Classic Doctor Who : City of Death

When the Doctor and his companion, Romana, arrive in Paris in 1979, both of them are disturbed after feeling the effects of several brief time-loops. One of these occurs in the Louvre as they examine the Mona Lisa, and they soon cross paths with Duggan, a detective who has been investigating a chain of valuable art pieces which have suddenly appeared on the market; all of them have been individually linked to a Count Scarlioni, but nothing can be proved against the man. Encountering the Count's wife, the Doctor manages to steal from her wrist a bracelet which proves to be an alien artifact; this brings the Doctor, Romana, and Duggin to the attention of the Count, who has them escorted to his home. Although briefly imprisoned in the cellar, they escape with the aid of the sonic screwdriver; the Doctor makes the acquaintance of a Dr. Kerensky, who has been conducting dangerous experiments with time on the orders of Count Scarlioni. Romana takes measurements of the cellar in which they were trapped, and discovers that the basement contains a hidden room. Entering this, they discover behind a wall six versions of the Mona Lisa, all originals. Meanwhile, the count is revealed to be an alien.

Using the TARDIS, the Doctor travels through time in order to meet with Leonardo Da Vinci and ascertain what is transpiring; however, in Leonardo's workshop, he instead encounters a Captain Tancredi, who, despite being differently attired, exactly resembles the Count Scarlioni in 1979. The Doctor learns that the man is actually Scaroth of the Jagaroth race, and, attempting to leave a prehistoric earth in a malfunctioning spacecraft, was blasted into shards which were scattered through time. As a result, twelve different versions of the same man were thrust into various moments in history, and all of them have been manipulating historical events for centuries in order to hasten humanity's technological achievements, as well as ensuring the creation and placement of various valuable works of art which Count Scarlioni will be able to sell at an enormous profit in 1979. Captain Tancredi is currently attempting to convince Da Vinci to paint several copies of the Mona Lisa, knowing that there are seven different buyers who will be willing to pay dearly for a stolen Mona Lisa in the future. Gaining a moment alone, the Doctor uses a modern felt-tipped pen to write on all of Da Vanci's blank canvasses, knowing that the writing will be detectable via X-ray in centuries to come, and will allow them to identify the duplicate portraits.

The Doctor returns to Paris to discover that Count Scarlioni's henchmen have successfully stolen the Mona Lisa from the Louvre, thus freeing him to sell the six copies to several different buyers, all believing themselves to be purchasing the only original version of the painting. Meanwhile, the Count manipulates Romana into helping him with his plan to travel back to the moment in prehistory when he attempted to pilot the malfunctioning ship, and to stop himself from doing so, thus preventing his past self from being shattered and uniting the twelve shards of his identity. Comprehending the Count's plan, the Doctor takes Romana and Duggin back millions of years in the hope of intercepting Scarlioni; he explains that the blast of energy which came about as a bi-product of the exploding Jagaroth ship was what originally began the population of Earth by living creatures, so that if the explosion doesn't occur, neither will humanity. As they arrive, Scarlioni makes an appearance as well, and nearly manages to reach his past self in the ship before Duggin punches him, detaining him long enough for the time-travel device which Romana helped him build to bring him back to the present, where he is killed by a henchmen who sees his true alien face.

Returning to 1979 Paris, the Doctor discovers that, due to a fire at the Count's mansion, only one of the seven Mona Lisas survived; it is not the one which originally hung in the Louvre, and, in fact, bears the Doctor's writing beneath the layers of paint. However, the Doctor assures Duggin that the painting should be returned to the museum, as it was still created by Da Vinci, and is therefore an original. He and Romana subsequently leave in the TARDIS for places unknown.

Observations:  

• As my first episode of Classic Who, it was interesting seeing the Doctor in a pre-Time War setting; his and Romana's casual references to a still-existent Gallifrey, as well as the very presence of another Time Lord as a companion, were jarring and unfamiliar. However, the dynamic worked well with the lighthearted vibe which this series shares with most older television, wherein angst and persistent sadness are usually not to be found.
• The majority of the special effects featured in this serial are primitive but competent; however, two deserve mention for their particularly low-budget feel. The face of Scaroth looks hilariously fake, and is obviously not even very well-attached to the actor's head; and, perhaps more glaring still, Duggin's "deadly" "punches" are slow, silent, blatantly ineffectual, and never land anywhere near their intended target. For a serial in which the punching of several characters was a crucial plot point, it seems as if they could have put a bit more effort into making them appear realistic. As it is, he appears to merely fall into his targets with his fist extended in their general direction... and it knocks them out cold every time. This martial artist calls foul.
• A particularly notable element of the serial, particularly in contrast to more modern stories, is simply how very slow it is. The camera lingers on dialogue-less shots of the Doctor and Romana walking around Paris for an interminable amount of screentime, in a blatant waste of available space which would be inexcusable in our day of serialized, regimented forty-five minute installments. The organization of plotlines and episodes was much more haphazard when this serial aired, allowing the producers and directors to devote more space to each portion of the story; the entire thing gains a leisurely, unhurried element which can seem remarkably dull to our modern sensibilities.

All that said, this serial is undoubtedly Doctor Who as we know it. All of the elements are present; the witty dialogue, the alien nemesis, the timey-wimey factor, the Doctor himself. Making allowance for natural adjustments, the core of the series has changed very little in thirty-plus years. And that's a marvelous thing.

Merlin Season One, Episode Eleven : The Labyrinth of Gedref

While out hunting, Arthur kills a magical creature, and, as a result, Camelot falls under a curse. Gradually, Arthur learns that he must prove himself worthy to lift the curse and alleviate the suffering of his people; however, the tests he is required to face may undo him.

Grade: A-

As a magical curse falls upon Camelot, we see for the first time Arthur's response to finding himself guilty of a mistake which brings about drastic consequences for his people, as he struggles between arrogant denial and horror at his own responsibility. Once again, Merlin's quiet actions and advice guide Arthur down the proper road, and their friendship is cemented once and for all as Arthur eventually chooses to sacrifice his life for Merlin.

We open with Merlin and Arthur hunting in the woods. The creature they're tracking has yet to show itself, and, venturing deeper into the forest, Merlin eventually encounters a unicorn. Despite his efforts to warn the magical creature of the danger it's in, he is unable to get it out of the location before Arthur arrives, shooting the unicorn in the heart. As it dies, Merlin, upset and disturbed by the slaying, catches a split-second glimpse of a white-clothed man standing behind Arthur.

Back in Camelot, Arthur and a still-subdued Merlin deliver the unicorn's horn to Uther, who is pleased to have such a rare artifact in the court; however, Gaius, also unsettled, warns the king of an ancient legend stating that whoever kills a unicorn will bring bad fortune upon themselves. Arthur and his father merely laugh it off, however, much to indignation of Merlin, who can't understand Arthur's pleasure in the slaughter of harmless creatures. The next morning he directly confronts Arthur over the killing, to Arthur's amused annoyance; however, at that moment, an urgent summons from Uther arrives. Joining his father in a field outside the city, Arthur is horrified and bewildered to discover that all the crops have died overnight, a blight apparently shared by the entire kingdom. Gaius, assigned to the investigation of the matter, notes to Merlin that only edible plants have died, suggesting that the sudden food shortage is a deliberate blow against the people of the kingdom; Merlin immediately notes that magic is the most likely cause.

In the castle cellars, Uther inspects the meager stores of grain which were already reserved when the plague struck, subsequently telling Arthur to keep order among the frightened people at all costs. In the streets of the city, Gwen inquires of Merlin whether the rumors regarding the grain are true; at that moment, as she attempts to collect water from the pump, she realizes that her bucket is filling with sand rather than water. When it is discovered that, once again, the pestilence has affected the entire kingdom, Gaius informs Uther that sorcery is the only explanation for the phenomenon; having reached the same conclusion, Merlin takes a bucket of the sand and attempt to employ magic to turn it back into water. However, he has no luck, and the city continues without sustenance of any kind. That night, out in the castle courtyard, Arthur catches a glimpse of a robed figure stealthily entering a castle corridor; he and Merlin follow the man, attempting without success to corner him in the various passageways running through the castle dungeons. Eventually, the man appears to them and introduces himself as Anhora, keeper of the unicorns. He informs Arthur that in killing the unicorn in the forest he called down a curse upon Camelot; the curse cannot be lifted by anyone besides Arthur, who must pass tests of merit in order to prove worthy of forgiveness. Enraged by the implication that he is responsible for the suffering of his people, Arthur attempts to put Anhora under arrest. However, the man easily evades him by reappearing in another part of the room, informing Arthur that if he fails the test, Camelot will remain stricken.

The next day, Merlin reports the incident to Gaius, who tells Merlin that if they wish to have food and water again, Arthur must be convinced of the truth of the man's words. However, Arthur is determined to arrest Anhora, believing him to be the sorcerer truly responsible for the plague. Merlin quietly informs Arthur that he caught a glimpse of Anhora on the site of the unicorn's death; however, the revelation does not change Arthur's mind. Telling Merlin that no sorcerer can be trusted and that he has a plan to trap Anhora, he brings Merlin to the dungeons again that night, waiting for the man to make another appearance. Instead, however, they catch a townsman stealing from the castle grain-stores; confronted by Arthur, he explains that he is only taking what he needs for his starving children, and begs to be shown mercy. Although Uther has laid the death penalty on thieves, Arthur softens at the man's pleas and allows him to go without penalty, giving him enough food to feed his family. The next morning, the city's water supply returns, and Merlin suggests to Arthur that the situation with the man in the cellars may have been the first of the tests Anhora spoke of, and that the curse has begun to lift. He advises that they should seek Anhora out and consult him without informing Uther of the situation. However, Arthur merely asks Merlin to find him some food and departs. With no supplies available, Merlin kills and cooks a rat for Arthur's dinner.

