Merlin Season One (2008)

 

I’ve been rewatching Merlin because I happened to catch an episode when I was away and realised how much I’d enjoyed the series. So I thought I’d rewatch it. I’d already reviewed it at the time it was on from 2008- 13 and those reviews on seasons three to five are on the main blog if you looked back to the earlier years. The reviews of seasons one and two originally appeared in the print versions of This Way Up so I thought I’d put them on here. These are vintage reviews that I’ve not re-edited and written without the foreknowledge of later series and as they were printed rather than posted tend to be quite lengthy. I feel I was a bit harsh on season one though. Season 2 to follow shortly.

Merlin was always more interesting than Arthur as a mythological character and yet we didn’t know a lot about him. In various interpretations of the Arthurian legend, Merlin was always a mercurially mysterious talisman of Camelot with little tangible back story. A difficult subject for his own series you’d think, especially one of the newly re-forged Saturday teatime slot. As it turns out, all the potential is there simply because we’re much m ore familiar with the story of Arthur than of Merlin so by taking the Smallville route of intercepting our character before he’s even fully grown up we can find out what makes him tick.

The opening episode, from its grainy fairytale styled look, well chosen and shot locations and use of magic as a crime to be hidden rather than an art to be celebrated has a lot going for it. Far more confident and involving than first episodes of say Primeval or Robin Hood managed to be, `The Dragon’s Call` leaves you wanting to tune in again next week- no ifs or maybes. At times it’s like watching an accomplished third season episode, with James Hawes pitching the mix of action and magic just right and the dialogue being neither self consciously modern or too old fashioned. Shortcuts mean Merlin and Arthur meet after a few minutes and the plot is neat and self contained while dropping potential future mythology all over the place to remind us this is an ongoing series. The performances are uniformly fine; Colin Morgan being instantly fresh and likeable while Bradley James’s Arthur is exactly the sort of thuggish Arthur that we will presumably come to like eventually. Anthony Head does his regal utmost as Uther, all frowns and shouting as if it’s the role he’s been waiting for since Buffy. Certainly we’re a long way from the charmer he normally plays. Some critics said the opener lacked magic but there’s plenty to be found; its pleasing the way the special effects are often understated while the climactic scene of the singing freezing everyone is wonderfully eerie; kudos to Eve Myles for being a very convincing villain.  Beforehand I wasn’t sure about the talking dragon; perhaps it’s the cumulative effect of too many chatty fire breathers in films, but with John Hurt’s voice and an excellent CGI job, this one is worth having.

The purpose of a  second episode should be to shore up the basic premise and add some more to the main characters and on both counts `Valiant` succeeds. Though budgetary restrictions occasionally show (all the jousting is on foot rather than horseback and the wide shots of the crowd have a CGI feel) the acting and direction cover these cracks. In particular the rapport between Merlin and Arthur is building thanks to strong performances from both Colin Morgan and Bradley James. Morgan’s mixture of puppy dog enthusiasm, teenage sulking and deft physical comedy makes for a winning lead while both James and the writers have toned down episode 1’s un-likeable Arthur in favour of something more subtle, especially in his relationship with his father. Both he and Anthony Head, regal as you like, play this as much between the lines as anything; little snatched glances sketch in the expectations of the King and the fact that whatever he says, Arthur wants to fulfil them and get his acknowledgement. James Hawes’ skilful direction plays both to these moments and the wider panorama with some effective action sequences and powerfully achieved scares. At one point the snakes that come alive are hissing directly at the viewer which looks great. If there’s a weakness it’s the idea that not one of the thousand or so people purportedly watching the fighting (apart from Merlin of course) seem to notice the snakes.

The 3^rd episode is pulled together effectively by some strong dialogue  and there is I feel, without actually knowing, a big clue as to a revelation about Uther. I could be wrong though. The plot concerns a sorceress called Nimueh who is know to Uther and who spreads a deadly plague through Camelot by poisoning the water supply. When Guinevere’s father contracts the illness it’s a race against the clock by Merlin and Gaius to find a cure while Arthur is searching the place for people carrying out magic.

