ORBzine - Merlin (2008) TV Review
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Season 1
Merlin (2008) [Season 1, Episode 1]
The Dragon's Call
Shown 20th September 2008 [Saturday]
Merlin, a clueless farmboy and closet Magic-user, arrives in the Big City of Camelot. In a very quick piece of exposition we learn that King Uther Pendragon [Anthony Stewart Head - Buffy ] has banned use of magic, on sentance of death. The last Dragon (John Hurt - Alien ) has been imprisoned in a cave under the castle, and the evil witches have a grudge against the good (but intolerant) King.
Merlin gets a job with the Wise Old Man (Richard Wilson with long hair? I don't belieeeeve it!). Nothing in Camelot matches any previous version of the Legends, but since this is from the BBC then viewers should expect something like Robin Hood (2006) . Prince Arthur is the school bully. Gwenhyfar is a dusky-skinned serving wench who prefers Merlin to Arthur.
Whoever is behind this has obviously been influenced by Smallville , in the same way that Torchwood is more than slightly reminiscent of Angel . And on a similar note, Eve Myles pops up as a Princess who is imitated by an eeevil witch who wants to attack Camelot from the inside.
Merlin (2008) [Season 1, Episode 2]
Valiant
Shown 27th September 2008 [Saturday]
The BBC contract player of the week is Will Mellor, AKA Gaz the muscular skinhead from 2 Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps. He rides into town as Knigh Valiant, and duels Arthur. Unfortunately, Mr Valiant has eeevil magic on his side ...
Merlin (2008) [Season 1, Episode 3]
The Mark of Nimueh
Shown 4th October 2008 [Saturday]
People start dropping dead in the city. It seems there's a supernatural plague! Merlin tries to help, but his casual attitude to Magic use just starts more trouble.
Merlin and Arthur go hunting for the beast that's contaminated the city's water supply. Morgana tags along.
A powerful Sorceress named Nimueh is responsible. She might be involved in the show's story arc ...
Merlin (2008) [Season 1, Episode 4]
The Poisoned Chalice
Shown 11th October 2008 [Saturday]
Uther's enemy comes to Camelot for a peace deal. A servant girl tells Merlin that Arthur's chalice has been poisoned. Merlin ends up getting poisoned himself.
Arthur goes on a quest to get the antidote. Unfortunately, the eevil sorceress Nimueh is still pulling the strings. And Uther is a complete bastard. Not just ruthless, as in prior episodes, but almost sadistic!
Merlin (2008) [Season 1, Episode 5]
Lancelot
Shown 18th October 2008 [Saturday]
Merlin is saved from a Griffin by a foreign warrior named ... Lancelot! Lancelot goes to Camelot to become a Knight ... But Uther's first commandment is that only the Aristocrats can become Knights. This is perfectly sensible - what fool would give military power to illegal immigrants like Lancelot instead of trustworthy members of the Aristocracy? One cannot attempt to force modern concepts of social mobility onto an agrarian, pre-Industrial society!
Richard Wilson tells Uther that the rampaging monster was created by magic. But Uther still refuses to use magic to fight it! After all, magic is powerful and power corrupts.
Merlin (2008) [Season 1, Episode 6]
A Remedy To Cure All Ills
Shown 25th October 2008 [Saturday]
Morgana falls ill. It's due to a magic beetle, but Gaius (Richard Wilson) mis-diagnoses the problem. Luckily there's a scar-faced stranger in town who promises A Remedy To Cure All Ills.
Strangely, the King automatically trusts the stranger. Ironic, considering his past record. Valiant, a villain, was quickly trusted, while heroic Lancelot was quickly made an outcast. Doesn't Uther have the brains to mistrust his own instincts?
For some reason these Dark Ages characters all use modern-day medical terminology. It's more like an episode of Holby City than anything else.
Merlin (2008) [Season 1, Episode 7]
The Gates Of Avalon
Shown 1st November 2008 [Saturday]
Morgana has a premonition. It's not about her, it's about Arthur. This is a pity, of course, because her precognative powers could have been useful in saving herself last week.
Arthur and Merlin are out deer-hunting (with Medieval crossbows). They rescue a beautiful young woman and her dad from bandits. Naturally, Arthur falls for the damsel, and when he takes her back to Camelot she starts to seduce him. She has her own agenda, of course, linked to the Faerie World of Avalon.
Merlin's duty is to protect Arthur. He lies to Uther to cover for Arthur's dalliances. And he gets punished repeatedly, to comical effect. Believe it or not, this counts as character development!
