Yeah, I know ... I'm a little late to the "Kings" party on this review. But the premiere was two hours long on NBC Sunday night, and as you can tell ... Sunday through right now, I was a little bit, er, occupied, by some other shenanigans from NBC.

Anyway, I'm here now, and I can say that I have finally turned on the DVR and watched the beginning of "Kings." And I have to say ... I'm impressed.

There are a lot of negative reviews out there over this show, and I am not sure why. Yes, it's a bit dense. Yes, if you didn't pick up that Gilboa is fictional as are all the other countries being talked about, then you would be lost. Yes, there is an awful lot of talking.

But you would think some of these critics have never seen a premium cable show before. And I hate to say it, but I was right there with these very critics who felt that the networks should take a page or two out of cable's television notebook, and NBC actually did just that. Yes, they have a winner with "Kings."

The allegories are pretty obvious. David is a young soldier who defeats Goliath. Except this time David, played by Christopher Egan, is old enough to get married, and Goliath is ... well, he's a tank. And an ugly one, too.

Ian McShane is King Silas Benjamin, someone who was once a soldier that used corporate money from some mega-war corporation to finance a war, and later to build a new capital city called Shiloh, where he is crowned the leader.

Silas' son Jack (Sebastian Stan) is the crown prince, and is injured in battle, but his life is saved by David, and he's invited into the royal court.

Some other things happened, too, but hey, why read about it when you can go watch it on Hulu?

It's a show almost completely lifted from the Tanakh ... David, the shepherd, is played by David Shepherd. Silas is really King Saul. Jack? Well, that's another name for Jonathan. And Goliath? I think we covered that.

What Worked

I loved the way this series is shot. I kept looking at the skyline of Shiloh to see the CGI, but they did a good job in making me believe that this skyline has to be somewhere in the world, and maybe it is. But I have to say, it's a beautiful city.

And there is something about this whole idea of a modern monarchy that is not in England or some Middle Eastern country that is just fascinating. Silas at times can be almost dictator, like when he orders the death of one of the members of his court, and other times can be sweet, like when he makes his family breakfast.

While Silas seems to come off a lot like Al Swearingen from "Deadwood," it's still obvious the uniqueness McShane brings to this character.

I know there is some negative pushback about Jack being gay, especially since there has been Biblical allusions to the series. But I hate to say it, there is a bunch of people who believe the relationship between David and Jonathan in the Bible were more than just friends, and gay agenda or not, it fits. It would be great to see if this David ends up bisexual, or if Jack's advances go unanswered, if he makes any at all.

But no one should think they should open up the Bible to understand what's going on. While there are some allegories, it tends to end very quickly, and go off in its own unique story ... one that has me sitting with baited breath waiting to continue.

What Didn't Work

Sometimes, the writing came off a little too much ... how can I say this ... Pax? I mean, it's nice they are taking the religious approach, but sometimes that religious aspect was given to us a little thick.

I also think that the show needs to do a better job in explaining to audiences what the hell is going on ... Wikipedia must've been busy Sunday night with people trying to find out more about Gilboa, and wondering if that's where Rocky is from. I know the episodes have already been shot, but maybe there is a way to provide a minute of background before episodes to make sure that audiences who might happen to tune in on a Sunday night stay, because "Kings" needs every bit of a boost it can get.

Oh, and while I thought it was cool that the tanks were called "Goliath," I didn't quite understand why it needed to be painted on the front ... as if we weren't supposed to get it? Come on .. hold our hands where we need it -- like what the heck this place is -- and less where we don't, like with the allegories that we're already well aware of.

Giving Credit Where Credit Is Due

The "Kings" episode "Goliath" was written by Michael Green and directed by Francis Lawrence. It stars Ian McShane, Christopher Egan, Sebastian Stan and Allison Miller.

It airs Sundays at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.