Guinevere has to be removed from Morgana’s influence…

The first episode to be broadcast since the announcement of the show’s impending end doesn’t disappoint – in fact, if you don’t like this one, then chances are you really don’t like the show at all. It’s got everything that’s made the series successful: Merlin needing to act undercover yet in plain sight; the bond between Arthur and Merlin that doesn’t need to be constantly reiterated, but is clear; wise words from Gaius to put Merlin on the right track; a dragon coming in to attack; some unexpected actions from characters that set things up for the following episode(s); layers added to the mystery of Mordred…

And, at long last, some humour. There’s a scene between Merlin, Gaius and Arthur that had me laughing out loud, both for the situation that it sets up, and for the underplayed reactions from Colin Morgan (excellent in this episode), and Richard Wilson.

“The destiny of a great kingdom rests on the shoulders of a young man” says the titles, and he really does seem to up to the task now. The way Merlin deals with the sorceresses in the episode is different from anything we’ve seen and although part of me wishes that we were going to be seeing them all back next autumn, we do seem to be heading for a point of no return.

Verdict: One of the best episodes of this season that plays to the series’ strengths. 9/10

Paul Simpson

65 Comments »

  1. Thank you for this great review! I’m so looking forward to this episode now! It looks like it will be very Merlin centric and that Merlin will take care and the lead of the situations. I can’t wait for Colin Morgan’s excellent acting and for his character’s storyline moving forward.

  2. Great review indeed. I really want this episode to give us more to see about Merlin’s destiny as the powerful sorcerer he is meant to be and about his powerful magic. I know though that Colin Morgan plays three characters in this episode! That will undeniably be a must-see!

    • I quoted the section from the title sequence very carefully – the destiny is very specifically made clear in that, which I think may perhaps have got overlooked because we hear it every week.

      • I noticed the quote from the title sequence, indeed, and that’s what made me think Merlin’s destiny would be explicitly treated in this episode. I thank you for your subtle writing and the allusions cleverly spread in your review.

  3. Merlin needing to act undercover yet in plain sight? I believe this is not what makes this show successful, at least after such a long 5 series. It is getting too old and the producers coward to moving this part forward is truly disapponting and annoying. The core fans of this show wait for the moment Merlin reveal his true identity to Arthur ever since the first series. So if I don’t like this, then I don’t like the show at all? Well, I think you might as well say that if a person is gay, he need to always be in closet.
    Even as a Merlin fan from China, so far away, I have to say this is ridiculous.

    • Not at all – if you don’t like the episode, I said, not if you don’t like my comments about it. I would have thought that it was clear from the fact that the resemblances to Smallville have been so much part of the show that the “reveal” to Arthur is going to be the same as Clark becoming Superman – the last few minutes of the last episode. At least given that the producers knew going into series 5 it was the last, they were able to prepare.
      I haven’t seen the last episodes, I have no more idea than you whether this is what actually happens, but it certainly what seems to be being set up.

      • Well, thanks a lot for clarifying this. You are very kind with your responses and I appreciate that a lot (although I don’t agree with some of the comments).

        Anyway, I think a lot of core fans for Merlin, especially those from S1, are waiting for the moment to see Merlin reveal his true identity to Arthur for SO long. Fans want to see how Arthur and Merlin can reconcile their relationship after the reveal. But now there is no time for that. I think that is definitely a huge disappointment. Merlin is not Smallville. It shouldn’t be like that unless the producers have no creativity so that they can only make a medieval copy which is totally a crap now (no logic, repeating, no layers, childish and character humiliating). To me the producers long lost their credit. [material edited]

        I won’t like this episode anyway as long as there is a line “If I lost her, I lost everything”. This is a line only can come out from a mouth belonged to a village boorish boy (even for them, it is cheesy) and only aim to entertain damsel in distress. It so cheapens all the sacrifice made by Merlin and others to create this kingdom, to sacrifice for Arthur. It is just humiliating to the character of the once and future king, who should put his kingdom, the benefit of his people above everything. Well, the producers always use the superficial romance story to balance their homoeroticism (which they have to deny millions of times).

