Morning Wire Podcast Summary

Episode: From Writer’s Room to Princess of Atlantis: Rose Reid’s Pendragon Journey
Release Date: January 24, 2026
Host(s): John Bickley & Georgia Howe
Featured Guest: Rose Reid

Overview

In this episode, hosts John Bickley and Georgia Howe sit down with actor and writer Rose Reid to explore her multifaceted journey working on The Pendragon Cycle: Rise of the Merlin, the new high-fantasy TV series from Daily Wire Plus. The episode dives into Reid’s unique experience wearing multiple hats on the project—as a lead actor, a writer, and co-producer. She shares candid insights into the challenges of bringing an ambitious fantasy world to life, the creative process behind the scenes, and the broader cultural impact the team hopes to achieve.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Becoming Karras: Stepping Into a Fantasy Epic

• Rose discusses the surreal nature of seeing herself as Karras, a pivotal character and young mother of Merlin:
  • “It’s a very cool thing. I'm a huge fantasy nerd… getting to come on board and not only write, but also act in a very high fantasy show has just been really incredible and very daunting…” (04:10)
• She shares the initial “growing pains” and nerves stepping into such a significant role and series. (04:48)

Juggling Roles: Writer, Star, and Co-Producer

• Beyond acting, Rose was also a season one writer and co-producer:
  • “Because I wrote, I got to have… the title co-producer. But I’m also very grateful… to be on the production team and get to learn… It is a part of the world that I want to step into at some point.” (06:13)

Inside the Writers Room

• Rose reveals the challenges of being the youngest and only female writer among accomplished peers:
  • “I was very young going into the writers room… Being a writer on it was another daunting part… because I was writing with these incredible writers who had sold so many scripts… It took me a while to actually speak up in the room and say, wait, hold on, I have an idea…” (06:49)
• On the high-pressure environment:
  • “There’s a lot of excellence that’s demanded of the writers and of everyone on the team, but it was absolutely worth it. I feel like the pressure did really mold us and created us, hopefully, into diamonds.” (07:39)

Landing the Role of Karras

• Rose was initially hired as a writer and only later pursued the role of Karras:
  • "Dallas Sonnier always has a plan and… had originally said, do you want to act in the show? I said, no, what I would really like to do is write.” (08:42)
  • After becoming invested in the character, “I ended up kind of falling in love with her. She’s a very unique character, so I really pursued that… Writing came first, which was very odd, ultimately, because you write something being like, that poor actress who’s going to have to do that, and then it’s you.” (09:36)

Preparing for the Physical Demands

• On intense training for stunts, especially the iconic bull-jumping scene:
  • “I was not a track athlete going into this, so I had to learn… Jeremy wanted to make sure… I was able to do as many of the stunts as I could… just meant a lot of running… That was the main thing we really focused on, was having the cardio strength…” (10:13)
  • “Man, I could have run a marathon back then. And now I’m, like, wheezing after a mile.” (11:03)
• On horseback work:
  • “I do have a farm. I have four [horses] of my own… That aspect I was very excited about… just getting to goof around with our horse wrangler… we really had some of the best stunt team.” (11:29-12:12)

Immersive & Challenging Filming Locations

• Shooting in the mountains meant battling the elements:
  • “We shot for about six months… in summer, fall, and winter… I was running around in my frilly dresses… and then December rolls around and you’re still in your sleeveless… The boys are way happier than I was, but it was very immersive.” (12:37)
  • “Being on… the mountains of Trentino… we were shooting in a cloud one day. It was really incredible… It’s so easy to let the cameras fall away and just step into the scene and be the character.” (13:20)

The Heart of Pendragon: Redemption and Second Chances

• On the show’s core theme:
  • “Probably second chances. All of the characters… experience some form of redemption and having to… go back the way you came. That’s a really powerful message to me… that you don’t have to keep walking in the direction that you’re going, you can make a change.” (14:11)

Rose’s Fantasy Influences

• Favorite fantasy and sci-fi series:
  • “I’ve just recently gotten obsessed with Red Rising… Harry Potter… growing up, it was Star Wars… Also Dune. I love Dune.” (15:26)
• Interesting exchange on the tone of Dune:
  • John Bickley: “The worldview that takes over… is very dark and very fatalistic… I love that I can have some hope and optimism in the first one.” (16:24)
  • Rose Reid: “My hot take is that’s why I love Dune 2… the dark ones are the most beautiful though because they touch a part of your soul that you didn’t think anybody else saw.” (17:01)

On Pendragon’s Place in Fantasy Canon

• Rose hopes the series adds to the genre:
  • “You’re taking… in a lot of ways it’s historical fantasy, which… we don’t see a ton of. I hope… it does contribute. I love the historical aspect… that these myths are true… I loved that we portrayed some of the old gods… just from a creative standpoint, they were incredible.” (18:37)
• Emphasis on authenticity and grit:
  • “I think that if nothing else… we created something that did feel very authentic… didn’t cast any rose-colored glasses on things. But I also think we did it excellently… I hope it becomes somewhat canon.” (19:24-20:15)

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On being a young writer:
  “I was the only [female writer]… all the other men in the room, I was like, you guys all have so many more credits than me. But everyone was really welcoming… didn’t feel like condescending or anything.” (07:12)
• On authenticity and filming:
  “You get to lean into that discomfort and lean into that pain… so easy to let the cameras fall away and just step into the scene and be the character.” (13:20)
• On the payoff of creative risk:
  “There’s plenty of things that you always think you can do better. But as a whole, I’m so proud of this team… the producers who pulled it off and the production quality… I hope it becomes somewhat canon.” (19:24-20:15)
• On the series’ message:
  “You don’t have to keep walking in the direction that you’re going, you can make a change. You can have that second chance to right that wrong and be a better person…” (14:11)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 03:07 - Rose Reid joins the show
• 04:10 - On seeing herself in a high-fantasy epic
• 06:13 - Explaining her co-producer and writer roles
• 06:49 - Navigating the writer’s room
• 08:42 - Audition process and claiming the role of Karras
• 10:13 - Physical prep and stunt work
• 11:29 - Horseback riding and animal work
• 12:37 - Filming in extreme locations and seasons
• 14:11 - The importance of redemption as a theme
• 15:26 - Rose’s favorite fantasy works
• 16:24–17:51 - Philosophical discussion around Dune, darkness, and storytelling
• 18:37 - How Pendragon fits within the fantasy genre

Episode Tone & Takeaways

The conversation is candid and approachable, blending nerdy enthusiasm for fantasy with behind-the-scenes realities. Rose’s humility, excitement, and gratitude permeate the dialogue, offering listeners insider access to the making of a passionate, ambitious new series that aims to combine historical realism, timeless myth, and deeper messages of hope and redemption.

For newcomers, this episode provides a heartfelt portrait of not only what goes into making high fantasy on a budget—but also what happens when an artist pours herself into every stage of the creative process.