Fundamentally there are flaws in the plot though necessary ones I suppose. The fact that nobody really gets into gear until someone they actually know is infected is an over-used device and it might have been prudent to have kept some mystery for the viewer as to the source of the infection. Visually, the show also needs to be wary of too many wide shots which betray how few inhabitants Camelot really has. On the plus side, the cast are terrific again; Colin Morgan continues to impress and given her first major storyline Angel Coulby pitches her performance perfectly as Guinevere is not just worried about her father but also imprisoned as a witch. No complaints either about this week’s superb monster; a clay creature that director James Hawes shoots with the maximum of menace.

Episode 4 proves to be the strongest yet with a palpable sense of time running out as Arthur races into danger in defiance of his father to find an antidote to Nimuweh’s poison that has poleaxed Merlin. Convincing us that Arthur really would go to such great lengths

is the key thing that writer Ben Vanstone has to do and he pivots the issue around the prince’s tempestuous relationship with Uther; while we can believe that Arthur might just be adventure seeking enough to see this as a challenge, the minute his father forbids him to go it puts a different complexion on matters. Anthony Head is excellent here, his king crushing every possible avenue even after Arthur has returned with the necessary antidote and it adds to an involving plot that keeps you going to the last minute. We’re still not sure exactly what connection he has with Nimuweh in what is looking suspiciously like an arc plot that will gather pace throughout the season.  Notably more widescreen in style and with an abundance of horses and two separate monsters the episode thus kicks the show on at just the point when people might be feeling they’ve got the measure of it. Director Ed Frieman has a sense of the epic, shooting the beautiful countryside and dark caverns with equal feel, though you may wonder why the hills of Britain look positively Alpine. With Colin Morgan spending most of the time unconscious Bradley James gets a chance to shine and lives up to it; his Arthur has already travelled quite a long way from the petulant brat of part 1 and the actor seems able to handle these changes well. There are several stand out scenes including an impressive forest monster but the best is when Arthur dangling from a cavern wall with only a light sent by Merlin to guide him has to clamber away from an advancing army of large spiders; it’s enough to make you shout at the screen “faster!”

`Lancelot` introduces the other best known character from Arthurian legend and but he is overshadowed by a terrific monster in the form of a Gryphon which is the best realised creature yet and has a superbly created squawk that makes your tv wobble!  Santiago Cabrera makes a decent enough job of a difficult role; Lancelot is so virtuous and ready to do the right thing that you realise how well written Merlin and the others are in comparison. Nevertheless there is a rewarding balance to this episode, with some lighter moments and some powerful ones too- Lancelot’s confrontation with the monster is excellently realised and very well shot by director Ed Friedman. There are moments when the scripts’ ambition gets the better of the budget’s ability to deliver, especially when so much fuss is made of the Knights and it ends up there’s only a dozen of them, yet there are loads of other people who could fight the Gryphon. It just makes Uther’s rules seem a bit silly. There’s a lot packed into the episode that runs with most of the established themes yet still seems fresh and vibrant while the use of night time sequences impresses.

`A Remedy To Cure All Ills` seems slightly unbalanced, there being some excellent acting and dialogue but also the sort of straight forward direction that doesn’t suit a script intended to be tense. Ed Frieman seemed more at home with the action of `Lancelot` than he does here though it was probably the BBC who decided to cut the scene where Edwin is literally axed so we only hear a slightly comical thud. I was waiting for an off screen “Oww!”. The episode also brings into focus a couple of repetitive motifs, namely the villain seeking revenge for something that happened in the past and a reliance on some disease or other to fell a cast member. The former is presumably intended to convey a sense of history to Camelot and is a laudable attribute to a series when used sparingly but you get the sense that there is a queue of vengeful sorcerers and witches queuing up at the gates to take their revenge on Uther! A little more insight into why he did some of these dreadful things he’s supposed to have done- hinted at when he made Merlin drink the poison- might even out the narrative and place it more firmly in the present. As for the procession of illnesses, while they provide a central purpose for Gauius in the plots, they are feeling samey and because we know each character will not die, it subtracts from the tension somewhat. That said, the focus here is not so much on Morgana’s state but on the ambitions of the sorcerer Edwin played with slimy relish by Julian Rhind Tutt. There are several excellent scenes between the actor and some of the regulars which combined with some more interesting dialogue add to the story’s appeal. The caginess between Edwin and Merlin is particulary well done while Richard Wilson and Anthony Head are both excellent throughout; the scene where the King dismisses Gaius even though you can see he doesn’t really want to is superbly played and written. The ending is a little cursory, with or without the flying axe, Merlin’s victory seems a little easy considering how powerful Edwin is supposed to be. It could be that budgetary constraints are holding back the full potential of moments like this and a more judicious mix of FX heavy and light episodes could have helped. This being the sixth episode we are certainly into the rhythm of the show and apart from the two things mentioned above, the other potential weakeness is how thinly written Morgana and Gwen are; the poor girls get very little to do, Morgana in particular has been so low key casual viewers could be forgiven for asking who she was when all of a sudden everyone’s worried about her.

