is enough to quell the suspicions of all but our heroes. The throwforward makes clear (even if you’ve not picked up next week’s Radio Times yet) that Telemon is not someone to be trusted, but what isn’t clear yet is whether Pasiphae has a hand in what’s going on.

There have been comments that Atlantis is trying to be Game of Thrones lite, but, particularly given the emphasis on swordfighting that there’s been in all three episodes to date, it feels more like Spartacus: Blood and Sand-lite. The stunt team are certainly earning their pay, and the fight coordination has stepped up considerably from the first year. Addy and Robert Emms as Pythagoras carry the dramatic weight of this episode, leaving Jack Donnelly to the swordplay, and it’s a division that works.

Verdict: Although predictable for much of the time, this is still far more entertaining than the show managed for the majority of last year. 7/10

Paul Simpson