Villagers from around Camelot begin coming to the city in search of food, but there is very little to distribute. Merlin serves Arthur a rat stew; disgusted by this and worried over his people, Arthur determines to take Merlin's advice and seek Anhora out. The next morning the two go into the woods, where Arthur eventually spots the man and follows him deep into the forest, becoming separated from Merlin. Alone and unable to find Anhora, Arthur instead stumbles upon the thief from the cellars, outfitted with a tent containing a large supply of food. Manifestly having lied about his starving children, the man is a habitual thief who has been stealing food whenever possible and hoarding his gains. Although angry at the man's actions, Arthur initially makes to pass him by; just then, however, the man begins taunting him for his weakness and stupidity in allowing a thief to steal freely from the palace. Becoming increasing angry at the man's taunts, Arthur eventually lashes out in rage; he lands a killing blow with his swords, but just as he does so the man vanishes and reappears as Anhora in another part of the glade. Berating Arthur for his pride and anger, Anhora confirms that both encounters with the supposed thief were tests of character, and that Arthur has failed, for which Camelot will pay dearly. Terrified, Arthur demands that Arhora lift the curse himself; however, the man claims to be unable to do so, and vanishes before Merlin arrives in the glade to find a bewildered, frightened Arthur.

They return to Camelot to find that the remaining supplies of grain have rotted away. Merlin confides to Gaius that he is fearful of what Arthur will attempt to do next; meanwhile, Uther tells his son that, left with no other choice, they are terminating all distributions of food to the people and reserving what little remains in the palace kitchens for Camelot's army. Horrified by such a step, Arthur advocates asking the neighboring kingdoms for aid, but Uther refuses to become a beggar, believing that Camelot's weakness would merely be taken advantage of. He orders Arthur to remember their pride, but Arthur, recalling the test in the forest, refuses to think of his pride when the people of Camelot are suffering. Unwilling to give the order to cease to distribution of rations to the people, Arthur goes to Merlin in despair, blaming himself for everything that has transpired. Returning to the forest alone, Merlin calls desperately for Anhora. The man appears, and Merlin begs for Arthur to be given one more chance to prove himself, insisting that Arthur has admitted his responsibility for the curse and cannot bear to see his people suffer any longer. Anhora inquires whether Merlin truly trusts Arthur, and with tears in his eyes, Merlin claims that he would entrust the prince with his life. Agreeing to grant Arthur a final chance to lift the curse, Anhora gives Merlin directions for Arthur to follow, and, that night, Merlin prepares Arthur for travel. He begs to be allowed to accompany Arthur to his destination, but is refused, as Arthur claims the matter to be his own responsibility. However, as he rides out of the city under cover of darkness, Merlin determinedly follows some distance behind him.

Eventually, following the directions given by Anhora, Arthur arrives at a misty, magical labyrinth located in a valley between two mountains. He cautiously enters it and is followed some minutes later by Merlin. The two wander through the elaborate maze, becoming increasingly confused and disoriented; eventually, Merlin encounters Anhora and accused him of leading Arthur into a trap. However, Anhora reveals that it is, in fact, Merlin who has been entrapped, and uses magic to bind him. Eventually emerging from the maze onto a bright, abandoned beach, Arthur finds Anhora, who has seated Merlin at a low wooden table containing two identical goblets. Merlin apologizes for coming, but Anhora informs them that Merlin has been a part of the test all along. He sits Arthur at the table as well, and explains that one of the two goblets contains poison; both must be entirely drained, but neither of them is allowed to drink from more than one. Arthur protests the nonsensical nature of the test, but Anhora informs him that he can give it meaning if he so chooses. Arthur and Merlin debate which of them should drink from which goblet, and which should be the one to die if they are able to identify the poisoned one. Arthur insists that the curse was his responsibility and that he should be the one to perish over it, but Merlin claims that Arthur's life is more important than his. Eventually they decide to pour the contents of both goblets into one, ensuring that it will then be poisoned, and only one of them will have to drink. Arthur distracts Merlin and drains the draft himself, to Merlin's dismay; almost immediately, Arthur collapses from his chair onto the ground, dead to Merlin's touch. However, Anhora informs the distraught Merlin that when Arthur sacrificed his life to save Merlin's, he passed the final test, and that the potion he has consumed will not kill him.

Later, Merlin and a revived Arthur return to Camelot to find the curse lifted; Arthur tells Uther a cover story about disposing of the sorcerer who caused the plague, and Uther congratulates his son on a job well done. That day, Merlin and Arthur take the unicorn's horn to the site of its killing and give the horn a reverent burial, with Arthur apologizing for taking the creature's life. Just then, the unicorn appears, living again, and an unseen Anhora explains that when the killer of a unicorn proves himself pure of heart, the killing may be undone and the unicorn brought back to life.

In yet another episode centered around Merlin and Arthur's relationship, we are clearly shown the quiet ways in which Merlin is able to affect and guide Arthur's decisions, distantly foreshadowing the roles they are destined to play in one another's lives for decades to come. Likewise, we witness Arthur's actions when confronted with the repercussions of his own arrogance and thoughtlessness; in an episode without a villain to defeat, Arthur is forced to come to terms with the fact that this time the misfortunes of Camelot cannot be written off as the product of malicious sorcery, but are in fact his own doing. As he passes through stages of anger, denial, humiliation and finally acceptance, we get a glimpse of how much he is truly willing to do and to sacrifice for the things and people he cares about.

The overall plot of the episode is a bit sparse; without a subplot to add another dimension to the main story, the installment can seem somewhat simplistic and overly straightforward. The character-undergoes-a-series-of-tests is a plot which has undoubtedly been done before, and there is very little in the way of original storytelling here. However, it is a solid, engaging installment which offers up several crucial moments of character development.


Complaints:

• Why does this show have trouble with the simplest effects? The CGI-ropes/vines in the labyrinth look like they were haphazardly drawn onto the screen with a crayon; odd for a series with general success in the area of major computer generation. Also, the effects team seems unable to produce convincing slow-motion; they should really stop trying to use it.
• The end of the episode would have been more powerful if the bit about the unicorn coming back to life had been left off. As it stands, everything wraps up too perfectly, and Arthur faces no lasting consequences for his actions.

Thoughts:

• This marks yet another occasion (thinking back to the bubble of light in The Poisoned Chalice) when Arthur has witnessed or experienced something manifestly magical, but not evil. Surely, at this point, his belief in the threatening nature of any and all magic must be growing somewhat shaky, a theme further expanded on in Sins of the Father.

Merlin Season One, Episode Ten : The Moment of Truth

When Merlin's home village falls under attack by a group of bandits, Merlin feels obligated to leave Camelot and help defend his family; however, when it becomes apparent that it will be necessary for him to use magic in order to defeat his enemies, he is forced to make a choice between saving his village and his relationship with Arthur.

Grade: A

In this episode, as we learn more about Merlin's past, his belief in his own power and his ability to maintain his new life in Camelot are both put to the test.

The episode opens with a raid on a small village by several bandits apparently led by a petty local warlord; finding that some of the inhabitants have been holding back provisions from a heavy tax the man has been imposing upon them, he becomes enraged, threatening to return in a week to collect the rest of the demanded supplies. As several villagers attempt to defy the bandit, a man is killed and a woman knocked to the ground.

Several days later, the woman from the village has arrived in Camelot. Appearing bewildered in the crowded streets of the city, she eventually spots Merlin, who joyfully recognizes her as his mother. The happiness of their meeting is tempered, however, when he notices the wound on her face and demands to know who assaulted her. Seeking an audience with Uther, Hunith tells her story; the criminal warlord has spent the last months conducting regular raids against Ealdor, their village, a state of affairs pointedly ignored by Cenred, the ruler of the kingdom in which Ealdor is located. The man's demands have become progressively more extravagant, and, following the last raid, Hunith determined to seek alternative aid from Camelot. Though Uther sympathizes with Ealdor's plight, he regretfully informs Hunith that, due to border technicalities, any action on Camelot's part could be construed as an act of war against Cenred, with whom Camelot maintains an uneasy peace treaty. Despite Arthur's arguments, he refuses to intervene against the bandit leader, whom Hunith identifies as a man named Kanan.

