Keep the magic ... Pointless
When exactly did BBC's Merlin get so awful?
Well, perhaps that's a foolish question. It's clearly season two where everything changed.
For those of you who haven't seen it and are feeling sceptical, let me assure you that Season 1 was actually pretty good. Littered with plot-holes admittedly, and somewhat contrived and clunky in parts. ut the characters were well rounded and interesting, flawed and human. Uther in particular was complex, contradictory and very well written.
Now it's all fallen apart, they're phoning it in, dumbing it down and taking out the magic. Literally and figuratively. Plots that were building slowly and patiently in the first season have been dropped into place with about as much dignity and finesse as the proverbial manure hitting the fan. The characters are simplified and less likeable, very promising threads have been dropped, and worst of all the magic, and merlin himself, are all starting to seem incidental to the main and boring plot of Arthur and Guinevere.
Last weeks episode could have been rewritten without any need for magic whatsoever, quite an abrupt turn with no explanation from a series that used to take every opportunity to show us Merlin's skills.
It really is a shame when a good show goes bad. Now all that's left to do is to wait for the day when Arthur jumps his horse over a shark. Knowing this show, they're probably do it.