The Moment of Truth
Merlin Episode Review
In which Merlin goes home.
What Happened
Merlin's mother journeys to Camelot to ask Uther's aid defending her home village from a raider named Kanen. The village lies outside Uther's borders, however, and to send armed men there would be considered an act of war.
Merlin decides to return home with his mother. Worried about him, Gwen packs up some armor and a sword. She and Morgana are coming as well to help, while Arthur follows along later. (No one really goes into detail on Uther's reaction.)
They aren't exactly welcomed with open arms. Not having much faith in Lords and Princes, Merlin's old friend Will is sure that Arthur will only send the peasants to die for him and retreat. When Merlin announces his faith in Arthur, Will taunts that Arthur doesn't know Merlin's secret, does he?
Will is sure that if Merlin used his magic, then no one would have to die and yells at his friend for refusing to act. When the battle starts to go bad, Merlin summons a whirlwind and saves the village. Furious, Arthur demands to know who was using magic.
Kanen pops up and fires at Arthur while he is ranting. Will pushes him out of the way and is hit instead. As he dies, Will claims that he was the sorcerer, protecting Merlin's secret for another week.
The Good
- Arthur doesn't even bother explaining why or how he's come. He just appears and takes over without making big speeches.
- Merlin and Will's friendship. It's not something petty like Will being upset at being left behind; he really thinks Merlin should be using his power to save them.
- Nice scene between Arthur and Gwen. First time they've really played off each other.
The Bad
- It's a pretty solid episode, really. Nothing stands out in particular.
The Cliche
- Defend the Village
- The Inspiring Speech (Not that Arthur doesn't do a good job of it.)
- Dying hero keeps talking to the end. (Will goes out yammering. It's effective, yes, but still...)
- Burning the body of the fallen hero. (Will's finale.)
What Did I Think?
A strong follow-up to Excalibur, which goes deeper into Merlin's past. It's a typical Defend the Village tale, but they tell it well.