Later, Merlin informs Arthur that he has decided to return to Ealdor with his mother; he dislikes the idea of leaving Camelot, but feels that his first responsibility is to his family. Arthur gives Merlin his blessing, and Merlin goes to Gwen in order to collect whatever armor and weapons he believes himself capable of carrying. Morgana appears at Gwen's home, dressed for travel, and the two women reveal that they plan to accompany Merlin and to help him and Ealdor in any way possible. Merlin gratefully accepts their aid, and says an affectionate farewell to Gaius before departing with Hunith, Gwen, and Morgana. By the campfire that night on the road to Ealdor, Merlin is able to converse privately with his mother for the first time. She warns him that whatever action he chooses to take against Kanan, his powers must remain secret. He promises to be careful, and, after she has retired for the night, is alerted by the sounds of someone approaching in the nearby woods. Venturing out to investigate the source of the noise, he discovers Arthur, who was unable to remain in Camelot and chose to follow the Ealdor-bound party under cover of darkness. Sitting quietly together, they evaluate their chances against Kanan, whom Hunith reports as having over forty men; Arthur appears somewhat concerned by the numbers they will be required to face if it comes to a battle for the village.

Proceeding to Ealdor the following morning, they arrive in the middle of another of Kanan's assaults and hurriedly join the villagers in defending their property; unable to hold his own in combat against one of the bandits, Merlin surreptitiously uses magic to disarm his opponent. With Kanan's men temporarily beaten back, Merlin reunites with an old friend; a young man by the name of Will, he witnessed Merlin's earlier moment of sorcery and is obviously familiar with his friend's powers. Assembling the villagers, Arthur makes a brief speech encouraging them to fight for their homes; the majority of them are willing to follow him into battle against Kanan, with Will as the only dissenting voice. He argues that Arthur's presence has only made the entire situation worse, and advocates giving Kanan what he wants rather than being slaughtered fighting against him. Accusing Arthur of having a typical military desire for honor and glory without counting the cost in people's lives, Will storms away. Following him, Merlin attempts to convince him to trust Arthur; however, Will counters with the fact that Merlin himself has not been honest with Arthur regarding his powers of sorcery, using it as evidence to insist that Merlin does not, as he claims to Will, trust Arthur with his life.

That night, lying together on the floor of an old house, Arthur and Merlin discuss Merlin's life before coming to Camelot; Arthur wonders aloud why Merlin chose to leave Ealdor, and Merlin, unsure how to respond, merely explains that he didn't feel he fit in any longer. When the prince inquires whether he feels himself to have found his place in Camelot, Merlin replies that he isn't certain as yet. The next morning, Arthur prepares to begin training the men of Ealdor for battle; Hunith, watching her son interacting with the prince, quietly points out to Merlin how much Arthur must care for him. Merlin attempts to claim that Arthur would take the same actions for any village, but his mother insists that it's more than that. Still stung by Will's words of the previous day, Merlin notes that if Arthur does indeed care about him, his feelings would change if he ever found out Merlin's true nature. Asked whether he really thinks that little of Arthur, Merlin gives no answer. Talking to Will again later that day, Merlin attempts to explain his complex relationship with Arthur and why the prospect of Arthur finding out about his powers is temporarily out of the question. Claiming that Merlin could employ his sorcery to flatten Kanan's men if he so chose, Will asks him whether he is truly willing to sacrifice all of his friends and family for Arthur's sake.

As Arthur begins to train the men of Ealdor with what haphazard weapons have been quickly scraped together, it becomes evident that the small group of villagers will be no match against Kanan and his bandits. Gwen and Morgana approach Arthur and tell him that they think the woman of the village should be allowed to participate in the battle as well; however, Arthur vetoes the idea as being too dangerous. That night, lying awake beside Arthur, Merlin overhears the two women talking in the next room; they quietly agree that Arthur only came to Ealdor for Merlin's sake, rendering Merlin even more torn regarding Arthur's feelings for him and the course of action he ought to take. The next day, a young man of the village, sent out on sentry duty by Arthur, is brought back dead by his horse; a note pinned to his back assures the villagers that the attack from Kanan will take place within the next day. Using the death as another argument against Arthur, Will attempts to convince the villagers to abandon the plan to defend their homes, subsequently packing his own belongings in preparation for flight. Merlin attempts to persuade him to stay and help protect Ealdor, but Will accuses Merlin of abandoning the villagers himself with his reluctance to use magic in order to save their lives.

Finding Arthur alone outside, Merlin takes the opportunity to explain that Will's hostility stems from having lost his father to death in battle under King Cenred; as a result, Will has grown up distrusting and blaming the nobility for his family's deprivation. Arthur's discomfiture, however, stems from a suspicion that Will may be right regarding the villager's poor chances against Kanan and the wisdom of fleeing the town before the bandits return. Merlin encourages him to continue with his original plan, promising that if Arthur believes in the men, they'll find the strength to defeat Kanan; Merlin's mother overhears the conversation and appears worried. That night, Arthur rallies the villagers one last time; upon Gwen's insistence, he rescinds his refusal to allow the women of the village to fight, telling them that it's their choice to stay and defend the town, or to leave while there's still time. Speaking to his mother in privacy, Merlin learns that she has deduced his decision to use magic against Kanan's men; apologizing for involving him in the situation, she warns him not to jeopardize his relationship with Arthur by using his powers openly. However, Merlin has reached the conclusion that if Arthur learns about his sorcery and chooses not to accept him, then he isn't the person Merlin believes him to be.

The next morning, the entire village waits tensely for Kanan's assault; briefly conversing with Arthur, Gwen encourages his resolve by assuring him that everyone in the village trusts him to lead them. In an empty house, Merlin begins to dress Arthur in his armor as per their usual routine, but Arthur chooses to put on his own armor for once, allowing Merlin to do likewise. When they are both equipped for battle, Arthur sincerely thanks Merlin for their time together; encouraged by Arthur's words, Merlin attempts to obliquely prepare Arthur for the shock of seeing Merlin employ magic on the battlefield. Unsuccessful in communicating his intentions in a subtle way, Merlin steels himself to explain the situation to Arthur directly, but, before he can do so, the news of Kanan's approach reaches them and their conversation ends abruptly. With all of the defenders of the village temporarily hidden, the bandits ride unchecked through the streets; at an opportune moment, a prearranged signal is given and a chain of fires are lit, blocking all roads out of the village and frightening the enemies' horses. Subsequently, on Arthur's signal, the villagers emerge from hiding and attack the bandits. The fight rages for quite some time, and, in the midst of the chaos, Will returns unexpectedly. Merlin is overjoyed to see him; however, tide of the battle beings to turn against the villagers, and he realizes that the moment for him to employ sorcery against the attackers has finally arrived. Standing the center of the village with Will, he conjures a violent wind which, startling the bandits and severely frightening their horses, suffices to give the villagers an advantage in the battle, and Kanan's men are beaten back. Arthur, recognizing the signs of magic, sees Will and Merlin from behind and is unable to identify which of them was the source of the spell. However, before he can ask what transpired, he is attacked by Kanan; Arthur beats the man down and, believing him to be dead, turns back to Will and Merlin. Outraged by the use of sorcery in the battle, he demands to know which of them conjured the wind; just then, however, a wounded Kanan retrieves a loaded crossbow from the ground and fires at Arthur. As the bolt is about to land, Will shoves him aside and takes the arrow instead. As Merlin and Arthur hurriedly carry him into one of the houses, Will, knowing himself to be dying, confesses to casting the spell. Acknowledging that Will saved his life, Arthur chooses not to blame him for his supposed use of magic and withdraws, leaving Merlin alone with the dying man. Will tells Merlin that he is now free to continue protecting Arthur, and they agree that it was good to see one another again; quietly weeping, Merlin sits with Will and comforts him as he dies. Later that day, the villagers burn his body on a pyre, and Arthur inquires whether it was Will's sorcery that Merlin had intended to discuss with him before the battle. After a long moment of silence, Merlin claims that it was. Arthur reminds him of the dangerous nature of magic and curtly states that Merlin should have told him earlier, before leaving him alone by Will's pyre. Approaching him, Merlin's mother quietly tells him that it's time he returned to Camelot. He offers to stay in Ealdor with her, but she assures him that she'll get along well enough on her own, and claims that he and Arthur need one another; describing them as "two sides of the same coin", she startles Merlin by echoing a phrase also used by the Dragon regarding his relationship with Arthur. As the four travelers set out to return to Camelot, Hunith assures Merlin that when the day is right the truth about him will become known.

All right, I'll mention it immediately; this episode is extremely Merlin/Arthur-centric. Back in The Poisoned Chalice, I referenced this as another candidate for the title of the Merlin/Arthur installment of the season, and the nomination holds good. However, that previous episode was much more action-based, as the two of them, still newly-met, each went to huge extremes in order to save and protect the other; their total shared screentime in the episode was a scant five minutes. This installment is nearly the polar opposite; quiet, localized, and motivated by dialogue as Merlin, especially, struggles to work out exactly what Arthur means to him.

Set apart from Camelot, several of the main cast, and typical plot staples of the show, the episode gives us a glimpse of Merlin's life prior to his current occupation. As he himself points out to Arthur, life in Ealdor is simple and free of intrigue, presenting a sharp contrast to the plots and subterfuge Merlin generally finds himself involved with in the city. The episode's central emotional conflict comes in the form of Will, Merlin's closest friend prior to his relocation to Camelot. Resentful of what he perceives as Merlin's personal abandonment, he oscillates between jealousy, spitefulness, and simple misery. However, despite his resentment of Merlin's new life, he ultimately sacrifices himself for his friend's happiness.

