Arthur’s Bane Part 2 Review

This is another solid slice of Merlin, which stands out mostly because of the surprises – new status quo ahoy! Glowing Gollum-lite creature Diamair (also called the Euchdag) seems to do bugger all and there’s a lot of slow-slow-quick-quick-slow fighting, but what we’ll really remember this second instalment for is the bad-guy character development. Who imprisoned Morgana and dragon Aithusa in that oubliette and how long were they there? A tantalising glimpse early on promises some dark developments. And Mordred’s suddenly an ally and part of the Round Table? Now I’m looking forward even more to what this series will deliver in the weeks ahead.

There is some great swordplay this week but once again not much magic, Merlin’s confrontation with the dragon a rare example – he holds off the dragon’s fiery breath and attempts to communicate with it in his Dragonlord voice. Yes, after I remarked on the baby dragon’s absence last week, we immediately see Aithusa in Morgana’s shocking dream, grown but ugly; then when the young dragon is confronted by Merlin in the Ismere mines we discover it can’t speak. Whatever was done to Aithusa and Morgana in the missing three years it seems this will be vitally important during the series. Morgana is, of course, the other source of magic this week, as she channels everything from Darth Vader (using the Force to hold a knife to Arthur) to The Terminator (you can try to kill her but she absolutely will not stop). That sudden WTF?! moment when Mordred stabs her is fantastic and the real reason why this episode scores so highly. No wonder Morgana is always angry – she’s continually being betrayed by people she knows. It’s an unexpected twist, having a magic-user as a knight of the Round Table; Gaius and Gwen remind us that the druids are supposedly a peaceful people but we’ve seen Mordred wield weapons and there remains a look in his eyes which suggests we’re never going to be able to trust him. Well played Alexander Vlahos!

There’s another example of Merlin’s magic earlier where he uses his staple feor! spell to crack the frozen cliff edge. But apart from that the conflicts are largely physical ones; their escape from the bandits across the ice is a superb skirmish (it seems Arthur is a crack shot with a crossbow as well as a swordsman). What’s interesting is Merlin’s desire to see Arthur shoot Mordred. He’s obviously acting from a place of concern for Arthur – after all, last week’s vision showed him Mordred will be Arthur’s nemesis – but this is another sign that Merlin is prepared to make dubious moral suggestions in order to protect Arthur.

The depth of Morgana’s obsession is that she accepts Sefa’s execution as a noble sacrifice for her cause, although Ruadan obviously has his doubts despite some cold-hearted talk. There’s a sense that the writers are trying to have their cake and eat it with Gwen – on the one hand we’re seeing her stateswoman like behaviour in the castle, prepared to dispense justice where she sees treachery… on the other hand, she has no intention of executing the girl, she’s just using her as bait to draw out a conspiracy. She’s a better judge of character than Morgana is, because of course Ruadan – apparently some kind of magic-using kung-fu ninja sword-fighting druid – comes looking for Sefa. The alarm bell that rings in Camelot is exactly the same as the alarm bell at Morgana’s base, a fact which helps press home the parallel that both sides are holding captives which their families are trying to save.

The weakest element in this story is the pointy-headed Euchdag. Also known as the Diamair, she is an odd creature, more alien than elf. The “last of my kind” shtick is kind of clichéd and beyond hiding Gwaine from the guards and dispensing some vague “Arthur is his own worst enemy” wisdom she does very little beyond be a MacGuffin to explain why Morgana is enslaving diggers.

Episode Review Source: http://www.sfx.co.uk/

Arthur’s Bane Part 1 Review

This series opener wastes no time getting back to the action, even if it is clearly setting up the pieces for bigger confrontation next week. A quiet, personal moment at the start gives way to a striking first shot of the main hall with its Round Table, but we actually spend very little time inside Camelot during the episode. Nonetheless it’s obvious things have changed in the three years since Arthur and Gwen were married, most noticeably the royal couple’s acceptance of their leadership role. Arthur is even more dedicated to his knights than before and the sense that it’s a brotherhood with attendant moral obligations is often repeated; meanwhile Gwen has become a true stateswoman who’s prepared to rule the court in Arthur’s absence, dispensing tactical counsel, friendly advice and ruthless judgement in equal measure. This growth in character is subtle but significant and gives the story a more grown-up, responsible tone.

If anything, Merlin has changed the least since we last saw him, because his personal objectives and his place in the court are unchanged. His growing confidence is shown, though, in his quick comebacks to Arthur – and it’s telling that despite Arthur’s disparaging remarks, Merlin still gets to ride a horse in his entourage while many of the royal guard have to walk. Arthur’s banter with Merlin comes from a place of friendship, but there’s little justification for Queen Annis to turn on Merlin (“giving his other failings, he must have some talents”) so it seems a bit harsh. The light-hearted sequence with Merlin’s juggling trick is an odd change of pace from the danger that’s gone before, but it is funny and the look of incredulity on Arthur’s face is priceless.

Much of this episode is spent travelling around the fantasy landscape. While this episode lacks the huge armies and CG-enhanced battles we’ve seen in the past, it still hangs on to its epic quality thanks to a wide variety of locations, the plains, valleys and rock-strewn hillsides bringing to mind everything from Game Of Thrones (the frozen north!) to Excalibur and even Indiana Jones (see below). Although we see the return of people like Queen Annis and Mordred, this story broadens the legend out, taking us to previously unseen places like Ismere and introducing new druid symbols and enemy factions.

There are a couple of character reveals that, though predictable, are deftly handled. It’s obvious that Sefa is up to no good when she sneaks out of the palace but it’s still interesting to discover that she’s Ruadan’s daughter, and the conflict within her is palpable. (It’s worth the audience remembering that Arthur knows what it’s like to have an uncompromising father. Is this a theme in Merlin?) And of course there’s Mordred, signposted midway through in the druid’s vision but nonetheless surprising when he arrives at the end, stepping into the clearing as Morgana’s lieutenant and the bandits’ leader.

As SFX already noted, there’s a feeling here that the truly impressive moments are waiting for us in next week’s episode. But there’s definitely the thrill of new characters and new conflicts being established… and more questions being asked. Just what is the mystery beneath Morgana’s tower? How will it lead to Arthur’s downfall? Can Merlin do anything to prevent Arthur’s wounding on the battlefield? What is that blue sprite Gwaine sees? Let the speculation begin in the comment thread!

Episode Review Source: http://www.sfx.co.uk/