Knight's Fantastic

So, um, I see that Merlin is clearly all about plot this year.

Merlin - Eye of the Phoenix

In this week's episode of Merlin, “The Eye of the Phoenix,” Arthur is off on another dangerous quest, that his enemies have decided would be the perfect cover to assassinate him, and once again it's Merlin to the rescue.

Despite slaying dragons, beating back the undead, and generally acting like Uther's kick ass hammer all his life,  Arthur must prove that he is worthy of being King by going on a dangerous quest that could very well get him killed.  That this would leave Camelot without an heir doesn't seem to matter.  What matters is that the princes of Camelot have been doing this for eons and Uther, ever the traditionalist, will not break the rules for the son he killed his wife to have!

Arthur, after much meditation with the The Force, realizes that he has to travel to Dagobah, I mean the Perilous Lands, to retrieve the trident of the famed Fisher King. Merlin wants to go with Arthur, but Arthur says this is a solo project and he must stay behind. While Merlin is dismayed by the idea of the journey, Morgana couldn't be more thrilled. After her failed attempt at killing Arthur last week, Morgana decides to keep it simple this week and give Arthur an EVIL life sucking bracelet that she got from Morgause, who hobbles into Camelot looking like Snow White's Stepmother when she's got her Crone on. Merlin is suspicious when Arthur shows him Morgana's "good luck" trinket and Detective Merlin figures out that it's a tool of the Dark side and he has to find Arthur before it destroys him.

Realizing that he has to get to Arthur without Morgana or Uther knowing, Merlin tracks down Gawain, who is bored and down for an adventure. Merlin and Gawain arrive to The Perilous Lands and runs in to Yoda, Willow, Grettir, the keeper of the bridge, who tells them that he has been waiting for them and that they, along with Arthur, have a great destiny ahead of them.

Back in Camelot, Morgana is getting impatient with Arthur's unwillingness to just die already and gets all snappy when Gwen interrupts her Death to Arthur Voodoo Chant. She later apologizes, but Gwen is on to her and you can tell that things between them will never be the same.

Meanwhile, Merlin and Gawain track down Arthur, but will rescuing him really be that easy? And what will happen once they find The Fisher King?

“The Eye of the Phoenix”  is a good old fashion adventure and I loved it. It was great seeing Warwick Davis, WILLOW!,  being all snarky with Arthur and Co. and of course anytime Merlin and Gawain get together we are instantly in a buddy movie. It was also great that the girls got their own subplot as Morgana's EVIL became apparently to Gwen, no doubt setting up a showdown between the two former friends.


Questions/Comments

I know that that this show is about Merlin, it's called Merlin after all, but would it be too much trouble to let us see an adventure with Arthur where he saves himself ,giving that he is The Once and Future King of legend and all?  Arthur gets props for making it as far as he does alive with Morgana's Magic Bracelet of Evil on his wrists, but once Merlin arrives he is made to look like a clueless ingrate. His total obliviousness to Morgana's EVIL is also painful to watch. I know he loves and trusts her, but if Gwen can see that something is up, Arthur should have at least a small inkling that Morgana is acting different.

The Fisher King mentions that his kingdoms will be restored to greatness, it's implied by Arthur, yet His Cobwebbed Majesty is going on and on about Merlin's destiny, again, and how this was really Merlin's quest, and how it is up to Merlin to unite Albion. Huh? If the world of magic played a bigger part in the politics of the land I could buy this, by right now it's hard to swallow. It's more believable that Arthur's will and vision is why Albion will be united one day, not because of a Warlock, who may be the greatest bodyguard ever, but whose larger role, even now, seems small compared to Arthur's destiny.

Anybody else disappointed that that beautiful scene of Arthur on his knees crying  that we saw in the season teaser trailer was about a vision of tracking down the Fisher King? But it was funny watching Gwen and Merlin make fun of him.

So let me get this straight, in order to prove that you are worthy to assume the throne you have to take on a dangerous mission of the Fate's choosing in which death is very much likely? And if you die, then? Sounds like a great custom.

I like Gawain, really I do, but I can't help but thinking that it should be Lancelot in this episode not him.

Why is Morgan so cold towards Gwen? I understand that she was in the middle of some supernatural scheming and all and Gwen was getting in the way, but up until this point Gwen has been nothing but loyal to her.

