Merlin S5 | Episode 05.09 reviews
Dan'sMediaDigest: MERLIN, 5.9 [★★☆☆]
[click to read]MERLIN, 5.9 - 'With All My Heart'
written by Richard McBrien / directed by Alice Troughton
★★☆☆
The transformation of Queen Gwen (Angel Coulby) from loyal wife to treacherous villain has been a weak spot for this final series, so while I was happy it came to a conclusion during "With All My Heart", it was handled so poorly that I think I'd advise future generations just skip the two episodes between this and "The Dark Tower". Things didn't start well, with King Arthur (Bradley James) simply being told Gwen's in league with Morgana (Katie McGrath) without any sufficient build-up to this revelation. There was simply no drama in how this was done; more a feeling that the writers couldn't think of a more interesting way for Arthur to realise his wife's been brainwashed. It must rank as one of Merlin's most disappointing pay-offs ever.
Allowing for that blunder of storytelling, the rest of this episode wasn't up to much. I was particularly irritated by the second revelation that, according to Gaius (Richard Wilson), the cause of Gwen's condition is entirely magical in origin. We were clearly led to believe during "The Dark Tower" that Gwen had been poisoned against her husband by Morgana after sustained mental torture. While this idea wasn't convincing, I thought the whole intention of Gwen's change of heart was that it came from a place of non-magic-so would hence be difficult to unravel. But no, it was magic; thus easy to reverse over the course of a humdrum hour of quest-based hokum, with Arthur and Merlin (Colin Morgan) taking Gwen to a special lake to be cleansed with the help of a female sorcerer (actually Merlin in disguise as an old crone). They even threw in Mordred (X) to join them, who's been largely absent since the premiere despite being introduced as a very important character on the show. I'm not quite sure why this has been the case this series, but it's definitely had a negative effect on the potential behind Modred as an adversary and rival for Merlin.
It was quite a clutter of odd events and uncharacteristic behaviour this week. Since when did Old Merlin become such a bad-ass? It's preferable to seeing him as a bumbling fool, but the change in attitude made little sense. And seeing Merlin wield a sword to ruthlessly kill a witch known as The Dochraid (Maureen Carr) was so against his nature I was taken aback. If the Old Merlin is a glimpse of what the character will be fifty years from now, I'm not sure I like it. And how did Merlin survive a huge fall down a cliff? Why did he land about 20 metres from the cliff edge below? Why did Arthur scramble down after him, given the obvious danger without a rope? And why did he also land so far away from the edge and manage to survive?
"With All My Heart" was one of those episodes that totally lost the focus on what was important (Arthur's struggle to restore his wife to normality), and simply allowed you to nit-pick all of the ridiculous moments. Even the climactic moment with Gwen being saved by remember her wedding vow to Arthur was curiously unemotional and, when it was over, the sense of relief was negligible. Maybe this was because the story polluted any drama with the appearance of Merlin in drag, putting on a Panto Dame voice. (Although Crone Merlin was still preferable to Old Merlin, I must admit, because she at least felt more competent and didn't irritate both the viewers and Arthur.)
This episode only really existed to undo the events of "The Dark Tower", so it was ultimately a forgettable hour and the conclusion of a very unpersuasive mini-arc for Gwen's character. Why have they wasted time on that, when they could have been playing up the antagonism and mistrust between Merlin and Mordred? That's a far richer source of drama, as both men are secretly sorcerers and vying for the favouritism of Arthur. I guess the only important thing about this episode is how Crone Merlin unsubtly made Arthur consider the fact that sorcery isn't inherently evil... but evil resides in people's hearts. Undoubtedly this will come into play around the time of the finale, when Arthur has an epiphany and probably man-hugs with Merlin in the last ten minutes. Then Merlin can merrily go around telekinetically throwing peasants through the air with impunity. Or something.
If you haven't already heard, Merlin's creators have decided to call time on their own show this series. The only person who's grateful is Simon Cowell, because X Factor will perhaps inherit 3 or 4 million extra viewers next winter. I made my thoughts clear earlier this week, but I'm ultimately unsurprised the writers have realised they're narratively incapable of sustaining the show... and yet angry they haven't done a better job with the larger concerns of the show-particularly regarding Merlin's magical secret.
I'll be sad to see Merlin end, of course, but sadder if it leaves us rolling our eyes over the many wasted opportunities.
DenOfGeek: Merlin series 5 episode 9 review
[click to read] Merlin series 5 episode 9 review: With All My Heart
Merlin is set to go out on a real high, judging by this week's episode...
Gwen, it seems, isn't above a bit of emotional blackmail as she continues her treacherous association with Morgana this week. Percival may be convinced, but it appears that Arthur has discovered the truth and must get to the bottom of the betrayal.
To help Gwen and release her from the wicked magic, Gaius sends Merlin to meet an ancient being, the Dochraid, though he must disguise himself as Old Merlin as the Dochraid has heightened senses and would recognise the good in our favourite wizard.
Sadly, the Dochraid can see through the disguise and he is forced to threaten her to discover the truth, effectively brandishing his sword and injuring the ancient in order to extract the necessary information that will save the Queen.
All it will take is a perilous journey to the White Goddess and for Gwen to willingly step into the Great Cauldron, whilst a spell is cast to free her from her torment. Though initially suspicious of such a magical remedy, Arthur is convinced by Gaius in order to save his one true love.
Of course, things don't run smoothly as Arthur, Gaius and Merlin kidnap the Queen whilst the Dochraid helps Morgana seek her revenge.
Thankfully, Mordred has had his own suspicions that lead to him rescue Arthur and Merlin in the nick of time, subdue Morgana and reaffirm his conviction to the cause (though it’s not clear to whom he is truly allied), whilst Arthur reminds Gwen of their love and the darkest of spells is broken. The last five minutes are truly beautiful and show the strength of Bradley James and Angel Coulby in their roles. It is such a simple exchange, yet it feels so authentic.
Richard McBrien’s script is superb, bringing a fine combination of humour and pathos, drama and intrigue to the final half of the final series of Merlin. He gives us a wonderful story of strength, love and emotion without overdoing any of these aspects.
Humour is clearly in evidence as Arthur, Merlin and Gaius plot to deal with the Queen, with Merlin doing most of the work. It does border on farce a number of times, with Bradley James coming up with exceedingly outlandish reasons for his behaviour, whilst Colin Morgan is saddled with being the butt of many jokes. The sequence with Gaius and Merlin trying to sneak the Queen out of the castle brought about memories of the film 9 to 5!
Whilst Morgan mostly covers the comedy, Bradley James gets to be heroic and commanding whilst Katie McGrath delivers an emotional performance as she begins to lose control of events. Binding the characters together is a great turn from Alexander Vlahos as Mordred, with his loyalty to Arthur, attempts to overcome Merlin’s suspicious and his distrust of Morgana filling out the final act. His cutting words toward Morgana are delivered with such venom and McGrath's reaction, understated and emotional, is perfectly played. His is a character that has certainly shaken the foundations of the two magic users.
With Arthur having to put his faith in magic, and Gaius offering the services of a female magic user, Colin Morgan gets a dual turn - Old Merlin has only a few minutes' screen time and manages to be more threatening than annoying, whilst we also see Old Woman Merlin with an incredibly camp voice that would make some drag acts squirm! Much is made of the fact that Old Woman Merlin looks far too much like regular Merlin; it’s clearly being played for laughs and, thankfully, doesn’t take too much away from the otherwise dramatic storyline.
Visual effects are at a series high, with The Dochraid being portrayed by Maureen Carr. With ashen skin and an eyeless, rotting face, it wouldn’t have looked out of place in some horror films. Carr’s vocal work is equally creepy. As with many of these tertiary characters, the lack of screen time is a bit disappointing.
In more ambitious special effects, Morgana's dragon makes an impact this week and looks rather impressive in its emaciated state, breathing fire and swooping from the sky. Sadly, it doesn’t spend too much time on the screen. As many will know, it was recently announced that this series of Merlin would be the last series. With only four more episodes to go (including the final two-part story), Merlin is on course to deliver a knock out finale. Morgana has lost her ace in the hole, Arthur will no doubt be seeking revenge, Merlin has left Arthur with a reminder that magic saved his loved one and Mordred’s destiny is still to be played out.
There’s plenty of ground still to cover and the series certainly looks like it will be going out on a real high.
DigitalSpy: 'Merlin': New episode '05.09' review [★★★★☆]
[click to read]'Merlin': New episode 'With All My Heart' review
So between last week's Merlin and tonight's new instalment, the BBC announced that the show would not be returning for a sixth run in 2013 - this current fifth run is to be the show's last, with just five episodes remaining to wrap up the show's multiple story strands. Would this mean that 'With All My Heart' would take big steps in advancing the series towards its conclusion?
One of those lingering Merlin plot threads is the 'dark Gwen' arc, and this week's episode certainly does take a surprising turn a mere two minutes in when it's revealed that Gwen and Morgana's latest scheming session is being spied on by Arthur (Bradley James) and Merlin (Colin Morgan).
It always makes for a refreshing change when the frequently clueless Arthur is seen to be in the know and he quickly takes steps to thwart Morgana, but has he made a mistake in taking on Mordred (Alexander Vlahos) as one of his trusted few?
Gwen's new-found villainy is quickly revealed to be the result of powerful dark magic - let's face it, she was never *really* going to turn out to be a proper baddie - which sends Merlin on a quest to uncover the secret of her salvation. Rather than simply lingering on the sidelines, looking concerned, as he is often wont to do, Colin Morgan's lead is again pleasingly proactive here.
But our hero's spurned by the hideous Dochraid - one of this show's most memorably gruesome creations, last glimpsed in series four's 'Lancelot du Lac' - forcing him to lash out at the creature with his enchanted blade. It's the most ruthless Merlin's been since he killed Agravaine... and we're loving it.