        [material edited]

      • Being an incurable medieval romantic, I actually like that line “if I lost her, I lost everything” — but I don’t think Arthur means it literally, he would still reign Camelot and be an effective king — but I think his his heart and soul would be lost — his whole meaning for living. He would be like he was when he banished Gwen. I don’t think it is cheesy, or cheap, or humiliating, or crap, or superficial. Lighten up, it’s a wonderful adventure and we are at the end of its story.

      • Well, I think this show always has a huge problem in how to balance the Arthur and Gwen story with the story of Arthur and Merlin. (Well, Morgana and knights have huge potential, but totaly wasted).
        Merlin lost his love of life, but Merlin still lives for Arthur, for Camelot, for magic, for all the goodness, for his belief. If Gwen is gone, Arthur then lost his heart and soul? Well, that’s why I say it is cheesy.
        Thank god, Arthur should live for Camelot, live for his people, live for all the sacrifice everyone made for him and his kingdom, let Camelot be his heart, let his people be his love. Be mature, strong and tough, as a king. Live happily for greatness and bigger goodness.
        Anyway, that love story is not my cup of tea and I think is a piece of joke for many audience (emotionally mature).

      • Thanks, I could be considered a senior citizen and I never thought of myself as not “emotionally mature.” I like the fantasy, I want some escapism in my TV shows (no, I never watch reality shows) and I don’t take ANY TV show too seriously, and I only watch 2 shows. That said, I do have a serious career with life and death consequences so I am not hiding out on my sofa being a couch potato and living in a TV fantasy world all day being emotionally immature — although for the one hour I watch Merlin, I guess I could be considered that by some.

      • Dear. I am not saying that you are not emotionally mature. Please don’t feel offended.
        However, I am saying that the producers don’t know how to do decent stories. I know a TV show of Saturday should be easy and light, but it doesn’t necessarily mean it need to push certain aspect story with the sacrifice of a character’s integrity.

    • That comment gives us an insight to the mind of the creators – this show has ultimately failed to reach it’s potential because the creators always played it safe, sticking to the format they created 5 years ago. But something that was enjoyable then sure as hell isn’t that intriguing now. It is actually quite depressing that 10 years have passed in Camelot, Merlin is now allegedly Arthur’s right hand and yet he still has to resort to the same cheap tricks because the epic King of Camelot wouldn’t be able to cope with learning the truth about ANY situation that is going on in his court… Very respectful presentation of the legends all around.

      • Every season is half year at least (2 years) + 1 year between every season except 3 before the last (6 years) = 8 years + 2 years to symbolize my massive frustration with the lack of development during the time = 10 years beautiful rounded dramatic number

      • When the cast were interviewed (including by me) before the start of the season, the figure of seven years was mentioned regularly.

      • The Arthur’s Bane is a bit of a handy trapdoor to cover this – it’s Arthur’s own pigheadedness/stupidity/whatever that will lead to Camelot’s problems….

      • So it looks like Merlin himself will get a lot to do in this episode and that Colin Morgan does again spectacular performances, which I’m always very happy to see since he is the main reason I watch the show. I often find myself enjoying Merlin’s episodes only for Colin Morgan’s more than brilliant acting, since the stories told bore me to death, particularly the Gwen/Arthur “romantic” storyline. So I’m happy about the fact that the show runners didn’t forget that Merlin is a show about Merlin and his own destiny. It is about time the writers write about Merlin’s story. It’s about time the episode concentrate on Merlin’s own storylines. The episodes are in desperate need to refocus more on the hero who has so much going on and who hasn’t yet accomplished the half of what he needs to do to become the powerful sorcerer of the legends. Merlin must fulfil his own destiny before the end of the show. When we’ll see that play on screen?

        Thanks. I appreciate the efforts you put in the writing of this detailed and well-written review.

