Lancelot

Merlin Episode Guide

In which there is Lancelot.

What Happened

So Lancelot shows up and charms everyone with how wonderful he is. But he isn't a noble, so he can't be a knight. Wanting to help, Merlin fakes him up a crest in order to get him accepted. When Uther finds out - via the absurdly obvious tactic of asking someone to check his papers - he tosses Lancelot in jail.

During all this, Camelot has been attacked by a griffin, which cannot be slain by ordinary weapons. Gaius finds Merlin a spell to read to create a weapon that can kill the griffin but he can't get it working before Arthur rides out. Before he goes, Arthur frees Lancelot, deciding that even if he lied, he fights like a knight.

Arthur tells Lancelot to leave town, but Lancelot goes to Guinevere for armor instead. She's a smitten kitten for Lance, so she goes running to Merlin and Gaius. Following, Merlin and Lancelot come across what is left of Arthur's task force. As the griffin attacks them, Merlin manages the enchantment, just in time for Lancelot to skewer the griffin.

Arthur wakes up at that point and takes Lancelot back to Camelot. He demands that his father reinstate Lancelot as a knight. While they are arguing, Lancelot tells Merlin that he saw Merlin use magic to destroy the griffin. Deciding that he cannot take credit for Merlin's actions (but promising to keep his secret), Lancelot tells Arthur and Uther that he must leave Camelot.

What Did I Think?

Nice idea and appealing performances, but got sidelined just the tiniest by plot idiocies.

So Lancelot has wanted to be a knight for so long, but he didn't know about Uther's rules that he had to be noble? I mean, you kind of undercut a big impact of his whole story here. I suppose it makes him more noble that he didn't initially come to Camelot hoping to game the system and had to be talked into it by Merlin, but it also makes him seem a bit dim not to know the "Number One Code" or whathaveyou.

Then again, Uther probably should have checked Lancelot's seal before he made him a knight, don'cha think?

And not to question Merlin's judgement, but Lancelot didn't exactly hurt the griffon when it attacked the first time. He just kind of got between it and Merlin and waved his sword at it. Doesn't justify Merlin's man-crush and willingness to break the law to get Lancelot a job.

Except, of course, that Gwen is right: Merlin will do just about anything to get his friends what they want. It's the puppy bit. Newspaper, knighthood, sword, slippers, same dif.

And I suppose I can understand the man-crush. Lancelot is pretty cute. The actor does a good job being all Lancelot-ish, bringing the strong, honest, paragon of virtue stuff.

One final complaint: they seem to have completely sidelined the female characters. All Gwen gets to do is look dewey eyed at Lancelot? This is her grand romance? Sigh.

Maybe in Season Two.