Buy MERLIN – Series 1 Vol. 1 (BBC Series) [NON-USA Format / Import / Region 2 / PAL] on Amazon.com

This tale was engaging, but I didn’t take away from it as much as I did the previous storyline. Still, it was a solid episode that furthered the character and plot development, and was interesting to watch.

(Spoilers after the Jump)

Recap:

The episode surrounds a meeting and planned alliance between Camelot and the surrounding kingdom of Mercia. Nimueh, aiming to sow further dischord between the two kingdoms, inserts herself into the party from Mercia as a servant. The night of a special feast commemorating the alliance, Nimueh she informs Merlin that the King of Mercia is planning to poison Uther and Arthur, and Merlin, convinced, attempts to stop the two Pendragons from drinking from the goblets. Though Uther thinks that Merlin is mad, he decides to let Merlin be the one to drink from the goblet to test his theory. Merlin does, and the poison acts quickly, causing him to fall unconscious.

Uther, taking this to be an act of war, confines the Mercia party to the dungeons, and begins to make preparations for the defense of his kingdom. Arthur, concerned for Merlin’s health, visits him in Gaius’ chambers, where he finds out from Gaius that if a certain flower that only grows in a certain part of Camelot is administered to Merlin, he should be cured of the poison. Arthur goes to his father, telling him of Gaius’ findings, and that he intends to visit the cave and retrieve the flower himself. Uther forbades his son, however, on the grounds that the Mercian armies would be amassing themselves in response to their king being captured by Uther, and that it would be too dangerous to venture out on such an errand. He tells Arthur that his servant Merlin was only doing his duty by testing the goblet before he did, and that if he dies, it will only be an unfortunate consequence, not something to be actively combatted by Arthur. Arthur leaves, upset that his father has reacted this way to Merlin’s plight.

The next day, Arthur sets out for the cave, intent on helping Merlin by finding the sought-after flower. Along the way, he meets Nimueh, who tries to distract him from his quest by claiming that she was attacked. Arthur, knowing that Merlin’s time is short, agrees to help her, but after he has found the flower. He ventures into the cave, where Nimueh casts a spell to cause giant spiders to attack Arthur, her previous obstacle of distraction not having worked. Back in Gaius’ chambers, Merlin finds himself in a magical link with Arthur and is able to discern that he is in trouble. Through his weakened state, Merlin casts a spell to give Arthur light to see his way out of the cave. Just before Arthur can escape the cave with his quarry, Nimueh reveals that she knows who he is, and Arthur returns to Camelot, his head spinning with questions. Upon his return, he is arrested by Uther for his disobediance and sent to the dungeons.

Uther goes to see his son, and smashes the flower that Arthur has retrieved. Fortunately, it’s potency has not been diminished, and through some crafty footwork from Gwen, the flower gets to Merlin and he is cured.

Uther forgives Arthur for going to search for the flower, and, after Athur inquires about Nimueh’s appearance, Uther reveals a few tidbits of information about her to satiate Arthur’s curiosity, without revealing too much.

Review:

In this second half of the two Nimueh-centered episodes, I really enjoyed seeing Arthur stick his leg out for Merlin. Even though it meant defying his father, he knew that it wasn’t right to simply let Merlin die, and was willing to stand up and act on that. I also enjoyed the connection Merlin and Arthur had while Arthur was in danger in the cave, because it once again foreshadows the legendary pair they will become.

Now that I’ve gotten the good stuff out of the way, I should point out the bad. Spiders? SPIDERS? I will admit to watching the cave scene between my fingers as I obstructed my view of the television with my hand. It did up the ante on the terror and danger of the scene to hear the spiders skittering along the wet rock of the cave, however, which I suppose was needed. I still say that butterflies or bats could have been a formidable foe…and far less terrifying…

Excepting the choice for the monster for this week, I thoroughly enjoyed this episode. I thought it continued the story arc elements from the previous episode well, while still creating enough of a standalone that viewers new to the series wouldn’t be too lost by watching this episode first.

Buy MERLIN – Series 1 Vol. 1 (BBC Series) [NON-USA Format / Import / Region 2 / PAL] on Amazon.

The tale of Merlin continues in an exciting, engaging manner in this episode, without any blatant anachronisms that could take the audience out of the story.