Regarding the culmination of the Merlin/Arthur storyline; the show's constant postponement of the revelation of Merlin's magic to Arthur is one of the elements which tends to draw criticism, with viewers claiming that the series is too mired in the status quo to truly make any major narrative changes. It can be incredibly frustrating to watch Arthur overlook the obvious again and again, and tempting to allow our own foregone-conclusion perspective to take over. We know that one day Arthur will know about and accept Merlin's true identity, and that together they will usher Camelot into a new era of unity; it's going to happen, so why the delay now? However, from an inverted perspective, it's interesting to consider that perhaps the apparently desultory current state of their relationship is what is destined to cause their legendary future together... Arthur's acceptance of Merlin and all of its effects can never come to pass unless they grow close to one another in this present, mundane way. Frustrating, yes, from our viewpoint, but extremely necessary within the context of the story.


Complaints:

• The spell Merlin uses to dispose of Kanan's raiders was... well, rather a strange choice. I can see him choosing to use a spell that would ultimately be less destructive to everyone concerned, sufficing to give the villagers just the slight advantage they needed, but in that case, why go with a spell so flashy and obtrusive? Why not cause something more subtle, an alteration that Arther might not even notice? And, on the other hand, if he did want to use magic to make the decisive winning move again Kanan, why not choose something less haphazard and more deadly? It doesn't really compute from either perspective.
• I suppose it can be chalked up to early-installment irregularities, but in the brief glimpse we got of Merlin's mother in The Dragon's Call, there was no evidence of the sort of poverty the residents of Ealdor are seen to suffer in this episode. It makes sense for them to originally establish her in a fairly neutral environment so that her storyline could be taken either way, but the contrast is still somewhat jarring. It's hard to imagine the Hunith in this episode as even having had an opportunity to become literate, much less being capable of writing the letter she sent to Gaius at the beginning of the series.

Thoughts:

• As the first installment in the series to be set in a location entirely removed from Camelot and the accompanying social roles, this is a good chance to see all of the characters interacting in an alternate setting; for instance, midway through the episode Gwen quickly loses her typical servant's demeanor and begins taking a leadership role among the oppressed, poverty-stricken peasants of Ealdor, while Arthur steps down from his habitual lofty standpoint and does his best to interact with those same people as a friend and equal.
• The final shot of Merlin, Arthur, Gwen and Morgana riding away from Ealdor becomes rather poignant and bittersweet from the Season Three perspective of having seen those four ride from Camelot together with a much more complicated and unhappy dynamic between them. The series becomes far less lighthearted as it progresses, and a few of the relationships seen in this installment aren't destined to last much longer.

Movie Review : Interview with the Vampire

Before Twilight brought us Edward Cullen or Angel showed his mournful face on the streets of Sunnydale, Brad Pitt portrayed yet another angsty, brooding hunk of a vampire attempting to refrain from human blood and make his way through the world of the night without giving in to innate vampiric instincts. Perhaps foreshadowing the deluge of vampire media of the late '90s/early '00s, Interview with the Vampire premiered in 1994, three years before Buffy the Vampire Slayer began seeing critical and commercial success. Featuring several of the most popular actors of the day and launching the career of another, the film was released to mixed reviews, but has since become firmly entrenched in the vampire lore of public consciousness.

The film opens in modern-day San Francisco; after leading us through a web of crowded nighttime streets, the camera pans into an empty second-floor loft overlooking the city. A man, standing with his back to the room and surveying the streets outside, speaks to a young reporter. The reporter, upon observing that the stranger struck him as an interesting possibility for an interview, is offered the opportunity to record an extensive life story; he accepts, only to be immediately informed that his interviewee is a vampire. Initially amused by what he assumes to be deluded ramblings, the journalist is thrown into shocked silence when the stranger employs a gift of superhuman speed to turn on all the lights in the room; once again offered the chance to commemorate the story of a vampire's life, he starts his tape recorder as the man begins speaking.

Intermittently narrated by the vampire, now revealed to be named Louis, the film flashes back to the late 1700s, at which point the young, still-human Louis was the owner of a large plantation close to New Orleans. Grieving over a recently deceased wife and child, he had begun slipping into a lifestyle of reckless despair, frequenting disreputable taverns and inviting death wherever he went. One night, deliberately caught cheating at a hand of poker, he is nearly killed by an irate opponent; the violent encounter is witnessed by a vampire, who, intrigued, follows Louis down to the docks that night and bites him, draining him of enough blood to leave him severely weakened and then allowing him to wash up on a river bank the following morning. Gravely ill and confined to his bed, Louis later receives a visit from the vampire, finding his attacker to be an attractive, charismatic man no older in appearance than Louis himself. The stranger, by the name of Lestat, tempts Louis from his bed with an assurance of escape from pain and death; and, never having been offered a choice regarding his own vampiric transformation, he promises to allow Louis to decide his own fate.

Lestat takes Louis deep into the forests and allows him to witness a last sunrise; afterward, sequestered in a dark, abandoned glade, Lestat bites Louis for the second time, draining even more of his blood. Sinking to the ground with a dying Louis, Lestat explains that if Louis so chooses, he can be left in the forest to die peacefully; alternatively, Lestat will transform him into a vampire. Barely conscious, Louis accepts the offer of transformation, and Lestat cuts his own wrist, allowing the dying man to drink his blood. Initially gaining preternatural strength and then writhing in agony as his human body dies, the vampiric change lasts less than a minute; sitting up, Louis marvels as he surveys the world through vampire eyes for the first time.

Later, Lestat closes Louis into a coffin to sleep through his first day as a vampire, while the modern-day Louis explains to the interviewer that coffins are the only element of popular vampire lore which he has found to be factually accurate. Back in 1791, Louis is taken on his first kill, as Lestat bites a barmaid and then offers her to Louis. Reluctantly, Louis agrees to drink a small amount of blood, but refuses to take her life; he is subsequently disgusted and horrified to learn that she has already died. Back at his plantation that night, he's intrigued to learn from Lestat that it is technically possible for vampires to survive on animal blood and refrain from taking human life; however, Lestat finds the idea both ludicrous and unappealing. Regardless, Louis determinedly establishes a diet of small game and birds. Hoping to entice Louis into adopting his own lifestyle of choice, Lestat, now established as a resident of Louis' plantation, takes his companion hunting in high society. Explaining that, employing his vampiric gift of mild telepathy, he enjoys identifying and disposing of the evildoers among the nobility, he zeros in on an elderly aristocrat and her former accomplice in murder, a young lord. After succeeding in luring the two away from the crowd of gentry, the vampires each choose a victim; however, Louis backs out of the plan at the last minute, choosing to feed on the old woman's pair of small dogs rather than killing her. Frustrated, Lestat accuses him of cowardice, and the two quarrel for the first time.

As the days go by, they gradually realize that the slaves of Louis' plantation have begun noticing the signs of their masters recent vampirism; Lestat insists that the pair should relocate to the anonymity of New Orleans, and, refused by Louis, temporarily leaves the house in a fury. Confronted by a housemaid over his recent lack of interest in the business of the plantation, Louis finally gives into long-repressed temptation and brutally kills her, then, horrified by his actions, sets fire to his mansion in a desperate suicide attempt. Lestat, though enraged by Louis' wanton destruction of their valuable property, rescues him from the flames and finds refuge for them in an abandoned crypt.

Moving the two of them to a flat in New Orleans, Lestat becomes increasingly hostile towards a tortured Louis, who consistently refuses to feed on human blood, despite all of Lestat's attempts to persuade him. Louis takes to wandering the plague-stricken streets of the waterfront, and, during one of his nightly ramblings, comes across a young girl crying over the decaying corpse of her mother. Faced with utter helplessness and vulnerability, Louis is unable to stop himself from biting the girl, only to be confronted by Lestat, who has followed him. Realizing the enormity of what he has done, Louis weeps despairingly over the child, while Lestat rejoices at his victory over Louis' lingering human morals. Running blindly into the streets and taking refuge in a sewer, Louis remains hidden for hours until Lestat comes to find him. No longer caring what becomes of him, Louis resignedly returns home, only to find that Lestat has retrieved the little girl from the hovel. Overjoyed to find that he didn't kill the child, Louis is subsequently horrified at Lestat's apparent determination to turn the girl, by the name of Claudia, into a vampire. Easily manipulating Louis into agreement with the plan, Lestat proceeds to transform Claudia, who gains an angelic, doll-like appearance as an immortal. When Lestat frankly admits that he created them a "daughter" with the deliberate intention of binding Louis to him for good, Louis resigns himself to remaining with Lestat and the child indefinitely.

In modern-day San Francisco, Louis notes that, although forcing his companion to stay with him was undoubtedly Lestat's primary motive in creating a vampire child, Lestat himself had a great deal of affection for the girl. Seeing in her a ready willingness to kill which Louis never acquired, Lestat takes her as a student of sorts, encouraging her lust for human blood. Louis, himself possessed of a fatherly love for the child, follows Lestat's example in encouraging her every whim, and the immortal trio pass nearly half a century in a faux-domestic arrangement. The story rejoins them years later, settled in a rapidly-colonizing America. Claudia, considering Lestat and Louis her parents, has enjoyed a decades-long childhood of indulgence and pampering from the two men; while, somewhere during the years, Louis has resigned himself to joining Lestat and Claudia in their diet of human blood.

