History What makes a person human is the capacity to make mistakes, and somehow manage to atone for them. However, in Knightfall, one’s error is a sign of weakness. The Knights Templar has no room for the who have lost themselves in the darkness. Regardless of one’s identity or your contributions to the cause, a mistake made once could tarnish one’s reputation indefinitely. Now, the long and tiring journey to redemption begins. In the season premiere of Knightfall, the Knights Templar Banish Landry (Tom Cullen) from the order. Determined to earn a second chance, Landry begs the knights to reconsider his case. Meanwhile, King Philip (Ed Stoppard) reevaluates his plans against the Crusaders. Elsewhere, Gawain (Pádraic Delaney) lives life as ‘The Crusader,’ a gladiator. Retaliation Queen Loan’s infidelity did not sit well with her husband, King Philip (Ed Stoppard). With his pride stained by her actions, King Philip drives the sword into Queen Loan’s stomach. However, he did not know her unborn child’s survival. Months after her death, their son, Prince Louis (Tom Forbes) returns after an expedition. The Prince happily reports the progress of his campaign until he notices something amiss. His sister, Princess Isabella (Genevieve Gaunt) and the King’s Aide, William De Nogaret (Julian Ovenden) stood in the throne room along with the King. The Queen, however, was absent. Furious, Prince Louis expresses his anger against Landry, thinking that he killed the Queen. Also, the fact that France did not retaliate against the Knights Templar upset him further. To add to that, King Philip labeled the Queen a whore and did not have her body buried customarily. As a result, Prince Louis gu out the Queen’s remains. After having it examined by the doctor, the King and Prince discover that the baby is not in the Queen’s womb. Indeed, the baby is alive. The Crusader Gawain’s life became simpler after he left the Knights Templar. Landry’s disregard of the saving of his life fueled the rage to make his decision to go. Now known as ‘The Crusader,’ Gawain participates in gladiator competitions, fighting to the death inside a tavern. His lifestyle is how he earns his keep, entertaining the bar’s patrons while fending for himself. However, he had no friends there as he prefers to fuck a whore and remain undisturbed by others. De Nogaret’s arrival in his quarters pissed him off at first, but De Nogaret explains himself. After the French King’s Aide indulges himself in making fun of Gawain, he offers him a new job with higher purpose. No longer did he have to remain in the Taverns, risking his life to amuse himself. Attracted by the prospect of self-glorification, Gawain accepts De Nogaret’s offer. Re-Training After having Tancrede (Simon Merrells) bring his daughter, Eve, to a safe place, Landry returns to the Knights Templar. However, under the Grandmaster’s (Matthew Marsh) orders, the Templars strip Landry of his armor as the Brotherhood sentences him to banishments. For weeks, Landry waited outside the Knights Templar’s castle, with little food or drink. Finally, the Grandmaster decides to gather the Templars to decide Landry’s fate. Landry’s return to the order came in one condition: he must start at being an Initiate once more. The Templars put his acceptance to a vote, and the results end up in his favor. Now, Landry began training under Talus (Mark Hamill), a veteran Templar who disliked him because of his actions. Talus’ personal bias often earned Landry mistreatment, but he accepted it silently. Perhaps to Landry, any discomfort is nothing compared to being banished from the Templars. Without them, he had no purpose. Training with Talus tested Landry’s patience. Not only did Talus drill his mistakes on him, but his fellow Initiates also feared association with him. It proved hard for Landry to try to have a semblance of brotherhood with his fellow Initiates, but he nonetheless attempted to reach out. Not even teaching the Initiates tactics helped get him a better reputation. Retake The Wealth The fall of the Parisian outpost formerly under Landry’s command was a substantial loss for the Templars. Now, the French Knights occupied the fallen castle where stashes of the Templars’ wealth remained hidden. Because of this, the Templars decided to recover the gold, sending the Initiates and a handful of Templars so as not to attract attention. Initially, they keep the element of surprise. However, a Knight on patrol finds blood stains on the floor, sounding the alarm. The Templars sustain two losses as the French manage to break through their line of defense. Unfortunately, the fallen ones were Landry’s closest friends, his fellow initiate and Naimon (Stanislav Callas), a fellow Templar last to vote for his return to the order. Once again, Talus blames Landry’s disobedience as the cause for their line of defense’s break. If Landry had not broken their formation to aid an injured Initiate, the other two would have survived. Returning to the Templar’s castle with the wealth, Landry retreats to the privacy of him and the Cross, using scourging whips against his back in honor of the fallen. ‘Knightfall’ Season 2 Premiere Final Verdict The episode brings an excellent introduction to the second season. After a brief recap of the events in the previous season, the chapter picks up after the stories that transpired. Despite having the main plot rooted in the previous season’s storyline, it is not hard to understand the episode’s beginning. Also, the show does the historical Knights Templar justice as History Channel once again nails the portrayal of the characters, stories, and scenery. Knightfall returns Monday, April 1st, with ‘The Devil Inside’ at 10/9c on History.