Rating: Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

(Spoilers After the Jump)

Recap:

The episode begins with a woman standing over a basin of water. She casts a spell over a round object, and looks satisfied that her plans will succeed.

Gaius is in town shopping for medical supplies, and Merlin is assisting him, when they find a man who has died. They have no idea what caused the death, except that the man’s skin has turned blue.

Soon, more people die of this same mysterious affliction, and Gaius is pressured by Uther to find a cure. Gaius fears that the sickness is caused by magic and Merlin offers to use his magic to rid the town of the illness. Gaius refuses, however, reminding Merlin that if he is caught performing magic, he will be sentenced to death! Merlin agrees to find a way to cure Camelot of the illness without using magic.

However, this agreement is put into jepoardy when Gwen enters Gaius’ chambers one day in tears, telling both Merlin and Gaius that her father has been afflicted with the same disease that plagues others in Camelot. Merlin, desiring to do something to help Gwen’s father, goes forth to him in the dead of night and performs a spell he’s been secretly researching, hoping that it will work with the aid of a poultice under Gwen’s father’s pillow. He does indeed cure Gwen’s father of the illness, which causes suspicions to be aroused by Arthur when, the next day, he sees Gwen’s father back at his trade, working, with no sign of the illness.

Gaius approaches Uther and tells him that it must be a sorceress that has performed a spell to inflict this disease upon Camelot. Uther commands Arthur to do a full search of the city, to find the identity of the sorceress so she can be punished for her treachery. While searching through the city, Gwen’s father’s room is searched, and Arthur finds the poultice under one of the pillows. Taking this as a sign that Gwen is the sorceress that has cast the spell of disease, Uther sends her to the jails to await punishment.

Merlin confesses to Gaius that it was he who cured Gwen’s father, and Gaius severely reprimands him for his actions. Merlin decides to go in front of Uther and confess his secret – which he does. However, Gaius being present, along with Arthur and Merlin, Gaius immediately denounces Merlin’s statement as the ravings of an unwell boy, and so does Arthur.

Merlin and Gaius, through rigorous testing and some exploration, find that Camelot’s water source has been tainted, and that a beast is present in the water. Gaius deduces that if the beast is killed, then the plague will release its hold upon the kingdom. But how to kill the beast?

Merlin seeks the wise counsel of the dragon once more, and learns that he cannot defeat the beast all by himself. He needs to seek the aid of Arthur, for only with his magical skill and Arthur’s prowess with his sword, will the beast be killed.

After some convincing of Arthur by Morgana, the three set out in secret to find the beast and destroy it. Merlin is reluctant to use his power, especially when Arthur and Morgana are so close to him that they could learn his secret, but when Arthur has no success in slaying the beast, it is clear that the dragon’s words were true: only magic combined with Arthur’s sword would vanquish the beast. Merlin casts a spell, careful to keep out of the sight of Morgana and Arthur as he does so, while Arthur attacks the beast. It is vanquished, and so is the plague.

The woman who originally cast the spell, gazes through her looking-glass basin at Merlin, Morgana and Arthur, and finds that her plans have been foiled by the young wizard. She however, has not been defeated, and so lives to create more torment for the kingdom of Camelot as the days progress.

Gaius approaches Uther and tells him that he’s seen the mark of Nimueh, a sorceress that was there when Arthur was born, and caused much trouble, on the victims of the plague, and is certain that she was the one to cast the spell. Uther is surprised – she couldn’t still be alive, could she?

However, as the signs point to Nimueh, Gwen is released, having been proven to not be the sorceress in question.

Review:

I thought this was a very solid episode. This is the first episode we see Merlin truly regret his magical actions, as they put Gwen’s life in jeopardy. We also see Arthur and Merlin working together for the first time, a partnership that lives in legend gets its start in this episode, which was very interesting to see.

I loved the twist at the end when Morgana reveals that she knows Merlin’s secret, but that she would keep it – after all, Merlin should be the one to tell Gwen he loves her, not Morgana, right? Merlin is stunned, and so was I! I kept thinking that Morgana knew of Merlin’s magical abilities, but it turns out it was something completely different.

