Merlin 5.03 - "It's Never a Bird."
My review/recap of this weeks episisode of Merlin!
Previously on Merlin….aliens, keys and naked men.
It’s a sunny old day in Camelot and Merlin and Arthur are out on one of their completely platonic ‘sex in the woods’ rides…oh wait whoops, typo, I of course meant completely platonic ‘hunting trips’. If that’s what the kids are calling them these days, who can keep up with modern vernacular, eh? Merlin is having sneezles and whezzles, most likely a slight allergy from being face down in some of the local plant life, I would have thought, but he seems to think it’s a cold. My medical knowledge comes from watching ER and mainly consists of saying ‘stat’ and ‘I need 30 ccs!”. Merlin’s medical knowledge comes from spending 10 years working and learning from Gaius, a treasured and *coughincompetantcough* experienced physician, so I think I pretty much win that argument over diagnosis.
Arthur, unsurprisingly isn’t feeling the post se…uh…’hunting’ haze and is getting annoyed at Merlin’s sneezes. Suddenly, there is an ear piercing scream, “I think it was a bird.” Merlin responds. Really? Really, Merlin?! What sort of crazy arse wailing banshee type of birds live in Camelot? In what seems an extraordinarily creepy game of ‘Name That Tune’, the boys finally determine that the sound of a woman in pain…is actually a woman in pain. Or the new Cheryl Cole song; there are similarities. Merlin remarks that “It’s never just a bird.” Well, except for those three years where ABSOLUTLY NOTHING HAPPENED. I should imagine all this recent Morgana/Bane/Mordred business is really getting in the way of Arthur and Merlin’s little afternoon delights.
Merlin and Arthur come to a little village, you know, one of those ones that looks exactly like Ealdor that seem to pop up everywhere. Arthur’s commitment to social housing over the last three years is certainly commendable. There’s a certain suburban chic to them, but I worry in a few years we’ll have high-rise huts and little hovel estates everywhere. Little Not-Ealdor, seems be having some sort of community celebration, how delightful. Some sort of harvest festival I should imagine. It’s nice to see that community sprit is still alive, as all the town seems to be attending, someone’s banging a drum, they’ve got a nice barbeque going. They’ve even got one of the villagers tied on a post…I should imagine for some local maypole dancing and what not.
Arthur clearly doesn’t understand how the common folk provide entertainment, and believes the woman is being burnt at the stake and goes barrelling in. Oh…he may have a point. I guess he saw enough people being burnt at the stake when he was a kid, that he knows it when he sees it. Everyday was Bonfire Night in the Pendragon household. On the negative side, he got to watch innocent people slowly and painfully die, but on the plus side Toffee Apples and Hot Dogs everyday!
Chief Villager in Little Ealdor tells Arthur that if his name’s not on the list, then he’s not coming in. Arthur does his whole ‘don’t you know who I am?’ spiel. He really needs a little I.D card or something. Chief Villager says that ‘Woman on a Stick’ has brought sickness to the village. Arthur wants to know if she got Legal Aid, was read her rights and had access to Legal Council. He’s like a one man Citizen’s Advice Bureau. I expect him to break into a filibuster on Peasants Rights any second; Mr.Pendragon Goes To Little Ealdor.
Little Ealdor were apparently huge Uther supporters and are all wearing ‘WWUD’ bracelets, as they believe death is the best policy. Arthur reminds them that he is not Uther and tells Chief Villager to cut Stick Woman down. Apparently this means that they have to wrap her up and take her to go, as we find out in the next scene as she now accompanies the boys. It’s a bit like in Free Willy (stop it…), when that annoying brat of a kid and his family free the whale from the evil theme park people. They obviously can’t just dump the whale on the side of the road and let it wander off, so they have to drag it’s arse all the way to the ocean. This is the same deal, although the boys don’t have to keep patting her down with a wet flannel to keep her moist. Merlin’s a powerful sorcerer, I’m sure he’ll get to work right away on conjuring a spell that will fix her right up. Arthur’s off collecting fire wood, now would be a great time, no one is around, off you go son! Merlin’s amazing bit of magic is….drum roll……….patting her down with a moist flannel. Stunning. Lucky they had that flannel with them, eh? Something everyone brings…on a ‘hunting trip’.
