Kings, "Insurrection": Gone fishin'

Spoilers for last night's "Kings" coming up just as soon as I bribe a government official...

"He calls for peace, but denies me the cost. Good day to be a critic." -King Silas

"Insurrection" was the first episode of "Kings" to not have series creator Michael Green's name on the script (Erik Olesen is the credited writer), and it showcases just how tricky it's going to be to maintain the odd balance between Bible and modern-day, particularly in the dialogue.

There are deliberately stylized lines like William Cross telling Reverend Samuals, "Change is in the air -- like winter. Can you smell the wood burning?" But then there are lines like the skinny security guard, realizing that his chunky friend has a crush on Tomasina, telling him, "You are so screwed."

Obviously, "Kings" takes place in a world where we have to accept the contemporary (24-hour cable news) alongside Old Testament conceits (monarchs being chosen by God), and until now the arch nature of the dialogue -- not really Shakespeare, but also never really mundane -- has helped bridge the two. For however long this show is on, its writers need to be really careful not to let blatantly modern phrasing into their scripts, because they tend to break the spell.

"Insurrection" also illustrated the problem of having to deal with a relatively perfect hero. In the Bible, David becomes decidedly imperfect after he's King (just ask Bathsheba's husband), but at this stage of the story, he has to be pure enough to remain God's choice. Some actors can do interesting things as characters who are unremittingly good, but Chris Egan doesn't know quite how to play it, even as the writers place him in situations so complex that being good isn't of much use. And it doesn't help that he's so often paired with Allison Miller as Michelle, who's so far the cast's weakest link.

I'm not the world's biggest Leslie Bibb fan, but I'll reserve judgment on her character until we see if she's just been inserted to add a bit of classic soap opera vixen-ry to the proceedings.

Still interesting, but definitely my least favorite episode to date.

What did everybody else think?