'Atlantis' episode 8 review: Blood ties and past lies

Eight weeks in and Atlantis has proven a moderate success for BBC One - a second series has been confirmed, but while few question the show's sense of style, some detractors have issues with its substance… or lack thereof.

'The Furies' is another example of an episode that looks incredible and is populated with strong actors - both among the regular cast and the guest roster - but is let down by a script that's often frustratingly simplistic.

© BBC / Urban Myth Films/Nick Briggs

Jason, Hercules and Pythagoras in 'The Furies'

This week, our heroes must deliver a trunk full of gold to the land of Helios to ensure that the arranged marriage of Philemon (James Rastall) to his prospective bride goes ahead, but their trek across the desert is complicated by the arrival of Pythagoras's brother Arcas - played by a buffed-and-bronzed Will Merrick from Skins.

Merrick's a strong young actor and a believable on-screen sibling for Robert Emms 's Pythagoras, and elsewhere 'The Furies' director Alice Troughton's guest casting is similarly top-notch - in particular, Dog Soldiers actor Darren Morfitt brings depth to the under-written part of Nilas.

© BBC / Urban Myth Films/Nick Briggs

But the emphasis is on 'under-written' - Atlantis has a terrific cast, but too often they're wasted on thin material or cheap gags, like a sleepy Hercules (Mark Addy) whimpering "Medusa!" and slobbering on Jason's hand…

It's all the more disappointing because when Atlantis does pull its socks up and offers something the actors can sink their teeth into, they always deliver - so it is with Robert Emms, who in 'The Furies' gives what is by far his strongest performance of the series.

And while it's not the revelation that troubled Arcas is the one who summoned the Furies - to avenge the death of his father - Pythagoras's ultimate admission that he accidentally killed his drunk and abusive father to save their mother is genuinely shocking and an admirably mature turn for a show like Atlantis to take.

© BBC / Urban Myth Films/Nick Briggs

Pythagoras and Arcas in 'The Furies'

This is why Atlantis is proving so frustrating - but also why the doubters shouldn't give up on the show - because it's sporadically brilliant and exactly the sort of show that BBC One should be producing for a family audience on a Saturday night. It's just that the whole thing's so inconsistent.

'The Furies' looks sublime - the desert scenes give the whole thing a blockbuster feel, more than justifying the show's location shoot in Morocco - but while Pythagoras's family drama is compelling, Julian Jones's script pays only passing attention to its supporting characters.

The spunky and intriguing Baucis (Hasina Haque) is crying out for more screen-time, but the character - and her romance with Philemon - is badly underdeveloped.

© BBC / Urban Myth Films/Nick Briggs

Let's hope that Atlantis - like Merlin - will evolve and grow because with more solid scripting, the show could easily become a piece of glossy family entertainment to match any big-screen production.

If only we had a real-life Oracle to tell us if this promising but flawed show will ever reach its true potential.

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