Merlin Review: Series 2 Episode 10 "Sweet Dreams"

By: Lucy Watkins

**Spoilers**

If you have not yet seen this episode, please go and do so before proceeding.

         Well, at least now we know what happened to Jenny after she flew off at the end of The Doctor's Daughter; she went to Albion, got amnesia, and became a princess. A very beautiful, spoiled princess, no less.

         This was one of Merlin's more comedy-oriented episodes and it involves a very Puckish love potion. A very Puckish love potion that is given to Prince Arthur, no less, pulling his gaze away from Guinevere and onto the Lady Vivian. This would be all well and good, except Vivian's father is, quote, "...the most overprotective buffoon I've ever met" and is sure to skewer Arthur if he even gets wind that the Prince of Camelot is LOOKING at his daughter. Cue hijinks and humor...and thankfully no fart jokes.

Favorite Moments & Random Thoughts:

- There are few characters I have felt a stronger urge to kick than Trickler, King Alined's servant/magician. He is the most irritating little whiner of a man. Ugh.

- Though this is a story about Arthur being enchanted to fall in love with Lady Vivian, actually the episode has a lot of great Arthur/Gwen moments. I especially like the scene at the beginning with the two of them laughing over how ridiculous Vivian is.

- "Anyone insulting Gwen should do so at extreme peril." Arthur has his own vat of hot oil, you know...

- Merlin ribbing Arthur about his (very obvious) feelings for Gwen is always quite funny. And pretty cute, since he's so obviously over the moon happy for them.

- Okay, so HOW was Uther not suspicious whenever Trickler created butterflies out of nowhere? Live, flapping butterflies, no less! Did he think that Trickler had them in a pocket before or something? Because that looked like magic to me.

- The scene where Arthur wakes up under the power of the love potion and proclaims that his purpose is "To woo." leaves me cringing every time. Because Merlin thinks Arthur is thinking about Gwen. And it's just such an awkward, hurtful situation.

- "It is destiny, my love! Destiny and chicken!"

- Though, I must say, sulky!Arthur is almost adorable. Poor Merlin, though, having to deal with him. Merlin really deserves a day off and a pat on the back for the things he does for that clotpole.

- Okay, so question, did Merlin erase Vivian's memory or something? Because he hit her right between the eyes with that spell. There's no way she (silly though she is) could miss the fact that Merlin has magic. For a moment there I thought we were going to get a magic reveal and I'm still confused as to why and how exactly we avoided it.

- "I am in love! With a man more courageous than a lion, stronger than an ox, and so perfectly formed it is as if he has been sculpted by the gods themselves." Stop building up Arthur's ego, Lady Vivian!

- It is hilarious that Merlin stuffed her into Arthur's wardrobe, though, and Arthur was none the wiser.

- Bradley James makes some of the most hilarious faces.

- Georgia Moffet is an absolute charm to watch, as always. She just really strikes the perfect balance between bratty hilarity that makes her character fun to dislike and a joy to watch.

- "Every woman in the land is attracted to this boy! I'm almost attracted to him myself." Now, now...let's not build up Arthur's ego, my lord. It's big enough as it is.

- Even if Merlin hadn't found Vivian's hair under Arthur's pillow, the fact that Arthur fights so incredibly badly in the arena (he's too busy showing off to 'his love' to parry) would have been a clue.

- I love the scene where Merlin has to go and find Gwen and convince her to save Arthur. It's the combination of terribly sad and incredibly funny that this show does so very well and both Colin and Angel just sell it.

- Let's hope that Arthur apologized PROFUSELY for the downright prattish way that he treated Gwen all throughout his enchantment. That was just cruel.

-  I guess it really was a case of "...with true love's kiss the spell will break." Did Maleficent cook up this love spell?

- And the episode ends with Arthur threatening bodily harm on Merlin if he ever speaks of the these events again. Typical. Status quo is restored and Arthur gratefully waves goodbye to the still-enchanted Lady Vivian. Shame she never came back to the show...

        This episode is a lot of fun, if a bit awkward in places. There's some really great characters, but the story can be painfully awkward in places and it doesn't really contribute anything to the overall season arc or the story of Camelot in general. Trickler is also a grating annoyance that takes away some of my enjoyment due to his involvement. Sweet Dreams is a 3/5.




What did you think? Do you agree with my rating? If not - what would you say differently?

Merlin Review: Series 1 Episode 6 "A Remedy To Cure All Ills"

By: Julian Jones

**Spoilers**
If you have not yet seen this episode, please go and do so before proceeding.

        Am I the only one who finds the scenes with Edwin and Morgana to be incredibly creepy? Like, not just because of the bug in the ear, but unintentionally stranger danger type of creepy. Maybe it's the way he looms over her bed like that...