To save his Queen, Merlin must summon the White Goddess and convince Gwen to willingly enter an enchanted lake, but he knows that only Arthur can reach his wife. The King is once again forced to embrace magic here and the relative ease with which he again accepts sorcery is telling - a hint at developments yet to come, perhaps?
Of course, Arthur would never trust Dragoon again - given the role Merlin's older self apparently played in Uther's demise - but the moment when Gaius (Richard Wilson) drops Merlin in it, forcing the warlock to disguise himself as a woman, is a genuine laugh-out-loud moment. Colin Morgan clearly has a ball in the scenes that follow too, outrageously camping it up as the old crone.
In fact, despite its dark themes, 'With All My Heart' does make plenty of room for humour - witness Merlin, Gaius and Arthur larking about as they attempt to secretly transport a drugged and unconscious Gwen outside of the castle grounds...
But the levity doesn't last for long: a rockfall traps Arthur - 127 Hours style - and though Mordred arrives in the nick of time to save his King, does his arrival portend an even worse fate? Another moment we've been waiting on for weeks finally surfaces here, with Morded confronting Merlin about their ambivalent relationship, which remains one of the show's most interesting dynamics.
As the episode reaches its climax, Morgana (Katie McGrath) unleashes the fiery power of Aithusa upon our heroes and Merlin willingly leaves Mordred to her mercy - but it transpires that the knight is more than capable of defending himself from her onslaught...
The capacity of Mordred's power has never truly been explored. Is he more powerful than Morgana? More powerful than Merlin? Should we expect a three-way battle in the series finale to decide who's the mightiest magician of them all?
Ultimately of course Gwen is won back over to the side of good. The sequence in which Arthur implores her to return to him is powerfully played by on-screen lovers Bradley James and Angel Coulby - there's shades of the Buffy season six finale, in which Xander (Nicholas Brendon) begged a corrupted Willow (Alyson Hannigan) to let go of her rage.
Whether intentionally or not, the news of Merlin's demise has come at the perfect time, with series five having gained a new impetus. Following a brief lull, the show is back on track with this week's instalment - if the show's final four episodes can match 'With All My Heart' for quality and pace, then we're in for a treat.
★★★★☆
DorkAdore: Merlin: 05.09 - Dork Review
[click to read]Merlin: With All My Heart - Dork Review
This week, Merlin finally brings an end to the Evil Gwen storyline, after weeks of confusion. Not to mention, dragons, cross-dressing, Emrys and the awful knowledge that, yes, the series ends at Christmas, so anything could happen as we build to a climax.
Sounds like With All My Heart must be good, doesn’t it? As ever, watch on iPlayer first if you don’t do spoilers.
The Age Of Merlin Ageing
I must admit, impatient though I was for the Evil Gwen story to finally end, I was disappointed that we cut straight to Arthur knowing the truth. The scene where Merlin has to convince him his wife is a traitor surely quite an important one?
But this was a hectic episode, even by Merlin standards, so I can’t blame them for wanting to get the hell on with it. We had a heroic Emrys confronting an elderly witch - excellent make-up job on her, by the way - and then the big quest to restore Gwen’s soul. Oh, but not before the comedy wheelbarrow scene, which was excellent.
But nowhere near as funny as Merlin’s latest ridiculous secret identity. Colin Morgan once again under heavy make-up as elderly she-Merlin, camping it up ludicrously. Not sure I’d want this gag broken out every week, it’s a bit silly even by Merlin standards, but did make me laugh.
Conclusions, Past And Present
They managed a real sense of importance with the last third of this episode, bringing all the plots together: Evil Gwen, Mordred, Morgana, Aithusa. In fact, if the Evil Gwen storyline accomplishes nothing else, it fed back in to the much more interesting Mordred subplot, which will hopefully stay at the forefront.
The Gwen arc itself suffered badly from a strange desire to make us believe she had “really” turned, yet writing her much too unrepentantly evil for that. The ambiguous version of this arc would’ve required a degree of subtlety the Merlin writers don’t seem to possess, so it’s probably better for everyone that it’s finally over.
To be honest, the conclusion to this episode was sudden, considering it’s resolving the last four episodes of plot, but I’m so glad it’s finished, hardly going to complain. This leaves us with a clear run of four more episodes left to tie up… oh, just the entire show. Anyone want to place some bets on when Arthur will find out the truth about Merlin? I reckon the penultimate episode, shortly after Gaius inevitably dies.
GeekSyndicate: TV REVIEW: Merlin Series 5, Episode 9 [3/5]
[click to read]TV REVIEW: Merlin Series 5, Episode 9 - With All My Heart
Enough is enough - Merlin has had it with Gwen (and Morgana’s) scheming and is ready to put an end to it. And boy was I glad because this storyline dragged on far too long, especially with the series ending for good later this month. Merlin must act fast and will need help but only the most powerful magic can save the Queen and this will not be easy, even for Merlin.
Gwen tries sneaking out of the castle but is caught by Sir Percival before she can make a clean getaway. To get him off her trail, she invokes Elyan’s name and believes that sympathy for her fallen brother and his friend are enough to let her go without alerting Arthur. Oh how wrong she is! In the woods, we see her give Morgana a map outlining levy collection trails and other details. What they don’t know is that Arthur is watching the entire thing from behind a tree, with Merlin by his side. I was pleasantly surprised that this wouldn’t necessarily be a “Merlin-must-do-this-on-his-own” type of “quest”.
Arthur, enraged by this latest betrayal pulls his sword out of it’s scabbard but his hand is stayed by Merlin, who says they’ll find a way to free Gwen from the dark magic she is under. Another surprise - I guess Gwen wasn’t brainwashed; it would’ve made this entire tired storyline for her more interesting. Oh well!
Back in Camelot, Arthur and Gwen are dining in his rooms and he’s just staring at her, not eating the food that’s there, or agreeing to go out with her. Way to be more obvious that the jig is up! After he makes a hasty exit, he gathers Mordred & Leon in a secret locked room to set a new levy collection route that must be committed to memory. He’s not taking chances and won’t tell them why he’s doing this, just that they trust him.
Gaius has the answers to everything and tells Merlin of the ritual that would free Gwen - but only Morgana & the Dochraid would know the details as it was only told to female magic users. Merlin turns into Dragoon and goes to the Dochraid to get the details and when she refuses, he wields Excalibur and injures her to get the information. As he leaves, the Dochraid sees a sword and tries to kill Dragoon - only for him to stop it in midair and strike her down. We always tend to see Old Merlin as the comic relief and this stark ruthlessness was a bit unnerving. The need to protect Arthur and their destiny is driving Merlin down paths I didn’t think we’d see him take.
Once Gaius sells Arthur on this new plan - he tells him he’s chosen a new sorcerer. SHE will be waiting by the Cauldron of Ariandra that they must have Gwen willingly enter for the spell to be broken. The look on Merlin’s face when he realizes that he has to turn into a woman is priceless. A tincture of Belladonna serves to knock Gwen out cold. The way that they go about slipping her the tampered wine is great - Angel Coulby’s slapstick fall into her pie is spot on while Bradley James, Colin Morgan and Richard Wilson’s comedic timing is pretty perfect as they all stare at her and wait for it to take effect.
Hefting an unconscious Gwen in a wheelbarrow and getting out unnoticed proves to be harder than it looks. Merlin and Gaius encounter Gwaine & Mordred, the latter of which makes an excuse that they’re carrying infected linens. Gwen’s arm falls as they leave though, making Mordred do a double-take but he doesn’t say anything. In the caves, the Dochraid isn’t dead after all and chants out a spell to warn Morgana. As Merlin and Arthur make their way through the fields, Merlin says they’re being watched and Arthur believes his manservant’s “funny feelings” this time, agreeing to go a different way. As they talk and walk, Merlin falls and is rendered unconscious. Arthur goes after him but falls and his arm ends up stuck under a rock which he’s about to cut off when Mordred yells down to them.
Merlin isn’t pleased that Mordred is there and Arthur realizes that Merlin’s funny feeling about being watched as right once more. They make their way to the Cauldron and are attacked by Aithusa. To distract Arthur, both Mordred & Merlin demand he take Gwen to safety but Merlin makes Mordred stay behind so he can use his dragonlord powers to stop the young dragon. Doesn’t look like anyone but Gaius knows that Merlin is a Dragonlord. It works but Morgana blasts them from behind but only manages to knock out Mordred while Merlin runs to safety, leaving Mordred behind.
He lies to Arthur by telling them that Mordred has given them an opportunity that they cannot waste. The way Mordred has been portrayed so far is that he is good and trying to prove his loyalty so Merlin leaving him behind seems like an awful thing to do. However, don’t forget that in the opening episodes this series, Mordred left Merlin to die as well, so I guess they’re even…for now.
Morgana strokes Mordred’s face and he snaps awake asking why she hasn’t killed him. She says they’re of a kind but he disagrees and when she asks him where Emrys is, Mordred lies, saying that they’d feel the presence of such a great power. She buys it and is going to kill him as he’s now useless but he questions her motives about slaying one of her own. He plays her like a fiddle, continuing to appeal to her weakness for him - while he doesn’t have the power to defeat her, he hopes she finds the love and compassion that once used to fill her heart one day.
With that, we see Mordred’s first display of magic as an adult - he blasts her into unconsciousness. Arthur and Merlin make it to the Cauldron and Merlin makes an excuse to go transform into the Dolma, the recluse ancient sorceress meant to preform the dangerous spell to heal Gwen. Colin Morgan as a woman is the funniest thing ever - even better than Dragoon. The Dolma states the terms that Gaius said earlier - she must walk in of her own free will.