However, a shadow begins to fall across their lives of relative harmony. Now possessed of an adult mind in a child's body, Claudia begins to understand that her eternal youth comes with the price of staying a physical child forever; she develops an obsession with the adult female form, culminating in a vicious quarrel between herself and Lestat after he discovers the decaying corpse of a young woman in her room. Turning to Louis, with whom she has a closer relationship, she begs to be told how and why she became a vampire. Torn by long-delayed guilt, Louis takes her to the ruins of the hovel where he found her years before, and, upon learning that both Louis and Lestat had a hand in her transformation, Claudia declares her hatred for both her erstwhile mentors and departs into the night. Louis returns home in misery, only to be rejoined by Claudia, who confesses that, despite her increasing loathing of Lestat, she is unable to feel similarly about Louis. She asks him to join her in leaving Lestat once and for all, a resolve she maintains despite Louis' doubts that they could depart so easily. Later, approaching an irate Lestat with a false apology, Claudia, knowing dead blood to be a toxic substance for vampires, tricks him into feeding from the body of a dead child; having thus weakened him, she slits his throat, leaving him to die at the feet of an aghast Louis. Encouraged by Claudia, Louis takes the body and deposits it in a swamp, and the two begin their lives free of Lestat's influence.

Louis books passage to Europe for himself and Claudia, and their affairs appear to be running smoothly until the night of the ship's departure. Just as the two are about to permanently vacate the house they shared with Lestat, he returns. Decaying and near-skeletonized, he spent weeks in the swamp feeding off of river animals and slowly replenishing the blood lost in Claudia's assault; enraged at her attempt to kill him, he attacks her, forcing Louis to fend him off with a burning lamp, which sparks a fire of huge proportions in their section of the city. Louis and Claudia, believing him dead, escape the fire and arrive at the docks just in time to board their ship to Europe. They travel the world together; however, Louis' pleasure in visiting a myriad of iconic locations is dampened by the necessity of viewing them all at night, driving home to him once again the nature of his unnatural existence. He and Claudia eventually make their way to Paris where, hailing from New Orleans, Louis feels at home. During their wanderings, Louis never loses sight of his desire to learn more about vampires, and to meet others of his own kind. Nevertheless, his life with Claudia in Paris is a happy one, and eventually the search for other vampires fades from his mind.

However, just as he begins to settle into a contented life with Claudia, he is himself approached by another vampire, the theatrical, buffoonish Santiago. Shortly afterward, he meets the more reserved Armand, who gives him the name of a vampiric theater in the city. Taking Claudia to a performance, Louis discovers that the theater is run by a troupe of vampires who, pretending to be humans, put on various gothic productions in which victims are actually killed onstage before an unsuspecting audience. Louis, while disgusted by the concept, is intrigued by Armand, an ancient vampire who relishes the opportunity to speak with the modern American undead. The two have a philosophical conversation regarding the nature and origin of vampirism and evil, but Claudia appears uncomfortable in Armand's presence and brings Louis away from the theater. As they leave, Santiago, using the mild telepathic ability common to vampires, hears Louis thinking of Lestat, and, suspicions aroused, warns Louis that the Parisian vampires recognize only one crime: the murder of one vampire by another. Perturbed, Louis returns home with Claudia, who was also unsettled by the threat, and fears that Louis is planning to leave her in order to become Armand's companion. He denies it, but she remains unconvinced and suspicious.

Louis leaves to speak with Armand, emphasizing his affection for Claudia and inquiring whether she is in danger, which Armand cryptically confirms, merely stating that it is forbidden for a child of her age to be made into a vampire. He then inquires whether Santiago's suspicions regarding Lestat's death are correct, an issue Louis refuses to discuss. Warned to send Claudia away before it is too late, Louis resolves to leave the city as well; however, Armand convinces him to stay briefly at the theater with the promise of answers to his questions. As the two vampires converse, Armand reveals that very few immortals retain their human consciousness and ideals to the extent that Louis has, and that he personally considers Louis to have kept his soul; intrigued by this circumstance, he wishes Louis to use his unique gift of empathy and understanding to make contact with the outside world in a way most vampires cannot. During the course of the conversation he reveals that he knew Lestat and, having disliked him, has no wish to avenge his death. As Louis leaves the theater, his modern-day narration notes that at that moment, he felt finally at peace, believing himself to have found the teacher and mentor Lestat could never have been.

However, as he returns home, he is confronted by Claudia; convinced that Louis plans to leave her for Armand, she has brought home a human woman, recently bereaved of her own daughter and willing to become a vampire in order to care for Claudia. Louis initially refuses to transform the woman, but, on Claudia's insistence, reluctantly does so. Provided with a companion of her own, Claudia confirms that she and Louis are now even, and that they can part on good terms with one another. Just as they say their farewells, however, their house is invaded by a group of the Parisian vampires. Louis, Claudia, and the woman, Madeline, are taken from their home and brought by Santiago to the vaults beneath the theater, where Louis is barricaded into a wall in retribution for his crime against Lestat. Meanwhile, Claudia and Madeline are confined in a deep well-shaft with an exposed opening; as the sun rises the next morning, its light penetrates the shaft, burning Claudia and Madeline to death.

That night, Armand releases Louis, who desperately searches for Claudia. Overcome with rage and grief on finding her charred remains, which crumble into ash when he touches them, he burns the entire place to the ground, and is himself only rescued by Armand, who had predicted what his reaction to the girl's death would be. Realizing that Armand orchestrated the entire chain of events in order to eliminate Claudia and gain Louis' undivided loyalty, Louis refuses to act as his link to the outside world, and leaves Armand for good.

Now aimlessly and without purpose, Louis continues to wander from country to country, eventually returning to America. Years pass, and he eventually regains some modicum of happiness as motion pictures allow him to witness daytime scenes he has been excluded from for centuries. In 1988, he ultimately returns to New Orleans. One night, alerted by a particular scent, he ventures into a derelict building, overrun with rats and cobwebs, and eventually encounters Lestat. Although physically recovered from Louis and Claudia's attacks, he is a mere shadow of his former self, huddled in an abandoned room, still dressed in the moldering remnants of his 19th century garb, and unable to grasp the concepts of modern technology. Weakly, he apologizes for his role in the events of their parting, acknowledging that he was wrong to transform Claudia, and begging Louis to remain with him. Although retaining no anger towards Lestat, Louis refuses to stay, and gently takes his leave.

As the narrative returns to the modern day, Louis explains to the interviewer that since that night he has had no word of Lestat, and that his life has fallen into a bearable, if dull and joyless, routine. The reporter, frustrated by Louis' belief in his own emptiness, expresses deep admiration for the story he's heard, and begs Louis for the privilege of becoming a vampire and acting as Louis' companion. Frustrated by his failure to communicate the deep tragedy and endless boredom of existence as a vampire, Louis prepares to leave, but the interviewer remains enthusiastic about the idea of joining Louis. Driven to distraction by the man's persistent ignorance, Louis frightens him with an outburst of rage and departs. Shaken, the reporter returns to his car and hurriedly vacates the place, replaying Louis' interview over the vehicle's sound system. Suddenly, traveling over a bridge, he is attacked and bitten by Lestat, who is revived by the taste of human blood. Complaining that he has been forced to endure Louis' whining for hundreds of years, he turns off the tape, and, as they drive into the night, assures the dying reporter that he will be given the choice Lestat never had.

As the movie which certainly had a hand in jump-starting the angsty-vampire trend of the last decade and a half, this film works very well in retrospect. It uses enough now-common modern vampire tropes to be obvious as the prototype story for a myriad of more recent works, but had not yet fallen into the hopeless romanticism to which vampire stories have succumbed in the past few years; this was vampirism perched precariously on the indistinct line between the gory horror of older vampire films and the gothic romance we're familiar with today. The next big thing in the chronology of vampire fiction, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, displays a slight shift in perspective... while still frankly acknowledging the downsides of (un-)life as a vampire, the entire thing was slightly more glamorous; your demonic features could be turned on and off at will, and as long as you could evade Buffy's stake long enough, chances were she'd fall in love with you. By the time Twilight rolled around in 2005, life as a fictional vampire had become an eternal sparkly wonder with virtually no drawbacks.

Looking back over the landscape of vampire fiction, an extremely noticeable modern addition is the quickly-developing trend of romantic storylines between vampires and humans. The last installment in the Twilight series casually gives its central couple a full-blown happily-ever-after ending with no adverse effects; five years earlier, Buffy had ill-advised and short-lived romantic entanglements with two vampires, neither of which had happy endings, but were nevertheless present in the story. In contrast, Interview with the Vampire gives us not one hint of a romantic relationship. Being a vampire is portrayed as tragic, interminable, and above all hideously lonely.