Willy wakes up and latches on to Arthur and thanks him. Is it ‘Adopt-a-Sorcerer’ week? Arthur, you’ve already got a perfectly good sorcerer, once you learn to look after that one, then we can have a conversation about getting another one. “You showed kindness and compassion, those are the true qualities of a King.” I think this is what I love about Arthur. He is the most kind, forgiving and selfless character in the show, by a country mile. It’s something that’s very unique to him as a character, this instinctive response to put others before himself, no matter who they are. He has a pure heart.
Willy hands him a gift. Arthur gets that look on his face that all royalty get when they are handed gifts from the crowd. He opens it up to see what piece of enchanted tat is inside. He finds a phallic shaped instrument for him to blow on. This is one to add to the “Just when you though the show couldn’t get any gayer…” list. I’ll get back to that later though as Willy is telling us what it’s for. It can summon the dead, and in we lead to the titles….
Anthony Head!!!!! He’s in the titles! I love that they put him in the titles. Anyway, I digress, we must return to Camelot and Gaius’ Exposition of the Week. This is the ‘Horn of Caramac’…or something to that effect. I’ll just leave a few seconds of a gap here so we can all work on our ‘Arthur being horny’ jokes. Answers on a post card. Gaius is still waffling on about Arthur having the horn. Merlin has the pleasure of the King’s company for this week’s exposition, so they both have a duty of looking concerned and confused at the same time. Big shout out to my Isle of the Blessed crew as Gaius name checks it. I always like it when they reference places/things from other episodes. This isn’t the first time that Gaius has heard of the Caramac Horn. He used to take part in such ceremonies at the Stones of Nemeton. I personally think he’s just trying to fit in as many nonsense names into a 30 second period as he can.
It’s feast time in Camelot! Not actually a bad turn out, Uther would be proud. Arthur’s looking pensive in his big old throne, as Gwen looks like she’s sitting on a deck chair. Mordred is giving Arthur bedroom/evil eyes across the table. He clearly hasn’t read the script this week though, otherwise he’d know that the Bane story isn’t featured in this episode. Thankfully Elyan has been assigned as his Knight Mentor, so he informs him that it’s a stand alone plot this week so he should pipe down and just feature in the background of scenes.
Arthur whispers something in Gwen’s ear, gives her a manly pat on the shoulder and scarpers out of there. He’s gone to visit Uther’s tomb. Well we know that some people in Camelot have been attending pottery classes at the community college sometime in the last three years, as Uther has a extravagant sculpture of himself on the top of the tomb. I must say though, the nose looks a little wonky, like someone’s broken it off and haphazardly super glued it back on again. My money’s on Gwaine.
Speaking of Gwen, she’s in this episode a tiny bit, but Morgana’s not in it at all. We just have to leave it to our imaginations over where she is. Last we saw her she was pottering along in the snow. Maybe she’s looking for a new house? After the Mouldy Hovel, the Well of Despair and the Creepy Castle , I dread to think where she’ll end up next. Look out for her on the next episode of ‘Location, Location, Location’. “This is Morgana, she’s looking for somewhere in the Camelot area, but has a limited budget. She doesn’t mind if it’s unfurnished, but needs patio space for her dragon and her heads on sticks. Let’s see what we can find her.”
The next day Arthur’s got the horn as Merlin enters…*sigh*. I’m really not even trying to make it sound remotely dirty, that’s just what’s actually happening! I try to make my reviews family friendly, I really do, it’s not my fault that this show is intentional, unintentional filth! Back to the show and Arthur grabs hold of his horn and Merlin comes….wait scrap that….I’m completely at a loss as to what to write that won’t convey any sexual undertones. It’ a flippin phallic shaped horn that Arthur’s tempted to blow, there’s nothing that’s ever going to make that non-sexual!
Arthur hides the horn underneath a fruit bowl, knocking all the apples out in the process. He’s stealthy. They banter for a little bit as Arthur’s trying not to show Merlin what’s under the bowl. He tells Merlin to get their things together, they’re heading out alone and Arthur tells him not to tell anyone, even Gwen and threatens to spoon him if he does. The camera cuts away and we hear Merlin yell…in pain...in pleasure…maybe both…I don’t know what the show is actually making cannon anymore!
“I’ve got a bad feeling about this place.”
“That’s because you’re a coward."
“No it’s because I don’t want to die horribly."
“Fair point.”
Hee! I thought that was cute, that little exchange. Arthur and Merlin reach their destination, which they identify as the Stones of Nematon. Damn horses’ GPS must be down, because they look like they’re at Stone Henge. They clearly didn’t key in the postcode properly. Are we going to start introducing famous British landmarks into the show more often? Next week are we going to find out that Morgana’s moved into one of the London Eye pods?
Arthur takes the Caramac Horn and heads towards the gift shop. Merlin stops him by reminding him that it’s powerful magic. Poor Merlin looks so confused. He’s getting his Merlin Continuity Book out of his knapsack to check on how Arthur feels about magic in this point of the series. He thinks he’s missed his own reveal where Arthur reacts badly and then forgives him and now allows magic. For a second I almost get worried that they did the reveal in that three year gap.
Arthur makes brilliant instinctive decisions, but does suck at them slightly when he thinks things through and doesn’t go with his gut. He knows that blowing the horn is a bad idea, but his father’s influence and approval has always been a weak spot for him. Merlin can usually give him advice that brings Arthur back to what he knows is right in his heart, but Arthur asks him if he wouldn’t do the same thing. This is a bit of a weak spot for Merlin too. They’ve both got Daddy issues. This is a nice shout back to episode 3 last year where the same thing happened. I really liked that they put this little bit in here. Last year when they both made the same decision, it all went to hell. Both boys are stuck in a never ending cycle, so I can’t imagine the conclusion this time will improve.
Arthur steps inside the stone’s perimeter. The whole situation doesn’t have quite the ‘free love’, sex-drugs-rock roll vibe that Gaius described it. Arthur blows the horn and goes beyond the veil. It’s very bright. No wonder Gaius uses a magnifying glass for everything now, if he was exposed to this all the time. His corneas are probably burnt out. I don’t know if Arthur’s beyond the veil or under the floodlights at Old Trafford.
The scene starts off very sweetly. Arthur admits that he feels so alone sometimes and wishes Uther was there. I actually really like the premise of this story. Arthur’s a rational, strategic person, but ultimately is still grieving. He feels culpable for Uther’s sudden death, even though his father praised him and spoken kindly to him on his death bed. The loss of a parent at any age can be life shattering and leave an enclosable gap in your soul. Although we know Arthur’s actions to be foolish, I don’t think there is anyone who wouldn’t do the same. Again, I love the reference back to the same episode last year. In effect if Merlin had been able to speak freely to Arthur about his own experiences last season, then he may have been able to convince Arthur to make the right decision, not the emotional one. I feel the same here. He can’t talk about watching his Father die in the same way Arthur watched his die. They share that experience, yet Arthur doesn’t know it. There’s something very poignant about that. I know I wang on about wanting the reveal, and I absolutely think it is overdue, but at the same time I like the little story details and sadness that comes from Merlin keeping the secret. The closer Merlin and Arthur become, the further away they get.
Uther isn’t entirely happy with Arthur, he thinks he isn’t being King in the way Uther taught him. Frankly, I tend to agree. The feasts have had an awful turn out, and there’s definitely not as many. Plus, the tournaments have been on the low side too. As much as Uther was a tyrant, he liked a good party. Uther’s upset about other things too. He doesn’t like that commoners have become Knights. Wait a second, weren’t they Knights before he died? How drugged up did Gwen and Gaius keep him, that he didn’t notice Percival?! Arthur responds that “they are some of the finest Knights that Camelot has ever seen.” You can’t lie through the veil Arthur! That’s like a sin or something isn’t it? Loveliest, I grant you, but finest may be pushing it. You’ve got Sir Leon, who’s OCD may be reaching breaking point. Sir Gwaine who’s about as indiscreet as a Triceratops in an elevator. Sir Percival who seemed just as happy as a Stripper Miner, as he was working back in Camelot. Sir Elyan who’s got as much character as…well, Gwen, and now Mordred. Your mortal enemy Mordred. *slow clap*. Yeah they’re all peachy. I love them all, but last week 30 of them got taken down by a wolf.
