The Winter King (Season 1) Episode 8: Previously on ‘The Winter King’ on MGM+, we saw Merlin anoint Arthur as Dumnonia’s ruler and Britain’s defender. Arthur had planned to marry Gorfydd’s daughter Ceinwyn to strengthen the bond between their two kingdoms. Unfortunately, in the period before, he fell in love with Guinevere, which made him rethink his decision. Eventually, he decided to not proceed with a loveless marriage with Ceinwyn. Instead, he ran away with Guinevere. On the way to Caer Cadarn, Arthur and Guinevere get married.
Now the eighth episode follows the conflicts after Arthur’s return to Dumnonia. A Christian group accuses Nimue of poisoning them. On the other hand, Morgan decides to travel to Powys to negotiate peace between their two kingdoms.
Spoilers ahead.
The Winter King (Season 1) Episode 8 Recap:
Arthur’s Return
Arthur (Iain De Caestecker) returns to Dumnonia with the newlywed Guinevere (Joran Alexandra). They finally get a chance to engage sexually without any fear. In the middle of this, Morgan (Valene Kane) knocks on their door and interrupts them. Then, she proceeds to open it and finds the couple half-naked. She asks Arthur to come to the Great Hall to take care of the matter with Powys besides several pending petitions from the denizens. Besides, she also informs him about Cadwys’ (Billy Postlethwaite) arrival.
While walking toward the great hall, Arthur tells Guinevere a brief history of their kingdom’s association with Cadwys. Uther allowed Cadwys to rule Isca, which belongs to Dumnonia. As a result, Cadwys became a king without a kingdom. Now, in the wake of Owain’s death, Cadwys expects to replace him as the protector of Mordred, the King of Dumnonia. Arthur does not consider a formal appointment necessary, which does not sit well with Cadwys. On the other hand, despite a rocky start to their relationship, Guinevere tries to build a strong bond with Lady Morgan. She senses that Morgan is protective of Arthur and admires it about her.
Cadwys’ Demands
Arthur thinks that his conversation with Cadwys would put an end to the issues between their kingdoms. But that doesn’t seem to be the case. Cadwys enslaves Kernow miners as a way to retaliate against Arthur. He also announces Isca as another state, which will be damaging to their future. So, Arthur heads out while leaving Derfel behind to protect Guinevere. Upon meeting, Cadwys refuses to go easy on Arthur and claims his position as one of King Mordred’s protectors. So, Arthur sees no other option but to fight against him.
In their intense swordfight, Cadwys keeps abusing Arthur whereas Arthur keeps providing chances for him to accept their earlier deal. Because of Cadwy’s reluctance to bow down, he eventually gets killed by Arthur. Upon his return to Caer Cadarn, Arthur grieves that he could not deal with the situation peacefully. He feels bad that Cadwys refused to surrender. It also makes Arthur contemplate whether he is seeking power just for himself. Guinevere tries to put his worries to rest. But soon after, she reveals that Morgan has left for Powys to negotiate a deal with Gorfydd.
Nimue’s Rage
Besides Arthur, Derfel (Stuart Campbell) also returns from Powys and meets druidess Nimue (Ellie James). He reveals that it was not Bishop Bedwin (Steven Elder) but Sansum (Andrew Gower) who performed the ceremony of Guinevere and Arthur’s marriage. Nimue worries that Sansum is a zealot who may get pagans killed. Meanwhile, Sansum asks Arthur to fulfil the assurances that were made in the past, toward the Christian community. So, Sansum hopes to build a church near Avalon, and Arthur says yes to it. When they start the construction at the site, Nimue pays it a visit. She is appalled to learn that Arthur gave permission to let this happen.
Upon speaking with Arthur, Nimue learns that he took this action – thinking of Britain’s bright future in a peaceful co-existence. But she firmly believes that Sansum’s new church will be damaging to the existence of the Pagans. As a result, she heads back to their site and puts a curse on them. Soon after, Sansum notices the men showing symptoms of several ailments. So, he no longer could believe that Nimue’s curse bears no power. By the night, Brother John (Rhodri Miles) witnesses the deaths of their men. As a result, he and Sansum walk along with their men to confront Nimue. She senses their presence and walks out to terrify them with another curse. Sansum still hopes to seek justice against her.
Powys’ Threat
While Arthur goes away to take care of the matters with Cadwys, Morgan receives a message from Powys. Bishop Bedwin’s negotiations with Gorfydd (Aneirin Hughes) had reached a conclusion. According to that, Dumnonia needs to pay a price to maintain peace between their lands. So, Morgan decides to head out to Powys without wasting any time. Guinevere tries to stop her, stating Arthur would want them to wait until his return. But Morgan thinks it will be too late, which may cause more harm than good.
Since she fails to stop Morgan from going there, Guinevere tells Derfel to join Morgan to protect her from any danger. On the way to Powys, the two make a stop in the woods. Morgan openly speaks about Arthur and how he does only the things he thinks are right. She finally seems to be making peace with the fact that he married Genuivere. Eventually, she reaches Powys to meet Gorfydd. He praises Bedwin for his skill at negotiation but forces Morgan to stay longer for a meal.
The Winter King (Season 1) Episode 8 Ending Explained:
Sansum informs Arthur about Nimue’s threat and claims she poisoned Christian men through their curse. Although Arthur agrees to go speak with her about it, Sansum keeps professing the importance of Christianity. He calls Nimue’s gods false and believes his faith brings hope to their future. Right after, Arthur asks Nimue about the death of Christian men. She calls it the will of the Gods and still stands against offering Sansum a place for a church. She refuses to accept that it was she who poisoned them.
What happens during Morgan’s visit to Powys?
In Powys, Ceinwyn (Emily John) asks Derfel whether Guinevere is after her marriage with Arthur. It becomes clear that she truly cares for Guinevere as much as Guinevere cares for her. On the other hand, Gorfydd questions Morgan as to why Arthur did not come for the negotiations. Morgan mentions the issue with Cadwys. Despite that, she wishes to seek peace in the aftermath of all that transpired. But Gorfydd simply cannot get over the utter humiliation he faced when Arthur broke his commitment. He refuses to accept any other option to put up a united front against the Saxons.
Then suddenly, Gorfydd grabs Morgan’s arm and brings her outside to see a horrifying scene. In an open land, she sees Bedwin being crucified. Horrified by it, she urges Gorfydd to put a stop to Bedwin’s suffering. But Gorfydd refuses to compromise in any way. Ladwys (Tatjana Nardone) grins upon noticing that the druidess loves the bishop. No matter what, Morgan’s pleas go unheard. Moments after, Bedwin’s life is put to an end. Derfel, who remains helpless during this ordeal, gets told to inform Arthur about what he witnessed.
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