Merlin (2008) [Season 1, Episode 8]
The Beginning Of The End
Shown 8th November 2008 [Saturday]
A Druid and his pre-teen son are spotted by the Camelot Guards. The wee lad manages to escape, and hides with Merlin and his pals. He has telepathy, but only with other magic-users. His dad had telekinesis, but only uses it when convenient to the plot. And Merlin's telekinesis can be used for exotic and humourous scenes.
Morgana feels the inexplicable urge to protect the youngster. The Dragon, on the other hand, predicts dire consequences. Naturally, the twist ending to the episode is terribly predictable.
Merlin (2008) [Season 1, Episode 9]
Excalibur
Shown 15th November 2008 [Saturday]
Someone has been reading Gawain and the Green Knight. However, this time it's a Black (armoured) Knight, and he wants to duel Uther. Naturally, the King doesn't duel people, so the junior knights must face the stranger ...
The Black-armoured Knight is a zombie, raised by Nimueh ( Michelle Ryan ). A normal sword will not slay the undead, so Merlin must get a magic sword ... Excalibur!
Merlin (2008) [Season 1, Episode 10]
The Moment Of Truth
Shown 22nd November 2008 [Saturday]
Merlin's village is raided by bandits led by Alexander Siddig ( Star Trek: DS9 ). Unfortunately, the village is across the border - uther can't send an army to help, and the local King doesn't seem to care about the bandits.
Merlin goes home to fight. Arthur, Morgana and Gwen come along to help. Arthur tries to teach the local yokels how to stick up for themselves, and gives a pathetic speach vaguely reminiscent of Henry V. Merlin's childhood buddy, William, protests that they should just beome draft-dodging refugees instead of fighting.
Merlin (2008) [Season 1, Episode 11]
The Labyrinth of Gedref
Shown 29th November 2008 [Saturday]
Arthur kills a unicorn - he's evidently never seen that Tim Curry film made from outtakes of Blade Runner !
Arthur is tested, with all the usual cheesy crap about goodness of heart and so on. He's sent through a hedge-maze. Wow. The ending is particularly disappointing.
Merlin (2008) [Season 1, Episode 12]
To Kill The King
Shown 6th December 2008 [Saturday]
Gwen's father, the Blacksmith, is arrested for consorting with a known sorceror. Morgana lost her own father due to Uther's actions, and she wants revenge. This asks more questions than it answers ... did Uther copy King David's strategy.
Merlin discovers Morgana's plot. He has to ask himself, would Camelot be better off without Uther? Is Arthur really ready to take the throne? Would it be morally acceptable to allow the assassination?
This is a great episode in terms of characterisation and plotting. Certainly an improvement over the previous episode.
Merlin (2008) [Season 1, Episode 13]
Le Morte d'Arthur
Shown 16th December 2008 [Saturday]
Merlin (2008) [Season 2, Episode 1]
The Curse of Cornelius Sigan
Shown 19th September 2009 [Saturday]
A tomb is discovered in the mines under Camelot. Sneak-thief Mackenzie Crook ( Pirates of the Caribbean ) hears of this, and gets a job as Arthur's servant in order to get access to the tomb.
It turns out that the tomb bears the Curse of Cornelius Sigan, the greatest sorceror the kingdom has ever seen.
Merlin (2008) [Season 2, Episode 2]
The Once And Future Queen
Shown 26th September 2009 [Saturday]
A neighbouring King hires the world's greatest assassin, Adrian Lester (token black guy in Hustle, looking butch with a beard) to kill Arthur.
Arthur discovers that the other knights have been pulling their punches during training with him. He decides to attend the great tournament incognito, and win in the guise of another knight. Merlin helps, as always, and Guinevere shelters Arthur in her home.
Merlin (2008) [Season 2, Episode 3]
The Nightmare Begins
Shown 3rd October 2009 [Saturday]
Merlin (2008) [Season 2, Episode 4]
Shown 10th October 2009 [Saturday]
Merlin (2008) [Season 2, Episode 5]
Shown 17th October 2009 [Saturday]
Merlin (2008) [Season 2, Episode 6]
Shown 24th October 2009 [Saturday]
Merlin (2008) [Season 2, Episode 7]
Shown 31st October 2009 [Saturday]
Merlin (2008) [Season 2, Episode 8]
Shown th November 2009 [Saturday]
Merlin (2008) [Season 2, Episode 8]
Shown th November 2009 [Saturday]
Merlin (2008) [Season 2, Episode
]
Shown th October 2009 [Saturday]
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