The Big Picture

• BBC's The Musketeers gives a fresh take on classic characters, with Tom Burke's portrayal of Athos standing out for its depth and nuance.
• Burke's performance as Athos highlights the character's loyalty, leadership skills, and complex relationships, making him the best version of the iconic figure.
• The Musketeers series revamps the classic story with swashbuckling action, romantic tension, and strong character development, making it a must-watch.

Similar to classic folklore characters like Robin Hood, King Arthur, Tarzan, and Zorro, The Three Musketeers exist within the public domain, and thus can be adapted by any filmmaker or studio. Alexander Dumas’ classic novel has been brought to the screen countless times, as the characters of Athos, Porthos, Aramis, and D'Artagnan have become instantly recognizable to audiences of multiple generations. While many of these adaptations are worthwhile, BBC’s three season swashbuckling adventure series The Musketeers was able to flesh out the characters in more depth. Tom Burke’s portrayal of Athos in The Musketeers gave insights on the character that had been lacking in previous adaptations. Between his detestable villainous role in Only God Forgives to his playful interpretation of Orson Welles in Mank, Burke has been able to be a scene-stealer in projects where he’s only granted a supporting role and that includes the upcoming Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga.

While Burke may not be a household name as of yet, he’s certainly been building an impressive resume with those standout performances in prestigious projects. However, The Musketeers gave Burke the opportunity to show his star power, allowing him to play upon Athos’ vast literary history. It was a fresh take on the character that served as a reminder as to why the story has permeated across multiple generations.

‘The Musketeers’ Revamps the Classic Story

Previous adaptations of The Three Musketeers had to move very quickly in introducing the protagonists to one another and setting them up on a mission to stop insidious political forces from bringing France into a state of war. However, BBC’s The Musketeers had the time to flesh out the interpersonal relationships between its characters, showing the day-to-day responsibilities that come with serving within a chivalrous line of France’s warriors. After experiencing a family tragedy, D'Artagnan (Luke Pasqualino) gets into a bitter feud with the Musketeers Athos, Porthos (Howard Charles), and Aramis (Santiago Cabrera). Despite their initial disagreements, D'Artagnan eventually joins the ranks of the Musketeers at the request of their Captain Treville (Hugo Speer). What follows is three seasons of swashbuckling action in which the Musketeers are called time and time again to prevent the country from falling into chaos.

Burke does a great job at showing Athos’ friendship with the other Musketeers. Athos is an experienced warrior who takes his duty to the crown seriously; however, his heroism is often motivated by his loyalty to his friends, who he has come to regard as brothers. Burke shows that Athos has become so close to both Porthos and Aramis that he often shows better judgment than they do. Athos is the first to warn Aramis about the consequences of his relationship with the Queen (Alexandra Dowling), a scandal that could end the Musketeers as an institution of the country. He’s also supportive of Porthos when he attempts to get vengeance on the slavers that had once imprisoned his family. Burke captures the level-headed leadership skills and brooding intelligence that makes Athos such a great literary character.

Tom Burke Is a Romantic Lead in ‘The Musketeers'

The Musketeers plays upon the romanticism of the source material, as each of the characters is forced to balance their professional responsibilities with personal obligations to their loved ones. While the romance between D'Artagnan and the Queen’s lady Constance (Talma Kari) has its charms, Athos’ tempestuous relationship with the assassin Milady de Winter (Maimie McCoy) is far more complex. The former lovers were split apart after Milady was convicted of murder, a revelation that turned Athos into the cynical loner that he is at the beginning of the series. McCoy and Burke do a great job at showing how the two characters are unable to subdue their feelings for one another; while they often find themselves on opposite sides of a conflict, the sexual tension between them only grows with each moment of repression. It’s a far sexier and more interesting relationship than what is often seen in period romances.

Athos is a character who is often depicted as a grim outsider, but Burke shows both charisma and surprising humor with his performance in The Musketeers. While his relationship with Milady is a toxic one, Athos often makes jokes at his former lover’s expense, signifying that he’s not entirely regretful of their shared history. The romantic tension heightens in the final season when Athos falls in love with the political activist Sylvie (Thalissa Teixeira), who works to promote women’s rights in the country. Burke shows Athos’ non-toxic, mature qualities through the respect that he shows for Sylvie and her work; the strong chemistry he shares with Teixeira allows the series to end on a high note.

Tom Burke Is the Best Version of Athos

Considering that The Musketeers had the freedom to expand its story beyond Dumas’ original novel, Burke’s performance as Athos was more nuanced than previous interpretations. While Kiefer Sutherland captures Athos’ physical capabilities in the sexy 1993 adventure film, he lacks the maturity and tenacity that was essential to Burke’s performance. Similarly, Matthew MacFadyen’s performance in the derided 2011 The Three Musketeers from Paul W.S. Anderson lacked the sense of heroism that made Burke’s role so inspiring.

The Musketeers is certainly one of the most underrated shows of the past decade, as it captured the action-adventure tone much better than other series with far more significant viewership and budgets. The entire cast was uniformly excellent, but Burke’s sensitivity and range ensured that his version of Athos was the show’s standout. When reflecting upon the vast history of the character, Burke’s work should be remembered as the definitive interpretation.

The Musketeers is streaming on Amazon Prime Video in the U.S.

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