        If you have a phobia about bugs, I would advise you to enter this episode with caution. Because there's a LOT of nasty creepy crawlies going into people's ears and chewing on their brains. Disgusting!


Favorite Moments & Random Thoughts:

- I love how, when Gwen says that the flowers may be from Arthur, Morgana makes a face and says that would be quite disappointing.

- The scene where Merlin and Arthur are pacing in Arthur's chambers is supposed to be serious (I think) and to make us worried for Morgana, but I can't help cracking up every time I see it.

- "You seem too bright to be just a servant." "Oh, don't be fooled, I'm not that bright."

- Soooo, using a poultice to heal one's father is VERBOTEN and will land you a reserved place at the stake, but Uther is just fine and peachy with alchemy? Huh. Somehow that smells fishy...

- The scene where Edwin is tending to Morgana will never not be creepy to me. Just, ugh.

- Though I will say that the scarring make-up on Edwin's face is quite well done. It gives him a distinct, almost grotesque look like all of the hatred and evil inside of his heart (guess Yoda was right about fear being the path to anger and the dark side) was coming out on the outside.

- "A gift like yours should be nurtured, practiced, enjoyed. You need someone to help you, to encourage you." Y'know, it's really uncomfortable when you realize that you've been saying the same thing that the villain of the week does.

- I love the talk Gaius has with the dragon. But the overgrown lizard is as cryptic and unhelpful as ever.

- Uther gives indication that there was something fishy going on at Arthur's birth and that Gaius helped. Hmmm...

- So, um, did Edwin cast a spell over Arthur and the rest to make them so quickly believe his word about Gaius' work being riddled with errors? Or is it just another case of plot convenience swaying the characters this way and that?

- "My Lord. My Lord. It seems the drugs I gave you have taken hold. Your body is now paralyzed. Now, open your eyes, My Lord. I want my face to be the last face you ever see. You took my childhood from me. And now finally, I take my parents' revenge. Within a few hours, the beetle will eat into your brain. And you will suffer, as they suffered. And I long to hear you scream, as they screamed the night you gave the order for the fires to be lit. With your death, magic will return to Camelot. Bebeode þe arisan ealdu." Whoa...Edwin got a monologue. Syndrome would be proud...

- I absolutely love the climax of this episode where Merlin has to use MAGIC to save Uther. It's very tense and risky and pushes the characters in a new direction. Great stuff!

         This is a pretty standard Merlin episode; villain comes to Camelot, villain gets in good with royals, villain starts evil scheme, Merlin finds out, Merlin stops evil scheme, they all live happily ever after until next week. There's nothing particularly special about it (aside from the fact that this scheme involves super gross bugs) and I don't think it's very memorable. But it's not boring and there's some good stuff in there. A Remedy To Cure All Ills is a 3/5.




What did you think? Do you agree with my rating? If not - what would you say differently?

Merlin Review: Series 3 Episode 6 "The Changeling"

By: Lucy Watkins

**Spoilers**

If you have not yet seen this episode, please go and do so before proceeding.

        

          Well HELLO there, Professor Sprout, fancy seeing you here! This episode is definitely one of the ones geared towards the more childish and comedic side of Merlin and it pits Merlin against the king of the Sidhe. Not to mention a pixie who tries to seduce Gaius...but the less said about that the better.

         Princess Elena is a precious treasure and I will hear no words against her. The actress (Bradley James' girlfriend at the time, I believe) is clearly very comfortable with all kinds of comedy and just plays this awkward, lovable princess with a good deal of gusto. Far from being irritating or evil, Elena is someone who - in the end - you're almost rooting for her and Arthur to get together. I think that, at the least, they might have become good friends and it's really a shame that she never returned to the show. 

        There was a minimal amount of Morgana McSmirk-ing this episode (thank God) as the relationship between Arthur and Gwen really was given a big boost forward. Gwen's speech to Arthur about how she would support him, even if he had to marry Elena, was just beautiful and the acting of James and Coulby was spot on.

Favorite Moments & Random Thoughts:

- Love the scene where the Sidhe King is is imprinting the fairy into baby Elena. Very creepy.

- - Uther is hugging someone? Wow...we HAVE dropped down the rabbit hole! Arthur's reaction when his father drops the bombshell on him that he is to court and marry Elena is just priceless. He's so flummoxed he actually goes to Merlin in front of everyone and splutters in his ear.