Uther then criticises Arthur’s choice for marriage. “ I married for a beard. I like Gwen.”. Ahem…that may not be the exact quote, but that’s what we’re all thinking. I’m just reading between the lines here. Arthur actually says that he married for love. I think even the writers can’t take this one seriously, as Arthur says he loves her more than he can express. I think that’s writer’s code for ‘we’re not buying it either. That’s why we’ve only written one line between them in over two hours of television.’ It always seems like a bit of a struggle when you have Gwen/Arthur scenes. They don’t work (in my opinion), and the show has episodes where it puts the minimum interaction possible between them, only vaguely acknowledging the fact they’ve even met. They tell you they are in love, rather than show you and just tack on excruciatingly nauseous scenes here and there where Gwen and Arthur act like they are in some sort of 1950’s melodrama. It really seems like they went the route of Gwen/Arthur just because it’s obviously a major point in a lot of the legends and they needed to have them in this nice, dull marriage in order for the whole Lancelot betrayal storyline. Now they’ve got no Lancelot, no storyline and are stuck with “Terry and June without the sexual chemistry” (quote by tanous). So most of the time, like in these three episodes they basically do the minimum interaction. Somewhere along the line though they are going to write them together a lot in an episode, and it’s going to be disastrous.
Uther says that he isn’t proud of Arthur. I really love this scene. It harks back to so many of Arthur’s insecurities when Uther was alive and just after he died. Arthur is the complete opposite of Uther, he was taught to be like him and fight against his own strength and character. He couldn’t be more different, unlike Morgana who is so strikingly similar to Uther. His father tells him that the Kingdom will fall if he isn’t strong. That sounds very foretelling actually. Although there isn’t anything explicitly mentioned about his bane in this episode, it’s definitely referenced here. What’s the right answer though? Will Arthur have a greatest chance of survival if he’s himself or if he’s what’s believed a King should be? Or is it all inevitable anyway?
Arthur is upset that this is the last time he will ever see Uther, and it sees him being criticised. I think it’s a case of be careful what you wish for. Arthur’s final image of his father has turned from a comforting one to a heartbreaking one. He leaves the veil, but thinks he hears Uther saying he loves him, so he turns back one last time before exiting and making his way back to the Veil Carpark. Later that evening Arthur and Merlin are having one of their Fireside Moments. Merlin asks what’s wrong and Arthur tells him that Uther isn’t pleased about how his son is ruling his kingdom. Merlin, being Team Arthur and all, reminds his who the kingdom actually belongs too. Merlin looks extremely pissed off. Like he’s going to go into the forest and punch the nearest badger (that’s not a euphemism).
Merlin tells Arthur that people respect him, but he implies he still thinks he’s a “foolish, arrogant ass.” Arthur’s too upset to play though. I really liked that little bit, where Merlin tries to cheer Arthur up by insulting him. It’s very much their relationship, they know if they’re being playful and bantering then they aren’t upset. It’s very sweet really. Like a little puppy dog trying to bit the ear of another one so they can play fight. Merlin’s really upset when Arthur doesn’t take the bait. They snuggle down asleep for another night in the woods…alone. Does Arthur ever go home? No wonder he keeps loosing Gwen around the castle, he probably can’t remember what she looks like.
The next day back at Camelot and there’s a meeting of the Round Table. Sir Leon’s doing a little PowerPoint presentation of Troop Movement. You can tell he’s really into it and finds it brilliantly fascinating. I bet he spent all night creating handouts, play by play guides and little mock exercises they can do. I love Sir Leon so flippin much. He’s just this lovely, dull, gorgeous loon. I’ve mentioned it last week, but I’m pretty sure him and Gwen are having an affair. It would explain so much. They’ve know each other since they were kids right? Frankly it would liven Gwen up a bit in my eyes. Also George from last season should totally be his manservant. Can you imagine them swapping brass facts all day?
Everyone around the table is falling asleep, including Merlin who is more table adjacent than actually around it. Suddenly the doors fly open and the chandelier falls on the table. Everyone except Sir Leon looks more relieved than concerned. They’ve finally got an excuse to get away from Leon’s lecture. It’s like in school when the fire alarm used to go off during double maths. Even though you used to hive to go outside in the middle of January and stand in the freezing cold, it got you away from the tedious lesson.
