Classic tale of knights comes alive in Merlin

by Kewa Jiang

The vivid and vibrant Arthurian world comes to life in the show Merlin, which has already ended its third season on the BBC and had premiered in the US two years ago on NBC. Merlin, unlike previous adaptations of the legend, begins with an arrogant Arthur (Bradley James) as a prince while Camelot is ruled by King Uther Pendragon (Anthony Head), his father. Merlin, likewise, is not a sagacious, old wizard, but a young man who becomes Arthur’s friend and man servant after saving his life. Many other well known characters from the legend appear, but with a twist. For example, Guinevere (Angel Coulby) is a servant girl in the castle and not a damsel-in-distress Arthur saves. Moreover, Lancelot is introduced as a commoner who wishes to be a knight, but cannot because knights must be of noble birth.

In this version of Camelot, magic has been outlawed by King Uther, thus Merlin must keep his powers secret while under the tutelage of the local healer, Gaius (Richard Wilson), who possess a vast knowledge of magic. Morgana (Katie McGrath), a ward of King Uther and before she is known as Morgan La Fay, also has magical abilities of her own that she keeps hidden. Throughout the different episodes, Merlin, Arthur, Guinevere, and Guis battle a spectrum of magical creatures, spells, and villains, such as trolls and love potions. While Arthur is outwardly the princely savior, it is always Merlin who clandestinely saves the day with his magic. Moreover, under Merlin and Guinevere’s guidance and scolding Arthur evolves from a haughty prince to a true leader.

Merlin has excitement and adventure, but it is also full of heart and laughter. The characters have genuine bonds and are complex with their own motives, passions, and vices. In addition, the love that blossoms between Arthur and Guinevere is natural and there are difficult obstacles preventing them from being together. However, not all the episodes are great, some have fallen short of expectations as the writers resorted to cliche plot devices. In general, the series has been worthwhile and I truly recommend it to those who have enjoyed Arthurian legends or those who like the fantasy genre.