Pride of Camelot

On Aiden’s Hill in the countryside of Albion, a democratic republic much like modern Britain, the legendary King Arthur and his knights Bors, Gawain, and Galahad, get ready for action. With them is Lance, a TV camera operator.

Newscast

Gwen, a roving reporter, covers the ensuing clash between Arthur’s war band and a modern police riot squad. She invites us to go back in time to understand how and why this has happened.

Stampede

On Aiden’s Hill, six months earlier, workers building a motorway for business tycoon Sir Emrys Merton face-off against a group of eco-warriors led by the enigmatic Viv Lake. Lance and Gwen are covering the incident for TV news. We meet Vera, a senior police officer and Gwen’s romantic partner. As protestors and construction workers clash, the top of the hill collapses under the weight of a bulldozer and Viv disappears into the sinkhole.

Sleeping

Viv comes-to in an ancient barrow housing four mysterious sleeping warriors. Somehow she knows that they are King Arthur and his Knights. Viv fears that, if woken, the sleepers will be swayed by evil forces and she nearly slays them to prevent that. She lets them live, trusting to the hope that they will remain good, and casts a spell so that, should they lose their way in the modern world, they will be drawn back to her for help.

Welcome to the future

Viv feigns unconsciousness as others arrive in the barrow. These are Sir Emrys Merton, Morgan, his aide-de-camp, Vera, Gwen, and Lance. While Vera, Gwen, and Lance attend to Viv, Sir Emrys wakes the sleepers with a spell. He welcomes King Arthur back. Arthur, confused after sixteen hundred years of magical sleep, doesn’t yet realise Emrys is Merlin, his erstwhile wizard and counsellor. Merlin and Morgan whisk the warriors away. Gwen, who suspects the sleepers are fakes planted by Merlin for a nefarious purpose, follows with Lance.

Your health and well-being

Arthur, Bors, Gawain, and Galahad are taken to Mallory Heights, Merlin’s luxurious mansion. Morgan gives them a makeover and, without permission, takes a sample of Arthur's blood. Merlin enters with Oswald, his thuggish head of security. Merlin expresses delight the outcome of the makeover, and Arthur recognises him at last as Merlin.

Dream team

Merlin introduces Arthur and the knights to Morgan and Oswald, the 'dream team' he has tasked with organising a tour that will introduce the awakened warriors to Albion’s public. Gwen and Lance push-in past Oswald and persuade Arthur, who is taken by Gwen's beauty, to let them join the tour as embedded journalists. Merlin reluctantly agrees, but asks Arthur and the knights to keep his true identity from Gwen and Lance.

Is he for real?

A tour preview day is put on for the media at which the knights show-off their martial skills, and Arthur demonstrates his good heart. Gwen, and a star-struck Lance, debate whether King Arthur is or isn’t a fraud. Merlin and Morgan reveal their disdain for Arthur, and their intention to use his prophesied return as a pretext for overthrowing the elected government of Albion. Morgan proposes driving a wedge between Arthur and his knights so that he will be easier to manipulate and control.

You can be a knight

Merlin spots Lance’s infatuation with Arthur. He offers to help Lance achieve his dream of becoming a knight, in return for which he will report to Merlin.

Run the gauntlet

Encouraged by Merlin, Lance tries to ingratiate himself with King Arthur by attempting a martial trial. Using skills acquired in gaming, and aided by Merlin’s magic, he succeeds. However King Arthur refuses his request to join the knights on the grounds that Lance has yet to prove he has the necessary character.

Shock of the new

King Arthur and the knights tour Albion, wowing the public wherever they go. However they are overwhelmed by the strangeness and contradictions of the modern world.

Ye citizens

Merlin uses Arthur's growing celebrity to foment discord. On Merlin’s behalf Oswald recruits discontented citizens to a 'Sons of Albion' paramilitary force that aims to replace democratic government with a totalitarian regime fronted by King Arthur, but in reality ruled by Merlin.