Likewise, the idea of a familial relationship between groups of biologically unrelated vampires, portrayed so idyllically in Twilight, is here given a harsh, brutally realistic deconstruction. Twilight gives us the Cullens, a group of seven, later eight, vampires created by the patriarchal Carlisle. All nearly identical in age and possessed of unearthly vampiric beauty, they are integrated into the Cullen clan with virtually no emotional upheaval and quickly fall into traditional gender roles and pair off into functional romantic couples. In contrast, here we have Lestat, Louis, and Claudia, presenting a festering hive of resentment, manipulation, and twisted emotional relationships. Unlike the Cullens, none of whom appear to have any difficulty adapting traditionally to their frankly bizarre familial structure, these two young men and a small girl keep up a domestic system in which the emotional lines between parent, child, sibling and lover are blurred at best. Barely hanging together by threads of manipulation, obligation, and complex affection, the arrangement eventually and inevitably implodes around them. Beginning when Lestat chooses Louis to fill a vaguely-defined role as friend or companion with frankly sexual overtones, and continuing as he manipulates Louis into a parody of a domestic relationship by creating a child for them, the entire thing only becomes more twisted following the introduction of Claudia, who is eventually the catalyst and perpetrator of the whole structure's violent collapse. Claudia and Louis have only progressed a part of the way through cleaning up the messy emotional aftermath of the entire thing when she dies, and both Louis and Lestat are left broken men in the wake of her. Violent and messy and extremely twisted, yes, but an undoubtedly frank and realistic portrayal of the likely consequences of the sort of arrangement Twilight so happily idealizes.

Regarding the film on an artistic level, it is generally gorgeous, with only a few special-effects missteps; also, the obvious necessity to set the majority of the scenes at night brings an visual atmosphere of appropriate gloom to the story. The pacing and several directorial calls, however, do bring it down a few notches. Regardless of how it looked on paper, abruptly removing Tom Cruise from the screen around the half-way point of the movie severely messes with the story's narrative flow; insane and manipulative though he is, Lestat's very presence brings life to the film, and you can almost feel the energy and vitality draining away as he leaves. The entire chain of events from the start of the film to Claudia's rebellion against Lestat are cohesive and tightly paced, and her vicious revenge against him plays like the climax of the story, despite the fact that it takes place a little less than halfway through the total screentime. The entire subsequent hour plays languorously and without energy, and, despite the several crucial events which take place, it never feels like anything more than falling action and epilogue; Lestat's brief reappearances only serve to remind the audience of how sorely his presence is lacking the rest of the time.

Regardless, there are several fascinating elements to the story, even during the languid second half of the film. The framing device is used well and compellingly, playing an active role in the overarching narrative as is not often done. It is fascinating to note Louis' line at the end of the film, after the interviewer makes his ill-advised request to become a vampire: "I've failed again, haven't I?" One wonders whether he is merely referring to his general failures, or whether he has shared his story with various humans in the past, with most or all of them reacting like this reporter. Vampires can bemoan their cursed condition all they like, but humans will never stop finding it attractive. In the final scene of the film, the interviewer, formerly the ambivalent medium through whom we hear the story, is himself thrust roughly and unceremoniously into the ongoing saga of Louis and Lestat. Lestat's sudden appearance, however, does rather fall into the category of twist or surprise endings which don't hold up on further inspection; when and how did he arrive in San Francisco in his weakened state? Had he been keeping tabs on Louis ever since their encounter in 1988? Lestat wouldn't appear to be an effective stalker; he's far too obtrusive, but he seems well-informed of Louis' movements. Regardless, his final actions are interesting. He seems determined to believe himself to have moved on from his emotional attachment to Louis; however, his plan to gain another companion under similar circumstances, even using the same introductory pick-up line, would seem to indicate otherwise. One gets the impression that their entanglements are far from over, even now.

Overall, a fascinating if occasionally flawed film in its own right, with an added layer of retrospective cultural significance. Definitely worth a watch.

Blog Expansion

So, we're nearing the end of Merlin Season One, at which point I've been intending to begin working other shows into the mix; next up is Angel, during which I will continue reviewing Merlin and Doctor Who, but somewhat less frequently. I've recently realized that Joss Whedon has had remarkably bad luck in television for the past few years, resulting in several shows which remained critical darlings during their brief runs, but were all canceled after one or two seasons as a result of low ratings. Unfortunate, certainly, but resulting in several perfect candidates for this blog. So, up at some indistinct point in the future, Dollhouse and Firefly; and, although I do have my eye on both Supernatural and The X-Files for possible future blog material, I'm afraid both of those will have to wait for a while.

In preparation for the beginning of my Angel posts, what do I know about the series? I've kept myself entirely non-spoiled as far as plot-relevant details go (except for that one time when Buffy decided to go all crossover and do a "previously on Angel" sequence... seriously, show?), but haven't been able to avoid general-premise information. It takes place in the Buffyverse, in Los Angeles, putting it close enough to the action in Sunnydale to remain firmly planted in Buffy's world without intruding on her territory; most of the main characters from Buffy have made appearances on Angel, either as main characters or guest stars, and among the names I've heard bandied about are Angel (heh), Cordy, Wesley, Harmony, Spike, and Dru, with, if I'm correct, occasional appearances from Faith, Buffy, and Willow. Angel heads up some demon-fighting organization (way to go pro on Buffy, there), and the show features quite a large cast of original characters. Apart from that, I'm entirely in the dark on plot developments, and the reactions you'll witness on this blog will be my initial, un-spoiled ones. I intend to go one episode at a time (except for two-parters, possibly), which should be something of a challenge; however, I'll do my best to pace myself, and expect to have quite the chronicle of posts by the time I finish the series.

On to Angel!

Merlin Season One, Episode Nine : Excalibur

When a mysterious man wearing black armor appears in Camelot and easily defeats several knights in single combat, Arthur, newly of age, determines to fight the man himself. However, when Uther and Merlin learn the true nature of the situation, they both take steps to preserve Arthur's life, whatever the cost.


Grade: A

In one of the most pivotal episodes to date, we become aware of several well-kept secrets on the parts of various characters; Arthur, in becoming crown prince, takes another step towards his eventual kingship, and one or two of the most iconic moments in the traditional Arthurian legends are strongly foreshadowed. Overall, not an installment to miss.

We open in a dusty crypt. Nimueh speaks an incantation over an old tomb, and a mailed fist breaks out of it.

In Camelot, Arthur, having come of age, is officially declared crown prince of Camelot. In the midst of the celebratory ceremony, a black knight rides through a window of the hall, throwing down his gauntlet to Arthur. Before Arthur can retrieve it, however, it is picked up by another knight, Owain by name, who accepts the challenge in Arthur's place. The stranger sets a match for the next day, a fight to the death, and departs without revealing his name or his face.

Despite a universal discomfort with Owain's situation, exacerbated in Gaius and Uther by their recognition of the black knight's crest as that of a man long dead, the match goes forward. Arthur attempts to prepare Owain for the prospect of facing a stranger with unknown capabilities, but Owain is confident in his ability to defeat the man in combat. During the dual, Owain deals the black knight a heavy blow, but, unaffected by it, the knight continues fighting and eventually kills his opponent. Upon his victory, he immediately proceeds to throw down his challenge to the knights a second time, and, when Uther prevents his son from stepping forward, a knight called Pellinor accepts it.

In the increasing unease surrounding the advent of the second match, Gaius takes Merlin to visit the tomb where the dead man had been interred; finding the crypt broken from the inside, the two rush back to Camelot. Gaius explains that the man, Tristan de Blois, was the brother of Uther's wife, and blamed the king when she died in childbirth. Challenging Uther to single combat, Tristan was killed, swearing in his last breath to return to haunt Camelot; Gaius believes that some powerful sorcerer has now taken advantage of Tristan's dying wish and conjured him back to life, creating an indestructible wraith. During the duel the next day, Pellinor deals the Black Knight a killing blow, but the knight continues without injury; thrown off, Pellinor is slain. Before the knight can issue another challenge, Arthur preempts him and chooses to throw down the gauntlet himself. Despite Uther's protests, Arthur insists on going ahead with the match; Merlin, aware that no sword in Camelot is capable of killing the wraith, determines to do it himself with magic. Gaius goes to Uther and informs him of the state of Tristan's tomb. Telling the king that the wraith has almost certainly returned for revenge against Uther, Gaius insists that Arthur not be permitted to fight it; Uther replies that Arthur has already refused to obey to his father's order to withdraw from the challenge. Gaius tells the king that Arthur must either be informed of the knight's identity and purpose, or allowed to go to his death. Uther refuses to tell Arthur anything, and forbids the physician from revealing what he knows about Arthur's birth.

Venturing out into the courtyard where the black knight stands, unmoving, every night, Merlin attempts to use a magical fire to kill the wraith. Untouched, the knight continues his silent vigil; in a panic, Merlin goes to Arthur, begging him to call off the duel, insisting that the people don't want to lose their crown prince over one challenge. An argument escalates between them until Merlin is forced to leave; meanwhile, in the empty throne room, Nimueh appears to Uther, gloating over Arthur's impending death. He resentfully asks whether she hasn't tired of taking revenge on him, and she reminds him that he began the conflict with magic when he threw Nimueh out of his court and slaughtered hundreds of sorcerers across the kingdom. Uther counters that the sorcerers were practitioners of evil and deserved what he did to them, and that Nimueh had already betrayed the friendship between them when he banished her. The sorceress responds that she only did as Uther asked, employing magic to give Uther and his wife a son, insisting that she could not have foreseen that Arthur's mother would die in giving birth to him; and that, if she had predicted the death and the terrible vengeance Uther would wreak against all users of magic, she would not have dared to grant the king's request. Uther quietly wishes that she never had, astonishing Nimueh, and causing her to inquire whether he really wishes that he didn't have a son. Upon his silence, she merely notes that Arthur will die the next day in any case, and that it is now Uther's turn to watch the death of someone he loves.