This episode had edge of your seat action, drama, and humor, and was framed very nicely: the book-end of Nimueh in the cave was intriguing all the way through. We are made to never truly know what Nimueh has in mind, but we now know that her plans are never for the better!

Buy MERLIN – Series 1 Vol. 1 (BBC Series) [NON-USA Format / Import / Region 2 / PAL] on Amazon || Watch on Hulu.

Riding the coattails of the very strong pilot episode “The Dragon’s Call,” “Valiant” continued to pull its audience into the world of medieval times and magic. Although there was a scene present in this episode that caused me to cringe horribly, this was another tale that had me cheering.

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

(Spoilers After the Jump)

Recap:

This second episode begins with a knight, Valiant, approaching a shield maker, arranging for him to make a magical shield decorated with enchanted snakes. We soon find out that he intends to register for the tournament that Camelot is holding (and Arthur is one of the participants of), and intends to win.

Merlin, meanwhile, is adjusting to his new position as Arthur’s servant, having to learn the ins and outs of armor. He and Gwen strengthen their friendship as she teaches him; her blacksmith father comes in handy here.

As the tournament progresses, Valiant displays his fighting skills, and swiftly moves up the ranks to become one of the favored knights to win. Along the way, however, he does not spare his opponents, unleashing the snakes on his shield and seriously injuring a fellow knight. As it becomes clearer that Valiant and Arthur will face off in the final battle of the tournament, Merlin fears for Arthur’s safety. The question is: how to prove that Valiant is using magic, without Merlin exposing himself, as well?

When the knight is injured from the snakes on Valiant’s sword, Merlin tells Arthur of the danger, and Arthur approaches the King about it. Not having sufficient enough proof – the knight in question was killed before he could testify to Valiant’s treachery – Arthur looks foolish in bringing the matter in front of his father, Uther, and for that, dismisses Merlin from his service.

Now, Arthur is completely alone, and the danger of Valiant’s sword grows ever closer. As the final tournament between Arthur and Valiant begins, Merlin is able to expose the magical shield by performing the same spell that Valiant uses to unleash the snakes, but far enough away that he wouldn’t be caught practicing magic or harm Arthur in the process. By doing this, he exposes Valiant and protects Arthur once more. In recognition of Merlin being right about Valiant, Arthur agrees to take Merlin on as his servant once more.

Review:

Overall, I enjoyed this episode. The scene I referred to in the beginning of this review as making me cringe horribly came towards the end of the episode. While at the celebration feast, Merlin and Arthur have a “bonding moment,” in which Arthur thanks Merlin for his help during the tournament. Merlin responds by nonchalantly telling Arthur that if he was really grateful, he would offer to buy Merlin a drink. Even as I type this, I cringe. For a television show that does a wonderful job of bringing its audience into the world they’ve created, allowing them to escape their mundane lives for an hour every week, this exchange took me right out of that world. It is highly improbable that Arthur, son of the King, would even contemplate about “getting a drink” for his servant, especially not in medieval times. I realize that this show plays fast and loose with medieval history, but most of it I can forgive. This, I can’t. However, failing this, the episode was a strong follow up to the pilot episode, and continued to keep me engaged and wanting more. I am eager to see the continuation of character development as the series progresses, especially to see if Uther will continue to be as stern as he has been thus far.

Buy MERLIN – Series 1 Vol. 1 (BBC Series) [NON-USA Format / Import / Region 2 / PAL] on Amazon || Watch on Hulu.

As someone who is an avid attendee of renaissance festivals, I am fairly well versed in the realm of knights, jousting, magic, and dragons. Merlin was a show I was eagerly awaiting for some time, and it (mostly) did not disappoint.

(Spoilers after the jump)

Recap:

Episode 1 of this series, entitled “The Dragon’s Call,” begins with a young man approaching a kindgom. We come to find out that the young man is called Merlin, and the kingdom Camelot.

What’s this you say? You’ve heard this tale before? Let me finish the tale before you run off. Sent by his mother to a man named Gaius for training, Merlin is a teenager – if you could call someone of his era a teenager – who has been born with magical abilities. All he knows, however, is that he can move objects with his mind; he does not know that what he is doing is considered magic.