- We need more princesses like Elena. She's kind and sweet but also unpolished and klutzy.

- Merlin's attempts to cheer Arthur up about the impending match to Elena couldn't be funnier. "Perhaps you've more in common than you think. Bad breath for example..." "Excuse me?" "...appalling table manners..." "Now hang on a minute!" 

- The effects in the scenes with Grunhilda treating Elena with pixiedust and revealing the fae inside of her are actually quite interesting.

- I also find it highly disturbing that Grunhilda has a thing for Gaius and actively seeks to seduce him. Ugh.

- Merlin finds it hilarious, though, and...okay...it is kind of funny to see Gaius desperately trying to avoid her advances. Not to mention the scene where Gaius has to 'reciprocate' them, in order to trap the pixie in Camelot's crypt. (He tells Merlin never to mention it again.)

- I love Merlin's fight with the King of the Sidhe. Poor Gaius...his chambers will never be the same again!

- "Nobody likes a clever clogs, Merlin."

- Of course any of Arthur's interactions with either of his two love interests (either Elena or Gwen) are the highlight of the episode. Bradley James really had a lot of heavy lifting to do with this story. He had to be a comic foil while working with Georgia King and also had to carry quite a bit of drama and emotion while doing the scenes with Angel Coulby. And, of course, he comes through wonderfully. The scene where Arthur and Guinevere talk about how Arthur is going to have to marry Elena stands out above pretty much everything else in this episode, of course, but all of the scenes Arthur is in are just perfect. Thank you, Bradley James!

- I love that Arthur and Elena do actually bond a bit. Like I said, I think they could have become very good friends.

- "I've been riding since I was a child. I don't get to do it as much as I'd like, princesses don't, but apparently my mother was an excellent horsewoman. I never met her." "I never met mine either. I...often wonder if I'm like her.."

- Destinies, destinies, destinies...of course Merlin knows nothing about how it feel to be under one. Right?

       In case you haven't noticed, I really enjoyed this episode. It was a little bit goofy, but also managed to hit the feels in places too. There were also a lot of great characters. We didn't see as much of Elena's father as we did of her, but I really like him. He didn't feel as flat as some of the other kings we have met in the past and certainly he's not as sleazy as Cenred. This was just a lot of fun and it is an episode that I will watch over and over. The Changeling is a 5/5.

What did you think? Do you agree with my rating? If not - what would you say differently?

Merlin Review: Series 2 Episode 13 "The Last Dragonlord"

By: Julian Jones

**Spoilers**
If you have not yet seen this episode, please go and do so before proceeding.

"Merlin, I am your father." "NOOOOOOO!"

        Yeah. My work here is done. That just summarized the episode for you. Good night! Au revoir! See ya!

       No, no. I wouldn't do that to you. But that is what this episode feels like sometimes. We've known for a while that Merlin lives with his mother and that his father wasn't in the picture, but I (and lots of others like me) just assumed that Daddy Emrys had long since gone to the happy Hogwarts in the sky. Apparently, we were wrong. Turns out, Merlin's dad was a Dragonlord (a specialist sorcerer who can speak and control dragons...this is starting to feel like Eragon) who fled from Camelot during the great Purge. This is where it starts to get interesting and where I really got excited about the episode. See, Merlin's father and Uther were once on good terms. Balinor was even hired by Uther to call Kilgarrah to Camelot because Uther said he wanted to talk to the dragon and to understand. Merlin's father had been opposing the purge, so he agreed. But Uther betrayed him and THAT was how the great dragon was captured. Balinor fled the country (presumably with the help of Gaius) and met Merlin's mother. They fell in love, but Uther's men pursued Balinor (funny how THEN Uther had no problem with sending troops into Ealdor...) and Balinor had to leave without ever knowing he had a son.

      Not a particularly original story, but it was one that I was very eager to see them tell. And this is just about one of the best season finales that this show has ever done. It's campy in places, yes, (and I STILL can't believe Arthur believed Merlin's story about the dragon being dead whenever there was no body) but the actors really shine and things are kept simple enough that it manages to be heartfelt and touching, despite the issues.

Favorite Moments & Random Thoughts:

- This episode picks up right where The Fires of Idirsholas left off with the dragon terrorizing Camelot.

- While this is supposed to be dramatic and scary and all that, there are plenty of goofy moments in this part of the episode. Here's a little gem from the official wiki episode transcript: ARTHUR: "Guinevere!" [Gwen turns and sees her peril. She runs, Arthur runs to help her. Dragon swoops and catches Arthur, causing both of them to fall. Arthur grabs Gwen's hand and they run for cover. Merlin jogs out into the square.] MERLIN: *spell* 

Arthur's face is a treasure...