Gwen awakens and tries to fight against Arthur’s words but he reminds of her of what she said when he asked her to marry him: “With all my heart.” The words get through to her - to the part of her that hasn’t been touched by Morgana and the spell works. Before they leave, the Dolma’s only request is that he remember that magic saved his Queen. What he does forget however is Merlin and the Dolma gets quite offput at that…seeing as how she’s really Merlin in disguise. Arthur doesn’t quite understand why she’s upset but agrees to give Merlin the afternoon off in reward. She waves him off to run behind a rock and transform back - which we don’t get to see.
On the ride back to Camelot, Mordred recognizes what Merlin has done and does every day for Arthur with no reward or recognition. Merlin states that as long as his friend is safe, that’s all he wants. Mordred says they both have the future of Camelot in common. Overall, this was a decent episode that sets the story back on track for the final 4 episodes of Merlin ever.
InsideMediaTrack: ‘Merlin’ 5.9: review
[click to read]‘Merlin’ 5.9: ‘With All My Heart’ review
Arthur has a lesson in love - just mind that big puddle there Gwen!
First of all: Never mind the sad news Merlin is to be no more; what about the fact my Gwen / Morgana / Mordred prediction was wrong? *shrugs shoulders and goes back to the drawing board to outwit those pesky writers* Mwah…Ahem…oh right. Yes. Review.
Merlin has always triumphed at depicting just the right amount of light and shade, however as much as I enjoyed some of the comedy elements of this episode I felt it needed to take the risk of showing us the dark drama without interspersing the humour in key scenes, which for me diluted - and in some instances made what should have been dramatic and tense script into a disappointing circus sideshow.
Arthur now knows his beloved has befallen Morgana’s witchery (how we’re not privy to) Arthur’s determined not to lose her, Merlin goes in search of an answer to break to spell and visits the Dochraid (played brilliantly by Maureen Carr); a hideous creature of the earth who with hostility and a threat of Merlin’s sword reveals Gwen’s “body is nothing but an empty vessel filled by the will of another.” But…there is a way! They must take Gwen to the cauldron of the Goddess’ where “the queen must enter the water willingly. If she is tricked, forced or beguiled she will fall into the abyss and be lost forever.”
So how do you get a queen to the Cauldron? Drug her and sling her over your horse like a sack of spuds if you do it Arthur’s way. Really Arthur? You were only just bemoaning about Merlin using a linen cart! At least with that she didn’t have all the blood rushing to her head. Good job she’s not herself or Arthur might be spending his nights on that linen cart. Once at the cauldron, thanks to Gaius, Merlin must transform into a women to perform the ceremony which was supposed to be draining and difficult to perform? Yet again Merlin managed with ease; While Arthur has to convince a now awakened and resisting Gwen to walk in the water of her own free will by reminding her of their engagement and her love for him “With all my heart.” This had the potential to be a very sweet moment and one I would have liked them to go more dramatic on but despite Angel Coulby and Bradley James’ heartfelt performances unfortunately the absurdity of Merlin in drag kind of ruined any atmosphere for me.
However that’s not to say Colin Morgan’s performance wasn’t as always spot on. He handed his duality well and delivered his wise words with sincerity. And then we come to Morgana who is so close to losing her ‘puppet’ and only human friend she’s prepared to kill Mordred when he refuses to divulge who Emrys really is. Mordred pleads he’s no match for her before reminding her of her previous self “I hope one day you will find the love and compassion that used to fill your heart.” before promptly showing he’s more than capable of taking on the High Priestess.
All is right in the land of Camelot now - Except Morgana still seeks revenge…and Merlin STILL hasn’t told Arthur…and Arthur and Gwen haven’t kissed…and the Dochraid knows Merlin’s true identity…and Mordred is gonna kill Arthur - and not to mention the therapy Aithusa will need after being saddled with Morgana for so long due to the great Dragon abandoning the poor mite. *Phew* How many eps we got left?
At this late stage in the game not enough risk was taken to make this as powerful as it could have been. The Mordred element of the story hasn’t worked due to lack of screen time and plot movement. I think the creators have underestimated audience reaction not that they should be swayed by that, but for most the reveal of Merlin’s magic is just as much about the dynamics between Arthur and Merlin as it is about the “reveal”
Albion here we come!
SFX: Merlin 5.09 REVIEW [★★★½☆☆]
[click to read]Merlin 5.09 “With All My Heart” REVIEW
TV REVIEW Merlin puts on a dress in order to help Arthur free Gwen from Morgana’s evil brainwashing.
★★★½☆☆
5.09 “With All My Heart”
Writer: Richard McBrien
Director: Alice Troughton
THE ONE WHERE Arthur learns about Guinevere’s treachery and, on Gaius’s advice, kidnaps her and takes her to a sacred lake in order to break the spell. Merlin pretends to be an old woman so he can help.
VERDICT So that was the resolution of the Evil Guinevere mini plot arc? I’m glad it’s over so Camelot’s story can move forward and in many ways tonight’s episode was exciting with a couple of terrific performances. But it tries far too hard to be “fun” (enough with the comedy music please!) and it fails to satisfy logically, forcing our heroes to act in odd ways depending on the needs of the scene.
Perhaps knowing that the audience has been waiting for a big reveal, the episode refuses to do the expected. We learn that Merlin has told Arthur about Gwen’s treachery in the first few moments (hell, it was in one of the BBC’s promo clips) and it’s a dark, tense little scene. About 14 minutes in it looks like Gaius is going to reveal that Merlin is Emrys but instead he says, “I have chosen… a woman!” These moments actually give the episode some momentum - with the threat of revelation removed we can sit back and enjoy seeing how things unfold. In the past we’ve been frustrated that Arthur and Gaius don’t listen to Merlin despite our hero uncovering a million plots in Camelot - this time, though, there’s no messing about; everybody believes Merlin right from the start. And when Merlin is concerned that somebody is watching them and Arthur says “One of your funny feelings again?” that’s clearly enough for him this time. A small but significant sign of Merlin’s continuing growth in Arthur’s esteem?
And yet later Arthur completely forgets that the Dolma is supposed to have taken Merlin hostage! It’s bizarre that one minute Arthur would be prepared to literally leap off a cliff in search of his fallen friend, but half an hour later doesn’t even notice he’s not there. The showrunners are obviously playing it for laughs at this point, but it just comes across as random and unnecessary. There are other examples of this. One minute Arthur is entrusting Merlin with drugging the queen, the next he’s putting in his place (“you’re the servant!”). It could just be meant as examples of the comfortable banter between the two of them, but other characters suffer convenient memory loss too: when Mordred confronts Morgana she says, “My quarrel isn’t with you Mordred!” Really? He stabbed her in the back and left her for dead then joined her sworn enemies on the Round Table, didn’t he? That’s cool now, is it? Meanwhile old Emrys, a character played for laughs the last time we saw him, is as serious as a schoolmaster when he confronts the Dochraid - he resorts to swordplay instead of sorcery and gives the old crone a couple of flesh wounds. Am I the only one who thought it was out of character for Merlin to respond so aggressively? Especially to somebody of the Old Religion, former ally of Morgana or not.
And part of the inconsistency this week comes from the mixed attempts at comedy. Gwen falling face first into a plate of bread seems out of place in a plot that is otherwise so dark. And then there’s Merlin as Dolma, the sorceress. It’s a funny idea, I guess, and it’s important to recognise Colin Morgan’s great voice acting, but this ancient sorceress shtick borders on parody. Merlin dragging up and sweeping his hair out of his eyes from time to time feels very pantomime. And is anybody there really falling for it? When he disguises himself as Emrys at least he has a beard to help the deception. Dolma just looks like Merlin in a black dress.
But Dolma does give Arthur a nudge towards reconsidering the role of magic. In an episode where Arthur has already accepted, while plotting with Gaius, that sometimes you need to fight sorcery with sorcery, it’s significant that Arthur opens his ears to the idea that magic can be used for good.
GUEST STAR LITE You’ve got the Dochraid again, but there are no new guest stars this week - looks like the showrunners spent all the budget on location, Aithusa the dragon and Merlin’s makeup. Okay, perhaps not much on Merlin’s makeup.
THE END Unless you’ve been living in a cave like the Dochraid, you’ll have heard by now that it’s official: Merlin finishes for good at the end of this series. Despite earlier optimism, it was confirmed this week that the show is wrapping up after December’s two-part conclusion.
That means there are just four further episodes left for them to wrap up the entire story. We’re promised “a spectacular finale” and we can assume it involves the fight between Mordred and Arthur prophesied in “Arthur’s Bane (Part 1)“. This week’s conclusion of the Traitor Gwen arc points us back on track but there still seems like a lot of character development required before we reach a satisfying conclusion. Feel free to speculate in the comment thread below about what needs to happen. And in the meantime, if you’re already anticipating withdrawal symptoms remember there’s an official Facebook Merlin game you can join. Trailer here:
THE TITLE As explained 36 minutes in, the title “With All My Heart” is a reference to how Gwen replied when Arthur suggested they get married. It becomes a magic spell here to reach the undamaged part of her.
SPELLING TEST I wish their offensive spells were more than just the familiar air punch. Why don’t they cast lightning or fire or do a Force choke or something more often?
HERBALISM 101 Our anti-Gwen conspirators use “tincture of belladonna” which Merlin describes as a “powerful and dangerous drug”. Yep, this is better known as Deadly Nightshade (atropa belladonna) and is one of the most toxic plants in the world. Stay clear.
INFLUENCES At the start of the series, with all the snow and multiple viewpoints, people were worried that Game Of Thrones might be an influence on Merlin. But this recent run of Brainwashed Gwen episodes mean I suspect the showrunners have actually been watching Homeland.
LMAO
Arthur: “Why would a recluse want to be paid in clothes?”
Merlin: “I don’t know - she’s a sorceress, she’s not going to be normal is she?!”