Loved the quick kiss between Arthur and Gwen, it shows how comfortable they are now with each other.

It's great to see Gwen doing her own detective work and getting the goods on a scheming Morgana.
She's not the Once and Future Queen of Legend for Nothing.

Merlin - Gawain

In the first season we were introduced to Arthur's future greatest knight and biggest threat, Lancelot the Poetic Saint, this season we meet Sir Gawain of the Luscious Hair.

Arthur and Merlin are out of town when they stop in to a local tavern for a drink. But apparently it's Sunday at the OK Corral and the not so friendly neighborhood extorters have come for their cut of the tavern's profits. Arthur decides to get involved and ends up in a bar fight that he only manages to survive courtesy of a mysterious young drunkard named Gawain.

Merlin and Arthur take their new friend back to Camelot and Gawain quickly gets to work drinking, wooing  and taking his shirt off whenever possible. Meanwhile Arthur is preparing for yet ANOTHER tournament, which means that a magical bad guy is lurking somewhere in the shadows waiting to use the melee as a way to off him. This episode baddies are the thugs from the bar fight who want revenge for their beat down and have managed to find a crystal that makes them magically delicious faux knights. It doesn't take Detective Merlin long to realize that something is rotten with the newest melee contestants and he enlists Gawain's help. Gawain, an undercover Noble, says no at first, he's one of the peeps now and would rather leave all that hero stuff to other guys, but he ends up helping anyway, but not before flirting with Gwen who doesn't mind the attention, much to Arthur's chagrin.

This was a really fun episode. It actually reminded me of watching an old  episode of Hercules The Legendary Journeys and seems to be the beginning of stories being told in the larger world of Albion. Let's face it, there is always something special about the introduction of a character from the legend, especially one as important as Gawain, and the actor playing him had to be a little bit better than the usual guest star of the week and Eoin Macken delivered. He fit right in with the cast and had chemistry with everyone. While we know  little about Gawain's past, I hope the fact he is a noble turns out to be significant. Usually Gawain is Arthur's nephew and Lancelot's BFF. I can't wait to see how Merlin re-imagines him, but I'd love for him to be Morguese's brother or maybe Arthur's cousin on Ygraine's side of the family. Hey, knowing Uther he could even be a long lost brother, although I still believe the never to be forgotten Mordred is Arthur and Morgana's little brother and that Uther has magic he is suppressing, but that theory is for another post.

 Also, these tournaments always seem to pit Arthur against some magical baddie with a grudge  so at least the show seems in on the joke and has decided to play this beat until the wheels fall off.

Questions/Comments
Loved getting to see Arthur interact with people who live outside of Camelot's walls. I wish we saw it more often. I'm also a sucker for a medieval bar fight.

As much as I love Lance, and I love me some Lance, he is super serious so Gawain is a nice change.
It was nice seeing a rogue interact with our usual serious boys and girls. As the anti-Lancelot, Gawain gets to flirt with Gwen, without the serious feelings that drag Lance into a depression: he gets to needle Arthur, sans the serious respect that underlines Lance's interaction with Arthur; and he gets to have a light hearted relationship with Merlin that is quite different from the Merlin and Lancelot Save the World dynamic that makes Merlin and Lance more like fellow superheroes than true buds.

It's always fun see Gwen's playful side and she and Gawain were totally adorable.

I loved Gawain and Merlin as instant BFFs but it reminded me that Merlin feels alienated from the two people closest to him --- Arthur and Gwen and doesn't feel like he can confide in them which is sad.

In the last season Arthur and Gwen were CLEARLY in love, Arthur even told Gwen that he'd never love another. So why are they acting like Gwen is the girl who sits behind Arthur in class that he doesn't have the nerve to ask out? If you take it in the context of this season's reset it makes sense but UGH.

As much as I hate Uther, and I hate Uther, I am glad that they don't sugar coat the fact that peasants had no rights. Gawain was obviously telling the truth but because Uther thought he was a commoner, he dismissed him. Jerk.

Loved that Gawain has no interest in serving Uther and called Uther out!

Way to stand up to Uther Arthur...oh wait but you didn't. Again!

Why do all the baddies have to be magic users? It makes Uther seem right about magic being EVIL. I know our hero is a wizard but this show tends to make Merlin using magic for good look like an aberration, not the norm.