- Also, I love the way the dragon and Merlin are screaming at each other about his magic, yet none of the knights (or the proverbially useless guards) seem to notice.

- I'm slightly confused as to why, when the dragon was so determined that Merlin must rescue Camelot, that he's now trying to burn it to the ground. Attacking Uther's bedchamber I would get (seeing as how Uther was the one to trick and imprison him) but he's been going on and on about the prophecies about Arthur, so I don't get why he's attacking like this.

- I do love how Arthur's "I'll go alone." always seems to include Merlin too...

- Anyway, so, after the two boys stop for the night in an inn, they finally reach Cenred's country and start their search for the dragonlord. The only problem is that Arthur's shoulder wound is acting up and has become infected.

- I love how Gaius gave his mothers' rabbit foot to Merlin. He may always be scolding, but he does care. (I kind of wish the rabbit's foot and its significance had come back at some point too, y'know, maybe as a plot point?)

-  "All right, I know I'm a prince, so we can't be friends. But if I wasn't a prince...well, then...I think we'd probably get on." Stop waffling around and just admit it already, Arthur!

- The scene where Merlin meets his father is just heartbreaking. I really appreciate that there isn't really any dialogue. For once they play it subtle and Colin Morgan just KILLS it.

- In fact, any scene with Merlin and Balinor is just heartbreaking.

- "I had a life there. A woman. A good woman. Ealdor is beyond Uther's realm, but still he pursued me. Why would he not let me be? What was it that I had done that he wanted to destroy the life I built, abandon the woman I loved? He sent knights to kill me. I was forced to come here, to this! So, I understand how Kilgharrah feels. He's lost every one of his kind, every one of his kin. You want to know how that feels? Look around, boy. Let Uther die. Let Camelot fall." Balinor may be a bit of a rough jerk right now, but I really feel for him.

- Awww...Merlin's father made him a carved dragon!

- I confess I actually screamed a little bit whenever Cenred's men stabbed Balinor. It's just such a raw and emotionally-charged scene as he dies in Merlin's arms. What hurts even more is that Arthur doesn't know who Balinor is to Merlin and, in a misguided attempt to comfort the younger man, tells him that nobody is worth his tears. I think I need to borrow Clara Pond's shock blanket...

- Did the show burn up all of their SFX budget with the first two series finales? I love the scene with Kilgharrah and Merlin facing off...especially the moment whenever Kilgharrah bows to Merlin.

- Arthur really is oblivious. His spear was nowhere NEAR the dragon's heart and he should have known it, big shot warrior-hunter that he is! HOW did Merlin get that lie through?!

- The grin they share (and Arthur's little laugh) is pretty infectious, though.

- Sir Leon dies in this season finale. He totally dies. There's NO WAY he survived...unless he was laying there listening to Merlin scold the dragon and then just conveniently forgot it all afterwards.

- I can just see it now: "Guuuuys! I'm still ALIVE! Yoohoo! Merlin? Arthur? No. Nooo. Don't just walk off and leave me here. I'm not dead! I'm not dead!" 

- Love, love, LOVE the way that this season finale ends with Arthur and Merlin walking back into Camelot together, shoulder-to-shoulder. It's a really great image (especially since, as a servant, Merlin is supposed to walk behind Arthur) and seems to look forward to the day when they will rule Camelot side-by-side.

        The Last Dragonlord is a great episode and an action-packed, emotionally-charged series finale that more than builds on the promise of Le Morte d'Arthur. It gives us some more clues about Merlin's heritage and past, introduces some awesome new powers, and is infused with just enough humor to make it highly enjoyable. I give this episode a 5/5.


What did you think? Do you agree with my rating? If not - what would you say differently?

Merlin Review: Series 3 Episode 4 "Gwaine"

By: Julian Jones

**Spoilers**

If you have not yet seen this episode, please go and do so before proceeding.

       Well after last episode's bombardment of fart jokes, this story is a breath of fresh air. (Pun wholly and utterly intended!) Not only is it a rollicking good time (and free of any flatulence humor) but it also introduces everybody's favorite ladies' man and Knight of the Round Table, Sir Gawaine! Except...he's not 'Sir' Gawaine yet and, uh, they kinda forgot an 'a' in his name. But that doesn't matter, because Gwaine is AWESOME and his introductory episode isn't half bad either!

