All right, here's the brief:
As the forces of fate cast a shadow over Camelot, Merlin must confront his darkest fears. Camelot basks in the halcyon days of a new golden age. But even as she flowers, so the dark seeds of her destruction are being sown... For in the frozen wastelands of the north, men are disappearing without trace.
In search of answers, King Arthur and his knights must undertake a dangerous mission to the unknown. As the sun sets on the icy plains, Merlin finds himself locked in a battle unlike any he has fought before; a battle with fate itself.
Now that doesn't reveal much at all, and neither does
this spoiler free review of the first episode as it says:
It’s no spoiler to reveal that this opening episode is set some three years after the events of The Sword In The Stone, a gap of time necessary to properly fulfil a key series five plotline, and one that will become clear to fans by the end of part one.
The action is divided between Camelot, which is still feeling the ripples of Uther’s sorcery ban, and a stark, wintry landscape.
The change of location allows season four director Justin Molotnikov plenty of opportunity to show off snowy vistas reminiscent of Game Of Thrones’ impressive beyond-the-wall locations. The contrast between the blue-white stone walls of an isolated fortress and the red-yellow infernal activity it conceals is gorgeously done, recalling not Westeros this time, but Isengard (well, as much Isengard as you can conjure up in the vicinity of Cardiff on a modest BBC budget).
Without giving away anything in terms of plot, the episode deals in betrayal, heroism, prophesy and revenge. Both King Arthur and Queen Gwen face difficult decisions, and each is tested as a leader and commander, though it’s unarguably Merlin who carries the heaviest burden.
So I don't know. Maybe things has changed and I for one feel a little bit excited, but also afraid that the change doesn't portray well our wishes.