  4. “in fact, if you don’t like this one, then chances are you really don’t like the show at all”

    Thats a bit presumptious isnt it? Perhaps some people who really like the show think Merlin ‘needing to act undercover yet in plain sight’ is desperately repetitive and well past the time for change, with the end thundering towards us. Some of us who really like the show would have liked this season to actually make some progress other than just cutting off at the knees the dream always held out to us of Albion with magic freed, built by Merlin and Arthur. Some of us actually want to see the show as more than just a bunch of endlessly repeating tropes and story lines. Some of us have been watching and loving this show from the start, always with a tacit promise of better things to come for Merlin and Albion which seems about to be broken in a big way.

    I hope you’re right about this episode, and some meaningful Merlin and Arthur interaction is long overdue, as is an end to the pointless Evil Gwen thing. Though Im expecting this episode to degenerate into pure cheese as all the romance episodes tend to do; unlike Merlin and Arthur it seems that does ‘need to be constantly reiterated’. In my opinion the last few episodes have been pure lazy padding, which is gutting given how much there is to resolve which the showrunners very clearly intend never to bother resolving, giving us this reheated porridge of ‘traitor close to Arthur’ for the third time.

    • No I don’t think it’s presumptuous. I think it says that if you like the version of Camelot and Merlin that the producers have created, you’ll like this episode which works within the parameters that they have set up. It’s not Excalibur, it’s not The Once and Future King, it’s not any other version. It’s a show about the making of two men, Merlin and Arthur, as Smallville was about the making of Clark Kent into Superman.
      I made that comment because there are so many people who comment on here about wanting the show to be something different than it is!

      • You know, I was completely fine accepting all the plot holes and stupidity in this show while they didn’t try to be anything else but a simple entertaining family show, but then they started pushing the show in “darker” and “more mature direction” which does not actually work if they don’t develop certain other aspects as well.

  5. So it looks like Merlin himself will get a lot to do in this episode and that Colin Morgan does again spectacular performances, which I’m always very happy to see since he is the main reason I watch the show. I often find myself enjoying Merlin’s episodes only for Colin Morgan’s more than brilliant acting, since the stories told bore me to death, particularly the Gwen/Arthur “romantic” storyline. So I’m happy about the fact that the show runners didn’t forget that Merlin is a show about Merlin and his own destiny. It is about time the writers write about Merlin’s story. It’s about time the episode concentrate on Merlin’s own storylines. The episodes are in desperate need to refocus more on the hero who has so much going on and who hasn’t yet accomplished the half of what he needs to do to become the powerful sorcerer of the legends. Merlin must fulfil his own destiny before the end of the show. When we’ll see that play on screen?

    Thanks. I appreciate the efforts you put in the writing of this detailed and well-written review.

  6. STOP IT! alll of you.

    all i know is, i love Merlin and i want more. Thats it.

    just think, you are still watching this series, it means, it has something we love so much!

  7. I couldn’t help but notice that you seem to be certain there will be a reveal, even if it is in the very end. How can you be so sure?
    You also compare it to Smallvile. But the thing is, Smallvile ended when Clark Kent became Superman, so it was the story of his youth, before he became the hero we all know.
    From what I read online, it looks like the finale of Merlin will be Camlann, aka the battle where Arthur dies, signifying the end of the Golden Age of Albion.
    So, how will that work exactly? How can Merlin be the “boy who fathered a legend” if everyone finds out about his magic just before they all die? (IF they ever find out about it, which I’m starting to doubt) Wasn’t the legend supposed to be “Merlin the court sorcerer of Arthur” and his “closest advisor”? Not his “stupid incompetent manservant who was always right but no one ever listened to because they mainly thought of him as their maskot…”?

    And, come think of it, where IS Albion? How can there be Camlann without an actually Albion first? I mean, to have a fall there must first be a rise, and I doubt the 3 year gap was the “majestic golden age” of the legends.
    We’ve been told that Uther reigned for more than 20 years. Compared to that Arthur’s reign is nothing and will be forgotten in no time.

