I still hate the fact that NBC pulled the rug out from under Kings. For one thing, Christopher Egan and Sebastian Stan were the prettiest boys on TV each week. Their performances in this alternate-reality David and Goliath retelling were compelling, deliciously homoerotic, and Stan in particular gave us such wonderfully passionate anger and angst with his ambitious and troubled Prince Jack. NBC did a total FAIL on promoting this unique and complex drama, depriving us of seeing what these two lovely men would get up to next.
So now all we can do is relive the glory. We’ll begin our Kings screencaps with David Shepherd (adorable Egan) on the battlefield, showing off his Matt Damon-esque killer smile…
Then we move on to the haughty Prince Jack (sultry Stan), getting turned away from a state dinner by his Mother’s orders…
…but he acts arrogant and disinterested in state affairs when the press comes around.
David has an unsettling dream visitor that gives him a warning about the future. This gives us a chance to ogle him shirtless.
While Prince Jack fumes over his treatment by his family…
…and decides a little retail therapy with the national treasury’s money is in order for him and his friends.
David takes part in state affairs…as something of a substitute son for King Silas.
He’s concerned about how his every action seems to affect the possibility of peace in the region. (Could he BE any prettier in his earnest, contemplative state?)
King Silas (Ian McShane) confronts Prince Jack about his secret male lovers, and how Jack must sacrifice his desires for proper appearances if he wishes to gain power.
We can see the mixture of embarrassment, rage, and anguish on his face at every pointed word from his father.
We can also see how ridiculously sinful Sebastian Stan’s perfectly shaped, ruby red lips are. *GUH*
Though canceled, Kings is at least available on DVD. As an added note, Stan was so good in this role that they gave him an almost identical part in the mini-series “Political Animals,” this time alongside Sigourney Weaver.
PHOTOS: Christopher Egan as David Shepherd and Sebastian Stan as Prince Jack Benjamin, Kings screencaps, c2009 Universal Media Studios (UMS), NBC.
I’m not sure NBC knew what to do with this show, or even quite how to present it. The early ad campaign in the New York subways made a big deal about conservation and recycling, topics which were never even touched on in the episodes themselves. But the premise was interesting, and I think the show could have found an audience, given time.
Yeah, the advertising for this show was so random and obtuse that no one understood what the show was about at all. And about halfway through they shifted the whole tone, almost made it supernatural… It was a shame, though, it had so many good actors and a lot of promise if they could have gotten the balance right.