The Death of Arthur

Merlin Episode Review

In which Nimueh is back. And Gaius is gone. And then back again. And then Nimueh is gone. Maybe.

What Happened

Arthur is hunting again - you'd think he'd know better by now - and gets attacked by a something big and nasty. It's a Questing Beast, seen only in a time of great upheaval. Gaius warns of danger and Morgana is hysterical from premonitions, but Arthur and his knights go off looking for it anyways.

And Arthur gets bitten. And poisoned.

According to Gaius, there is no antidote. It's looking grim in Camelot, so Merlin takes himself off to a mysterious island to bargain with Nimueh for Arthur's life.

She demands a life in exchange, so he agrees, thinking he'll be the one to die. When his mother turns up covered in boils instead, Merlin turns around to go back to the island.

Gaius goes first, however, and strikes his own bargain. When Merlin arrives and finds Gaius dead, he tosses some lightening bolts at Nimueh. When she (one assumes) dies, Gaius comes back to life.

The Good

• The Great Dragon comes through with a straight answer for once.
• By the way, was Bradley James told when he took the part of Arthur that he would need to perfect the art of passing out gracefully? That he'd spend half the season unconscious? Was it part of the audition? 'Cuz he's got it down cold. The eye roll and flutter as he swans dramatically sideways. It's beautiful. Really.

The Bad

• How long does it take to get to that island? You'd think Merlin would be able to catch up with Gaius somewhere along the journey.
• Why is Arthur still being allowed out on hunting trips? You'd think he learned his lesson after the last one.

The Cliche

• But you don't die. (Gaius.)

What Did I Think?

Nowhere near as strong as Excalibur or The Moment of Truth, either of which would made for a more satisfying season finale that utilized the whole cast well. Instead, Morgana and Gwen are shoved off in the background and while Uther is still in force, that has more to do with Anthony Stewart Head being just that cool than anything else. Even The Labyrinth of Gerdref had the great Arthur/Merlin bit at the end.

This? Just has some lightening bolts fx. And - I hate to admit this - but I'm kind on Nimueh's side here. She told Merlin what would/could happen. She might have been a little melodramatic about the whole thing, but it was out there. Now, all of a sudden he's tossing hissy fits over it? Whiny little baby.