Morgana wakes from a vision night after night in which Arthur is King of Camelot and is crowning her servant, Gwen, as his queen. Disturbed by the thought that this vision could possibly come to pass, she speaks with Morgause who tells her to make sure she does whatever she can to destroy any chance of this coming to pass. (more…)
When Uther confronts Gaius with evidence of miraculous recoveries that the court physician deemed impossible, he is sure magic is to blame. He asks Gaius to investigate one of these instances which took place within the castle walls. Gaius and Merlin check out the innkeeper, glad he is up and about but curious as to who provided the cure. Gaius sees crystals, symbols of the Old Religion, as well as the powder that the innkeeper’s wife got from a mysterious woman healer. Gaius reports back to Uther that this was a magic-less event, but he knows exactly what happened. So does Merlin, but when he tries to talk to Gaius about it, Gaius pretends as if no magic was involved. (more…)
The Crystal Cave
This week’s episode of Merlin opens with our favourite duo running on foot from a gang of bandits they stumbled upon during patrol. Arthur leads them into the Valley of the Fallen Kings, assuring Merlin the bandits will not follow them as this area of the woods is said to be cursed. The legend doesn’t stop them though, and eventually Arthur takes an arrow to the back. (more…)
Arthur shows Merlin how to mop
A year has passed since Morgause vanished before their eyes holding the limp body of her half-sister, Lady Morgana. Uther sends search parties out constantly and battle fields are littered with dead. Still, there is no sign of Morgana and Uther refuses to stop until she is found. During one of Arthur’s patrols, he and Merlin with a handful of men come across a small encampment of bandits who are defeated with little effort. And emerging from the fog behind them is the bedraggled form of Morgana.
She seems to be in good health as Gaius checks her over. Merlin is worried that Morgana might tell the king that he tried to poison her before she was taken, but she has so far held her tongue. The next morning, Arthur summons Merlin while he is in Morgana’s chambers. He walks in as she is telling Arthur a tale, and when he leaves she confronts Merlin about his attempt on her life. Morgana says she forgives him and Merlin welcomes her home.
Morgana interrupts Uther as he is in session with his advisors, so he sends them away and they share a tearful reunion. She dutifully wipes the tears from his eyes with her kerchief and promises that she will be a more obedient ward. Uther is just so relieved that she is home that he questions nothing. Morgana has come for what she needed, and slips out of the castle when night falls to rendezvous with her sister. They have spent this past year plotting to take down Uther and destroy Camelot. Morgause has been consulting with Cenred, a leader of an opposing territory, offering him the chance to capture Camelot. He has the men to lay seige and she has her traitor within the city gates. Between the two of them, they believe they can destroy Camelot since no one seems to think of Arthur as being able to lead in his father’s place.
Morgana dries Uther's eyes
Using the tears of the king gathered on the kerchief, Morgause casts an enchantment using mandrake root which will slowly cause Uther to go insane. Morgana hides it safely under his bed and lets the magic work it’s course. In his waking moments he sees images of drowned children, and even his own wife Ygraine. He is overcome with fear and becomes so mentally unstable that he is kept in his bed, unable to rule, leaving Camelot vulnerable. A guard stumble upon Morgana one evening as she heads towards Uther’s room to switch the mandrake and she kills him, letting him fall over the edge. He is found by the castle guard and brought to Gaius’ rooms when it is discovered he is barely alive. He is in the middle of making a recovery when Morgana enters unnoticed and poisons him so he cannot give away her secret.
Rumours of Uther’s condition have spread beyond the borders of Camelot while Gaius tries to uncover the truth behind his illness. While checking on the king one evening, Merlin hears the drip of the mandrake root beneath the king’s bed. He finds the root under the bed just as footsteps echo someone’s approach. He hides under the bed just in time. A hand reaches down and tears the root from its hiding place. Merlin peeks and discovers it to be Morgana, so he follows her as she sets off to meet once more with Morgause. He doesn’t hide well enough though, and the sisters capture him easily.
The sisters brew a batch of enchanted mandrake root
Since neither one knows Merlin’s secret, he remains tight-lipped on the subject, instead letting Morgause bind him in magical chains and sending scorpions to feast on his flesh. Merlin’s attempts to use his magic and break the chains fails to work and when there is nothing else he can think to do, he uses his talents as a Dragon Lord to call upon the Great Dragon he freed from beneath the castle. The Dragon appears, driving off the scorpions and taking Merlin to safety.
Box sets for Season One and Season Two of Merlin are now available to purchase in the US via Amazon
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