Meanwhile, Merlin ventures once again into the dusty archives of the castle, searching for any information on the destruction of wraiths. Caught by the genealogist, Merlin throws caution to the wind and begs for help on the subject. The old man points Merlin to several old fables which speak of a wraith being destroyed by a sword "born in a dragon's breath". Seeing a ray of hope, Merlin goes to Gwen and asks her for the best sword from her father's blacksmith shop; acquiring it, he takes the blade to the dragon's cave and, explaining Arthur's situation, begs the dragon to enchant it for him. The Dragon informs Merlin that, although a sword burnished by a dragon's breath would, indeed, destroy a wraith, the power of such a blade could be devastating in the wrong hands. Sternly warning him to ensure that no one but Arthur uses the sword, the Dragon breathes on it, giving the weapon supernatural qualities.

Meanwhile, Uther has gone to Gaius and, believing that there is no other option, informed the physician that he intends to take his son's place in the duel the next day. Over Gaius's protests, the king insists that his death will stop the wraith, and that Arthur will then be free to take up the throne. Reminding Gaius that, with Uther gone, Gaius will be the only remaining person who knows the true nature of Arthur's birth, the king begs him to maintain his silence on the subject even after Uther is dead. Heavily, Gaius promises to take the secret to his grave.

As Merlin returns with his newly-burnished sword, Gaius fulfills one last request from Uther and takes Arthur a sleeping draught, telling him that it's a preparation which will take the edge off his nerves. Indulging Gaius, Arthur drinks it, falling asleep within minutes.

The next morning, Merlin waits for Arthur in the armory, only for Uther to appear in his son's stead. Seeing the blade which Merlin had prepared for Arthur's duel, the king is impressed by its quality and resolves to use it against the wraith himself. Upon being told that Merlin had the sword made particularly for Arthur, the king commends Merlin for his extraordinary loyalty to the prince, quietly asking Merlin to care for Arthur when Uther is gone. Unable to dissuade the king from taking the burnished sword, Merlin is at a loss for how to proceed.

Going down to the field, the king elicits astonishment from the crowd by appearing in Arthur's place; the duel begins, and up at the castle, Arthur slowly awakens from his drugged sleep. Realizing what has been done to him, he desperately attempts to escape from his room, only to find that Gaius left all exits carefully and firmly locked the night before. On the field, Uther knocks the knight's helmet from his head, revealing the visage of a rotten corpse. With Nimueh watching from the sidelines, the king desperately stabs the wraith through the heart, killing it with the enchanted blade. Amid the jubilation of the crowd, Merlin is unsure how to react to Uther's victory with the blade that was meant for Arthur.

In the castle, as Gaius dresses the king's wounds, Uther casually wonders how Merlin was able to acquire such a fine blade from the ordinary blacksmiths of the city; Gaius, his suspicions aroused, departs to find Merlin. Arthur confronts Uther over his subterfuge in drugging his son. Uther makes a brief, impassioned, guilt-driven speech regarding how much Arthur means to him, leading Arthur to blurt in astonishment that he always considered himself a disappointment to his father. Uther gently corrects him, and, both of them somewhat embarrassed over the king's display of affection, Arthur hastily leaves the room. That night, Gaius sternly inquires whether Merlin enchanted the blade that Uther fought with, and Merlin quite honestly replies that he did nothing to it. Gaius obliquely compliments the power of Merlin's supposed spell, leaving Merlin quite pleased with himself. However, that night the Dragon calls him from his bed, and Merlin is forced to confess that someone besides Arthur used the blade against the wraith; discovering that Uther was the one to fight the creature, the Dragon is infuriated, and, reminding Merlin of his previous warning, orders him to take the sword and dispose of it where no man can wield it again. The next morning, Merlin takes the sword deep into the woods and sinks it in the depths of a distant lake.

In this episode, we are once again reminded of the deep schism between the magical and the mundane in Camelot, even when their ends and purposes coincide. Here we see Arthur's father and servant both doing their uttermost in order to help him; neither of them ultimately motivated by anything but love for him and a desire for his safety. However, due to the divide between methods of sorcery and those of ordinary life, Merlin and the king never gain anything but an imperfect understanding of one another's actions and motivations, and, in the end, their two plans come very close to negating each other. Even as the current-day storyline plays out, the foundation of this episode is clearly set some twenty years previously, as multiple past actions of Uther's come back to haunt him.

Uther's encounter with Nimueh is the emotional core of his role in this episode; it is the mental turning point which causes him to make the decision to die in Arthur's place, and also forces him to confront memories he has likely been repressing for decades. As she faces him, we are surprised by how rational are her arguments and her quarrel with him; her methods are harmful and vindictive, but the motivation behind her years-long quest for revenge against Uther is eminently relatable. We never learn the exact thought process behind her decision to grant his wish for a son years before, but we are never given cause to believe that it was malicious in any way; Uther's wife was as likely as not a victim of her husband's rashness and little else. Arthur's role as a catalyst for the long, destructive war between Uther and practitioners of magic is a surprising twist in the mythology of the show, and complicates the bond between Arthur and Merlin even more.

As Uther's long-repressed guilt over his wife and son comes to a head, and as the spectral embodiment of all the hatred and vengeance of the great purge comes back to haunt him, we learn, and more importantly Arthur learns, exactly how much his father is willing to risk for him. The scene between them at the end of the episode is heartbreaking for a variety of reasons, perhaps the biggest one being the fact that, when Arthur claims that he always considered himself a disappoint to his father, he doesn't sound resentful or even wistful; merely observational and somewhat bewildered. His belief in his father's disregard for him has been embedded in his thoughts for so long that it no longer even grieves him; "my father is disappointed in me" has been his assumption for so many years that he takes it for granted. Uther's declaration of love for his son is the biggest outpouring of emotion we've seen from him to date, and very possibly the most unguarded statement of affection Arthur has ever had from his father.

The swords of the Arthurian legends, or some composite thereof, are possibly the most iconic and widely-known elements of the old stories. The lake and the stone are some of the most well-imagined legendary moments in the public consciousness, and this episode paves the way for Merlin's version of both of them. One moment was brought to fruition in the third season finale, which simultaneously laid tracks for the next, as yet unrealized, culmination in the story of the sword. Already, as of this episode, the blade has quite a complex and beautiful history; provided by Gwen, enchanted through Merlin's actions, used by Uther to slay his demon, and finally hidden away until it is necessary to bring it forth again, it's a sword worthy of a future king.


Complaints:

• For some reason the lack of blood in the fight scenes was extremely obvious in this episode. In fact, this is probably the most technically bloodless show I've ever seen, despite all the carnage. I suppose it's a contract issue.

Thoughts:

• "It may surprise you, Merlin, but my knowledge of your life is not universal." Hee.
• This is the first time I've noticed the random disappearing moon in the short opening teaser. It sort of appears, hangs there hesitantly for a second or so in the upper right-hand corner of the screen, and then fades out. It doesn't appear to be a part of either the rippling-water shot or the long shot of Merlin, but shows up briefly in between them. Odd.

Merlin Season One, Episode Eight : The Beginning of the End

When a wounded Druid child is left stranded in the heart of Camelot, Merlin, Morgana, and Arthur become caught up in an increasingly desperate bid to save his life, even as Uther becomes determined to put an end to the boy once and for all. Later, when Merlin is forced into making an impossible choice, terrible consequences appear inevitable for all concerned.

Grade: A

There's a terrible, beautiful sort of symmetry to this episode. We are forced to watch as each one of the primary characters, some of them for the first time, makes a conscious decision to defy Uther's orders on one small, seemingly unimportant matter: that of the arrest or escape of a small, anonymous child trapped in the city. As each one of them contributes to their cause with individual capacities and strengths, we see the intricate workings of a terrible future event being involuntarily, perfectly orchestrated by the very people it is destined to affect most deeply.

We open with a tall, hooded man, holding a small boy by the hand, stealthily making his way through the back alleys of Camelot. He approaches a street vendor and collects a bundle of supplies, only to realize that he and the boy have walked into a trap, with soldiers approaching from both ends of the street. Making brief, desperate use of sorcery, the man tosses some of the soldiers back, buying the boy time to run through a gate, which he then closes by magic. As the doors close, the boy witnesses the soldiers closing in on his mentor, then takes refuge in a corner of the courtyard. Going about his daily business inside the castle, Merlin telepathically hears a child's voice begging for help.

Walking out into the courtyard, Merlin eventually pinpoints the small Druid boy huddled in the other side of the square as the source of the voice. Cautiously reaching out with his mind, Merlin finds he is able to communicate with the child, who continues begging for help as a group of soldiers enter the yard. Given next to no time to make a decision, Merlin offers a hand to the boy and tells him to run. Dodging through the castle corridors with the guards in close pursuit, Merlin rushes the boy into Morgana's room and begs for her help. Also forced into a split-second decision, Morgana waves Merlin and the boy behind a curtain just as the guards knock at her door. She lies to deflect their search and makes it behind the curtain herself just as the boy faints as a result of the wound in his stomach, apparently from a soldier's sword.