Arthur’s quite concerned about the table and demands that Merlin get it fixed before the next council meeting. I’m wondering if Merlin’s been fixing furniture around the castle with magic, so now Arthur thinks he’s some sort of skilled carpenter or something. Arthur with his table, is like how some people are with their cars. It’s his baby and he doesn’t want any dents in it. Plus, where are he and Merlin going to have sex in the castle now? They continue bantering a little down the hallway, but Merlin senses a presence around him.
Later, that night and the Knights are in Sir Leon’s Shack of Love and Weapons. Or the Armoury as it’s sometimes known. Percival and Gwaine are having a little joke about each other’s size and why Percival takes so long to get ready before they go out. Gwaine’s betrothed to Google the Alien from last week, so I find it highly inappropriate that he’s flirting with Percival. The rest of the guys leave Percival to get changed, when he hears strange noises around the room. He goes to investigate, but get’s an axe in his shoulder for his troubles. It may possibly be Google warning him off her man.
Percival has gone to see Lady Ga-Gaius, who appears to be fashioning some sort of clothing design over Percival’s shoulder. In the past three years Gaius has taken on a second career and retrained as a fashion designer. He figured he had Donnatella Versace’s hair, so why not go the whole hog and take on a new hobby. He’s actually the main designer of the House of Cleavage fashion label where Gwen get’s all her clothes. He also designed all the Stripper Miner’s uniforms from last week. It’s a promising career. It would also explain why Merlin has worn the same outfit for the past ten years without it showing any wear and tear. When it starts to get a bit ratty, he simply asks Gaius to fashion him a new one to exactly the same pattern.
Gaius finishes patching Percival up as the Knight describes how he felt a presence in the armoury. Gaius gives him a poultice and he’s not sure whether to use it for medicinal purposes or as a charming fashion accessory. After Percival leaves, Merlin admits to an angry Gaius that he and Arthur went to Stone Henge. It’s at this point that Gaius mentions that someone should never look back at the spirit as they are leaving. What?! You mention this now Gaius??! What the hell?! This is the sort of thing you’re supposed to mention at Exposition Corner! Not now! Perhaps you should have mentioned it rather than strolling down memory lane about the swinging necromancy parties you used to attend. Thank god you’re one fine fashion designer.
Gaius explains that if this happened then the spirit would be released into this world. Merlin goes and explains this to Arthur. Who is eating alone by the way. Where is Gwen? Is there relationship entirely by Skype? Another great little scene again as Arthur gets angry at Merlin when he suggests Uther is capable of being dangerous. Arthur’s torn again, between what was moulded into him for years and what his heart/Merlin is telling him. He knows it’s true, but he doesn’t what to believe it.
Meanwhile, Gwen’s on her way somewhere. Sir Leon’s chamber’s I should imagine, when she senses someone around her. The torches flare up. She better be careful, one stumble and those hair extensions will combust. I hope Gaius’ dress designs aren’t made out of flammable material. The window shutters start flapping and suddenly she’s being dragged up the hallway. I’m not sure if Uther’s angry at Gwen for marrying Arthur or for the piss poor way she looked after him before he died. She didn’t brush his hair, she left him in his chair all night, you can understand his anger. This is where I do my weekly ‘Love Angel. Hate Gwen’ spiel. I thought this was a genuinely tense little scene and Angel performed it really well.
Gwen enters into a room and things start to fly about everywhere until she gets knocked out and Ghost!Uther starts a fire. Merlin’s wondering along the hallway and sees hair extensions scattered everywhere like a trail of breadcrumbs. He sees smoke seeping out from under a door and goes to investigate. He finds her and lobs her over his shoulder. She’s a slim girl, but with the added weight of those extensions it must be harder than it looks.
Merlin’s taken Gwen to her personal stylist/iffy physician Gaius for treatment. Arthur’s sitting vigil by her bedside. Well he’s standing…by the door. Love’s young dream, eh? Gaius has put Gwen in Merlin’s bed. Does she not have a room of her own? Does she just wander feral around the castle? Is that why she’s so difficult to find? Merlin and Arthur are looking at her asleep in Merlin’s bed thinking; where are we going to have sex now?! The table’s out, now the bed…
Arthur asks Gaius how Gwen is, but frankly he seemed more upset about the table. Gaius responds that time will heal her (because he certainly won’t). He’s given her a sleeping draught though. He’s got a whole cupboard full of them now that he’s not drugging Morgana up anymore and he’s got to get rid of them before their expiration date. Arthur then asks Gaius what he knows about ghosts. He seems to do it reluctantly though. He’s already been a part of Exposition Corner once this week, it’s unlucky to be trapped into it again.
