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Main => The Library => Topic started by: Sir James A on 2011-07-11, 19:24:57
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There's a new show premiering on SyFy, this Wed at 10pm. I caught the commercial and it said something along the lines of "blah, blah, blah, EXCALIBUR, and blah". I *think* it said Holy Grail or Ark of the Covenant in there somewhere, but I was web-surfing for similar and I don't remember the exact words they said.
I'm assuming that Excalibur will be one episode out of the season and I have no clue which one, but if I catch a heads up of which one, I'll post about it.
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thanks i had forgotten about this one.
i looked for it and at least got it to record. i still cant find the NEW thundercats
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Cool, I'll set the DVR to grab it.
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You guys let me know how its going...all this tv is cutting into my game time! I'm watching Game of Thrones via HBO GO now. lol
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It looks like this starts tonight.
I have it scheduled on my DVR, so I can watch it later. :)
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Yep, starts tonight. :)
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I watched most of last night's episode. I got called away about 3/4 of the way through, so I'll finish it later.
My impression is pretty much what I expected (considering it's on syfy). Lots of unsubstantiated speculation and hype. If they really wanted to do the subjects justice, they'd go into more detail about the history and myths around these objects, and spend less time on the "this is probably what happened, based on our flimsy assumptions".
I mean... sure, the Templars MUST have taken the Ark to Chartres because the other church was shaped like a cross? Seriously? (yes, I realize I'm simplifying what they said)
It's interesting, so I'll watch more. I just think they could have done a much better job if they wanted to take it seriously.
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I watched most of last night's episode. I got called away about 3/4 of the way through, so I'll finish it later.
My impression is pretty much what I expected (considering it's on syfy). Lots of unsubstantiated speculation and hype. If they really wanted to do the subjects justice, they'd go into more detail about the history and myths around these objects, and spend less time on the "this is probably what happened, based on our flimsy assumptions".
I mean... sure, the Templars MUST have taken the Ark to Chartres because the other church was shaped like a cross? Seriously? (yes, I realize I'm simplifying what they said)
It's interesting, so I'll watch more. I just think they could have done a much better job if they wanted to take it seriously.
It's about what I expected, too. We used to watch MonsterQuest (they look for Bigfoot, Loch Ness monster, etc) and realized ... if they find something, wouldn't it hit the news before the show airs? I usually like that sort of show more for the journey than the destination itself, so it was nice to hear some of the history they used to make their conclusions, and to see the places in more than just pictures online. It seems a bit like a "gimmick" show, like MonsterQuest and MysteryQuest (so many quests!), I don't think it aims to be a documentary, but it's not trying to be fiction either. It seems very "middle ground", if that makes any sense?
I think they made a reasonable guess at what path the Ark may have taken, since they had multiple things that coincide with their conclusion. The thing that always frustrates me about the shows like that, is that if the Ark is REALLY behind those pieces of wood - move them! I wouldn't have the restraint to say "Yeah, I've traveled across a few countries to get here, it's probably right." and then left. I'd also be digging under Rosslyn Chapel to see what's in the unknown vaults, and I'd also be jailed for it ... but I'd know if the Holy Grail is there or not.
Sir William, this episode featured the "underground" complex (including the church) at Lalibela. I heard them say that, and I said "Ah! I know that!" and pulled up the picture of the church for my wife to see. Later in the episode, he climbs up and looks down from the same place the picture was taken. Kinda neat. :)
I had never heard the story of the talking Mayan cross, and hearing stories I haven't before, or making connections between something I've heard or seen (like Lalibela) in conjunction with the current story is at least half of the fun for me.
Next week is Excalibur. The 3 second preview of it made me sad, so I hope it was misleading. :(
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Yeah, that was my thought as well. If they were really serious about finding these artifacts, they'd have arranged to do at least sonar analysis or something to see if there's a chamber there. Instead it's "let's go in, speculate, and happily go home empty-handed".
While some of the interpretation of the symbols seemed pretty good to me, it also seemed like they were trying to associate anything with a cross with the Templars. They didn't have a monopoly on crosses. And a maltese cross vs a rectangular one isn't a strong correlation in my mind.
Granted, I'm no expert.
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By the way, with a simple google search, I've found the Ark of the Covenant. You can order one here:
http://www.arkcovenant.com/LifeSizeReplica.htm (http://www.arkcovenant.com/LifeSizeReplica.htm)
:)
And these guys make a kit:
http://goldenarmor.com/ark-kit-info/ (http://goldenarmor.com/ark-kit-info/)
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Yeah, that was my thought as well. If they were really serious about finding these artifacts, they'd have arranged to do at least sonar analysis or something to see if there's a chamber there. Instead it's "let's go in, speculate, and happily go home empty-handed".