Thankfully – and very belatedly, she gets something significant to do in the excellent `Gates of Avalon` which swims in the sort of Arthurian atmosphere that seems appropriate for the production yet doesn’t lose it’s contemporary senses either. The most assured episode yet, it provides a confident boost for the second half of the season. Arthur rescues a father and daughter- Aulfric and Sophia- and soon falls for the latter, abandoning his duties to spend time with her leaving poor Merlin to take the blame. However he might have known she’d be trouble especially as both she and Dad are carrying mysterious looking staffs around with them. Ben Vanstone’ script is as mystical as you like culminating in some gorgeously created Fx shots in and around a lake. Yet he has reinstated the jaunty touch of the first few episodes which suits Colin Morgan who has a ball with the running gag of being put in the stocks. Bradley James, too suits this scenario perfectly and demonstrates some comedy timing that we haven’t seen till now. The biggest surprise though is Katie McGrath who has waited patiently for 7 weeks for something to do and when that moment comes it’s a triumph. She is moody, mysterious yet vulnerable and interesting and you wonder why the writers have left her hanging about like a spare part till now. Her interaction with Uther- another sterling performance from Anthony Head- and also Gaius is particularly rewarding. Director Jeremy Webb conjures up memories of the film Excalibur at times and the show could do with more of this sleight of hand. Even the plot has enough legs to keep us on the edge of our seats till the end and as if all that were not enough we have our first (and hopefully not our last) glowing eyed staff wielding bearded villain played with relish by Kenneth Cranham. He actually stands on the lip of a lake laughing evilly – how great it that? Merlin has teetered on greatness before but this is the first episode where you glimpse how incredible it could be and the more the cast and writers relax into their world the more it will. Definitely a contender for best episode of the season.

`The Beginning of the End` could easily have been titled The End of the Beginning as it carries a suggestion that the first 7 episodes have been largely scene setting and that we are headed into more involved territory from now on. Howard Overman’s script is noticeably more multi layered than previous weeks’ storytelling and the emphasis is on stronger character interaction rather than action and effects. We also meet another key part of Arthurian mythology in the form of Mordred, here portrayed as a Druid boy already able to use telepathic powers to speak to Merlin and –crucially - Morgana. Building on her promise last week Katie McGrath again sits at the centre of the episode, though you would think even Merlin would ponder exactly why she is so anxious to hide and help the boy. Overall though, the hints work and provide some lighter touches (Arthur’s attempt to search her room plays particularly well) and darker stuff; Uther’s rage against Morgana shows not just his anger at being “betrayed” but also how fearful he really is of magic, whatever the reason may be. At the centre of the story though is Merlin’s dilemma of whether he should help the boy after being told by our enigmatic dragon that he will kill Arthur. Its to everyone’s credit that this isn’t over egged (`destiny` in fantasy is a blunt tool that makes for weak storytelling) and Colin Morgan shows his range in an understated manner. For someone whose been such an energetic centre of the series, his performance here is extra special because it hints at some of the issues Merlin will have to deal with and he portrays everything with the minimum of fuss. Not showy, but impressive nonetheless. It’s good too that Merlin’s better instincts win out even though he may be storing up future trouble. Jeremy Webb again proves the season’s most assured handler of the sometimes unlikely mixture of sorcery and drama, history and fantasy while there is a terrific atmosphere throughout. There are plenty of excellent scenes in this episode but the overall effect is of a show that knows where it is going and how it will get there, even including a slightly eerie ending that hints of what’s to come. You do begin to wonder if season 2 will be set a while un the future otherwise at this rate Mordred’s return won’t occur till season fifteen!!

