5.02: Merlin - Arthur's Bane - Part II

[ctg]

As dawn breaks across the icy tundra, Merlin and Arthur are close to exhaustion. With each tortured step, the fortress of Ismere looms ever nearer and Merlin's fear intensifies.

What game is Mordred playing? And what powerful secrets are Morgana and the druid Ruadan searching for amongst its twisted catacombs?

It seems like this time, not even Merlin can stop Arthur from walking right into the lion's den… For in this bleak and transient wilderness, only one thing is certain: the great trial for Albion has finally begun.


Oooo... Arthur being a stubborn again. We see what happens, but I for one would think it would be once and for all, Arthur to see that he's not completely invulnerable. Merlin has shielded him from true harm so many times. But what happened to Mordred as that brief synopsis doesn't say anything about the true Bane?

 

[Mouse]

Argh! Spoilers ahead...

Why oh why can't Morgana just die? (Ha, I'm a poet). She's deeply irritating. As is Gwen. It'd be nice to have a decent female character.

A bit GOT wasn't it, this ep? What with Davos and the raven. Looks like next week's is going Prince Caspian with the horn and what have you.

Also, the scene between Davos and Shifu (I know, Ruadan and Sefa), went on far too long. We haven't known these characters long enough to give a toss about them so an 'emotional' scene falls kinda flat.

Also, how slow did that alien speak? Blimey, spit it out.

Poor malnourished wee dragon.

Percival kicked ass.

I think that's it really. Merlin's Haka at the dragon always makes me smirk. Can't wait for him to just come out of the closet and say he's a magician.

Arthur, I kinda liked in this ep. Not sure how he got into that cart thing in the mine though, but I'll let it go.

Mordred the knight, eh? Didn't see that coming.

Did I mention Percival?

 

[Dave]

Why oh why can't Morgana just die?

I thought she had really bought it too this time, but that would obviously have been the end of the story.

She's deeply irritating. As is Gwen. It'd be nice to have a decent female character.

Gwen suddenly inherited an intelligence gene this week though. Her cunning plan to attract Davos actually worked!

What with Davos and the raven.

My son did Media Studies as one of his 101 GCSEs. He said that appearance of a crow always signifies death. He wasn't wrong either. Davros didn't have much of a season did he?

Prince Caspian with the horn... how slow did that alien speak...

I think you covered everything there. I don't have much to add, except:

I don't know the significance of the Dragon not speaking but feel it is important somehow.

I don't know where they are going with the Euchdag/ Diamair, as she really took the place of the John Hurt Dragon; giving sage advice and predictions.

I didn't see Mordred as a Knight coming either.

 

[Mouse]

Gwen suddenly inherited an intelligence gene this week though. Her cunning plan to attract Davos actually worked!

Yeah, I was a little impressed with that, but just knew she wouldn't execute the girl so it kinda just made me roll my eyes. I guess I'm hard to please.

 

[reiver33]

I had a problem with distance and timescale; Ruadan was able to get to and from Camelot in nothing flat, and Arthur + Merlin were able to find a way over the yawning gap and beat the prisoner convoy back to Barad-Dur - sorry, Ismere - despite having no food or shelter. But then again they were able to lie out overnight on the snow ill effects so they must be hardy souls.

I've noticed a couple of 'once out of the pit' moments - including the appearance of the dynamic due in the mine cart (as has been mentioned). This approach starts to make the principle good guys appear invincible in a comic book kind of way and undercuts any tension in the scene.

And why didn't anyone check Morgana was dead?

 

[Kylara]

WHAT.

Morgana has a dragon, the blue alien has a creepy voice, they have orange carrots -_-

Where on earth did she get a dragon, and such a poor deathly sick dragon at that...although to be fair it does have good snow camouflage...

Yeah how on earth did Ruadan get to Camelot so fast!?

Mordred. A knight. Brilliant -_- how much more twisting of the Mordred tale can we get?

full of cliches and impossible things...I am agreeing with the whole seems to be ripping off of everything else, where's all the orginality gone?

Also, being stabbed in the kidneys...you die, no two ways about it, that is a death blow, and then crawling out into the snow? Yup definitely dead. But wait! Morgana is still alive! and walking through snow...how incredibly likely...

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Actually mordred as a knight isnt stretching things too much. Often in the legends he is arthurs nephew, or son of lot, king of the orkneys and a knight of the round table. Arthurs death is often a tragic accident rather then evil by design.

 

[ctg]

You dragon spotters forget that Morgana met the baby dragon in the last series final episode. So its no wonder she has taken an opportunity on that one. And another thing is that she's a magic user and she doesn't have same restrictions using it as Merlin has, so healing spells are a-ok. What comes to the other stuff, that's meh.

 

[Mouse]

Maybe Ruadan just magicked himself to Camelot?

I knew the white dragon was the baby one from last series. Just felt sorry for the little thing, especially when Morgana was sitting at the table stuffing her face, I was thinking, you can't feed any of that to the dragon? Or, you know, she's evil and everything, cook up one of her men for it.

Kylara, out of everything you mention the carrots! Ha! Love it.

 

[reiver33]

Of course in 'Excalibur' (John Boorman, 1981), Mordred is Arthur's son having been seduced by his half-sister, Morgana. This makes for the great final showdown line 'Come father, let us embrace at last' - Mordred impales Arthur on a spear but the king pulls himself along the shaft and strikes down his son...

Somehow I think this version of the tale will lack the same degree of visceral charm!

 

[Dave]

We knew when we saw the Dragon's egg last season that it would return; that was no surprise.

So, has Mordred become this years 'baddie in disguise', or is just a misunderstood teenager?

Also I joked last week about 'The Ghost of Uther'. I promise that I hadn't been reading ahead. I can't believe the trailer for next week mentioned the same. I wish I could make some money out of coming up with these ideas.

Anyway, I'm much preferring Merlin, for all of its shortcomings, over Dr. Who.

 

[Kylara]

I'm still angry about the orange carrots :wink: Hahaha you must have magic! Don't let Uther's ghost see you predicting the future :wink: