Merlin once again proves himself to be indecisive and a meddler. Big secret revealed which I didn't see coming, so kudos to the show for that. Decent acting and a rehashed storyline.
6 Reviews
The audacity
Calicodreamin6 March 2021
Surprisingly Mature
G4rlic3 September 2020
I think we can be all be honest with ourselves and admit that Merlin... isn't always that great of a show, and when I saw the Next Time trailer for this episode I thought this episode was just going to be another "Merlin tries to stop Morgana from killing Uther in an anti-climactic way episode".
I was pleasantly surprised with this episode though! The show does an excellent job of subverting the audiences expectation by practically killing off the threat by the end of the first act and spends a VERY large portion of the episode showing Merlin battling with his guilt and inner conflict, as well as showing the grief of the other members of the cast in a slow paced and realistic manner, that is not normally shown in Merlin.
No, this episode isn't by any means a work of art, nor is it without it's flaws. But I thought it was worth noting that this episode was far better than I expected and looks to be building to very good finale.
I was pleasantly surprised with this episode though! The show does an excellent job of subverting the audiences expectation by practically killing off the threat by the end of the first act and spends a VERY large portion of the episode showing Merlin battling with his guilt and inner conflict, as well as showing the grief of the other members of the cast in a slow paced and realistic manner, that is not normally shown in Merlin.
No, this episode isn't by any means a work of art, nor is it without it's flaws. But I thought it was worth noting that this episode was far better than I expected and looks to be building to very good finale.
Moral Complexities suck the life out of the show....
A_Different_Drummer16 August 2014
If you are looking for a cautionary tale about what happens when when cascading plot arcs suck the joy out of a show, look no further than the American production Smallville.
As is the case with Merlin, the producers had a complex narrative question to resolve. There, the early years of the young Superman are a veritable funfest of adventures, and they handled that portion of the story brilliantly. All the early episodes are in glorious daybright color and even if you are not a fan, chances are the stories would leave a smile on your face.
However, mindful that the strongest superhero of all time invariably attracts the strongest villains of all time, by end of the series SMALLVILLE had evolved into a tale so dark it should have come with a warning label and backlight.
Which brings us to Merlin. By this point in the series the joy of the young wizard who found a home in Camelot and made a friend of the dragon are ... gone. Here the producers have to contend with the fact that this story is not merely a tragedy, indeed, it predates Shakespeare by centuries and as such is arguably the oldest tragedy that England can lay claim to.
In this episode, pregnant with moral questions and other pithy issues, the characters march inexorably to their destinies.
The craftsmanship is still there. It's just not very entertaining.
As is the case with Merlin, the producers had a complex narrative question to resolve. There, the early years of the young Superman are a veritable funfest of adventures, and they handled that portion of the story brilliantly. All the early episodes are in glorious daybright color and even if you are not a fan, chances are the stories would leave a smile on your face.
However, mindful that the strongest superhero of all time invariably attracts the strongest villains of all time, by end of the series SMALLVILLE had evolved into a tale so dark it should have come with a warning label and backlight.
Which brings us to Merlin. By this point in the series the joy of the young wizard who found a home in Camelot and made a friend of the dragon are ... gone. Here the producers have to contend with the fact that this story is not merely a tragedy, indeed, it predates Shakespeare by centuries and as such is arguably the oldest tragedy that England can lay claim to.
In this episode, pregnant with moral questions and other pithy issues, the characters march inexorably to their destinies.
The craftsmanship is still there. It's just not very entertaining.
Merlin = Dumb
invisibleunicornninja13 October 2019
I ignore this episode, so i can enjoy the rest.
yaqw22 July 2021
Warning: Spoilers
This episode is a pain in neck. Merlin is acting like a child over and over again. Apperently he has no abillity to learn. The only positive i was hoping for, was that Morgana would kill Daddy, but no, she failed again. Whatever, overall i like the tv show.
Enough for me
jodi-4452822 February 2019
Warning: Spoilers
This episode was my breaking point. Done.
Morgana was NOT Uther's daughter. This was the inaccuracy that broke my interest in the story. I know it's difficult to take a story from medieval times and make it interesting for today's society. But the writers have taken far too many liberties with the story, as I've said in previous reviews of the show.
With all the things they've changed, this is no longer the beginnings of the great saga of King Arthur and how Merlin helped shape his Camelot. This is someone's concoction to throw everything together, mix it up, and see if they can make a marketable story.
I don't understand Merlin's anguish over Morgana. She is pure evil. She should be killed (even though she won't be). So, I don't know why he feels so terrible, given all the bad deeds she's done and will do. Yes, I know Merlin is a good person, but he's 'too' good.
There is a reason that the story of King Arthur is a classic and why it is studied. This mish-mash of the characters, story line, and history is disappointing. This could have been a wonderful series actually focused on Merlin and how he shaped his power.
Just too many things too different from the legend. Too confusing to try and reconcile that to what this show is trying to be.
Morgana was NOT Uther's daughter. This was the inaccuracy that broke my interest in the story. I know it's difficult to take a story from medieval times and make it interesting for today's society. But the writers have taken far too many liberties with the story, as I've said in previous reviews of the show.
With all the things they've changed, this is no longer the beginnings of the great saga of King Arthur and how Merlin helped shape his Camelot. This is someone's concoction to throw everything together, mix it up, and see if they can make a marketable story.
I don't understand Merlin's anguish over Morgana. She is pure evil. She should be killed (even though she won't be). So, I don't know why he feels so terrible, given all the bad deeds she's done and will do. Yes, I know Merlin is a good person, but he's 'too' good.
There is a reason that the story of King Arthur is a classic and why it is studied. This mish-mash of the characters, story line, and history is disappointing. This could have been a wonderful series actually focused on Merlin and how he shaped his power.
Just too many things too different from the legend. Too confusing to try and reconcile that to what this show is trying to be.
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