Merlin episode recs
So, lemmesay started watching Merlin! And also I promised javiera ages ago that I'd write a list of the best Merlin eps to watch, so she could skip the crappy stuff and just stick to the good ones.
I'd say, "Oh you gotta watch this because it's like super important for continuity!!!" but seriously, this show doesn't understand continuity (and sometimes not character development), so this list might lack important eps. I find that you can pretty much cut out the entire Lancelot/Guinevere/Arthur plot and you wouldn't miss much. Except Lancelot, who was awesome and hot... Anyway, here's the list:
* * * MUST WATCH.
* * This might not be very good but they have good moments, so you might wanna watch them.
* This ain't a good ep, but it has a cool character that never appears later (mostly women Arthur is enchanted/forced by his father to court/like) so you might as well watch it if you're interested.
I shall also underline the eps that gave me a lot of feelings haha, even if they aren't that good.
Episodes without any sign: don't even bother. Seriously, don't.
Series 1:
.
1. The Dragon's Call * * *
2. Valiant
3. The Mark of Nimueh * *
4. The Poisoned Chalice * * *
5. Lancelot * * *
6. A Remedy to Cure All Ills *
7. The Gates of Avalon *
8. The Beginning of the End * * *
9. Excalibur * * *
10. The Moment of Truth * * *
11. The Labyrinth of Gedref * * *
12. To Kill the King * * *
13. Le Morte d'Arthur * * *
Series 2:
.
1. The Curse of Cornelius Sigan * *
2. The Once and Future Queen
3. The Nightmare Begins * * *
4. Lancelot and Guinevere * *
5. Beauty and the Beast (Part 1) * * *
6. Beauty and the Beast (Part 2) * * *
7. The Witchfinder * * *
8. The Sins of the Father * * *
9. The Lady of the Lake *
10. Sweet Dreams *
11. The Witch's Quickening * * *
12. The Fires of Idirsholas * * *
13. The Last Dragonlord * * *
Series 3:
.
1. The Tears of Uther Pendragon (Part 1)
2. The Tears of Uther Pendragon (Part 2)
3. Goblin's Gold * * *
4. Gwaine * * *
5. The Crystal Cave * *
6. The Changeling *
7. The Castle of Fyrien *
8. The Eye of the Phoenix * * *
9. Love in the Time of Dragons * *
10. Queen of Hearts
11. The Sorcerer's Shadow * *
12. The Coming of Arthur (Part 1) * * *
13. The Coming of Arthur (Part 2) * * *
Series 4:
.
1. The Darkest Hour (Part 1) * * *
2. The Darkest Hour (Part 2) * * *
3. The Wicked Day * * *
4. Aithusa * * *
5. His Father's Son * * *
6. A Servant of Two Masters * * *
7. The Secret Sharer * *
8. Lamia
9. Lancelot du Lac
10. A Herald of New Age * *
11. The Hunter's Heat *
12. The Sword in the Stone (Part 1)
13. The Sword in the Stone (Part 2)
Yeah, basically, you can see series 1 was the best. Then The first half of season four was pretty damn great until the producers decided to jump the shark. To be honest, the focus of the show moves more from Merlin to Arthur around the third series (or should I say, to shoving Arthur/Gwen down our throats :/). And yeah, you can pretty much skip the finale of series four. It was terrible except for a couple of things. So maybe you'll find yourself asking, "Hey, wait, how come this character is now evil?!" or something, but honestly, even if you'd watched the ep in which they're announced as evil, the lack of proper character development means you wouldn't really be missing anything. :/
Right now I'm only watching the show because Bradley James and Colin Morgan's performance as Arthur and Merlin is great, and they make even shitty scenes be awesome. But yeah... series five is currently airing. Once it's done, I could add those new eps to the list.
...
Okay, I know I don't sound very enthusiastic, but it's not my fault that the damn show's gone to the dogs now because the producers are terrified of continuity and character development. :S Still, the premise is pretty damn awesome, and the chemistry between Merlin and Arthur is the heart of the show. So it's worth watching for that, IMHO. :D
EDIT:
I'm adding the last season, a year and a half after it ended. Heh! Here it is.