While some of the interpretation of the symbols seemed pretty good to me, it also seemed like they were trying to associate anything with a cross with the Templars. They didn't have a monopoly on crosses. And a maltese cross vs a rectangular one isn't a strong correlation in my mind.
Granted, I'm no expert.
Crosses are associated with Templars, and given the amount of Templar- or religious-themed books and movies we've seen in the last ten years (Ivanhoe; Passion of the Christ; Le Pacte des Loupes; The DaVinci Code; National Treasure; KoH; Angels and Demons; Arn: Tempelriddaren; The Order (w/Van Damme if you can believe it); Soldier of God; The Last Templar; Templar Legacy; Season of the Witch; Robin Hood; etc, etc, to name a few books and/or movies) it stands to reason that the average consumer at some point may equate crosses with Templars.
Sir James mentioned that Lalibela was covered in this particular episode...there's local rumor that the Templars may have hidden part of their vast treasury somewhere there but as you both have said, if that were the case- it would've either made international news or it would've been covered up if some private company had sponsored a dig and found something until it was advantageous for them to reveal it. Or not.
IF the Templars were as pious as they're purported to be then I can say that I am not surprised that Philip le Bel's hatchetmen never found anything...being a monastic order keeping wealth for themselves should have been out of the question. Should have been. lol
I reserve judgement until they make a device that would allow the likes of you and I to go back and view it for ourselves...have they made a movie about that yet? Forget time travel, how about time vacations? Not some sunny beach or woodsy forest, but a specific date and time and location?
The movie Timeline sorta did it...but it wasn't by choice for those folks; Total Recall had a similar premise but they focused on technologically advanced super macho scenarios for that movie.
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MEH, is really all i can say. there was a show on a few years ago that was sorta the same thing but i liked his stuff better than this new guys.
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Aww, if I'd known Templars were in it, I would have watched it. I even sat through that horrendous "Templar Code" show on the History Channel. Twice :-[
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LOL @ the Red Knight
How about it is in my DVD collection? LOL
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Well, I watched the second episode of Legend Quest, and they were searching for Excalibur. All I can say is ugh.
The leaps of speculation are quite astonishing, actually. They start the search in a cave, and when they find a lion statue carved into the rock, they conclude that the sword must have been owned by Richard the Lionheart. And since history recorded that he traded a sword for an unusually large amount of military resources, that must have been Excalibur. So they travel to the country where it was supposedly traded to, look around the church there, and find a maltese cross, so obviously the sword must have been taken away by the Templars, in a straight line on the map.
*forehead slap*
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sigh that sucks.
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i watched it. man talk about jumping around. might as well say well i have a sword, it could be Excalibur or it could be cow dung.
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LOL @ that
Well then, I am glad that I didn't waste any time watching it. Purportedly, Richard gave Excalibur to Tancred of Sicily (well, he told him it was)...but how could he have done so if Arthur had Bedivere throw it into the lake when Arthur's end was near? Not to mention Excalibur, if it is real, would be considered a national treasure...not to be given as some gift to a foreign dignitary for some aid. But hey...what do I know, I wasn't around back then. lol
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Yep, it was Tancred that they mentioned. They said they were assuming it wasn't thrown in the lake. So at least they paid attention to the history and myths, but it's ridiculous how they leap from A to B to C. A lion statue in a cave was all they needed to assume it was Richard the Lionheart that really did have it. And a maltese cross in a church is all they take to assume the Templars took the artifacts in this show.
I mean seriously, the Templars were all over Europe. You're going to find maltese crosses everywhere. It doesn't mean they left it as a calling card and took the one item you happen to be looking for.
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That is true...but simpletons do not like long and intrinsic explanations; they must know their demographic well. lol
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ya i totally lost all respect for this show. i didn't even get thru the second part. it will be a season delete from my dvr
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I thought the lion in the cave as part of a clue that also ties in with Richard the Lionheart supposedly having possession of excalibur at one point was at least plausible, but everything after that was a leap of excessive faith.
I've heard a variation in that when excalibur broke, it wasn't merlin that fixed it, but he threw it into the lake and the lady of the lake fixed it and gave it back to him. Now, how she runs a forge underwater, I don't know, but that part of the excalibur story makes about as much sense as the other half of this show.
I'm going to chalk this up as "hey, y'all come'ere and listen a-this" campfire stories, useful as entertainment but little else. :(
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ya i heard that broke part went to the lady of the lake as well.
the lion was pure crap. who says some Victorian or even modern curator thought hey this would look cool in here for quests
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That's probably exactly what happened.