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.
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