Before Camelot Came Merlin—and The Pendragon Cycle Is Worth Watching

By Yossi Schmidt, Founder of The Digital Free Press

RATING: 8.4/10

The Pendragon Cycle: Rise of the Merlin is exactly the kind of project I want to see succeed: ambitious, unapologetic about its values, and willing to build something instead of spending another decade complaining about Hollywood.

Based on Stephen R. Lawhead’s novels, the seven-episode DailyWire+ series goes back before King Arthur, before Camelot, and before the Round Table. It begins with Taliesin and Charis before moving into the origins of their son, Merlin.

That decision gives the story real weight. Merlin isn’t just some old wizard who appears when the plot needs a prophecy. He’s a man shaped by faith, tragedy, love, power, and responsibility. The series takes its time building the world that eventually makes Arthur possible.

And it looks good.

The landscapes are sweeping, the costumes feel lived-in, and the score gives the story the scale it needs. This doesn’t look like a political media company grabbed a few costumes and decided to play fantasy. It looks like people cared about the world they were creating.

That matters.

The performances also give the series a heart beneath all the prophecy and warfare. Tom Sharp brings weight and humanity to Merlin, while Rose Reid and James Arden make Charis and Taliesin more than historical setup. Their story is the foundation of everything that follows, and the series understands that.

The result is a fantasy story that feels sincere. It isn’t embarrassed by heroism, sacrifice, faith, or the idea that good and evil actually exist. Modern entertainment often seems terrified of presenting a hero without immediately tearing him apart or turning every moral question into gray sludge. The Pendragon Cycle doesn’t have that problem.

Good.

The Christian elements are central to the story, but the series is more interested in showing faith through its characters than pausing everything for a sermon. I’m an Orthodox Jew, not a Christian, and I had no problem with that. A story doesn’t need to share every one of my beliefs to earn my respect. It needs to believe in something and tell its story honestly.

The Pendragon Cycle does.

Is it perfect? No.

Its biggest weakness is that it tries to fit an enormous amount of history into seven episodes. Two novels, multiple generations, major relationships, religious transformations, political conflicts, and Merlin’s rise all have to share the same limited space.

At times, the story moves faster than the emotion can follow. Some relationships and losses deserve more room to breathe. The timeline can also demand close attention, especially early on. There’s nothing wrong with expecting viewers to pay attention, but clarity is still the storyteller’s responsibility.

A few additional episodes could have turned good moments into great ones.

Still, I would rather watch an ambitious series occasionally struggle under the weight of its ideas than sit through another polished Hollywood production with nothing to say.

The Daily Wire also deserves credit here—but not a participation trophy.

Conservatives have spent years correctly complaining about the entertainment industry’s political obsession, contempt for its audience, and determination to insert modern ideology into every fictional universe. Complaining was the easy part. Building a legitimate alternative is much harder.

With The Pendragon Cycle, The Daily Wire didn’t just complain. It took the risk.

That doesn’t place the series above criticism. If anything, alternative media should welcome honest criticism because that’s how the next production becomes better. Supporting people who challenge Hollywood shouldn’t mean pretending every scene is flawless. It means giving good work a fair hearing and holding it to a real standard.

By that standard, The Pendragon Cycle: Rise of the Merlin succeeds far more than it stumbles.

It creates an impressive world, treats faith and heroism seriously, and gives viewers a different kind of fantasy—one built around purpose instead of nihilism. Its pacing occasionally works against it, but its ambition, sincerity, and craftsmanship carry it through.

Final Score: 8.4/10. A strong, visually impressive beginning with real heart behind it. Give the story more room to breathe, sharpen the timeline, and a future season could become something exceptional.

Before Camelot came Merlin. Before Arthur could unite Britain, somebody had to believe it was worth saving.

The Pendragon Cycle makes a convincing case that this story was worth telling—and that The Daily Wire should keep telling it.

About the Author

Yossi Schmidt is the founder and editor-in-chief of The Digital Free Press and host of The Yossi Schmidt Show. An Orthodox Jew and unapologetic advocate for free speech, transparency, and independent journalism, he founded TDFP to hold everyone accountable—Big Government, Big Tech, Big Media, and the political establishment—without giving either side a free pass. His work is guided by one principle: inform, don’t manipulate.