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Thursday 18 October 2012

Merlin 4.12 "The Sword in the Stone" Part 1 Review

Merlin (Colin Morgan) cuts an extra notch on Arthur's (Bradley James) belt as he's fat.  He's "enhancing it for comfort and ease of use."  Merlin's good at keeping secrets.  Morgana's (Katie McGrath) army invades Camelot, led by Helios (Terence Maynard).  Agravaine (Nathaniel Parker) is missing.  Merlin lets slip about the holes in the belt.  Arthur tells him it's a good thing he doesn't have any secrets.  Otherwise he'd be blabbing.  He has many secrets though and they're mostly about how he's helped Arthur as well.

Arthur thinks of Gwen (Angel Coulby) when he sees Percival (Tom Hopper) with a woman.  Arthur looks for her and recalls why she's not here.  Leon (Rupert Young) et al can't hold the army back.  Agravaine attempts to fight Elyan (Adetomiwa Edun) but Morgana uses magic on him instead.  Why?  It wasn't only cos they just don't have enough time, it's cos he's Gwen's brother of course.  Merlin knew Agravaine was planning something.  Arthur joins the fight and is wounded (as usual).  Looks like those men could have gone under the fire Merlin started.

Arthur finally sees Morgana and Agravaine who wants Arthur.  Merlin says they can't fight them now.  Helios knows he's here and can't run.  Gwaine (Eion Macken) says "Arthur will not abandon his people."  Merlin needs to get Arthur out.  Gaius (Richard Wilson) tells Merlin he must make Arthur lose his will and takes Arthur away.  Gwaine stays to help, along with Gaius, who uses his usual excuse of slowing them down.

Arthur becomes a simpleton and they cross the boarder.  How come Merlin didn't use any magic on the army? But Morgana uses hers on Camelot.  Percival is missing, Elyan holds them off but is taken too.  Merlin needs to find Arthur some clothes as he's in Merlin's hands.  Only loyal to Arthur.  Morgana wants their corpses burned.  Merlin steals clothes from the line.  Arthur looks like a "turnip head."  Merlin holds onto the gold.

Morgana uses her snake on Elyan, the Nathair serpent, causing Elyan to reveal where they are headed., to Eldor.  If Agravaine fails her he'll be taking Elyan's place.  There as I said before, she's eventually bound to turn on him and here she mentions exactly that.  Well it's about time she threatened him.  Gaius tries to help Elyan.  Agravaine says goodbye before he leaves but wants to stay and protect Morgana.  Yeah fat lot of good he'll be.  Morgana shouldn't trust Helios.  Agravaine is her true ally and friend and she's entrusted this mission to him, out of how many others too... they were all failures.  Morgana doesn't need protecting.

Merlin is taken by a band of smugglers and he wast to go with them as he'll pay in gold.  He calls Arthur a simpleton and he wouldn't last without Merlin.  Agravaine finds Arthur's clothes, "what kind of a coward would deny who he is?"  Well you for one, lying, cheating traitor.

Merlin meets up with Tristan (Ben Daniels) and Isolde (Miranda Raison) and smells the frankincense and gets Arthur to clean.  Arthur recovers.  Eldor is attacked by Agravaine and Merlin tells Arthur he must stay in character.  Arthur carries a sword, where did that come from?  He couldn't exactly hide it in his clothes.  Merlin says he won the sword.  Isolde is injured during the fighting.

Gaius comments on Merlin gloating if he was here and Gwaine has to earn food for them, so he must fight for it.  He's not thinking of himself.  Tristan refuses Arthur's gold and Arthur was a fool to trust Agravaine.  It's too late now.  He was blind to him and Morgana.  This keeps happening to him and why do they hate him?  Merlin replies they want his power for themselves, Arthur isn't to blame.  He is honest and brave and "one day will be the greatest king this land has ever known."  Arthur comments, at least he has his servant's support.  Merlin's not alone.  Merlin comes home.   Tristan loves Isolde.

Arthur comments on Tristan being richer tan he knows and of course Gwen had to be here too.  They missed each other yet she was the only one  who didn't betray Arthur.  Merlin's home village is attacked and they escape - just...Merlin uses his magic now.

At least Merlin gets Arthur to behave like he has to for the most part back at Camelot, i.e doing his work for him, though Merlin isn't a simpleton.  So it was good to see Merlin turn him into one.  That was the fun part of the show, to break up the darkness as Morgana leads her attack.  Yet we know how it will all turn out next episode.

Of course Arthur will realize his one true love is Gwen so it wasn't really an accident she happened to be here as they find each other, especially as he sees what Tristan is suffering.  Cenred's kingdom now belongs to Lot, yet in the episode Lancelot Du Lac, when they said Lancelot was found in Cenred's kingdom, it was no longer his, so they should have correctly identified it as such.  Cenred was killed in 3.12 The Coming of Arthur Part 1 by Morgause.

Did Agravaine think he was in Lord of the Rings during his fight scenes?  Arthur was also pant-less in 4.3 The Wicked Day and 4.5 Aithusa.

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