Weekend warriors

Bors gets drunk at the after tour party. At Merlin's bidding, Oswald sneaks him off to a Knight Club where he leads Bors further astray. Oswald's Sons of Albion thugs instigate a mass brawl and push the inebriated Bors into the fray. Arthur, his entourage, and the police, led by Vera, arrive. Arthur pacifies Bors and persuades him to go quietly with the police. As Bors leaves he hears Viv’s disembodied voice urging that he return to her.

Certainty

In the aftermath of the brawl Vera reminds Gwen that they had agreed Arthur is fraudulent, and part of a sinister game being played by Sir Emrys Merton (Merlin) that they intend to expose. Gwen, still doubting Arthur’s authenticity but warming to him as a person, is conflicted. Gwen concludes that Arthur, while perhaps deluded, deserves her support.

Dares to speak

Lingering in the club, Gawain and Galahad are amazed to discover that same-sex relationships are no longer taboo. They realise that they have strong feelings for each other, but decide not to tell Arthur in case it upsets him. Morgan, who has remained in the club in disguise, secretly takes incriminating photos of them showing each other affection.

Separate ways

At Mallory Heights Arthur takes counsel following the Knight Club incident. Gwen has managed to get Bors bailed, only for him to go missing. Morgan arrives and shows Arthur photos of Gawain and Galahad romancing in the club. Arthur’s conservative morality precludes him from accepting this and he banishes Galahad and Gawain. As they leave they hear Viv’s disembodied voice urging them to return to her.

With Arthur in a foul mood Merlin, Morgan, Oswald, and Lance tactfully withdraw. Gwen shares with Arthur her suspicion that his bust-ups with Bors, Gawain, and Galahad, have been set-up.

Whatcha gonna do?

Having reached the same conclusion, Lance accuses Merlin, Morgan, and Oswald of causing Arthur’s estrangement from his knights. Merlin doesn’t deny it, and tells Lance to wise-up as Arthur will never regain his throne with clueless do-gooders like Bors, Gawain, and Galahad holding him back. Lance faces a dilemma – help make Arthur king by immoral means, or stick with morality and risk Arthur fading into obscurity.

Effortless

Merlin deploys Morgan to use her feminine allure to drive a wedge between Gwen and Arthur. Gwen, who unknown to Morgan has been in a nearby bathroom, intervenes and foils the seduction attempt. Arthur, flustered, leaves the room to get some air. Morgan tells Gwen she is no longer welcome, then makes to follow Arthur.

On to you

Gwen blocks Morgan’s exit and they angrily face-off. Gwen accuses Morgan of manipulating Arthur, but is rattled by Morgan’s counter accusation that she is using Arthur to make her name as a journalist. Their stand-off is interrupted by Morgan’s phone ringing, and Gwen uses the distraction to get away and follow Arthur.

Turnaround

Gwen finds Arthur despondent. She shares that with a ‘friend’ (Vera) she is digging dirt on Sir Emrys Meron (Merlin). She confesses she had thought Arthur a fraud and Merlin’s puppet, but is now unsure what to believe. Gwen encourages Arthur to regain a sense of purpose by finding something to fight for, and tells him about Merlin’s destructive motorway scheme. Arthur agrees to go with Gwen and discover if saving Aiden’s Hill is a cause worthy of him.

Morgan, meanwhile, tells Merlin that Arthur and Gwen gave her the slip. Merlin asks demonic ‘Investors’, with whom he is in league, for their help in finding Arthur. Lance, who witnesses this, is sent to get Arthur to return to Mallory Heights.

Eternal brotherhood

At Aiden’s Hill Arthur and Gwen meets Viv and discovers that Bors, Gawain, and Galahad have taken refuge with her. The knights and Arthur beg each other’s forgiveness and are reconciled. Lance arrives and tells Arthur that Merlin is in league with dark forces and that he is finished with him.

Viv is revealed as the Lady of the Lake who, unknown to Merlin, has long been the guardian of Aiden’s Hill and the secret beneath it. She asks Arthur and his friends to help her protect the hill from the motorway builders. Arthur struggles to accept that Merlin has gone so bad.

The battle of Aiden's hill

To sway Arthur, Viv introduces him to Aiden, a widower who lost his wife, and may soon lose his home, because of the motorway. Arthur is moved by Aiden’s story and agrees to take up his cause and defend Aiden’s Hill. Vera calls Gwen to tell her the construction crew, backed by riot police, is about to resume demolition of the hill.