<doc-sep>Knightfall is upping the ante. The History series returns for season two on Monday, but this time, it's coming back with a vengeance -- and Mark Hamill. The Star Wars icon joined the historical drama as the series underwent significant changes in front of and behind the camera, tapping a new showrunner (Black Sails and The Flash's Aaron Helbing) and a recast of Princess Isabella (Genevieve Gaunt takes over for Sabrina Bartlett). It was all in the name of making things darker and grittier, required aspects to bring the story towards the end of the Knights Templar. "The story dictates a darker tone," Helbing told ET in February. "We wanted to embrace the fact that the Templars slept in their clothes... We wanted to bring that element to it, that authenticity." Season one centered on fictional Templar leader Landry (Tom Cullen), a brave and capable warrior, but not the most godly. Landry's vow of celibacy went to the wayside when he engaged in an affair with his friend King Philip's (Ed Stoppard) wife, Queen Joan (Olivia Ross), who became pregnant with his child. What ensued was a brutal war by the crown against the Templars, whose mission to find the Holy Grail became eclipsed by Landry's personal drama. That's where Hamill comes in, portraying new character Talus, a battle-hardened knight tasked with transforming initiates -- and an outcasted Landry -- into Templar Knights. Helbing admitted that the role drew parallels to Hamill's most recognizable character, Star Wars' Luke Skywalker, who trained Padawans into Jedis. Helbing explained that the coincidence is merely that: "We weren't trying to duplicate Star Wars." History "I've worked with Mark on The Flash. He's a pro. I thought he brought a lot of value to the show, just because he's such a great actor," Helbing said, revealing that his casting was a "collaborative effort" among Knightfall’s creative team. Cullen couldn't have been more pleased with Hamill’s addition. "I think everybody on the globe has some kind of attachment to Mark though Star Wars," he shared, recalling how he bonded with his younger brother (who plays one of the initiates in season two) over the intergalactic space saga. "I'm such a huge fan... It was fun to work with him." "Mark doesn't need showing the ropes," Cullen added. "He turned up on set and knew exactly what he was doing." That's not to say the 67-year-old actor didn't have questions when he joined the show. As Hamill previously admitted, he was unfamiliar with Knightfall before being approached to join the series. And after working primarily as a voice-over actor in recent years, it took several tries to get Talus' character right. "He really humbled himself. He'd constantly be asking questions about things he wasn't quite sure about, and he created a really great working environment," Cullen said. "But Mark just turns up and raises everybody's game, because he's a badass." Like his character Landry, Cullen had to go through a bit of boot camp for the new season. The Welsh actor, who told ET ahead of the series’ premiere in 2017 that his body looked "like Christmas," confessed that the most recent hiatus left his body in a somewhat similar state. "I had just finished directing a film and editing for six months, which requires a lot of sitting down and eating," he said with a laugh. "I had to do a lot of physical work to get myself back into shape again. But in terms of the fighting, it was all there." History The 33-year-old jumped right back into the show's battle sequences, perhaps a little too eagerly; he broke both of his big toes on the first day of shooting while filming an epic battle in the rain. "We were actually able to do a lot more stuff, bigger stunts and more dangerous stunts, and it was all on camera. There's some pretty epic stuff," Cullen said, more jazzed about the badge of honor his injury provided than upset by it. "I learned to run alongside a galloping horse, hold onto the side, jump on it whilst kicking a guy off. And they let me do it! I mean, the idiots!" Helbing conceded that the battle sequences were a big priority for him. "I always wanted it to be something I've never seen before, so I had long conversations with our stunt coordinator, Cedric [Proust], saying, 'Bring in weapons that we haven't seen before. I want to see Tom on a horse kicking a**, things like that,'" he shared. "It's just trying to tell the best story, even in the fighting. There's an emotional component to all of our fights. We wanted to make sure everything is charged." It's not just the Templars or battle sequences that will look different in season two. The series is playing into the "psychological" aspects of the royal family. After King Philip killed his wife, Queen Joan, in his battle with Landry last season, he starts to look a little more like the former Temple Master. History "He just wants to look like me," Cullen quipped of Philip's new bearded look, as Helbing confirmed there was more going on underneath the surface. "All of it was a concerted effort to really tie in the storytelling to the characters and make them as grounded as possible. And the way we shot [the show], our DPs really brought a different element to the show too, our directors, everybody was on board for a darker tone," Helbing said. "Everybody involved really stepped up and wanted to make the show the best it could possibly be." Helbing's assertively clear concept mixed with his laid-back personality seemed to be a recipe for success. "Aaron's vision was very, very, very strong. And one that every single one of us fully, fully bought into," Cullen said. "We were completely on the same page, 100 percent. It was perfect from the beginning." "I have a policy that the best idea wins, so it doesn't matter where it comes from," Helbing chimed in, praising Cullen's input for the sophomore premiere. "I'm always open to what other's thoughts are." In season two, Knightfall heads toward the ultimate demise of the Templar Order, which occurred on Friday the 13th in 1307. Even though it may appear that one chapter of the Knightfall tale is closing, Helbing promises he still has big plans for the