Favorite Moments & Random Thoughts:

 - So the episode begins with Merlin and Arthur out on a hunting trip (that miraculously didn't get sabotaged by bandits) when they stop at a tavern for some mead. Actually this is quite an original beginning for the show as, to date, I believe it is the only time we see Arthur and Merlin go out for a drink together. Usually Merlin episodes open with the villain cackling villianously in their underground lair or with Uther being a jerk...so this was a nice change.

- "In here, I'm just a simple peasant like the rest of them." "The simple part's right." "What?!" "I SAID the sun is very bright."

- Not sure how wise it is for Merlin One-Whiff-Of-A-Barmaid's-Apron-And-He's-Singing-Like-A-Sailor to be drinking mead. I'm sure it wouldn't be good for Arthur's image to have to drag his scrawny, drunken servant back into Camelot.

- The bartender takes a fancy to Merlin, though...much to Arthur's disgust.

- Merlin smirks at Arthur for a full minute after that one.

- Am I the only one who thinks that Gwaine looks a bit like Flynn Rider? Anyone? I'll say this, though, the barfight is probably the highlight of the episode. I could watch this all day. It's just a reminder of the fact that, whenever it does things right, this show is SO much fun!

- Ooo. Someone other than Merlin got put in the stocks this week! 

Pausing this show always yields great things...like this treasure.^^

- Still not entirely sure why Gwaine collapsed and remained unconscious from that little knife to the leg. (1) It wasn't really in the right place to hit an artery and, despite what Merlin said, it wasn't really bleeding all that much. (2) Nobody pulled the knife out, so it was still helping to plug the wound. (3) Wounds like that usually don't knock you out, even if you wish they had. Now, granted, I know this is a family show and so they have rules about how much blood they are allowed to show...but for goodness sake don't show a close-up of the wound and go on about how serious it was if you're not going to deliver!

- Arthur has a real complex about people who save his life. The amount of times he says "He/She saved my life..." throughout the series is almost as many times as he tells Merlin to shut up.

- Gwaine is apparently just as allergic to shirts as Arthur is. Maybe it's a knight thing? Then again, Eoin Macken was an underwear model before he got the part...so maybe they were just taking every opportunity to take advantage of his abs or whatever.

- And yes...he really does look like Flynn. It's uncanny...

- ARTHUR PENDRAGON! You do NOT through a goblet at someone's head that hard! Especially not Merlin's...he needs all the brain cells he has intact, that you very much!

- I still don't understand why that thug went to all the trouble of procuring illegal magical artifacts just to get revenge for Arthur putting him in the stocks. Seems like more trouble than its worth. Still...the people of Camelot (particularly the baddies) are a petty lot and he seemed rather thick.

- Gosh. Does everybody who is brought back to Merlin's place with a wound end up flirting with Gwen? Seriously? Is she the only good-looking woman in Camelot who happens to stumble across them? Are they too intimidated by Morgana's smirk? What?

- At least Gwaine knows when his charming ways aren't working and when to give up seriously pursuing them. 

- "This is my servant, Merlin. He LOVES hard work so, if you need anything, give him a call." Poor Merlin. I know Arthur is just joking (kind of) here...but you've got to wonder how many of the nobles he says this to knows that it's just a joke?

- I think the scenes with the knights pettily tormenting Merlin are supposed to be funny. Certainly the soundtrack seems to indicate that we are supposed to take the scene as such. But I just can't bring myself to laugh at it. It isn't that I'm a stick-in-the-mud (heavens knows I laugh at lots of inappropriate moments while watching things) but somehow the clash of tone just gets to me here.

- That soup Gaius feeds Merlin looks nasty. What even is it?! 

- "You know...not every master is as good to his servants as Arthur is." *Merlin spews out soup*

- Gwen comes and gets Merlin because Gwaine has been making an ass of himself in the tavern. Not an unlikable ass, though, because he buys everybody in The Rising Sun drinks and puts it on his tab. Merlin sends the bill to Arthur (nice) and helps Gwaine stumble drunkenly back to Gaius'. Keep tabs on this scene, people. It's the first scene where Gwaine calls Merlin the best friend he ever had, a sentiment that is said here half-jokingly but will come to utterly define their relationship.

- It's also the scene where we find out that Gwaine is the son of a noble as they snicker over Arthur's face whenever he gets the bill. And then Arthur punishes them by making them polish the boots of every single guard in the castle.

- This is the bill: 14 quarts of mead, 3 flagons of wine, 5 quarts of cider, and 4 dozen pickled eggs. Ewwww...

- Two of Gwaine's most endearing qualities are his cocky, devil-may-care attitude and his utter loyalty to the few people he lets into his life. Merlin and Gwaine actually have a lot in common. They both have lost their fathers, both have a life-changing secret they can never tell, and both are outcasts in society due to ideals and rank. Little wonder they become such good friends.