The story has caught up with the where it began, and Arthur, Bors, Gawain, Galahad ready for a charge. Arthur makes Lance a knight for being prepared to sacrifice his dream to do the right thing. Holding a protest banner given to them by Viv and Aiden they march toward their adversaries. Lance films and Gwen reports, aiming for Arthur’s celebrity to draw public’s gaze towards the plight of Aiden’s Hill.

My epic fail

Unable to withstand modern police, Arthur and his knights are now in prison awaiting trial. Arthur ruminates that their predicament is his as a result of his hubris.

The optics

Merlin, Morgan, and Ozzie arrive, having bribed a prison officer. Morgan is worried the Investors won’t be pleased by developments, but Merlin thinks that by making uses Arthur a cause célèbre he can accelerate his coup-de-tat plan.

Separate ways (reprise)

Arthur refuses to play along and is irrevocably estranged from Merlin. Merlin tells Arthur he will defend him in court whether he likes it or not. He shares that he will reveal explosive DNA proof of Arthur’s authenticity that will demolish the prosecution’s case and trigger a chain of events leading to overthrow of democracy. Merlin and his accomplices leave.

Happy ever after

Gwen, Vera, and Lance arrive, having secretly listened as Merlin revealed his plan. They ponder how to stop the coup. Lance has a brainwave – to counter the DNA evidence by making a deepfake video that ‘proves’ Arthur and his men are actors hired by Merlin to pose as legendary heroes. However for the plan to work Arthur will need to be complicit in destroying his own reputation. Reluctantly, Arthur agrees.

The trial

It’s the day of the trial and the mood is febrile. The Sons of Albion prepare for an uprising. In court Vera surreptitiously unlocks Arthur’s and the knight’s handcuffs. Morgan, disguised as a cleaner, gives weapons hidden under her trolley to Ozzie and his goons. Lance and Gwen are reporting. Lance anonymously shares his deepfake video with the fearsome Sir Mordred Bane, counsel for the prosecution. Judge Justice Dunn wonders at Arthur’s calmness in the face of adversity. Merlin enters a plea of 'not guilty' for Arthur on the grounds of ‘royal immunity’, while casting the other knights to the dogs.

Pretender of Albion

Sir Mordred presents his case, showing the deepfake video to prove Arthur is a fraud. There is pandemonium in court. Merlin attempts to object but the judge overrules him. Justice Dunn asks Arthur to respond to doubts about his identity.

Son of Albion

Arthur reflects on his journey in life. He recalls the glory days of Camelot with his knights and his Queen, finally accepting all has changed and that it is now his fate to become a nobody in order to save Albion from conflict and chaos. He proclaims himself a fraud and changes his plea to guilty.

To the rescue / a summoning

Wrong-footed and panicked by this turn of events, Merlin tries to initiate his uprising, and the Sons of Albion draw and fire weapons to terrorise the court. Arthur, Gawain, Galahad, and Bors leap from the dock and overpower Ozzie and his thugs with their superior hand-to-hand combat skills, before surrendering themselves to court security. Morgan tries to escape but it tripped up by Gwen.

In desperation Merlin reveals himself as a wizard and summons the Investors to seise Arthur and spirit them all away. However Arthur uses Viv’s amulet to summons her magic and ward them off. Thwarted, and with no way now for Merlin to repay his debt to them, the Investors claim the wizard’s soul instead of Arthur’s.

King of nothing

Some time later, Arthur is released from prison. Now a ‘nobody’, he nonetheless has a sense of freedom and possibility as he hitch-hikes and travels on public transport. He arrives at Aiden’s Hill where Gwen and Vera are getting married, with Viv as celebrant. Arthur joins his friends for the celebration.

Children of forever

Viv asks Arthur to stay and help her and the knights to rewild the hill, which will help her and her fairy kindred to regain magic. Arthur agrees. Viv offers him Excalibur, which she has kept for safekeeping. Arthur throws his ancient sword into a lake as he is a warrior no longer. The all live anonymously ever after.