series past that point. "The Templars were outlawed or banned in France, but there were other parts of Europe where they weren't banned. You just have to tune in to find out who lives and who dies," he teased. "We all love the show and we all want to make as much of it as possible, because we have such a good time making it," Cullen expressed. "And there are so many stories to tell about the Templars. They're a fascinating sect that don't actually end at the end. They carry on going. There's a lot of stuff to mine there." "We just have to keep raising the bar," Helbing said. Knightfall returns Monday, March 25 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on History. RELATED CONTENT: Tom Cullen on Why 'Knightfall' Is the 'Best Thing' He's Ever Done (Exclusive) Mark Hamill on 'Knightfall's Surprising 'Star Wars' Connection Mark Hamill Goes Medieval in First Promo for 'Knightfall' Season 2 -- Watch!<doc-sep>Knightfall Season 2 premiered on 25th March 2019. Let’s first discuss what happened in the first episode of the 2nd season, titled God’s Executioners. When it was discovered that he had an affair with Queen Joan, Landry was banned from Knights Templar and held captive of a veteran of the Crusades. King Philip plans to take action against the Templars and is struggling with the return of his eldest son, Prince Louis. Knightsfall Season 2 Episode 2, titled The Devil’s Inside will air on the 1st April 2019, on History Channel at 10 PM. Apart from being available online on the History Channel app or official website, there are some other online options for watching Kinghtsfall online including Hulu, Roku, and Sling. In the upcoming episode a tough and skilled Initiate master, Talus, will train Landry in the Knights Templar Order. King Philips will be talked into legally attacking Knights by DeNogaret.<doc-sep>
The quest for the Holy Grail has taken a backseat as Landry seeks redemption from the Knights Templar. The opening scene of Knightfall Season 1 Episode 1 featured a battle in which King Philip skewers Landry. It's unclear if it was a flash forward to how things will play out by the end of the season, but thankfully, for now, Landry was only having a nightmare. Still, the Knightfall creators have said that Knightfall Season 2 will be darker, more brutal, and ultimately head towards the fall of the Templar Order which began on Friday the 13th, 1307 at the orders of the rotten King Philip. That could mean there's a strong possibility that Landry might not make it out of this season alive, but we aren't going to think about that now. Related: Project Blue Book Season 1 Episode 10 Review: The Washington Merry-Go-Round Right now, Landry has a lot of other things to worry about like redeeming himself before his brothers and facing the biggest challenge of his life in the form of Templar initiate master, Talus. Mark Hamill made his debut as Talus and to say the initiate master is not a fan of Landry is an understatement. Talus had no desire to welcome Landry back into the Order's fold even if Landry was forced to start all over again. In his eyes, Landry had committed the ultimate sin when he broke his vows by having an affair with the married Queen Joan, and Talus will do whatever he can to make sure Landry fails in his quest for redemption. Talus' uncompassionate view of Landry might be softening, though. When he found Landry flogging himself after the brutal battle for Philip's gold, Talus gave an almost imperceptible nod of approval. A man can be driven to madness trying to comprehend God's will. Talus Permalink: A man can be driven to madness trying to comprehend God's will. Permalink: A man can be driven to madness trying to comprehend God's will. It's hard to not to make comparisons between Hamill's Talus and the wisened Luke Skywalker in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The look he gave Landry and the look he gave Rey after she climbed up the mountain is the same. It's the look of a man who sees the potential (and, yes, I know Landry and Rey aren't from the same cloth). We don't know the backstory of Talus yet, but it wouldn't be surprising if his road to the Templar Order didn't go as smooth as one might think. It's doubtful he committed sins equal to Landry's, but it is possible he fell more than a few times. One other thing that should be noted about Hamill's performance is that his voice had a gritty, Joker feel to it. Again, it's hard not to consider Hamill's past work. Mark Hamill is who he is, and in our eyes, he's a god. Related: Explore Hundreds of Hours of Curated Historical Videos with History Vault via Prime Video Channels! But back to Landry. He's a broken and defeated man, but he's also determined to redeem himself in the eyes of God, and the eyes of the Templars despite Talus' challenges and obstacles. He's also doing it for Joan and their daughter, Eve. Make no mistake that somewhere deep in his psyche is an aching urge to enact revenge on King Philip for killing the woman he loved. Philip also hasn't forgotten Landry and Joan's betrayal. He has everyone in his circle believing that it was Landry who murdered his beloved wife, but others know the truth. However, Philip won't allow anyone to spread the truth of what happened to Joan. If he cut out one knight's tongue, he'll cut out another if they're willing to challenge his purported truths. While DeNogaret persuaded him to hold off on his retaliation against the Templars, Prince Louis' return to the kingdom will work to Philip's advantage. Louis was more than miffed when he learned of his mother's death. He readily accepted Philip's lies as to who was responsible for her death, but he wasn't completely satisfied. Related: Project Blue Book Season 1 Episode 1 Review: The Fuller Dogfight Somehow he found Joan's burial place and brought her corpse to his father where they all quickly realized that that the baby was removed because it was still alive.