- Gwaine also makes friends with Guinevere, taking her dismissal of his advances in good grace and cheerfully turning into a charming but embarrassing brother figure. I can respect that.

- The plot of this episode is nothing spectacular and is close to predictable. Arthur offends a baddie, baddie turns up at Camelot (probably in magical disguise) to kill him, Merlin finds out, shenanigans ensue, the plot is foiled in the nick of time, Arthur is utterly oblivious, end of story. And that is exactly how it plays out. Still...the climax was pretty exciting what with the melee going on. We need more tournaments in Camelot!

          So while this episode was pretty much just a standard 'assassin baddie infiltration plot', it is shaken out of the realms of yawndom and into something fun due to the dashing and utterly dynamic personality of Gwaine. In many ways the story bears an uncanny resemblance to Lancelot. But where the story of the future Sir Dullalot was dull, uninspired, and all-around tedious to watch...this is actually a lot of fun. And I think the reason for this can be laid right at the feet of Gwaine and the way he is written. He's just a lot more interesting than the painfully noble Boringalot (no disrespect meant to Santiago Cabrera who is a fine actor) and, as a result, his by-the-book story is a lot more interesting. There are a few problems, but overall it is still a fun ride. Gwaine is a 4/5.



What did you think? Do you agree with my rating? If not - what would you say differently?

Merlin Review: Series 2 Episode 2 "The Once and Future Queen"

By: Howard Overman

**Spoilers**

If you have not yet seen this episode, please go and do so before proceeding.

           Now things start to look a little bit more like the Camelot we were all expecting to see whenever this show first started to air. This is the true beginning of the Arthur/Gwen story arc and is written by the wonderful Howard Overman. For all I complain about the writing in Merlin and all of the continuity errors and just plain badly-constructed stories, I've found that Overman is the man. His episodes are always interesting, almost always tightly written, and are just a lot of fun to watch. 

         This is no different. Usually I'm not much of a one for romance-based episodes, but this one was such a delightful character study that I just have to give it a thumbs-up. The reason for this is that the romance very much takes a back burner to the expansion of both Arthur and Gwen's characters. We've known for a while now that Gwen is nervous, shy, and has a tendency to speak without thinking and then awkwardly backtrack (she reminds me a bit of Molly Hooper, to be honest). We've also known that Arthur is a well-meaning, oblivious, immature prat. So naturally, before they could put these two into any kind of believable relationship, they had to deal with these personality traits and the way they affect the ability of the characters to even connect in the first place.

Favorite Moments & Random Thoughts:

- The episode opens with the clichéd-king of clichéd-evil-kings seeking revenge on Arthur by hiring the most feared assassin in the land (who very quickly displays that Camelot's guards are not the only useless ones) to kill the prince. Some of the most hilarious stuff you've ever seen.

- Also...I think I spotted Sir Leon in that scene?! Was he spying on this king for Uther or were they just running short on extras that day?

- We have jousting this episode. JOUSTING. *wriggles in seat excitedly* Somehow the whole existence of this show is made far more authentic by the presence of a jousting tournament. Now all we need is for Sir Kay to show up...

- This episode is also our introduction to Sir Leon, the Incredible Bouncing Knight.

- Somehow Arthur making the connection about winning the tournament because the knights are too afraid to actually try to hit him and then grousing about it as he stalks through his chambers, shedding pieces of armor for Merlin to pick up, just cracks me up.

- Historical inaccuracy, there, though. Those suits of jousting armor would be so heavy that the knights could barely walk. They had hoists to get them up on their horses. (Poor horses!)

- "Now YOU'RE doing it! You're tell me what you think I want to hear!" "NO! Yes. Um...what was the question?" Smooth, Merlin, smooth.

- The scene where Arthur is lying to his father (I wonder if Uther realizes he is so easy to manipulate?) so that he can 'disappear' for a week never fails to get a laugh out of me.

- Neither does Merlin tripping over an invisible chicken. And I still don't know where Merlin got that shirt nor, if it is indeed his, why it actually fits Arthur.

- And I wonder what exactly those guards did while Arthur was gadding about in Camelot...

- You know...Arthur is really lucky that he didn't get picked up as a druid, stalking through Camelot in that cloak like that. Guess the guards are more useless than I thought, because he wasn't exactly subtle.