NITPICK Why doesn’t Mordred recognise what the path-side banners are? Merlin explains they mark the way for pilgrims of the Old Religion - but Mordred should know this stuff, he is a druid himself and grew up among them, raised by druid master Cerdan.
SLASH BAIT There’s a growing connection between Mordred and Arthur isn’t there? “I just wanted you to know I’m always at your service,” says the lad. Could that frostiness around the campfire be caused, in part, by jealousy? Arthur seems to favour Mordred and Merlin doesn’t like it. Although surely Merlin can’t doubt Arthur’s affection for him when he leapt after him over the cliff (see above). As an aside, I very briefly imagined something between Gwen and Percival: “I don’t always wish to be ‘your highness’ Percival…” she says as they meet after dark.
A LITTLE DVD COMPETITION Let’s see who’s reading this far. I just so happen to have a brand new copy of this three-disc Merlin Series Five DVD box set. It’s volume one, so it contains episodes one to six from this series, plus audio commentaries with cast and crew, deleted scenes and out-takes. It’s available for about £14 on Amazon right now, but I’ll give this one away free to one of these week’s commenters. When you comment on this episode, below, at the end make sure you include a note that you’ve seen this and you want to be considered for the DVD. I’ll pick what I think is the best comment during the week and dispatch this to that person. (Usual competition T&Cs apply, free to enter and no purchase necessary, my decision is final, and all that; I’ll announce the lucky winner in next week’s review.) Get commenting!
THE LEGEND Today’s quest takes them to the Cauldron of Arianrhod. Arianrhod is a Celtic figure from Welsh mythology, featuring in the Mabinogion. Some sources cast her as part of the Triple Goddess (in Merlin, that’s the druidic deity served by the Disir and Morgana).
MORE IN PRINT Free Merlin postcards! New interview with Colin Morgan and Bradley James! Yes, if you want something else to read this week, why not pick up SFX magazine’s new TV special?
BEST LINE
Arthur: “Merlin, you know what happens if you drop her.”
Merlin: “I know, I lose my head.”
Arthur: “So we’re clear.”
SFX: SFX TV Sci-Fi Championship League Of The Week: 5
TVEquals: Merlin Series 5 Review
[click to read]Merlin Series 5 Review “With All My Heart” - Can Gwen Be Saved?
After the news that series 5 of Merlin is to be the last, I think we were all justified in expecting ‘With All My Heart’ to blow us away and remind us just why we love this show. For some fans it may have done just that, but I find myself continually amazed at how close Merlin comes to excellence before suddenly veering away.
This episode saw the evil!Gwen storyline get wrapped up after her being Morgana’s puppet for most of four episodes. ‘With All My Heart’ actually opened on an amazing premise - Gwen snuck out to rendezvous with Morgana, but the audience saw that Arthur and Merlin were watching. After being disappointed by Merlin’s silence on the matter last week, I was glad to see that he’d finally broached the subject with Arthur.
The only way to break Morgana’s hold on Gwen was to take her to the Cauldron of Arianrhod and do a spell. Merlin found this out after talking to the only female as powerful as Morgana, The Drochraid. (Merlin has a habit of randomly throwing in characters we should have heard of before and The Drochraid is one of them. There have been many instances - some of them dire situations - in the past where a character like her should probably have been mentioned.) Of course, the only person powerful enough to do the spell was Merlin.
If there was ever a time for Merlin to reveal his magic to Arthur, it was this week. How could Arthur possibly shun Merlin after the reveal? He would have been forced to keep Merlin close in order for the spell to be cast to bring back Gwen’s free will. Instead what followed was a ridiculous drag act, one in which Merlin was clearly recognisable. (Although major kudos has to be given to Colin for his voice work this week. He’s incredibly versatile.)
I must confess to being a bit confused by the whole setup at the lake. In order for Merlin to do the spell, Gwen had to enter the water of her own free will. The ensuing spell would release Gwen from Morgana’s will and give her back her own free will. So she had to demonstrate her own free will in order to gain her own free will? I get what they were trying to achieve, but this doesn’t make much sense.
Perhaps it would have made slightly more sense if Gwen had been more resistant; Arthur’s speech was incredibly romantic and it’s lovely that Gwen remembering her feelings for him was what broke Morgana’s hold on her, but it happened too quickly. (I actually checked this on the iPlayer - from Gwen waking up to her embracing Arthur in the lake was three minutes out of a 43 minute episode.)
And let us not forget that it’s all been for nothing. There is no leftover detail from this that will come back to bite Arthur and Merlin, no secret Gwen told that will be used in future, no trap already in place that she will forget about, not unless we were not shown it, and if not then why not? Evil!Gwen was fantastic, but all she achieved was a few half-baked murder attempts. This storyline was little more than a showcase for Morgana’s ineptitude. She’s no longer a villain to fear, which is a strange way to approach someone who is supposed to be one of the most powerful sorcerers in existence.
Away from the Gwen plot, we got confirmation this week that Mordred isn’t secretly working with Morgana. The verbal exchanges between Mordred-Merlin and Mordred-Morgana were all fantastic and showed how the three sorcerers are so different in their ways of thinking. Alas, the scenes were marred somewhat by that stupid magic throw that all sorcerers apparently have to use. I was also wondering why Merlin didn’t just tell Mordred that he’s a dragon lord. It’s not really something that Mordred could use against him if he was evil, is it?
I’ve already praised Colin Morgan, but the entire cast did a great job on this episode. (It’s a shame Alexander Vlahos (Mordred) couldn’t have joined the show before series five because he’s been woefully underused so far, this episode excepted.) I just wish that the writing was as good as all of their performances. Here’s hoping the next four episodes really pull out all the stops and aim Merlin towards a fantastic series finale in three weeks time.
WhatCulture: TV Review: Merlin - 05.09 [★★★☆☆]
[click to read]TV Review: Merlin - With All My Heart
★★★☆☆
Well, it had to happen sometime: finally, we’ve reached the culmination of the over-elongated ‘Puppet Queen’ arc which has helped Merlin tread water with solid-if-inconsistent offerings these past three weeks. With All My Heart truly feels as if it marks the beginning of the end for the show given what we know of its broadcast future, but as with Arthur’s Bane Part 2, it’s an arc-heavy episode that suffers from the weight of its various plot elements. As Merlin adventures go, it’s still a decent episode, but we’ve certainly seen far better work this season.
The first twist in the tale came with the revelation that Arthur had listened to Merlin’s suspicions of Gwen and that they were thus spying on the influenced Queen. Sure enough, Angel Coulby’s feisty monarch was seen plotting with Morgana once again, only for our dynamic duo to counter-plot a way of redeeming their loved one’s soul. First though, we had a quick side-step to the realm of the Dochraid, bringing us a scene that was undoubtedly the highlight of the episode as a whole.
Already this season, we’d had teasers of the elder Emrys incarnation of our hero returning to the show, albeit through blatant comedy scenes that did little to sate fans’ appetites Thankfully, that wasn’t the case this week- Colin Morgan clearly loved playing a darker older version of his famed protagonist, threatening the ancient sorceress with the power of Excalibur and hinting at the dark deeds he will be prepared to perform in the weeks ahead to keep his closest ally safe for the throne. Not since the murder of Agravaine have we seen the ‘young’ warlock so dedicated to his cause, which made this early battle such a highlight for those of us who’ve followed Merlin throughout its five-year reign on BBC One.
Once that was done with, though, we moved firmly back into sub-par territory. A quest across the outer kingdoms of Camelot involved the Dochraid and Morgana manipulating the elements to stop Arthur and his servant reaching their goal, only for Mordred to save them from impending death. As you could have guessed from a mile off, this turn of events forced Morgan and Vhalos back into awkward exchanges where Merlin practically spoke out his suspicions regarding the latest Knight Of The Round Table. Even with the dramatic irony of understanding our hero’s worries about his vision back in Episode One, such predictable dialogue became tiresome for a fan like myself, really enforcing the sense that this was another ‘filler’ episode for a season that should have been cut down to ten instalments if this was to be the case.
A more pleasant surprise was that of Aithusa. Last week’s The Hollow Queen hinted at the torture of this young dragon, yet featured no such appearance from the mythical creature, so it was at least satisfying to get a few cameos in this adventure where Merlin once again showed off his Dragonborn talents. There was no sign of John Hurt’s Great Dragon here, and thus it feels safe to say that the much-anticipated flying flame-breather war will come at the battle of Camelot in the upcoming two-part finale. All the same, the special effects were fairly impressive in the Aithusa scenes, and indeed Kate McGrath’s interactions with the CGI beast were believable.
Ah, but what Ms McGrath gets and giveth, the writing team on the fantasy drama must seemingly always take away. Proof of this, you say? Whereas the Morgana we’ve seen in past weeks has been an empathetic and layered villainess who we’ve all loved to hate, now yet again the High Priestess was reduced to pantomime theatrics and an enduring Terminator-esque passion to survive that continued to highlight the non-entity status of the episode in the greater arc of the run. McGrath did at least get chance to attempt to manipulate Vhalos’ character to the dark side, yet she failed for the second time, suggesting the action of change that we know is coming will feel rather sudden and misplaced. Trust me, based on how American dramas have handled one-off storylines rather than those developed through an arc, this isn’t likely to end well.
Ultimately, Colin Morgan’s Merlin shifted into a female version of himself, testament to the tonal inconsistency of the overall episode. No matter what the impending relevance of ‘her’ message to Arthur to remember the positive deeds that magic has allowed this week, this performance was clearly played for laughs and little more, which was a real disappointment for a season so dedicated to producing quality darker moments. This brings me to the conclusion that for all its perks, With All My Heart remains merely an average Merlin episode, one that’ll never touch the ‘Best Of’ lists for 2012′s television offerings. There’s no harm done to the series’ legacy here, but Merlin needs to up the ante in the final four episodes of its run if it wants to leave us with a truly impactful closure come December 29th.
