Homecoming (25 Feb. 2011)

Uther's daughter Morgana returns from banishment and poisons her father. Merlin arrives too late to save the king but gets Uther to acknowledge his illegitimate son on his deathbed. Merlin takes the boy to the ruined citadel of Camelot.

Director:

Ciaran Donnelly

Writers:

Michael Hirst (creator), Chris Chibnall (creator),

Stars:

Joseph Fiennes, Jamie Campbell Bower, Tamsin Egerton

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Joseph Fiennes	...	Merlin
Jamie Campbell Bower	...	King Arthur
Tamsin Egerton	...	Guinevere
Claire Forlani	...	Queen Igraine
Peter Mooney	...	Kay
Philip Winchester	...	Leontes
Eva Green	...	Morgan
Lucy Cohu	...	Arthur's Foster Mother
Sebastian Koch	...	King Uther
Sean Pertwee	...	Ector
James Purefoy	...	King Lot
Caoimhe O'Malley	...	Scullery Girl (as Caoimhe O'Malley-Doyle)
Diarmaid Murtagh	...	Brastias
Jamie Downey	...	Ulfius
Adam G. Goodwin	...	Pellinor (as Adam Goodwin)

Storyline

King Uther refuses to set up Morgana as heiress at court when she returns from the nunnery, but she poisons him, banishes queen Igraine and proclaims herself queen. She invites and seduces the realm's worst enemy, king Lot of Lothian, to marry her and subdue all Britain together. They ignore however that sorcerer Merlin, who couldn't cure Uther's poisoning, made him legitimate on his deathbed his secretly raised son, Arthur, born when Igrain was the duke of Corwall's wife and taken away as the sorcerer's reward. Merlin fetches unsuspecting Arthur from his beloved stepfather Ector, and agrees to let immature womanizer Arthur's strong, reliable stepbrother Kay come along. On the way to abandoned Roman coastal castle Camelot, Arthur kills a-in self-defense one of Lot's scout, ignoring it's Lot's prince. Merlin barely manages to keep Arthur committed, as their military inferiority and poor housing dishearten, until the other British rulers arrive, summoned to acknowledge the new king. Lot...

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Plot Keywords:

poison | nudity | adolescent | horse | sex | 

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Genres:

Drama | Fantasy | History

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Details

Country:

Canada USA UK Ireland

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 February 2011 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

GK Films, Starz Entertainment, KA Television Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

45 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

16:9 HD

Did You Know?

Goofs

Just before his son is dragged in, Lot is heard to say "Bring him in" but his lips say "Bring him".

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Quotes

Morgan: The doors are open to you, my Lord.There's no need for force.
King Lot: Are you the one who summoned me?
Morgan: I'm Uther's daughter and sole heir: Morgan Pendragon
King Lot: Even as we speak, my men are slaughtering all those still loyal to Uther. Why would you call me here?
Morgan: To offer an alliance.
King Lot: Who with?
Morgan: Me.
King Lot: [laughs] You?
Morgan: Who better than you, King Lot, my father's strongest opponent.
King Lot: I am immune to flattery.
[...]

User Reviews

Unbalanced production, beautiful people but questionable acting, intriguing destiny, not interesting nor entertaining enough, creativeless and zero fantasy

In French camelote stands for trash. The stuff you want to get rid of. Homecoming is the sort of pilot you can ignore. As a fan of Arthurian legends I couldn't help being disappointed by the way Camelot's one was told. However I see it as an opportunity to read Marion Zimmer Bradley's work again ! The lady is eternal but I definitely expect the show to meet a quick death. It's even more surprising considering it airs on the same channel that contributed to the rising of almighty Spartacus : Blood and Sand. This new breed is nothing like it. A more similar production would be BBC's Merlin but Camelot doesn't even play in the same league. The first was filmed in France and its magnificent castle looks like if it was straight from a fantasy tale when in the second Uther Pendragon's one could be mistaken for a farm from outside. Its interior is better designed but overall I found the production quite cheap even if the costumes were good, but still too clean. The worst element was probably the audio because it didn't sound like if performers were actually talking in large rooms. Like if it wasn't enough the lighting was also really bad so overall the immersion factor was really low.

It leads us to the prestigious cast because with so many famous people it could explain the lack of resources to properly picture a legend. Eva Green was drop-dead gorgeous as Morgan, a seductive and dark lady with a thing for black magic and power, but from time to time I found her acting over the top, specially at the beginning. She actually reminded me of Michelle Ryan as Nimueh in Merlin. However Morgan is a main character so it could be exciting to see Green embrace her and become a charismatic antagonist. She was also joined by Claire Forlani, beautiful as always but who only played a minor role, Joseph Fiennes, as a bold and creepy Merlin who didn't convince me at all when I really liked him in Shakespeare in Love. I also noticed the lead from Crusoe and James Purefoy from Rome. The last probably gave the best performance and somehow revealed Green's potential. Arthur's actor reminded me of Dragon Heart's king and BBC's one because he's quite slim and doesn't look strong at all. But it's not necessarily a bad thing considering Camelot is about the birth of a new king. Like in Smallville it could be interesting to follow his adventures and witness the transformation of a weak farmer into a legend. It's specially true considering the twist that occurred right in the middle of the episode. In fact it was a pleasant surprise and I couldn't help cheering for it. An excuse to give the show one more chance ? Maybe.

As for the rest we have a balance of hopeful pros and deceptive cons. First you shouldn't learn anything valuable from it when shows like Merlin and Smallville focus a lot on personal development and educative elements. Second I found the nudity irrelevant even if Green has the body for the job. Sensuality versus sexuality ? The first would have made Morgan so much more attractive and desirable ! Third I have to admit that some outdoor scenes were almost enchanting. From forests to green landscapes it's really a shame that other settings jar with them. Fourth where was the magic ? Isn't it supposed to be a fantasy show ? I'm not asking for fairies lost in the woods or Merlin to cast fireballs with his eyes but overall the universe wasn't enchanting. Even Tin Man was superior. Last but not least the few dreams and flashbacks seemed misplaced. The transitions were too brutal and in general there was nothing creative about the editing. Am I wrong to compare it with Spartacus ? I doubt it because the channel's viewers now expect the best and not a show ruined by an army of flaws.