In this Saturday’s second episode of BBC1’s new fantasy drama Atlantis, hero Jason meets the legendary Medusa.
Jack Donnelly - who already revealed how he was stabbed during filming - sheds some light on the first few episodes and how Jason is adjusting to his new life in the mythical city…
What’s going on with Jason when we first meet him?
"When we meet Jason in the first episode he’s from the modern world and searching for his father, who went missing 10 years previously. Jason has lots of unanswered questions, largely because there were things his father said to him before he left, which made it impossible for him to move on."
How does he wind up in Atlantis?
"He ends up in Atlantis while looking for his father and finds himself in this completely different world [after a deep sea search goes wrong]. At first he thinks he’s going absolutely bonkers! Naturally he’s a bit of an outsider initially. In the first few episodes Jason is discovering everything for the first time – and the audience go on that journey with him. We discover Atlantis and the people who live there through his eyes and experiences."
What discoveries does he make?
"The most significant is after talking to the Oracle (Juliet Stevenson), who tells him his father walks among the dead. This is a real blow for him. The little boy in him hoped for something else and it knocks him back. He’s left thinking, where do I go from here? He’s going to have to rebuild his life – and then he meets Hercules (Mark Addy) and Pythagoras (War Horse star Robert Emms) and starts to form relationships."
We understand he has something of a bromance with Hercules and Pythagoras!
"Jason makes real friends in Hercules and Pythagoras in this world, probably for the first time in his life. It really helps him grow as a person and learn more about himself. It also changes his perceptions on things."
Coming from the modern world, Jason has heard stories about people like Hercules and Medusa. How does he cope with that?
"Because he knows their stories from his own world it’s really bizarre for him! He can’t be sure how much of it is myth and how much of it will turn out to be true. It’s something he’ll discover as he goes along – and it can work to his advantage, or against him!"
Watch Atlantis on Saturday to discover how Jason, Pythagoras and Hercules fare when they run into the legendary Medusa (Jemima Rooper) before she had snakes for hair...