`Excalbur` arrives with revelations you’d imagine the writers would have kept for episode 13 but the mystery of Arthur’s parentage and reasons for Uther’s magic ban are both spilt here in a flurry of occasionally climsily written exposition. What it lacks in storytelling guile it does more than make up for in drumming up the tension- this is a noticeably more serious episode than many have been. It turns out that Numueh is not exactly Arthur’s mother, as we’d been suspecting, but that she used magic to give Uther’s barren wife the opportunity to have a child and when Egraine died in childbirth, Uther banished magic. The episode belongs to Anthony Head whose performance brings out the character’s feelings of love for his son and horror at what he knows is happening. When he has Arthur drugged so he can face the Black Knight you really do feel as if he is going to be killed. All of which is mingled with the Excalibur legend; Merlin has a sword consecrated by the dragon’s breath and it is this which Uther uses, though he isn’t supposed to, to despatch our exhumed enemy. Stylishly shot (again by Jeremy Webb) the episode relies on a few dramatic moments – the arrival of the Black Knight and some thunderous sword battles -to punctuate what is a talkier piece that adds new layers to the story though after the measured pace of the series till now, it suddenly feels slightly rushed. Yet it seems to confirm that this is a series with impact and- hopefully- staying power.

The next episode takes us back to Merlin’s village which is being terrorised rather unconvincingly by a villain lacking the entertainment value of Keith Allen’s Sheriff of Nottingham. After Merlin’s mother has begged Uther for help to no avail Arthur, Morgana and Gwen all pitch in to help the peasants who, despite living a tough life living off the land can’t fight properly. There’s something unconvincing about all of this which spoils the run of top class episodes. It’s staged woodenly with all the clichés director David Moore can muster while writer Julian Jones barely hides the fact that the episode’s purpose is to build on the relationship between Merlin and Arthur and clarify that the latter’s dislike of magic has been inherited from his father despite earlier indications to the contrary. Added to these problems, Joe Dempsie is mis-cast in the pivotal role of Will, Merlin’s old friend and the only other person in the village who knows about his magic. At times the lines play as if this is some sort of allegory for being gay, at other times it sinks into the worst community under threat scenario beloved of many a Robin Hood episode. A rare misfire and we won’t hold it against them but perhaps it had better be a long time before Merlin goes home again.

Episode 11 starts simply enough with Arthur killing a (rather emo looking) unicorn which brings complications such as famine and pestilence. A neat combination of biblical imagery and fairy tale scenarios, it works effectively in conjuring up a real sense of danger culminating in a positively surreal denouement on a beach. There is a sense of epic scale; the CGI maze viewed from above is particularly effective and the script manages to progress matters efficiently. If the episode merely ends up underlining the loyalty between Merlin and Arthur with which we are now familiar it does so with style and a fair amount of wit. The easy chemistry between the main characters is now paying dividends and there’s a strong guest starring part for Frank Finlay. The ending is not as predictable as you think it will be and comes wrapped in a lovely moment when the unicorn is brought back to life. It still doesn’t look any happier though!