As Gaius is cooking up some sort of potion (I’m not entirely sure what for, but it gives him something to distract him with so he doesn’t accidentally overmedicate Gwen and kill her), Merlin and Arthur are in their chambers. I assume that’s where Merlin will be staying, as Gwen is in his bed. They hear a really loud rattle from behind the cupboard door. Apparently they think Uther is getting the vacuum out or something, so they go to investigate. Arthur does that really cute little thing where he uses hand signals to let Merlin know the plan, and Merlin looks like he’s thinking up baking recipes in his head. I love that, it makes me think of ‘Labyrinth of Gedref’, way back in season one. Who thought we’d still be here five years later? No seriously, anyone think we would be?!
Merlin seems to have got the hang of Arthur Charades after all this time though, so they successfully get through the door. Inside though, they only find a little mouse/rat. Aww, it is a ‘Labyrinth G’ reference!!! I adore that. Can I just say the next moment scared the everloving shit out of me. The boys turn around and are shocked to find Gaius standing there. I practically jumped off the sofa. I did not see that coming at all. Gaius has got a look on his face, like he’s wondering what they’ve been doing in the cupboard. Dude, you’ve stuck Gwen in Merlin’s bed, where do you expect them to go?!
Gaius has concocted up a potion that will allow Merlin and Arthur to see Uther. Is this another Labyrinth G reference too, of my favourite shot ever in Merlin, with the two boys sitting opposite each other, about to drink something potentially dangerous? I love this episode! I love Labryith G too. Possibly my favourite episode ever still. The scene in this episode is done a little more comically though. It also reminds me of another of my favourite scenes ever from TrollGate, where Gaius and Merlin are trying to convince Arthur to take the potion/poison.
The two boys go on their little castle quest to find Uther. It’s actually really well done and shifts the tone from comical to tense and back again really surprisingly well. It also leads to maybe my favourite scene of the episode. They are in a deserted part of the castle and hear footsteps behind the door. In enters the wondrous Sir Leon, confused to find a guilty looking Arthur and Merlin. I’m guessing the confusion isn’t about finding Arthur and Merlin alone, but the fact that it’s in this part of the castle. Arthur nudges Merlin into telling Leon what they were doing. Oh Arthur, Leon knows what you were doing. Merlin tells Leon that they were discussing poetry. I’m not sure Leon’s buying it, he’s never seen them at the Camelot Poetry and Prose Club that him and Lancelot set up. Now it’s just Leon who attends and Gwaine on occasion to share the odd dirty Limerick.
For Merlin, his job did suck,
For Arthur’s slaps he did duck,
He approached the King
And held on to his ring
And asked him for a jolly good…
..uh…hug. We’ll go with hug :P I never was great with rhyming ;). Anyway Merlin and Arthur are fooling no one. Especially when Merlin says that Arthur can’t get enough of it. Very, very quickly though the tone of the scene changes when Ghost!Uther appears. Brilliant little switch of tone there. It’s something that when the show does well, it does it amazingly well. Ghost!Uther’s looking a little blue, I must say. A bit like Jack at the end of Titanic.
Merlin and Arthur follow Uther Di Caprio and search for him down a hallway. They are chatting as they go and Merlin is quite pissed off at Arthur’s refusal to believe he is better than Uther. I do love the quite harsh and brutal honesty that Merlin brings to Arthur. It’s not something that Arthur gets from anywhere else. They hear sounds from two different directions. Arthur sends Merlin to look in the storeroom to look and he goes the other way. Where the hell did all these rooms come from?!
While Merlin almost get’s squished by a few pots, Arthur carries on looking. He hears some incredibly loud footsteps that sound like one of the horses tapdancing down the hallway and hopes it might be Merlin. He steps into the throne room and calls out to Uther, telling him he knows he is there. He turns around and there’s Uther, flopped over in his throne, looking like a drunk Smurf. They discuss Gwen and Arthur says, “Guinevere is wise and strong and I trust her more than anyone.” So Gwen is basically a cross between Gaius and Percival? Arthur is pretty trusting; unwisely so, but he doesn’t trust Gwen more than he trusts anyone. It wasn’t Gwen who he took on his secret road trip to Stone Henge and it won’t be Gwen he takes on his secret road trip to Alton Towers next week.
