Kings on NBC (A Review)

When I first began seeing previews for NBC’s new TV-drama, “Kings,” I was intrigued. I thought the show was going to consider what America would be like if we had a monarchy rather than a democracy. So last week I tuned in to see if the show would catch my interest. It did, but it was not because of a political thought experiment but because of its biblical moorings.

It did not take long before my family and I recognized that the names of people and places in the show are from the Bible, more specifically 1 Samuel. The king and his children have names that are derived from the Hebrew names of the first king of Israel and his family: Silas for Saul (Ian McShane), Jack for Jonathan (Sebastian Stan), and Michelle for Michal (Allison Miller). The surname, Benjamin, is the name of the twelfth tribe of Israel. Reverend Samuels (Eamonn Walker) represents the prophet Samuel, from which the biblical books of 1 and 2 Samuel get their name. David Shepherd (Chris Egan) represents the seventh son of Jesse, a shepherd by trade, and a “man after God’s own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14). David is known for slaying Goliath, a giant in the Bible and a tank in the show. The name for the country Gilboa comes from a range that served as the setting for the battle between Israel and the Philistines. Shiloh, the capitol city in the show, was the name of the religious center of Israel during the time of the Judges. These names are not a coincidence. This show appears to be an adaptation of the biblical stories from 1 and 2 Samuel.

As a Christian, this raises a lot of questions for me. Is it the studio’s intention to retell the biblical story in a modern context? If so, why was it not promoted as such? At the beginning of the show, the king says in a speech that it is not popular to speak of God but he does so because he feels blessed. Is this the motivation behind the show’s production? Are the studio executives trying to talk about God incognito? Are they trying to share the stories of the Bible in a non-threatening way? Or did they choose to retell these stories because they felt like there is “nothing new under the sun” (Ecclesiastes)? How close is the studio planning to stick to the biblical stories? I enjoyed the first two episodes and I am planning to watch the rest of the first season.

I am interested to hear how the public will respond. Will people recognize the biblical story? Will people consult the Bible to see what really happened? Will they shrug their shoulders and change the channel? Would more or less folks watch the show if they knew it was based on the Bible? How do Jews and Christians feel about a TV show adapting stories they consider scripture?

The studio will obviously need some ability to adjust the stories to fit a different context and to maintain interest, but I hope they stay close to the biblical model. I would encourage folks to watch the show, read their bibles, and reflect on how God is speaking to them today. You can watch past episodes on http://www.nbc.com/. If you choose to watch, some things we should remember are: 1) This is not our story, it’s God’s story; 2) We are called to share God’s story; and 3) even if the show becomes a bad adaptation, it can be a great teaching moment. But first things first, we need to know the Bible before we can comment on how other’s portray it. Perhaps it is time to read or re-read 1 and 2 Samuel. If you would like to comment on this review or read more of my comments on the show and other topics, you can do so at http://www.revrigoulot.blogspot.com/ or by finding the link on our church website, http://www.pampapcusa.org/.

Before I conclude this article I would like to point out some images and references to the resurrection found in the first episode. When David fixes Reverend Samuel’s car, the reverend exclaims, “The dead has arisen.” This could be preacher-talk for a car being fixed, but it may also be a subtle attempt to suggest that the dead can come back to life. The butterfly is an important symbol in the show as it is prominently displayed on the Gilboa’s flags and uniforms. When my family and I watched the first episode, my dad suggested that it was silly to have a butterfly on your flag because there is nothing less intimidating than a butterfly. However, the butterfly has served as a symbol of the resurrection for centuries. Caterpillars seem to die when they form their cocoons and they seem to come back to life better than before when they emerge as butterflies. Butterflies may be peaceful, but they are powerful images of the life that overcomes death. It may not make much political or military sense, but God’s foolishness is wiser than our wisdom (1 Corinthians 1:25). I would like to encourage people to watch the show and reflect on these Judeo-Christian stories, images, and themes as they are being presented by NBC.