Meanwhile, the captured Druid is scheduled to be executed, with Uther unwilling to show mercy despite Arthur's protests at the unfairness of the sentence; additionally, Arthur is ordered to scour every inch of the city until the boy is found. Meanwhile, Morgana attempts to comfort the child while Merlin watches the execution from her windows; as the ax falls, the boy lets out a shriek of rage and an uncontrolled burst of magic, which shatters a nearby mirror. Later, Gaius warns Merlin to stay out of trouble while the search for the Druid boy continues, unaware that he has already become involved. Talking quietly over the unconscious child in her chambers, Morgana and Merlin discuss their respective views of magic and Uther's harsh policies, managing to obliquely agree with each other without betraying any indication of their own magical abilities. Dining with Uther that night, Morgana witnesses a disagreement between Arthur and his father after Arthur expresses the opinion that the Druid boy, believed to be hiding inside the castle, is not a threat; after pretending to side with the king, Morgana returns to her chambers to find that the boy's wound is becoming infected, and that Merlin intends to treat it himself rather than involve Gaius. At that moment, Arthur knocks on Morgana's door, dutifully if unenthusiastically carrying out his orders to search the entire castle for the hidden boy. Pretending to be disinterested in the affair, Morgana dares Arthur to search for the boy behind her curtains; refusing to call her supposed bluff, Arthur leaves without searching the room.

Merlin returns to Gaius's workshop in order to collect supplies for the treatment of the boy's wound; returning, Gaius assumes that Merlin is finally showing an interest in a physician's work and insists on beginning his education immediately. Not able to think of an excuse to leave, Merlin is unable to get to the boy until hours later. Inexpertly attempting to treat the infected wound, Merlin finds himself once more communicating with the boy telepathically; inquiring why the boy addresses him as "Emrys", Merlin is bewildered and unsettled to be told that, among the Druids, that is his name. Going to consult the Dragon, Merlin is even more disturbed to be told that he has long been written about under many different names. Warning Merlin not to continue protecting the boy, the Dragon departs, leaving Merlin even more in the dark than before. In her chambers, Morgana is startled when the boy begins to speak to her telepathically as well; however, she is distracted by Merlin's return. Telling him that his attempted treatment is having no effect, she begs him to employ Gaius's help. Reluctantly, Merlin agrees to do so; returning to the workshop, he explains to Gaius that Morgana is hiding the refugee boy in his chambers, and that's he's severely wounded. Despite disapproving of Merlin's involvement in such a dangerous affair, Gaius is unable to refuse his help, and agrees to treat the boy under the condition that Merlin and Morgana get him out of Camelot as soon as possible. Merlin believes that a secret door in the castle armory is their best bet for getting out of the city unnoticed; aware that her privileged position would give her an advantage if caught with the boy, Morgana determines to do it herself. That night, Merlin manages to smuggle the key to the armory door from Arthur's belt, and Morgana sets out from Gwen's house under cover of darkness. However, almost as soon as she does so, Arthur discovers the keys missing from his belt and sounds the warning bell; Morgana is caught with the boy by an astonished, bewildered Arthur before even reaching the outskirts of the city.

Infuriated by Morgana's defiance of his edicts, Uther orders Arthur to have the boy executed the following morning. Morgana begs him to change his mind, and, when refused, lashes out at the king in rage, causing him to briefly physically assault her before storming out of the room. Crushed, Morgana returns to her chambers in despair, blaming herself for allowing the boy to be captured, despite Merlin's assurance that she did the best she could. Morgana, unable to bear the thought of allowing the child to die, determines to stop it by any means possible, and Merlin, after a brief internal struggle, assures her of his willingness to assist her. Arthur, following an unsuccessful attempt to convince Uther to spare the boy's life, returns to his chambers and finds Morgana nervously waiting for him. She tells him that she is aware he disagrees with his father's decision to execute the boy, but Arthur is convinced that his beliefs make no difference. Telling him that the time for talking and reasoning is past, she attempts to enlist his help in breaking the boy out of prison; and, although initially resistant, he eventually agrees. Merlin, joining them, insists that the plan is suicidal for Morgana, who has already been caught once. Agreeing with him, Arthur tells Morgana to apologize to and dine with Uther that night, providing her with an alibi while Merlin and Arthur help the boy escape through a network of tunnels leading from the castle burial vaults. Merlin, although resistant to the idea of continuing to aid the child, reluctantly allows Arthur to persuade him into agreement.

Returning to the Dragon's cave, Merlin demands an solid explanation of the cryptic advice regarding the Druid boy that he was given earlier. The Dragon merely tells him that if the child lives, Merlin will be unable to fulfill his destiny. Unable to see a connection between his destiny and the boy, Merlin nearly leaves in frustration before being stopped in his tracks by a sudden suspicion. Tentatively, already dreading the answer, he asks whether the Dragon is implying that the child will grow up to kill Arthur. Told that the question of Arthur's fate is now in his hands, Merlin returns to Gaius's workshop in a daze. Quietly, over their evening meal, Merlin asks Gaius whether he would choose to let something bad happen if it would prevent something even worse from happening in the future; gently, Gaius replies that it would depend on what those things happened to be. Merlin's responds that while the immediate occurrence would be bad, the worse thing would be unthinkable, and Gaius observes that Merlin appears to have made his mind up already. Merlin, obviously torn, sadly agrees, and informs Gaius that for once he intends to do the safe thing and not get involved.

Morgana steels herself and enters Uther's presence; she feigns remorse, apologizes for her actions, and receives an invitation to dine with the king. Meanwhile, Arthur takes out the prison guards and retrieves the Druid boy from his cell; traveling through a network of tunnels, they eventually arrive at the barred outlet where Merlin was intended to meet them with supplies to remove the grate. Merlin, however, has remained in his room, thoroughly miserable, but sticking to his decision not to carry out his part of the plan. Uther receives word of the boy's escape, and, after threatening Morgana with retribution if he discovers she had part in the conspiracy, leaves the room. As Merlin doesn't appear and the sounds of a search are heard down the tunnel, Arthur grows desperate, snuffs his torch, and draws his sword. The boy reaches out and finds Merlin telepathically; growing increasingly desperate and enraged, he begs Merlin to help him. Eventually, unable to block it out, Merlin rushes down out of the castle and down to the grating, releasing Arthur and the boy just before they are discovered. Taking the child on horseback through the woods, Arthur meets a delegation of Druids and hands the boy over to them. As they retreat back into the woods, Arthur calls after the boy and asks to be told his name; the child responds that he's named Mordred, and departs with his people, leaving Arthur appearing vaguely unsettled.

As mentioned above, this installment has a terrible sort of symmetry to it. Everybody who isn't Uther spends the episode actively defying him, every character employing their distinct talents and advantages to help this one nameless boy. Merlin uses his comparatively advanced experience and familiarity with magic to retrieve the boy from the streets, as well as utilizing his many opportunities to slip under the radar where Arthur and Morgana could not; Morgana takes advantage of her privileged status to provide Mordred with a relatively safe haven and to safeguard both herself and the boy in the event of discovery. Gaius contributes his medical knowledge to save the child's failing health, and Gwen, the only townsperson among then, provides a temporary base of operation outside the castle, while Arthur employs his detailed knowledge of the city and easy access to practical supplies to orchestrate a fairly smooth escape attempt. As all the pieces fall into place, it becomes increasingly obvious that without the commitment of everyone involved, the plan to save Mordred would not have worked for five minutes. Sacrifices are made, relationships are strained, the boy is ultimately smuggled out of Camelot, only for us to learn that he is ultimately destined to kill Arthur. Everyone risks everything, and for what?... so that Arthur's future killer can go free. It's a terrible situation; Mordred, whatever his destiny, is here a scared, abandoned little boy, and callously allowing him to die would have been inexcusable. Whatever your perspective, the state of affairs remains dreadful all around.

As someone who has seen the entire show to date, I'm aware that the story has, over the course of three seasons, been taken in a very definite direction; however, re-examining this early episode, I can't help feeling that the characters missed a pivotal, irreplaceable opportunity for connection here. Morgana and Merlin are still grappling with the implications of possessing illegal magic in Camelot, and, as they both become more deeply involved in the situation with the Druid boy, neither of them could betray the other without implicating themselves, even if they wished to. Had they chosen to willingly confide in each other at this moment in time, everything might have turned out differently. As for Arthur, already uncomfortable with his father's rigid attitude towards magic, this would have been a potentially ideal moment for him to learn about Merlin and Morgana's powers; himself implicated in Mordred's escape, he would have been unable to betray either of them without disowning the two people he cares about, arguably, more than anyone else in the world. The entire situation would have created a web of trust and obligation which it would not have been simple for anyone involved to shrug off. But the opportunity passed, sending the narrative in an entirely different direction; perhaps for the best.


Complaints:

• It's sort of irritating that through all of the hiding, stealth, and subterfuge, Mordred never removes or has taken from him that extremely noticeable and distinctive bright green cloak. Put him in a nice, unremarkable brown and smear dirt on his face, and he would in all likelihood have been able to walk right out of Camelot without attracting attention.

Thoughts:

• Merlin (The Dragon's Call) and Arthur's respective methods for taking the prison guards out of commission are hilariously appropriate and metaphorical for their personalities and approaches to life. Arthur's: straight-forward, effective, fast-working, and a little crude; Merlin's impish, delicate, and amusing.