Magic in Camelot is forbidden. King Uther has prohibited it within the kingdom, due the chaos he believes it caused twenty years ago. As Merlin enters Camelot, he is startled to witness an execution of someone found guilty of practicing magic. After the execution occurs, an old woman comes forth and vows that she will take “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth” from King Ulther; it is her son who was killed for practicing magic. Before she can be caught for her spoken threat, however, she vanishes in a puff of smoke.

We are then introduced to Gaius, the Court Physician, who is immediately made aware of Merlin’s gift: Gaius falls from the balcony of his main room, and would have sustained great injury if not for Merlin magically shifting a bed underneath him to cushion his fall. Even though Gaius is grateful for Merlin’s actions, he warns him to keep his magic abilities a secret: if Merlin is found out, he would suffer death.

Merlin is then given the task of delivering potions that Gaius has prepared. On his errands, Merlin sees another young man bullying a nearby servant, and calls him out on his actions. For his trouble, he is sent to the prison, where he is rescued by Gaius. Before he is rescued, however, he falls asleep and dreams of someone calling his name.

Even though Gaius rescued him, Merlin is given the lesser punishment of time in the stocks, while children throw tomatoes and other vegetables at him. It is while he spends his time in the stocks that he meets Gwen, Lady Morgana’s maid servant. She commends him for standing up to Prince Arthur earlier, and the two begin to strike a bond with each other.

Meanwhile, King Uther awaits the appearance of Lady Helen, a singer who will perform at a celebratory feast that will take place to mark twenty years of peace, harmony, and no magic in Camelot. Before Lady Helen gets to the castle, however, the old woman from earlier approaches Lady Helen and works her magic with a straw doll (hinting at voodoo) and kills her. Then, the old woman takes Lady Helen’s guise.

Gaius tells Merlin of the dragons that once inhabited Camelot, and that there is one lone dragon that still remains in the kindgom – locked away. Merlin finds the dragon, who tells him that Merlin and the Prince’s destinies are linked – that Merlin must make sure Prince Arthur is safe at all times, or else he will not become King and he and Merlin will not fullfill their destinies.

At the feast, Merlin and Gaius are present to assist with the festivities, and with a flourish, King Uther introduces “Lady Helen,” who begins to sing. Her singing – no doubt woven with magic – lulls everyone in the room, even Gaius, to sleep, cobwebs drifting over them in their slumber. Merlin, who has seen what “Lady Helen’s” singing has done to the members of the court, covers his ears and remains unaffected. As Lady Helen unsheathes a dagger from her sleeve, and prepares to take her vengeance on King Uther by killing Prince Arthur, Merlin causes the chandelier overhead to fall on “Lady Helen,” thereby halting her singing and breaking her enchantment. The court begin to awaken, but the imposter Lady Helen seizes her last chance and strikes. Merlin rushes forward, pushing Prince Arthur out of the way and saving his life. With all her energy spent, the imposter “Lady Helen” dies, returned to her old, shriveled self.

King Uther, in reward for Merlin saving Prince Arthur’s life, gives him the reward of becoming Prince Arthur’s personal man-servant. The episode ends with Gaius giving Merlin a book of spells – which he is reminded to keep hidden – and Merlin leaving Gaius once more, having been called by Prince Arthur.

Review:

All in all I thought this was a very solid start to the series and season. I found myself really enjoying Merlin and his exploits, trying to do what was right despite the consequences. King Uther, though essentially a minor villian for this episode, was painted in a way to make his reactions and fears real and understandable (up to a point.) I enjoyed the costumes, sets (I wouldn’t mind vacationing in that castle, for starters) and the way the episode was filmed. One thing I didn’t like was the speech every now and then. They no doubtedly upgraded the dialogue to be more friendly to the audiences of today, but at certain times it was more jarring than something I could easily brush off. It took me out of the time period, out of the fantasy world they were successfully building.

But on the whole, I loved this fantastical romp into the past. I enjoyed seeing two actors I’ve known from other series – Eve Myles as Lady Helen and Anthony Head as King Uther – playing very different roles in this tale. I must admit, however, that at certain times in this episode, if I squinted very hard, I could imagine Giles wearing that crown, instead of Uther… It will be interesting to see Uther’s character develop over the series, to determine if Anthony Head will be able to shed his Buffy the Vampire Slayer role for me.

Rating: 4 ½ Stars