- I really feel like the assassin plot was unneeded. It literally feels stapled on to the episode, like Overman handed the script in to the show runner, only to be told that contract mandates that Merlin must have some sort of foe requiring him to use covert-yet-painfully-obvious magic to defeat it so he went back and spliced in the assassin subplot to appease. The story with Arthur and Gwen and Arthur learning to grow up would have been plot enough.

- Poor Merlin is SO overworked this episode! But it's worth it because we get the rant to rule all rants (completely improvised by Colin Morgan, I might add...)

- He just summed up Merlin's life in one paragraph. They should fire a few people and hire HIM to write for them!

- This is the episode that convinced me Arthur Pendragon is a superbly written character. This show...it really feels like they flung all of their creative power and skill into creating and fleshing out these characters (helped by the wonderful cast) and then had little left over for story-telling. Because the characters are great. All of them. I can't think of a single member of the main cast who is clichéd, boring, or badly-written. Arthur himself is a very interesting character. He's noble and proud and has all the right ideas, but is too immature to notice whenever he's being rude. He's loving and smart and wants to help people, but is too inexperienced to notice whenever he's doing the exact opposite. It took Gwen finally getting disgusted to the point of getting over her timidity and royally dressing him down for this to start to change. Oh the look of shock and sudden understanding on his face whenever he realizes that he accidentally took her bed and left her on the floor!

- And, of course, once he realizes that what she said was true he mans up to it and apologizes. He even offers to make her dinner and gives it a good try despite the fact that he mucks it all up.

- Arthur cooking, though...

- Apparently Merlin agrees with me because he's only too willing to fetch two dinners from the palace kitchen, despite the fact that the cook hates him.



- I don't know why they teased the assassin actually killing Arthur so many times. This isn't SPN...we're not actually worried that one of our leads could die at this point!

- It is nice that Arthur is enough of a gentleman to admit whenever he's wrong and then try to give Gwen a lovely evening as thanks for it all. There is a noble king hiding somewhere under Prince Prat. I can't even fault him for the 'ordering from palace kitchen' trick, though maybe he should have owned up about it. Arthur can't cook worth squat, that's obvious (at least he didn't have to butcher the chicken too...) and I rather think that anything he attempted to make would have made poor Gwen rather ill.

           The episode then plays out pretty much as you would expect. Arthur jousts, Merlin saves the day, Gwen is wonderful, Arthur wins, blah, blah, blah.  Really the only notable thing that happens is that Arthur gives Gwen a kiss goodbye and she gives him a scrap of cloth to wear as her favor. Clearly his attempts to make up for his prattish ways made and impression and the two of them part ways in this episode friends and maybe something a little bit more. And Merlin finally gets that leech tank cleaned...so all's well that ends well. The Once and Future Queen is a 4/5.

What did you think? Do you agree with my rating? If not - what would you say differently?

Merlin Review: Series 1 Episode 10 "The Moment of Truth

           GAAAAAHHH! GAAAAAAAAHHHH! GAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!

   In case you didn't know, that was me screaming in pain and venting my feelings (Ron being the stand-in representative of this episode) because I am in a lot of pain right now. Pain for the characters, pain for the emotions, pain for the special effects, and pain for the status quo. Curse that status quo! Curse the Magic Reveal teases. Sod it all. Why am I even still watching this show?!

 

Shut up, Jo. Thanks a lot!

     

       Anyway! The point I am trying to make is that Merlin can be an EXTREMELY frustrating show. It operates on one very simple premise: magic is outlawed, Merlin was born with magic, Merlin must protect Arthur, and one nebulous future day Arthur will be told all. That's pretty much all there is to it and all conflicts, hijinks, and characters stem from that one idea. As a result it has adopted a trope called Status Quo Is God. What is that, you may ask? It simply means that whatever the original status quo of the episode is (in this case: Merlin is a servant, Arthur is a prat, Uther is a jerk, and no one must know about Merlin's magic) untouchable. At the end of an episode and a season, things will automatically snap back to being the way they always were. There might be character growth and change, but the situation stays the same because the writers don't know what else to do. Merlin in a nutshell, right there.    

      Now bear in mind that I'm not saying I hate this episode. In fact, The Moment of Truth is one of the Series 1 stories that I find myself watching again and again. My only real issue with it is the status quo worshiping that starts here. Never before have we seen such a blatant fake-out magic reveal and then cop-out restoring the status quo. And I say that a lot of the issues with the lack-lustre dragging that the later show did can be traced right back to here. Does that make it a bad episode? No. Does that make it frustrating? GAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH! YES! So let's not waste another minute. Let's dive right in to The Moment of Truth.

Favorite Moments & Random Thoughts:

- This episode gives us Merlin in armor for the last time until Series 4.