    Anyway, about the episode. I hope that it will focus more on Merlin’s character development. Often I find that Merlin’s change is more the work of the actor (Colin Morgan) than the script. It feels like he is playing his character with layers and emotions far more complicate than what the writers provide him with.
    I do like that we’ll see more from Mordred. About time too, if they intent to make him the “bad guy” in the next 2 episodes… They had forgotten about his ark a bit.
    And its nice that the ark for the next episodes begins in this one. I would have loved more continuity like this one in the show.
    It kinda bothers me that Gwen will ultimately be “forgiven” for all the crimes she commited during her enchantment. I mean she killed innocent people. I liked Tyr. She just… stabbed him! I know she didn’t mean it, but to portray her as the complete and absolute victim here is a bit insulting to her real victims, wouldn’t you say? I hope that won’t happen, but I’m almost 100% possitive that it will.
    I’m sure if Merlin had killed anyone in the Servan of Two Masters he would have been thrown to the dungeons or maybe even exiled…

      • I sure hope you are right. To not have a reveal for me would be inexcusable! Plus it would render the entire show pointless, imo.
        But then again, earlier this year the producers had commented exactly on that and had said that they always had in mind Camelot was bound to fail in the end…
        I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

      • That was in a reply to a question I asked at the press conference at the launch when I asked if they had an end point for the show

      • It was your question then? And you still believe they’ll go with the magic reveal/ Merlin saves the day ending after hearing that?
        Impressive.

      • Why shouldn’t the two go together? I’m thinking about another part of the legend and what might happen to Arthur at the end of the show…

      • Oh, if I’m guessing right then I see what you mean. But that would be something I can’t really see as a happy end.
        Idk, I guess i’m used to think of Merlin as my feel-good series. I thought that since it’s a family show it’s bound to have a happy ending, unlike some other shows, like Game of Thrones for example. That was one of the main things that attracted me to this show.

      • They made a comment about it not having a happy ending at the same press conference, as I recall… but of course no one at that stage was putting the two and two together and realising that they were talking about this season!

      • But did they not also say that they ‘would wrap things up properly at the end of the show’ Of course, this can be interpreted in many ways, but they did say that in context of a magic reveal. At the time that sounded hopeful.
        Now I my brain tells me that time has run out for a magic reveal, and Colin dressing up as woman so he can speak to Arthur about magic is beyond ridiculou- I am sure Colin is brilliant doing so – but at this late stage this makes me very sad.
        My heart, however, has a tiny blink of hope left that they give us a reval at the end – how can they have a ‘family show’ end in tragedy?

  8. This looks like a great episode, but it makes me ultimately sad that Merlin is still hiding behind Dolma so he can speak to Arthur about sorcery. I am sure Colin will be brilliant in all three roles, but I wish that he would just reveal who he is rather than appearing as Dragoon and Dolma.

  9. It is so amusing to me that people take this show so literally — counting the years exactly, discussing every plot hole, wanting every show to be totally Merlin centric since the show is called Merlin, etc. People, this show started out as a FAMILY show, not dark or scary — but fun and adventurous! In fact it couldn’t even show any blood or sex! I think it is AMAZING how it has grown into such an adult show — and how it’s fan base has grown, in numbers, age and internationally. I suppose it is a testimony to the show that fans have such strong opinions about each episode and the characters. I liked some eps more than others but I love all the characters, all their misplaced alliances, their humor, their loves. I LOVE this show and for all its flaws, it has taken us on an amazing journey these past 5 years. None of us will ever see an Arthurian legend in quite the same way as we did before Merlin. I hope everyone can just get enjoy these last few episodes — they are all we have! Just sit back and enjoy, the humor, the drama, and hopefully, the reveal — and thank you to TPTB for creating such an amazing show.

    I agree with stonechat!

    Thank you PS for your thoughtful reviews.

