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The Lost Symbol TV Show

Winter

Premium Member
The TV adaptation of Dan Brown's best selling 2010 novel "The Lost Symbol" airs the first episode tomorrow, Thursday 9/16/21 on Peacock TV.

Famed Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon answers an unexpected summons to appear at the U.S. Capitol Building. His plans are interrupted when a disturbing object—artfully encoded with five symbols—is discovered in the building. Langdon recognizes in the find an ancient invitation into a lost world of esoteric, potentially dangerous wisdom.

When his mentor Peter Solomon—a long-standing Mason and beloved philanthropist—is kidnapped, Langdon realizes that the only way to save Solomon is to accept the mystical invitation and plunge headlong into a clandestine world of Masonic secrets, hidden history, and one inconceivable truth ... all under the watchful eye of Dan Brown's most terrifying villain to date.


It is probably one of my least favorite books primarily because it builds on pretty much every fanciful conspiracy theory about the Freemasons. Though I confess that I am a huge fan of his novels because they are engaging and fun to read. Brown's penchant for putting in so many historical facts and tidbits throughout his novels is also fun as I make notes or stop to google the location he is talking about or some obscure fact or piece of art to see it for myself. The Lost Symbol is no exception, especially early in the book as he talk about some lesser known pieces in the Capital Building. As much as I like the novels though, I have never been a fan of the movie adaptations of his books. They cut out all the parts that are fun, to me at least. I am hopeful that a TV series will give them more time to explore that parts that make the books so enjoyable, though I feel it much more likely they will still cut out the good parts and shoehorn in actions scenes or romantic involvement that wasn't in the books just to keep the GoT crowd happy.

You can watch it for free on PeacockTV.com. Here's the trailer if you haven't seen it.

 

MarkR

Premium Member
I was under the understanding that you have to have the subscription (paid) version of Peacock for this show.
 

Winter

Premium Member
I was under the understanding that you have to have the subscription (paid) version of Peacock for this show.
I am pretty sure if you register you can watch it for free with commercials. I guess we will find out tonight!
 

MarkR

Premium Member
I'm not a subscriber, and don't intend to be, so I didn't watch. However, I did watch Brother Maynard Edwards's YouTube video about the Masonic symbolism in the first episode. You don't have to have watched the show to get something out of it.

 

Winter

Premium Member
I'm not a subscriber, and don't intend to be, so I didn't watch. However, I did watch Brother Maynard Edwards's YouTube video about the Masonic symbolism in the first episode. You don't have to have watched the show to get something out of it.

It actually doesn't cost anything to sign up for Peacock TV. I am guessing Brother Edward never read the book the show is based on or he wouldn't be singing its praises. It sound like Peacock paid him for his endorsements they way he's been going on. The TV show actually removed most of the Masonic symbolism that was in the book and what was left in the show was pretty watered down. They dramatically changed character associations from the novel and completely removed some pivotal ones. Even in the first episode they added several unnecessary action scenes that were nowhere in the book and of course they added a romantic involvement that was nowhere in the story. Add to that their need to insert modern political divisive nonsense, also nowhere in a book that was set around a decade ago, and you have a hot steaming pile of crap.
 

MarkR

Premium Member
It actually doesn't cost anything to sign up for Peacock TV. I am guessing Brother Edward never read the book the show is based on or he wouldn't be singing its praises. It sound like Peacock paid him for his endorsements they way he's been going on. The TV show actually removed most of the Masonic symbolism that was in the book and what was left in the show was pretty watered down. They dramatically changed character associations from the novel and completely removed some pivotal ones. Even in the first episode they added several unnecessary action scenes that were nowhere in the book and of course they added a romantic involvement that was nowhere in the story. Add to that their need to insert modern political divisive nonsense, also nowhere in a book that was set around a decade ago, and you have a hot steaming pile of crap.
Did you watch his YouTube commentary?

By the way, I found the book extremely disappointing. It was a typical Brown page-turner, but the end left me thinking "that's it? All that for this?"

There is free programming on Peacock, and there is programming only available to those with paid subscriptions. I had read that this program was the latter.
 

Winter

Premium Member
Did you watch his YouTube commentary?

By the way, I found the book extremely disappointing. It was a typical Brown page-turner, but the end left me thinking "that's it? All that for this?"

There is free programming on Peacock, and there is programming only available to those with paid subscriptions. I had read that this program was the latter.
I did watch the YouTube commentary and read the book and watched the show, well, most of the first episode, all I could stomach anyway. You are correct, the book was a normal Dan Brown page turner. But that's why we keep buying his books. We know what they are and we like them. He wouldn't be a best selling author otherwise. The on screen adaptations, though, never seem to capture the magic that makes the books so enjoyable. They leave out all of the lore and history and then shoehorn in lots of nonsense in the form of action scenes and romance in a shallow attempt to appeal to the modern moviegoer. The result is inevitably a lackluster film that leaves the viewer wondering why everyone likes his books so much. I had high hopes that with a TV series with several episodes to work with instead of just a two hour film they wouldn't have to cut out the meat of the story that was actually enjoyable to readers, but alas, the first episode made it very clear that Peacock only continued the same poor decision making we have seen in the movies with this TV show. While the novel for the Lost Symbol was very disappointing in how much they got wrong about Freemasonry, it was a decent thriller, well, until the last few chapters after the climax. Seriously, what was that nonsense? And I hope no Brothers are reading Dan Brown novels to learn about our Order anyway! :)

As for Peacock TV, I can assure you that you can in fact watch the Lost Symbol without subscribing to the service. I signed up for a free account and have zero intention of buying a paid subscription and I am able to watch The Lost Symbol just fine.
 
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