Summary
Adding drama, romantic elements, and thirsty battles, the series services the legend as well as possible.
This review of Amazon’s El Cid season 1 contains no spoilers. The historical drama was released on the streaming service on the 18th December 2020.
Apart from the hyped The Mandalorian season 2 finale, streaming services are relatively quiet today. If you decide not to binge through the popular K-Drama series Sweet Home, you may want to feast your eyes on historical drama El Cid.
In case you are unaware, Amazon’s El Cid is based on a true story about the legend Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar (also known as El Cid), a nobleman and war hero in medieval Spain. In five episodes, the drama follows Rodrigo as he vows to lurch on to a monarchy that is attempting to control him.
With mid-11th Century vibes, the series lunges at the usual tropes, with the script and cast doing their utmost best to capture the language. The costume department has done well to capture the essence of the time, and it can be applauded for evoking the settings. El Cid is predictable in style, and audiences will need the time and concentration to commit themselves to it.
With a satisfactory script, revolving characters, and a sense of wondrous heroic history, audiences can rest assured that El Cid is entertaining. However, our recommendation would be to opt for subtitles. Amazon has decided that the default is dubbed, but it doesn’t land. There’s something not quite right with British voiceovers for a landmark moment in Spanish history. Also, the dubs are not exactly great, and it reduces the story somewhat.
I’ll leave history commentators to discuss whether or not it’s tied strongly to real events, but as the trailer promised, El Cid brings some well-sketched out medieval battles for those expecting some old age action. The Amazon series tries its earnest best to platform The Legend of El Cid, so while it could fall down at the wayside on accuracies, it at least attempts to honor Spain’s celebrated figure.
El Cid season 1 comes recommended. Adding drama, romantic elements, and thirsty battles, the series services the legend as best as possible.