  10. It’s not much really “about wanting the show to be something different than it is!” but more so on the expected ‘progression’ of the storylines, more importantly on the titular character. The Merlin “that producers have created” is a stagnant, eternally miserable, wanna-be (as being mostly inept) trickster and undeserving of any personal growth and happiness. Sadly, that’s not the Merlin what lots of us are hoping, eagerly waited on, and rooting for. Technically, it’s almost a sham to market it as “Merlin” when in fact the focus was actually with “The Once and Future King”. It’s like buying a Harry Potter book but ended reading about the “true-love travails of Draco Malfoy”. I felt cheated. With the character Merlin indeed relegated as the mascot (as aptly pointed out by mpamies), Merlin would have been played off as a robot – as the R2D2/C3PO of the show – then the need to see the progressions about Merlin won’t be expected.

    While we might not indeed subscribed on the level of ‘liking’ the episode overall as much, it’s not necessarily mean that we don’t have something to like the show about. Inspite of all the disappointments, I’ve stuck it out for the basic fact that Colin Morgan is still in it. That’s the one thing that I’m very thankful for the show that inspite of the wrtiers’ treatment of the character he played, Colin always manages to come up with worthwhile moments that splicing off the irritables even makes the remaining Colin-centric scenes more enjoyable. We just could not be masochistic for (/together with) Colin/Merlin that much though.

    Story-wise, with the writers’ sticking it out with their smug creed that post-reveal and glorious Albion are boring, they actually end-up delivering a show of dismal and repetitive arcs with magic element so unspectacular that a stage production could easily out-SHINE. A testament indeed of their myopic vision and limited capacities to really comeup with interesting development and truly spectacular magic (heck, Wizards vs Aliens’ Rebel Magic 2-eps have ten times more plot-driven magic than Merlin ever has effectively employed all through-out).

  11. I don’t think the producers were creating a show that was ONLY about Merlin. Surely it is called Merlin. But if you look at the behind the scenes talk on the first series dvd, they were creating a show about the characters in Camelot — ALL FOUR OF THEM growing up together. Of course the dynamics between Merlin and Arthur was crucial to the plot building and the casting of the character of Merlin was super critical, they needed just the right young actor or no one would watch the show! I think they were successful on all counts. I think all the actors and especially Colin and Bradley has grown into their roles (whatever the producers have let them be or not). That said I have enjoyed season 4 more than this one….

    Someone mentioned that as the stories got darker, the characters needed to be more mature also, and I agree — but I watch Merlin just for the humor, the romance (yes, I am an Arthur/Gwen fan), the adventure, and the fun. I want to be a little scared, I want to laugh out loud. I want to care about all of them. I just want it to be entertaining. And I don’t want it to end.

      • It always bothers me when people say that. Nobody asked for a show JUST about Merlin. What they want is for Merlin, the TITULAR character of the show, to have some PROGRESSION like ALL the REST of the characters.
        Arthur became King, Gwen became Queen, peasants became Knights of the Round table, not to mention that a back stabbing druid was knighted at episode 5.02, and Merlin became what exactly? More buff? More of an “idiot”? Better at cooking breakfast?
        His character has been forced to stay in the same position for all the course of the series.
        Since you so love the Smallville analogies, tell me, what was Clark Kent’s job in the first series and what in the last?
        If I remember correctly he was a student, then he graduated, went to work in a newspaper and slowly became an important reporter working at that same newspaper. Do you get what I mean now?
        Merlin was a servant, stayed a servant and will always be a servant. And that wasn’t even near what he was supposed to be in the legends.

      • Fair point. Equally, how far though did he progress in the first five years… a lot of that happened when control of Smallville changed hands. But this isn’t the place for a discussion of Smallville’s failings!