- Ealdor is also apparently Anderson's vacation spot. He must have hitched a ride back to medieval times with The Doctor...

- I have to say that that bandit, at times, feels like a cartoon villain. Usually the bad guys are either adorably cheesy or surprisingly deep on this show, but he just rubs me the wrong way. And not in the way villains are supposed to either. He's too over-the-top and childish to be taken seriously. Reminds me of a slightly more menacing Prince John from Disney's Robin Hood, actually. NOT menacing in the LEAST!


- One thing done very well in this show is the casting of Hunith, Merlin's mother. Not only does Caroline Faber look enough like Colin Morgan to play the role, but she and Morgan also have excellent chemistry and their mother-son scenes together are just too adorable for words.

- Especially whenever Merlin sees the bruise on her face and goes into super-protective mode.

- Okay. So Uther is a jerk. We all know this. It's just a law of nature: Uther Pendragon from Merlin is a jerk...even if he IS played by Anthony Head. Still, I maintain that he's not an awful character. He's actually quite a good King, even if he's a bit stern and blind in places. He has a very good point about sending men to help Ealdor. Even though the village is on the borders of Camelot's lands, it still pays tribute to Cenred. If Uther sends soldiers into Ealdor it will, diplomatically and legally, be considered an act of war. He's not wrong to refuse help, and at least he seems genuinely regretful about it.

- I really want to know the story behind Merlin getting "...one whiff of a barmaid's apron and you're singing like a sailor!" 

- And oh Morgana...you're going to get Merlin into such trouble! Good job you brought Gwen along to play escort, otherwise it wouldn't have looked good.

- The fireside scene with Merlin and Hunith is so sweet. I wish the show had more of them.

- And does Merlin actually do some fighting with a sword? Yes he does! Guess all of those torture *cough* training sessions with Arthur actually did a bit of good!

- So the reason Merlin left home was because Will found out about his magic? When exactly did this happen? When they were kids? If so, why did he just leave whenever he did? What happened? Will this ever be explained?

- Another story I really want to hear is the one of Morgana beating Arthur in a duel.

- I have to say that the pacing in this episode is actually quite good. There are no plot holes, nothing is rushed or dragged, and we get a lot of lovely character development for our four heroes. Including a truly lovely scene where Gwen royally (ha!) chews Arthur out for turning up his nose at Hunith's cooking. Come on, Arthur, that gruel didn't look all that bad! At least it wasn't microwaved until half was burnt and the other half soggy...

- "I won't be able to teach you everything there is to know about fighting with a sword, but you can learn the basics: the stance, how to parry a blow, how to land your own. On my count! One! Two! Three! Four! Now, you may have to watch for the feint. So, keep your feet moving, and only stay in range long enough to land your blow. And again. One! Two! Three! Four!"

- Merlin and Arthur chatting as they bunk on the floor. Cuteness levels just went through the thatched roof again!

- I wonder if Arthur's feet are disgusting as Merlin seems to claim his socks would indicate. If they are...POOR MERLIN!

- The climax to this episode is a bit strange, with lots of confusion and screaming and shaky cam. I guess it simulates actually being in a fight of this nature well enough for what it is.

- Oh. And they killed Anderson. THEY KILLED ANDERSON!

- I'll say this about the story, the friendship between Merlin and Will and the tensions that causes with Merlin and Arthur work very well. It's a scenario that could feel a bit contrived, but once again the actors pull through and it sails with flying colors. You get a chance to connect to this young man and so it's genuinely upsetting whenever he dies.

- It's an ugly death scene too. Nothing particularly noble about it here, even though he did take an arrow for Arthur.

- Also...did anyone else catch a reference to The Matrix in there?

- Just kidding. I'm pretty sure that's not an intentional reference. Doesn't make it any less awesome to watch again and again, though.

- And the episode concludes with them burning Will's body (After he takes the rap for Merlin...gotta keep that status quo intact!) and Hunith echoing the dragon as she tells Merlin how much Arthur needs him, they're two sides of the same coin, blah blah blah. All you need to know about this part of the episode is that the status quo is reset and our four heroes ride back to Camelot, apparently without any consequences of their actions. Eh...whatever. Nobody ever said Merlin was good for continuity.

            This was a fun episode. It wasn't particularly deep and it does raise my ire because of being the beginning of the Status Quo Is God adherence I mentioned earlier, but on its own it is a perfectly serviceable story with a beginning, middle, and end and some surprisingly touching moments. I give The Moment of Truth a 3/5.



What did you think? Do you agree with my rating? If not - what would you say differently?