[click to read]MERLIN, 5.9 - 'With All My Heart'
written by Richard McBrien / directed by Alice Troughton
★★☆☆
The transformation of Queen Gwen (Angel Coulby) from loyal wife to treacherous villain has been a weak spot for this final series, so while I was happy it came to a conclusion during "With All My Heart", it was handled so poorly that I think I'd advise future generations just skip the two episodes between this and "The Dark Tower". Things didn't start well, with King Arthur (Bradley James) simply being told Gwen's in league with Morgana (Katie McGrath) without any sufficient build-up to this revelation. There was simply no drama in how this was done; more a feeling that the writers couldn't think of a more interesting way for Arthur to realise his wife's been brainwashed. It must rank as one of Merlin's most disappointing pay-offs ever.
Allowing for that blunder of storytelling, the rest of this episode wasn't up to much. I was particularly irritated by the second revelation that, according to Gaius (Richard Wilson), the cause of Gwen's condition is entirely magical in origin. We were clearly led to believe during "The Dark Tower" that Gwen had been poisoned against her husband by Morgana after sustained mental torture. While this idea wasn't convincing, I thought the whole intention of Gwen's change of heart was that it came from a place of non-magic-so would hence be difficult to unravel. But no, it was magic; thus easy to reverse over the course of a humdrum hour of quest-based hokum, with Arthur and Merlin (Colin Morgan) taking Gwen to a special lake to be cleansed with the help of a female sorcerer (actually Merlin in disguise as an old crone). They even threw in Mordred (X) to join them, who's been largely absent since the premiere despite being introduced as a very important character on the show. I'm not quite sure why this has been the case this series, but it's definitely had a negative effect on the potential behind Modred as an adversary and rival for Merlin.
It was quite a clutter of odd events and uncharacteristic behaviour this week. Since when did Old Merlin become such a bad-ass? It's preferable to seeing him as a bumbling fool, but the change in attitude made little sense. And seeing Merlin wield a sword to ruthlessly kill a witch known as The Dochraid (Maureen Carr) was so against his nature I was taken aback. If the Old Merlin is a glimpse of what the character will be fifty years from now, I'm not sure I like it. And how did Merlin survive a huge fall down a cliff? Why did he land about 20 metres from the cliff edge below? Why did Arthur scramble down after him, given the obvious danger without a rope? And why did he also land so far away from the edge and manage to survive?
"With All My Heart" was one of those episodes that totally lost the focus on what was important (Arthur's struggle to restore his wife to normality), and simply allowed you to nit-pick all of the ridiculous moments. Even the climactic moment with Gwen being saved by remember her wedding vow to Arthur was curiously unemotional and, when it was over, the sense of relief was negligible. Maybe this was because the story polluted any drama with the appearance of Merlin in drag, putting on a Panto Dame voice. (Although Crone Merlin was still preferable to Old Merlin, I must admit, because she at least felt more competent and didn't irritate both the viewers and Arthur.)
This episode only really existed to undo the events of "The Dark Tower", so it was ultimately a forgettable hour and the conclusion of a very unpersuasive mini-arc for Gwen's character. Why have they wasted time on that, when they could have been playing up the antagonism and mistrust between Merlin and Mordred? That's a far richer source of drama, as both men are secretly sorcerers and vying for the favouritism of Arthur. I guess the only important thing about this episode is how Crone Merlin unsubtly made Arthur consider the fact that sorcery isn't inherently evil... but evil resides in people's hearts. Undoubtedly this will come into play around the time of the finale, when Arthur has an epiphany and probably man-hugs with Merlin in the last ten minutes. Then Merlin can merrily go around telekinetically throwing peasants through the air with impunity. Or something.
If you haven't already heard, Merlin's creators have decided to call time on their own show this series. The only person who's grateful is Simon Cowell, because X Factor will perhaps inherit 3 or 4 million extra viewers next winter. I made my thoughts clear earlier this week, but I'm ultimately unsurprised the writers have realised they're narratively incapable of sustaining the show... and yet angry they haven't done a better job with the larger concerns of the show-particularly regarding Merlin's magical secret.
I'll be sad to see Merlin end, of course, but sadder if it leaves us rolling our eyes over the many wasted opportunities.
DenOfGeek: Merlin series 5 episode 9 review
[click to read] Merlin series 5 episode 9 review: With All My Heart
Merlin is set to go out on a real high, judging by this week's episode...
Gwen, it seems, isn't above a bit of emotional blackmail as she continues her treacherous association with Morgana this week. Percival may be convinced, but it appears that Arthur has discovered the truth and must get to the bottom of the betrayal.
To help Gwen and release her from the wicked magic, Gaius sends Merlin to meet an ancient being, the Dochraid, though he must disguise himself as Old Merlin as the Dochraid has heightened senses and would recognise the good in our favourite wizard.
Sadly, the Dochraid can see through the disguise and he is forced to threaten her to discover the truth, effectively brandishing his sword and injuring the ancient in order to extract the necessary information that will save the Queen.
All it will take is a perilous journey to the White Goddess and for Gwen to willingly step into the Great Cauldron, whilst a spell is cast to free her from her torment. Though initially suspicious of such a magical remedy, Arthur is convinced by Gaius in order to save his one true love.
Of course, things don't run smoothly as Arthur, Gaius and Merlin kidnap the Queen whilst the Dochraid helps Morgana seek her revenge.
Thankfully, Mordred has had his own suspicions that lead to him rescue Arthur and Merlin in the nick of time, subdue Morgana and reaffirm his conviction to the cause (though it’s not clear to whom he is truly allied), whilst Arthur reminds Gwen of their love and the darkest of spells is broken. The last five minutes are truly beautiful and show the strength of Bradley James and Angel Coulby in their roles. It is such a simple exchange, yet it feels so authentic.
Richard McBrien’s script is superb, bringing a fine combination of humour and pathos, drama and intrigue to the final half of the final series of Merlin. He gives us a wonderful story of strength, love and emotion without overdoing any of these aspects.
Humour is clearly in evidence as Arthur, Merlin and Gaius plot to deal with the Queen, with Merlin doing most of the work. It does border on farce a number of times, with Bradley James coming up with exceedingly outlandish reasons for his behaviour, whilst Colin Morgan is saddled with being the butt of many jokes. The sequence with Gaius and Merlin trying to sneak the Queen out of the castle brought about memories of the film 9 to 5!
Whilst Morgan mostly covers the comedy, Bradley James gets to be heroic and commanding whilst Katie McGrath delivers an emotional performance as she begins to lose control of events. Binding the characters together is a great turn from Alexander Vlahos as Mordred, with his loyalty to Arthur, attempts to overcome Merlin’s suspicious and his distrust of Morgana filling out the final act. His cutting words toward Morgana are delivered with such venom and McGrath's reaction, understated and emotional, is perfectly played. His is a character that has certainly shaken the foundations of the two magic users.
With Arthur having to put his faith in magic, and Gaius offering the services of a female magic user, Colin Morgan gets a dual turn - Old Merlin has only a few minutes' screen time and manages to be more threatening than annoying, whilst we also see Old Woman Merlin with an incredibly camp voice that would make some drag acts squirm! Much is made of the fact that Old Woman Merlin looks far too much like regular Merlin; it’s clearly being played for laughs and, thankfully, doesn’t take too much away from the otherwise dramatic storyline.
Visual effects are at a series high, with The Dochraid being portrayed by Maureen Carr. With ashen skin and an eyeless, rotting face, it wouldn’t have looked out of place in some horror films. Carr’s vocal work is equally creepy. As with many of these tertiary characters, the lack of screen time is a bit disappointing.
In more ambitious special effects, Morgana's dragon makes an impact this week and looks rather impressive in its emaciated state, breathing fire and swooping from the sky. Sadly, it doesn’t spend too much time on the screen. As many will know, it was recently announced that this series of Merlin would be the last series. With only four more episodes to go (including the final two-part story), Merlin is on course to deliver a knock out finale. Morgana has lost her ace in the hole, Arthur will no doubt be seeking revenge, Merlin has left Arthur with a reminder that magic saved his loved one and Mordred’s destiny is still to be played out.
There’s plenty of ground still to cover and the series certainly looks like it will be going out on a real high.
DigitalSpy: 'Merlin': New episode '05.09' review [★★★★☆]
[click to read]'Merlin': New episode 'With All My Heart' review
So between last week's Merlin and tonight's new instalment, the BBC announced that the show would not be returning for a sixth run in 2013 - this current fifth run is to be the show's last, with just five episodes remaining to wrap up the show's multiple story strands. Would this mean that 'With All My Heart' would take big steps in advancing the series towards its conclusion?
One of those lingering Merlin plot threads is the 'dark Gwen' arc, and this week's episode certainly does take a surprising turn a mere two minutes in when it's revealed that Gwen and Morgana's latest scheming session is being spied on by Arthur (Bradley James) and Merlin (Colin Morgan).
It always makes for a refreshing change when the frequently clueless Arthur is seen to be in the know and he quickly takes steps to thwart Morgana, but has he made a mistake in taking on Mordred (Alexander Vlahos) as one of his trusted few?
Gwen's new-found villainy is quickly revealed to be the result of powerful dark magic - let's face it, she was never *really* going to turn out to be a proper baddie - which sends Merlin on a quest to uncover the secret of her salvation. Rather than simply lingering on the sidelines, looking concerned, as he is often wont to do, Colin Morgan's lead is again pleasingly proactive here.
But our hero's spurned by the hideous Dochraid - one of this show's most memorably gruesome creations, last glimpsed in series four's 'Lancelot du Lac' - forcing him to lash out at the creature with his enchanted blade. It's the most ruthless Merlin's been since he killed Agravaine... and we're loving it.