Uther mentions what I said, that Arthur puts too much trust in other people. Arthur bless him, clearly listened to Merlin’s waffling on earlier about how he should go with his own instincts and stands up to his father. Uther responds by whacking him over the head with a shield. What’s one more severe concussion, eh? We now get the most amazing scene between Merlin and Uther. As the years go on, Merlin’s secret is killing him, bit by bit. Merlin’s not Arthur. There’s an irrationality in Merlin which Arthur just doesn’t have, but Uther does. An almost obsessional part of their character. Merlin does his little ‘Born This Way’ cover version so Uther can finally understand he’s a sorcerer. There’s just this beautiful and bitter catharsis by Merlin telling Uther that there was always magic at the heart of Camelot. Merlin would not change one thing about Arthur, nothing, except for his disproval of magic. For this he doesn’t only blame Uther, but hates him for it.
Merlin blasts Uther out of the door and then goes to follow, looking for him. Merlin goes to look for him in Leon’s Shack of Love and Weapons. Not the safest place to look for an angry spirit. Merlin’s all cocky and hyped up now though, and is using his magic just to prove a point. He doesn’t manually turn the light switch on, but uses his magic instead. Uther staples Merlin to the door and is about to try to kill him when Arthur enters the room. Arthur’s made his choice over what to do about his father. I think subtext and symbolism are barely hidden when Arthur makes the choice to blow the phallic horn and be himself. Uther falls into the age old mistake of not revealing a secret quick enough and only manages to utter “Merlin is…” before he implodes. I pretty much died to when the two boys were just left there, quietly sobbing. Beautiful little moment.
The next day and Merlin and Arthur are in the armoury. Arthur’s discussing how he wants to build a kingdom where everyone is treated equally, regardless of rank. Both the audience and Merlin quietly scoff at this. Merlin asks Arthur if it includes him, and Arthur says of course. Merlin then asks not to be hit anymore. Arthur’s confused because as far as he’s concerned he doesn’t hit Merlin, it’s all “horseplay”. Which is apparently another name for poetry. I’m not even sure where to start with this scene. It’s probably the most blatantly sexual thing they could have done. I don’t think there is another way of interpreting someone fisting up their hand in a leather glove and telling someone else they are going to show them how it’s done properly. There is not anyone, who isn’t a child or a nun, who didn’t get the connotations of that scene. And frankly I think even the nuns knew what that scene was about. Did someone on the production team suddenly give up the fight and just give in to the fact Merlin and Arthur are so obviously married/secret boyfriends? I feel that most of the episode has been about Merlin and Arthur’s sex life. Not that I’m complaining!
I utterly adored this episode. It definitely goes on my favourites list. I’ve always said the best episodes are the ones that are dominated by Arthur and Merlin, and a story that directly relates to them; their characters, personalities, differences, similarities and secrets. The shifting tone from comedy to dramatic was seemless, and that’s down to Bradley and Colin being able to do that standing on their heads. Their synchronicity was perfect. They were utterly flawless in this episode. You had the banter which, like last week, came over as having an equality to it and reiterated that there was a sweet, playful companionship to their bickering and insults. They were the soul and the core of this episode. While the comical moments were great, I also enjoyed the drama both boys brought to their respective issues. You really felt Arthur’s pain and dilemma regarding his father. How it still haunts him, even with the realisation that he is nothing like him. Merlin confronting Uther was an amazing scene, one that shows his slightly darker and stubborn side, which you don’t always get in every episode, but is always played honestly and believably.
While both Colin and Bradley were brilliant, how great was it to see Anthony Head back? He always made Uther more than just a panto baddie, he always made him three dimensional. I wish we could keep him, but it’s nice that he’s been in at least one episode in every season. That just seems right to me. It was nice to see Gaius and Sir Leon used to great effect too, they really added something to the episode. It was an episode that I found genuinely scary and tense, so well done to the show for creating that atmosphere. A thoroughly, thoroughly enjoyable episode.
Next week…Princess M is back!