      • The only ones who see Merlin’s growing importance in Camelot and in this world of magic are the viewers. The other characters don’t see him that way, except for Gaius, the Great Dragon and Alator who kneeled down in front of Merlin, recognizing him as the most powerful being in their world. The viewers are witnesses of Merlin’s bigger importance & role in the show since the beginning of his story, but not all the characters see that. We all wait for Merlin to be recognized and rewarded by everyone in the show.
        What needs to happen now is for Merlin to get to the point of his destiny where he is known as the most powerdul sorcerer not only by his ennemies but also by his friends. We shouldn’t be the only ones seeing Merlin’s bigger importance than the other characters’. We all know he is the hero and the world of Merlin has to know he is the hero too.

      • I think you are very right. Nobody say the show is ALL about Merlin. But this show failed to do multi-dimensional stories which balance each other. I think it is largely because everything moves but not for Merlin. That’s a huge problem of this show, becasue I think a lot of core fans tune in from the perspective of Merlin.

    • Merlin is first about Merlin, that’s a fact. Merlin’s more important relationship is the one that unites him to Arthur, so of course that relationship is at the heart of the show, but Merlin is the one who is the heart of the show. Merlin is the unsound hero who has the knowledge of the situations and does all the sacrifices to save Camelot without anyone knowing it. Since series 1, it’s about Merlin first and foremost, making everyone around him come where they have to be in order for him the fulfil the destiny. I said Merlin is the heart of the show, but he is also its head, its shoulders and its legs. Each week, Merlin is the one who has to save Camelot and its poeple and who has to fulfil his destiny, and for that to happen he must keep the king safe, and to keep the king safe, he has to keep the queen safe and to defeat Morgana. It’s him who takes the decisions and who does the most important actions. So, yes, Merlin is about Merlin. Of course, in order to tell Merlin’s story, the show has to tell the other characters’ stories because they have direct consequences into Merlin’s life. Since the beginning it’s about him and you’ll see that till the end, it’ll be about him and about his own destiny. Of course each actor grow into their role since they play them since 5 years. But the one character who is presented as the hero of the show is Merlin. The other characters come after him. That’s the way it is.

      • I agree!
        i think people are so crazy to watch just Colin and don’t want to watch any other character except him. They didn’t realize that their critics might end the show.
        i also love to watch him, but he’s incomplete without others. so i loved them all. Sadly, damage has done. Show is going to be over

      • The show was, since its origins, conceived for 5 series. It sin’t cancelled. It was meant to end at the end of the fifth series since the beginning. And please, don’t accuse Colin/Merlin’s fans of things they didn’t do. I’m a die hard Colin Morgan fan (like a lot of viewers of Merlin) and I watch the show because he plays the main & title character. The stories are good depsite all the plot holes, but if Colin Morgan wasn’t the main actor of “Merlin”, I wouldn’t watch as religiously as I do.
        Critics are made by Merlin’s fans mostly because his character is only developed by Colin Morgan’s brilliant acting. He puts in the portrayal of his eponymous character what the scripts don’t put in him. Colin is the one who completes the writing with his own intelligent acting. He is the one who makes his character appear stronger, wiser, more dicisive, more implicated, more “sorcerer-like”. The scripts give him some material sometimes, but the overall work is done by Colin Morgan himself…
        So yes, the fans complain because they want to see the stories and the writing live up to Colin Morgan’s amazing acting. He plays the hero and he acts like one. It is time the scripts help him in this dynamic.

      • I can’t agree with you anymore.
        I definitely want to see some scenes like Evil Gwen ask Merlin to prepare a hot bath for her. Not sure why the writer want to write that (for fun or for whatever), just NO. That’s an exact example that the writer don’t pay attention to logic and details, which make this show didn’t even reach half of its potential.

  14. Another episode with Dragoon? Yawn. He is the most annoying “character” in the show – a lazy cop out by the writers when they try to avoid Arthur, yet again, from finding out about magic. He’s neither funny nor well acted. Thank heavens for the fast forward button whenever he appears (same for Morgana scenes).

    • Old Merlin is not only the funniest character of this show, but also excelletly played. I think you are just very anxious to see Merlin reveal his magic to Arthur, and each time he founds a way to avoid the reveal, you’re deceived. No need to criticize the excellent work the actor puts into playing his character.

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