One of the criticisms you could make of the series is that it’s villains are generally one dimensional; they may explain why they are trying to kill Arthur or Uther but it rarely seems to have a large emotional impact. `To Kill The King` scores because it focuses on Uther himself. There is a villain but he’s just a cipher through which to focus a fascinating plot. Through the season Uther has been the best written and most intriguing character; on the one hand a king whose brought peace and prosperity, on the other something of a tyrant with a propensity to act before he thinks. When Gwen’s father is arrested for consorting with a sorcerer, an unexpected turn of events sees him killed after Morgana helps him escape. Partly through guilt at her involvement and also because it brings back memories of her father’s death (for which she blames the King) she ends up involving herself in a plot to kill him. Merlin overhears all this and faces the dilemma of whether or not to stop her. Jake Michie’s script is the most mature of the season, eschewing lots of action for a brooding atmosphere of impending trouble and taking the time to show how each of the characters responds to this potentially huge event. By moving the developments on in a pacy manner we get to the kernel of the issue – does Uther deserve to die? It’s a topic we viewers certainly will have reached an opinion about by now and the episode also plays into our expectations of evil Morgana. Is this the moment she turns to the dark side? Rather brilliantly, Michie leaves the king’s own case till the climax and instead of having Merlin save the day Morgana ends up stopping the plot herself after hearing what Uther really thought of her father and when he admits it was a mistake to kill Gwen’s father as well. This is a big thing; Uther’s cocky confidence that he is right has been a dominant feature of many episodes and it’s the first time he’s admitted otherwise. Needless to say Anthony Head, Katie McGrath and Colin Morgan are excellent, each now fully inhabiting the skin of their respective characters but it’s worth mentioning how subtly Richard Wilson plays Gaius’ role in this episode, as if he sort of knows what’s going on and is gently helping things along. Being the penultimate of the season, the story seems to clarify a couple of on and off screen issues rather well. It is clearly no coincidence that episodes focussing primarily on Uther and/or Morgana are the strongest. However, given a lot to deal with Angel Coulby disappoints here as she has elsewhere; there is a lot of work for both the character and actress to do to rise to the same level as the others. Faultlessly produced with Stuart Orme’s direction catching each and every dilemma and matching the serious script, `To Kill The King` is the season’s finest episode and a pointer to the sort of territory season 2 needs to be exploring

For the finale, `La Mort D’Arthur` provides a satisfying and increasingly tense climax, if a little awkwardly staged at times. Arthur is bitten by a fearsome looking Questing Beast which means certain death unless someone is offered to purveyors of the old religion (our old enemy Nimueh) in their place. It’s not that hard to guess what Merlin will do but Colin Morgan delivers one of his most convincing performances here, stretched to emote far more than usual he delivers showing hitherto untapped potential. The mystery is in guessing who will die in place of Arthur and to its credit Julian Jones’ script keeps us guessing till the end. The writer struggles a little with the ambition of the episode though and appears to have put little thought into the distance between Camelot and Nimueh’s island or why the Beast’s bite doesn’t claim its victim for days. It seems a very accommodating monster. Better is the powerful confrontation between Merlin and Nimueh which shows how far the former has matured since the first episode, also shown in the scenes with the Dragon who is revealed to be less benign than we might have thought. There is inevitably too much expectation on season finales these days but while the good guys all survive at the end, the episode does provide a rousing climax.

Merlin has had a tough mission; to live up to the success of Doctor Who which is now expected on a Saturday night and also to hold it’s own against ITV’s giant X Factor against which it has been scheduled to save Strictly Come Dancing. Largely it has achieved the latter, averaging over 6 million with some episodes reaching well over 7 million and even adding audiences week to week when pitted against the singing wannabes. Fantasy fans of course seemed determined not to enjoy it and once again we had the spectacle of online posters spending a very long time burbling on about a series they seemed not to like but somehow watched very week. It does make one wonder what kind of series would satisfy them. Some of the debate was inanely irrelevant like the ethnicity of the casting or the inaccuracy of the armour shown while others said it was `just for kids` and yet, yep, they saw every episode themselves! Just in case, of course. Fans like that should really be taken out and put into a public stall where we can chuck over -ripe tomatoes at them. Merlin is a fresh, new show, its not like Doctor Who were fans of many decades standing have grown proprietorial ; this really is a case of; `if you don’t like it, you don’t have to watch it` but please don’t patronise those who do like it and do watch it.

What the series has not quite done yet is establish itself as a rival in the affections of a generation or even the media who seemed distinctly cold about it. It’s got it’s second season, announced at the end of the final episode and has a slightly adjusted scenario to deal with. There have been seeds of future material scattered throughout this season all of which have the potential to be better than anything we’ve yet seen. If the season has occasionally seemed cautious and a little awkward (especially when dealing with it’s action sequences) and if the budgetary limitations do sometimes show, it has plenty of assets. The cast are terrific and some have yet to be given the chance to show how good they are though the run of strong later episodes showed the way. The slight sense of `first term at a new school` that has held back some episodes will hopefully be replaced with a confidence in the cast and set up which really have a huge potential that so far has only been hinted at. If they can push forward more boldly then Merlin should easily move from being great and entertaining to stunning and unmissable.