To save his Queen, Merlin must summon the White Goddess and convince Gwen to willingly enter an enchanted lake, but he knows that only Arthur can reach his wife. The King is once again forced to embrace magic here and the relative ease with which he again accepts sorcery is telling - a hint at developments yet to come, perhaps?
Of course, Arthur would never trust Dragoon again - given the role Merlin's older self apparently played in Uther's demise - but the moment when Gaius (Richard Wilson) drops Merlin in it, forcing the warlock to disguise himself as a woman, is a genuine laugh-out-loud moment. Colin Morgan clearly has a ball in the scenes that follow too, outrageously camping it up as the old crone.
In fact, despite its dark themes, 'With All My Heart' does make plenty of room for humour - witness Merlin, Gaius and Arthur larking about as they attempt to secretly transport a drugged and unconscious Gwen outside of the castle grounds...
But the levity doesn't last for long: a rockfall traps Arthur - 127 Hours style - and though Mordred arrives in the nick of time to save his King, does his arrival portend an even worse fate? Another moment we've been waiting on for weeks finally surfaces here, with Morded confronting Merlin about their ambivalent relationship, which remains one of the show's most interesting dynamics.
As the episode reaches its climax, Morgana (Katie McGrath) unleashes the fiery power of Aithusa upon our heroes and Merlin willingly leaves Mordred to her mercy - but it transpires that the knight is more than capable of defending himself from her onslaught...
The capacity of Mordred's power has never truly been explored. Is he more powerful than Morgana? More powerful than Merlin? Should we expect a three-way battle in the series finale to decide who's the mightiest magician of them all?
Ultimately of course Gwen is won back over to the side of good. The sequence in which Arthur implores her to return to him is powerfully played by on-screen lovers Bradley James and Angel Coulby - there's shades of the Buffy season six finale, in which Xander (Nicholas Brendon) begged a corrupted Willow (Alyson Hannigan) to let go of her rage.
Whether intentionally or not, the news of Merlin's demise has come at the perfect time, with series five having gained a new impetus. Following a brief lull, the show is back on track with this week's instalment - if the show's final four episodes can match 'With All My Heart' for quality and pace, then we're in for a treat.
★★★★☆
DorkAdore: Merlin: 05.09 - Dork Review
[click to read]Merlin: With All My Heart - Dork Review
This week, Merlin finally brings an end to the Evil Gwen storyline, after weeks of confusion. Not to mention, dragons, cross-dressing, Emrys and the awful knowledge that, yes, the series ends at Christmas, so anything could happen as we build to a climax.
Sounds like With All My Heart must be good, doesn’t it? As ever, watch on iPlayer first if you don’t do spoilers.
The Age Of Merlin Ageing
I must admit, impatient though I was for the Evil Gwen story to finally end, I was disappointed that we cut straight to Arthur knowing the truth. The scene where Merlin has to convince him his wife is a traitor surely quite an important one?
But this was a hectic episode, even by Merlin standards, so I can’t blame them for wanting to get the hell on with it. We had a heroic Emrys confronting an elderly witch - excellent make-up job on her, by the way - and then the big quest to restore Gwen’s soul. Oh, but not before the comedy wheelbarrow scene, which was excellent.
But nowhere near as funny as Merlin’s latest ridiculous secret identity. Colin Morgan once again under heavy make-up as elderly she-Merlin, camping it up ludicrously. Not sure I’d want this gag broken out every week, it’s a bit silly even by Merlin standards, but did make me laugh.
Conclusions, Past And Present
They managed a real sense of importance with the last third of this episode, bringing all the plots together: Evil Gwen, Mordred, Morgana, Aithusa. In fact, if the Evil Gwen storyline accomplishes nothing else, it fed back in to the much more interesting Mordred subplot, which will hopefully stay at the forefront.
The Gwen arc itself suffered badly from a strange desire to make us believe she had “really” turned, yet writing her much too unrepentantly evil for that. The ambiguous version of this arc would’ve required a degree of subtlety the Merlin writers don’t seem to possess, so it’s probably better for everyone that it’s finally over.
To be honest, the conclusion to this episode was sudden, considering it’s resolving the last four episodes of plot, but I’m so glad it’s finished, hardly going to complain. This leaves us with a clear run of four more episodes left to tie up… oh, just the entire show. Anyone want to place some bets on when Arthur will find out the truth about Merlin? I reckon the penultimate episode, shortly after Gaius inevitably dies.
GeekSyndicate: TV REVIEW: Merlin Series 5, Episode 9 [3/5]
[click to read]TV REVIEW: Merlin Series 5, Episode 9 - With All My Heart
Enough is enough - Merlin has had it with Gwen (and Morgana’s) scheming and is ready to put an end to it. And boy was I glad because this storyline dragged on far too long, especially with the series ending for good later this month. Merlin must act fast and will need help but only the most powerful magic can save the Queen and this will not be easy, even for Merlin.
Gwen tries sneaking out of the castle but is caught by Sir Percival before she can make a clean getaway. To get him off her trail, she invokes Elyan’s name and believes that sympathy for her fallen brother and his friend are enough to let her go without alerting Arthur. Oh how wrong she is! In the woods, we see her give Morgana a map outlining levy collection trails and other details. What they don’t know is that Arthur is watching the entire thing from behind a tree, with Merlin by his side. I was pleasantly surprised that this wouldn’t necessarily be a “Merlin-must-do-this-on-his-own” type of “quest”.
Arthur, enraged by this latest betrayal pulls his sword out of it’s scabbard but his hand is stayed by Merlin, who says they’ll find a way to free Gwen from the dark magic she is under. Another surprise - I guess Gwen wasn’t brainwashed; it would’ve made this entire tired storyline for her more interesting. Oh well!
Back in Camelot, Arthur and Gwen are dining in his rooms and he’s just staring at her, not eating the food that’s there, or agreeing to go out with her. Way to be more obvious that the jig is up! After he makes a hasty exit, he gathers Mordred & Leon in a secret locked room to set a new levy collection route that must be committed to memory. He’s not taking chances and won’t tell them why he’s doing this, just that they trust him.
Gaius has the answers to everything and tells Merlin of the ritual that would free Gwen - but only Morgana & the Dochraid would know the details as it was only told to female magic users. Merlin turns into Dragoon and goes to the Dochraid to get the details and when she refuses, he wields Excalibur and injures her to get the information. As he leaves, the Dochraid sees a sword and tries to kill Dragoon - only for him to stop it in midair and strike her down. We always tend to see Old Merlin as the comic relief and this stark ruthlessness was a bit unnerving. The need to protect Arthur and their destiny is driving Merlin down paths I didn’t think we’d see him take.
Once Gaius sells Arthur on this new plan - he tells him he’s chosen a new sorcerer. SHE will be waiting by the Cauldron of Ariandra that they must have Gwen willingly enter for the spell to be broken. The look on Merlin’s face when he realizes that he has to turn into a woman is priceless. A tincture of Belladonna serves to knock Gwen out cold. The way that they go about slipping her the tampered wine is great - Angel Coulby’s slapstick fall into her pie is spot on while Bradley James, Colin Morgan and Richard Wilson’s comedic timing is pretty perfect as they all stare at her and wait for it to take effect.
Hefting an unconscious Gwen in a wheelbarrow and getting out unnoticed proves to be harder than it looks. Merlin and Gaius encounter Gwaine & Mordred, the latter of which makes an excuse that they’re carrying infected linens. Gwen’s arm falls as they leave though, making Mordred do a double-take but he doesn’t say anything. In the caves, the Dochraid isn’t dead after all and chants out a spell to warn Morgana. As Merlin and Arthur make their way through the fields, Merlin says they’re being watched and Arthur believes his manservant’s “funny feelings” this time, agreeing to go a different way. As they talk and walk, Merlin falls and is rendered unconscious. Arthur goes after him but falls and his arm ends up stuck under a rock which he’s about to cut off when Mordred yells down to them.
Merlin isn’t pleased that Mordred is there and Arthur realizes that Merlin’s funny feeling about being watched as right once more. They make their way to the Cauldron and are attacked by Aithusa. To distract Arthur, both Mordred & Merlin demand he take Gwen to safety but Merlin makes Mordred stay behind so he can use his dragonlord powers to stop the young dragon. Doesn’t look like anyone but Gaius knows that Merlin is a Dragonlord. It works but Morgana blasts them from behind but only manages to knock out Mordred while Merlin runs to safety, leaving Mordred behind.
He lies to Arthur by telling them that Mordred has given them an opportunity that they cannot waste. The way Mordred has been portrayed so far is that he is good and trying to prove his loyalty so Merlin leaving him behind seems like an awful thing to do. However, don’t forget that in the opening episodes this series, Mordred left Merlin to die as well, so I guess they’re even…for now.
Morgana strokes Mordred’s face and he snaps awake asking why she hasn’t killed him. She says they’re of a kind but he disagrees and when she asks him where Emrys is, Mordred lies, saying that they’d feel the presence of such a great power. She buys it and is going to kill him as he’s now useless but he questions her motives about slaying one of her own. He plays her like a fiddle, continuing to appeal to her weakness for him - while he doesn’t have the power to defeat her, he hopes she finds the love and compassion that once used to fill her heart one day.
With that, we see Mordred’s first display of magic as an adult - he blasts her into unconsciousness. Arthur and Merlin make it to the Cauldron and Merlin makes an excuse to go transform into the Dolma, the recluse ancient sorceress meant to preform the dangerous spell to heal Gwen. Colin Morgan as a woman is the funniest thing ever - even better than Dragoon. The Dolma states the terms that Gaius said earlier - she must walk in of her own free will.
