The Poisoned Chalice
Merlin Episode Review
In which Merlin has crap taste in women.
What Happened
Camelot hosts a rival king who is coming to peace terms with Uther.
Hiding among the servants, Nimueh poisons a chalice meant for Arthur, then "warns" Merlin about it. To prove to Uther that his accusations of poison are true, Merlin drinks the wine and falls into a coma.
Arthur blames himself and goes out to find the one plant that can cure the poison. In the woods, he meets Nimueh, who leads him to the flower then abandons him to a grisley doom involving a cave and some spider creatures. Arthur gets stuck, but even in his coma, Merlin senses Arthur in danger and conjures up a guide to lead Arthur to safety.
Returning to Camelot, Arthur is tossed in jail by his father, who is pissed he disobeyed an order not to risk his life for a servant. Arthur slips the flower to Gwen, however, and Merlin is cured.
Arthur is eventually let out and Merlin recovers. Gaius, meanwhile, insists to Uther that he needs to warn Arthur about Nimueh and her magic.
The Good
- Good structure to the episode, even if it does rely on people taking Nimueh at face value.
- Uther is hard-core. He would totally let Merlin die to teach Arthur a lesson.
The Bad
- Nimueh can't afford a real dragon, so she makes do with a cut-rate giant iguana.
- Spiders. Spiders! SPIDERS!
The Cliche
- Don't throw parties. Or celebrations. Or tournaments.
- The pretty face makes men stupid. (Merlin and then Arthur falling for Nimueh.)
- Covering for the feverish ramblings. (Gaius trying to keep Gwen from being too suspicious.)
- Ending the act on a "He's dead" that lasts a whole commercial break. (Merlin stops breathing.)
- Kissing the guy you thought was dead and then have to explain it. (Gwen. Gwen. Gwen.)
What Did I Think?
Nice to see they didn't let any grass grow under Nimueh's feet. A good acceleration to her vendetta against Merlin, with the added benefit of giving her the chance to take a swing at Arthur as well. Good father-son moments between Uther and Arthur, while Gaius and Gwen mostly just get to hover.