Series 5:
1. Arthur's Bane (Part 1) * *
2. Arthur's Bane (Part 2) * *
3. The Death Song of Uther Pendragon *
4. Another's Sorrow *
5. The Disir *
6. The Dark Tower
7. A Lesson in Vengeance
8. The Hollow Queen
9. With All My Heart
10. The Kindness of Strangers *
11. The Drawing of the Dark * *
12. The Diamond of the Day (Part 1) * *
13. The Diamond of the Day (Part 2) * * *
I'd say, "Oh you gotta watch this because it's like super important for continuity!!!" but seriously, this show doesn't understand continuity (and sometimes not character development), so this list might lack important eps. I find that you can pretty much cut out the entire Lancelot/Guinevere/Arthur plot and you wouldn't miss much. Except Lancelot, who was awesome and hot... Anyway, here's the list:
* * * MUST WATCH.
* * This might not be very good but they have good moments, so you might wanna watch them.
* This ain't a good ep, but it has a cool character that never appears later (mostly women Arthur is enchanted/forced by his father to court/like) so you might as well watch it if you're interested.
I shall also underline the eps that gave me a lot of feelings haha, even if they aren't that good.
Episodes without any sign: don't even bother. Seriously, don't.
Series 1:
.
1. The Dragon's Call * * *
2. Valiant
3. The Mark of Nimueh * *
4. The Poisoned Chalice * * *
5. Lancelot * * *
6. A Remedy to Cure All Ills *
7. The Gates of Avalon *
8. The Beginning of the End * * *
9. Excalibur * * *
10. The Moment of Truth * * *
11. The Labyrinth of Gedref * * *
12. To Kill the King * * *
13. Le Morte d'Arthur * * *
Series 2:
.
1. The Curse of Cornelius Sigan * *
2. The Once and Future Queen
3. The Nightmare Begins * * *
4. Lancelot and Guinevere * *
5. Beauty and the Beast (Part 1) * * *
6. Beauty and the Beast (Part 2) * * *
7. The Witchfinder * * *
8. The Sins of the Father * * *
9. The Lady of the Lake *
10. Sweet Dreams *
11. The Witch's Quickening * * *
12. The Fires of Idirsholas * * *
13. The Last Dragonlord * * *
Series 3:
.
1. The Tears of Uther Pendragon (Part 1)
2. The Tears of Uther Pendragon (Part 2)
3. Goblin's Gold * * *
4. Gwaine * * *
5. The Crystal Cave * *
6. The Changeling *
7. The Castle of Fyrien *
8. The Eye of the Phoenix * * *
9. Love in the Time of Dragons * *
10. Queen of Hearts
11. The Sorcerer's Shadow * *
12. The Coming of Arthur (Part 1) * * *
13. The Coming of Arthur (Part 2) * * *
Series 4:
.
1. The Darkest Hour (Part 1) * * *
2. The Darkest Hour (Part 2) * * *
3. The Wicked Day * * *
4. Aithusa * * *
5. His Father's Son * * *
6. A Servant of Two Masters * * *
7. The Secret Sharer * *
8. Lamia
9. Lancelot du Lac
10. A Herald of New Age * *
11. The Hunter's Heat *
12. The Sword in the Stone (Part 1)
13. The Sword in the Stone (Part 2)
Yeah, basically, you can see series 1 was the best. Then The first half of season four was pretty damn great until the producers decided to jump the shark. To be honest, the focus of the show moves more from Merlin to Arthur around the third series (or should I say, to shoving Arthur/Gwen down our throats :/). And yeah, you can pretty much skip the finale of series four. It was terrible except for a couple of things. So maybe you'll find yourself asking, "Hey, wait, how come this character is now evil?!" or something, but honestly, even if you'd watched the ep in which they're announced as evil, the lack of proper character development means you wouldn't really be missing anything. :/
Right now I'm only watching the show because Bradley James and Colin Morgan's performance as Arthur and Merlin is great, and they make even shitty scenes be awesome. But yeah... series five is currently airing. Once it's done, I could add those new eps to the list.
...
Okay, I know I don't sound very enthusiastic, but it's not my fault that the damn show's gone to the dogs now because the producers are terrified of continuity and character development. :S Still, the premise is pretty damn awesome, and the chemistry between Merlin and Arthur is the heart of the show. So it's worth watching for that, IMHO. :D
EDIT:
I'm adding the last season, a year and a half after it ended. Heh! Here it is.
Series 5:
1. Arthur's Bane (Part 1) * *
2. Arthur's Bane (Part 2) * *
3. The Death Song of Uther Pendragon *
4. Another's Sorrow *
5. The Disir *
6. The Dark Tower
7. A Lesson in Vengeance
8. The Hollow Queen
9. With All My Heart
10. The Kindness of Strangers *
11. The Drawing of the Dark * *
12. The Diamond of the Day (Part 1) * *
13. The Diamond of the Day (Part 2) * * *