Gwen awakens and tries to fight against Arthur’s words but he reminds of her of what she said when he asked her to marry him: “With all my heart.” The words get through to her - to the part of her that hasn’t been touched by Morgana and the spell works. Before they leave, the Dolma’s only request is that he remember that magic saved his Queen. What he does forget however is Merlin and the Dolma gets quite offput at that…seeing as how she’s really Merlin in disguise. Arthur doesn’t quite understand why she’s upset but agrees to give Merlin the afternoon off in reward. She waves him off to run behind a rock and transform back - which we don’t get to see.
On the ride back to Camelot, Mordred recognizes what Merlin has done and does every day for Arthur with no reward or recognition. Merlin states that as long as his friend is safe, that’s all he wants. Mordred says they both have the future of Camelot in common. Overall, this was a decent episode that sets the story back on track for the final 4 episodes of Merlin ever.
InsideMediaTrack: ‘Merlin’ 5.9: review
[click to read]‘Merlin’ 5.9: ‘With All My Heart’ review
Arthur has a lesson in love - just mind that big puddle there Gwen!
First of all: Never mind the sad news Merlin is to be no more; what about the fact my Gwen / Morgana / Mordred prediction was wrong? *shrugs shoulders and goes back to the drawing board to outwit those pesky writers* Mwah…Ahem…oh right. Yes. Review.
Merlin has always triumphed at depicting just the right amount of light and shade, however as much as I enjoyed some of the comedy elements of this episode I felt it needed to take the risk of showing us the dark drama without interspersing the humour in key scenes, which for me diluted - and in some instances made what should have been dramatic and tense script into a disappointing circus sideshow.
Arthur now knows his beloved has befallen Morgana’s witchery (how we’re not privy to) Arthur’s determined not to lose her, Merlin goes in search of an answer to break to spell and visits the Dochraid (played brilliantly by Maureen Carr); a hideous creature of the earth who with hostility and a threat of Merlin’s sword reveals Gwen’s “body is nothing but an empty vessel filled by the will of another.” But…there is a way! They must take Gwen to the cauldron of the Goddess’ where “the queen must enter the water willingly. If she is tricked, forced or beguiled she will fall into the abyss and be lost forever.”
So how do you get a queen to the Cauldron? Drug her and sling her over your horse like a sack of spuds if you do it Arthur’s way. Really Arthur? You were only just bemoaning about Merlin using a linen cart! At least with that she didn’t have all the blood rushing to her head. Good job she’s not herself or Arthur might be spending his nights on that linen cart. Once at the cauldron, thanks to Gaius, Merlin must transform into a women to perform the ceremony which was supposed to be draining and difficult to perform? Yet again Merlin managed with ease; While Arthur has to convince a now awakened and resisting Gwen to walk in the water of her own free will by reminding her of their engagement and her love for him “With all my heart.” This had the potential to be a very sweet moment and one I would have liked them to go more dramatic on but despite Angel Coulby and Bradley James’ heartfelt performances unfortunately the absurdity of Merlin in drag kind of ruined any atmosphere for me.
However that’s not to say Colin Morgan’s performance wasn’t as always spot on. He handed his duality well and delivered his wise words with sincerity. And then we come to Morgana who is so close to losing her ‘puppet’ and only human friend she’s prepared to kill Mordred when he refuses to divulge who Emrys really is. Mordred pleads he’s no match for her before reminding her of her previous self “I hope one day you will find the love and compassion that used to fill your heart.” before promptly showing he’s more than capable of taking on the High Priestess.
All is right in the land of Camelot now - Except Morgana still seeks revenge…and Merlin STILL hasn’t told Arthur…and Arthur and Gwen haven’t kissed…and the Dochraid knows Merlin’s true identity…and Mordred is gonna kill Arthur - and not to mention the therapy Aithusa will need after being saddled with Morgana for so long due to the great Dragon abandoning the poor mite. *Phew* How many eps we got left?
At this late stage in the game not enough risk was taken to make this as powerful as it could have been. The Mordred element of the story hasn’t worked due to lack of screen time and plot movement. I think the creators have underestimated audience reaction not that they should be swayed by that, but for most the reveal of Merlin’s magic is just as much about the dynamics between Arthur and Merlin as it is about the “reveal”
Albion here we come!
SFX: Merlin 5.09 REVIEW [★★★½☆☆]
[click to read]Merlin 5.09 “With All My Heart” REVIEW
TV REVIEW Merlin puts on a dress in order to help Arthur free Gwen from Morgana’s evil brainwashing.
★★★½☆☆
5.09 “With All My Heart”
Writer: Richard McBrien
Director: Alice Troughton
THE ONE WHERE Arthur learns about Guinevere’s treachery and, on Gaius’s advice, kidnaps her and takes her to a sacred lake in order to break the spell. Merlin pretends to be an old woman so he can help.
VERDICT So that was the resolution of the Evil Guinevere mini plot arc? I’m glad it’s over so Camelot’s story can move forward and in many ways tonight’s episode was exciting with a couple of terrific performances. But it tries far too hard to be “fun” (enough with the comedy music please!) and it fails to satisfy logically, forcing our heroes to act in odd ways depending on the needs of the scene.
Perhaps knowing that the audience has been waiting for a big reveal, the episode refuses to do the expected. We learn that Merlin has told Arthur about Gwen’s treachery in the first few moments (hell, it was in one of the BBC’s promo clips) and it’s a dark, tense little scene. About 14 minutes in it looks like Gaius is going to reveal that Merlin is Emrys but instead he says, “I have chosen… a woman!” These moments actually give the episode some momentum - with the threat of revelation removed we can sit back and enjoy seeing how things unfold. In the past we’ve been frustrated that Arthur and Gaius don’t listen to Merlin despite our hero uncovering a million plots in Camelot - this time, though, there’s no messing about; everybody believes Merlin right from the start. And when Merlin is concerned that somebody is watching them and Arthur says “One of your funny feelings again?” that’s clearly enough for him this time. A small but significant sign of Merlin’s continuing growth in Arthur’s esteem?
And yet later Arthur completely forgets that the Dolma is supposed to have taken Merlin hostage! It’s bizarre that one minute Arthur would be prepared to literally leap off a cliff in search of his fallen friend, but half an hour later doesn’t even notice he’s not there. The showrunners are obviously playing it for laughs at this point, but it just comes across as random and unnecessary. There are other examples of this. One minute Arthur is entrusting Merlin with drugging the queen, the next he’s putting in his place (“you’re the servant!”). It could just be meant as examples of the comfortable banter between the two of them, but other characters suffer convenient memory loss too: when Mordred confronts Morgana she says, “My quarrel isn’t with you Mordred!” Really? He stabbed her in the back and left her for dead then joined her sworn enemies on the Round Table, didn’t he? That’s cool now, is it? Meanwhile old Emrys, a character played for laughs the last time we saw him, is as serious as a schoolmaster when he confronts the Dochraid - he resorts to swordplay instead of sorcery and gives the old crone a couple of flesh wounds. Am I the only one who thought it was out of character for Merlin to respond so aggressively? Especially to somebody of the Old Religion, former ally of Morgana or not.
And part of the inconsistency this week comes from the mixed attempts at comedy. Gwen falling face first into a plate of bread seems out of place in a plot that is otherwise so dark. And then there’s Merlin as Dolma, the sorceress. It’s a funny idea, I guess, and it’s important to recognise Colin Morgan’s great voice acting, but this ancient sorceress shtick borders on parody. Merlin dragging up and sweeping his hair out of his eyes from time to time feels very pantomime. And is anybody there really falling for it? When he disguises himself as Emrys at least he has a beard to help the deception. Dolma just looks like Merlin in a black dress.
But Dolma does give Arthur a nudge towards reconsidering the role of magic. In an episode where Arthur has already accepted, while plotting with Gaius, that sometimes you need to fight sorcery with sorcery, it’s significant that Arthur opens his ears to the idea that magic can be used for good.
GUEST STAR LITE You’ve got the Dochraid again, but there are no new guest stars this week - looks like the showrunners spent all the budget on location, Aithusa the dragon and Merlin’s makeup. Okay, perhaps not much on Merlin’s makeup.
THE END Unless you’ve been living in a cave like the Dochraid, you’ll have heard by now that it’s official: Merlin finishes for good at the end of this series. Despite earlier optimism, it was confirmed this week that the show is wrapping up after December’s two-part conclusion.
That means there are just four further episodes left for them to wrap up the entire story. We’re promised “a spectacular finale” and we can assume it involves the fight between Mordred and Arthur prophesied in “Arthur’s Bane (Part 1)“. This week’s conclusion of the Traitor Gwen arc points us back on track but there still seems like a lot of character development required before we reach a satisfying conclusion. Feel free to speculate in the comment thread below about what needs to happen. And in the meantime, if you’re already anticipating withdrawal symptoms remember there’s an official Facebook Merlin game you can join. Trailer here:
THE TITLE As explained 36 minutes in, the title “With All My Heart” is a reference to how Gwen replied when Arthur suggested they get married. It becomes a magic spell here to reach the undamaged part of her.
SPELLING TEST I wish their offensive spells were more than just the familiar air punch. Why don’t they cast lightning or fire or do a Force choke or something more often?
HERBALISM 101 Our anti-Gwen conspirators use “tincture of belladonna” which Merlin describes as a “powerful and dangerous drug”. Yep, this is better known as Deadly Nightshade (atropa belladonna) and is one of the most toxic plants in the world. Stay clear.
INFLUENCES At the start of the series, with all the snow and multiple viewpoints, people were worried that Game Of Thrones might be an influence on Merlin. But this recent run of Brainwashed Gwen episodes mean I suspect the showrunners have actually been watching Homeland.
LMAO
Arthur: “Why would a recluse want to be paid in clothes?”
Merlin: “I don’t know - she’s a sorceress, she’s not going to be normal is she?!”
NITPICK Why doesn’t Mordred recognise what the path-side banners are? Merlin explains they mark the way for pilgrims of the Old Religion - but Mordred should know this stuff, he is a druid himself and grew up among them, raised by druid master Cerdan.
SLASH BAIT There’s a growing connection between Mordred and Arthur isn’t there? “I just wanted you to know I’m always at your service,” says the lad. Could that frostiness around the campfire be caused, in part, by jealousy? Arthur seems to favour Mordred and Merlin doesn’t like it. Although surely Merlin can’t doubt Arthur’s affection for him when he leapt after him over the cliff (see above). As an aside, I very briefly imagined something between Gwen and Percival: “I don’t always wish to be ‘your highness’ Percival…” she says as they meet after dark.
A LITTLE DVD COMPETITION Let’s see who’s reading this far. I just so happen to have a brand new copy of this three-disc Merlin Series Five DVD box set. It’s volume one, so it contains episodes one to six from this series, plus audio commentaries with cast and crew, deleted scenes and out-takes. It’s available for about £14 on Amazon right now, but I’ll give this one away free to one of these week’s commenters. When you comment on this episode, below, at the end make sure you include a note that you’ve seen this and you want to be considered for the DVD. I’ll pick what I think is the best comment during the week and dispatch this to that person. (Usual competition T&Cs apply, free to enter and no purchase necessary, my decision is final, and all that; I’ll announce the lucky winner in next week’s review.) Get commenting!
THE LEGEND Today’s quest takes them to the Cauldron of Arianrhod. Arianrhod is a Celtic figure from Welsh mythology, featuring in the Mabinogion. Some sources cast her as part of the Triple Goddess (in Merlin, that’s the druidic deity served by the Disir and Morgana).
MORE IN PRINT Free Merlin postcards! New interview with Colin Morgan and Bradley James! Yes, if you want something else to read this week, why not pick up SFX magazine’s new TV special?
BEST LINE
Arthur: “Merlin, you know what happens if you drop her.”
Merlin: “I know, I lose my head.”
Arthur: “So we’re clear.”
SFX: SFX TV Sci-Fi Championship League Of The Week: 5
TVEquals: Merlin Series 5 Review
[click to read]Merlin Series 5 Review “With All My Heart” - Can Gwen Be Saved?
After the news that series 5 of Merlin is to be the last, I think we were all justified in expecting ‘With All My Heart’ to blow us away and remind us just why we love this show. For some fans it may have done just that, but I find myself continually amazed at how close Merlin comes to excellence before suddenly veering away.
This episode saw the evil!Gwen storyline get wrapped up after her being Morgana’s puppet for most of four episodes. ‘With All My Heart’ actually opened on an amazing premise - Gwen snuck out to rendezvous with Morgana, but the audience saw that Arthur and Merlin were watching. After being disappointed by Merlin’s silence on the matter last week, I was glad to see that he’d finally broached the subject with Arthur.
The only way to break Morgana’s hold on Gwen was to take her to the Cauldron of Arianrhod and do a spell. Merlin found this out after talking to the only female as powerful as Morgana, The Drochraid. (Merlin has a habit of randomly throwing in characters we should have heard of before and The Drochraid is one of them. There have been many instances - some of them dire situations - in the past where a character like her should probably have been mentioned.) Of course, the only person powerful enough to do the spell was Merlin.
If there was ever a time for Merlin to reveal his magic to Arthur, it was this week. How could Arthur possibly shun Merlin after the reveal? He would have been forced to keep Merlin close in order for the spell to be cast to bring back Gwen’s free will. Instead what followed was a ridiculous drag act, one in which Merlin was clearly recognisable. (Although major kudos has to be given to Colin for his voice work this week. He’s incredibly versatile.)
I must confess to being a bit confused by the whole setup at the lake. In order for Merlin to do the spell, Gwen had to enter the water of her own free will. The ensuing spell would release Gwen from Morgana’s will and give her back her own free will. So she had to demonstrate her own free will in order to gain her own free will? I get what they were trying to achieve, but this doesn’t make much sense.
Perhaps it would have made slightly more sense if Gwen had been more resistant; Arthur’s speech was incredibly romantic and it’s lovely that Gwen remembering her feelings for him was what broke Morgana’s hold on her, but it happened too quickly. (I actually checked this on the iPlayer - from Gwen waking up to her embracing Arthur in the lake was three minutes out of a 43 minute episode.)
And let us not forget that it’s all been for nothing. There is no leftover detail from this that will come back to bite Arthur and Merlin, no secret Gwen told that will be used in future, no trap already in place that she will forget about, not unless we were not shown it, and if not then why not? Evil!Gwen was fantastic, but all she achieved was a few half-baked murder attempts. This storyline was little more than a showcase for Morgana’s ineptitude. She’s no longer a villain to fear, which is a strange way to approach someone who is supposed to be one of the most powerful sorcerers in existence.
Away from the Gwen plot, we got confirmation this week that Mordred isn’t secretly working with Morgana. The verbal exchanges between Mordred-Merlin and Mordred-Morgana were all fantastic and showed how the three sorcerers are so different in their ways of thinking. Alas, the scenes were marred somewhat by that stupid magic throw that all sorcerers apparently have to use. I was also wondering why Merlin didn’t just tell Mordred that he’s a dragon lord. It’s not really something that Mordred could use against him if he was evil, is it?
I’ve already praised Colin Morgan, but the entire cast did a great job on this episode. (It’s a shame Alexander Vlahos (Mordred) couldn’t have joined the show before series five because he’s been woefully underused so far, this episode excepted.) I just wish that the writing was as good as all of their performances. Here’s hoping the next four episodes really pull out all the stops and aim Merlin towards a fantastic series finale in three weeks time.
WhatCulture: TV Review: Merlin - 05.09 [★★★☆☆]
[click to read]TV Review: Merlin - With All My Heart
★★★☆☆
Well, it had to happen sometime: finally, we’ve reached the culmination of the over-elongated ‘Puppet Queen’ arc which has helped Merlin tread water with solid-if-inconsistent offerings these past three weeks. With All My Heart truly feels as if it marks the beginning of the end for the show given what we know of its broadcast future, but as with Arthur’s Bane Part 2, it’s an arc-heavy episode that suffers from the weight of its various plot elements. As Merlin adventures go, it’s still a decent episode, but we’ve certainly seen far better work this season.
The first twist in the tale came with the revelation that Arthur had listened to Merlin’s suspicions of Gwen and that they were thus spying on the influenced Queen. Sure enough, Angel Coulby’s feisty monarch was seen plotting with Morgana once again, only for our dynamic duo to counter-plot a way of redeeming their loved one’s soul. First though, we had a quick side-step to the realm of the Dochraid, bringing us a scene that was undoubtedly the highlight of the episode as a whole.
Already this season, we’d had teasers of the elder Emrys incarnation of our hero returning to the show, albeit through blatant comedy scenes that did little to sate fans’ appetites Thankfully, that wasn’t the case this week- Colin Morgan clearly loved playing a darker older version of his famed protagonist, threatening the ancient sorceress with the power of Excalibur and hinting at the dark deeds he will be prepared to perform in the weeks ahead to keep his closest ally safe for the throne. Not since the murder of Agravaine have we seen the ‘young’ warlock so dedicated to his cause, which made this early battle such a highlight for those of us who’ve followed Merlin throughout its five-year reign on BBC One.
Once that was done with, though, we moved firmly back into sub-par territory. A quest across the outer kingdoms of Camelot involved the Dochraid and Morgana manipulating the elements to stop Arthur and his servant reaching their goal, only for Mordred to save them from impending death. As you could have guessed from a mile off, this turn of events forced Morgan and Vhalos back into awkward exchanges where Merlin practically spoke out his suspicions regarding the latest Knight Of The Round Table. Even with the dramatic irony of understanding our hero’s worries about his vision back in Episode One, such predictable dialogue became tiresome for a fan like myself, really enforcing the sense that this was another ‘filler’ episode for a season that should have been cut down to ten instalments if this was to be the case.
A more pleasant surprise was that of Aithusa. Last week’s The Hollow Queen hinted at the torture of this young dragon, yet featured no such appearance from the mythical creature, so it was at least satisfying to get a few cameos in this adventure where Merlin once again showed off his Dragonborn talents. There was no sign of John Hurt’s Great Dragon here, and thus it feels safe to say that the much-anticipated flying flame-breather war will come at the battle of Camelot in the upcoming two-part finale. All the same, the special effects were fairly impressive in the Aithusa scenes, and indeed Kate McGrath’s interactions with the CGI beast were believable.
Ah, but what Ms McGrath gets and giveth, the writing team on the fantasy drama must seemingly always take away. Proof of this, you say? Whereas the Morgana we’ve seen in past weeks has been an empathetic and layered villainess who we’ve all loved to hate, now yet again the High Priestess was reduced to pantomime theatrics and an enduring Terminator-esque passion to survive that continued to highlight the non-entity status of the episode in the greater arc of the run. McGrath did at least get chance to attempt to manipulate Vhalos’ character to the dark side, yet she failed for the second time, suggesting the action of change that we know is coming will feel rather sudden and misplaced. Trust me, based on how American dramas have handled one-off storylines rather than those developed through an arc, this isn’t likely to end well.
Ultimately, Colin Morgan’s Merlin shifted into a female version of himself, testament to the tonal inconsistency of the overall episode. No matter what the impending relevance of ‘her’ message to Arthur to remember the positive deeds that magic has allowed this week, this performance was clearly played for laughs and little more, which was a real disappointment for a season so dedicated to producing quality darker moments. This brings me to the conclusion that for all its perks, With All My Heart remains merely an average Merlin episode, one that’ll never touch the ‘Best Of’ lists for 2012′s television offerings. There’s no harm done to the series’ legacy here, but Merlin needs to up the ante in the final four episodes of its run if it wants to leave us with a truly impactful closure come December 29th.