And there you have it… five series, sixty-five episodes and the conclusion of one epic saga.
The battle at Camlann was tremendous, with the Camelot’s forces valiantly battling against the unwinnable odds as the Saxons surged and Aithusa joined the fray. Dragoon’s arrival on the hilltop above had us gripped to our seat and looked phenomenal as he rained lightning down on the Morgana’s forces Saxons and sent her pet packing.
In the aftermath, once Mordred had delivered his fateful blow, it seemed right that the show focussed mainly on Merlin and Arthur. Their relationship has always been the heart of the show and Merlin’s gentle reveal of his abilities was doubtless better than any further bombastic display of magic could have achieved. From that moment on, the path to Avalon was inexorably linked with Arthur’s struggle to accept Merlin’s true nature. While both roads were rocky, you knew they would get there somehow. Colin Morgan’s performance as Merlin, battling against the gradual loss of his friend before finally accepting his fate was beautifully delivered and highly emotional.
Back in Camelot, Gaius return sent the wheels in motion for Gwen’s becoming. Paralleling the situation she dealt with in ‘Arthur’s Bane’, she did not think twice about sending the duplicitous Eira to the gallows for her treason. Making the big decisions without compulsion it was clear that she was ready to assume the throne and, understanding Merlin’s role in the battle, perhaps also ready to begin welcoming magic?
Poor hot headed Gwaine. It seemed incredibly naïve for him to think he could deal with Morgana, taking only Percival for backup. Though it ended badly, it certainly helped to reinforce the justification for Merlin’s slaying of her. Our pet theory, that the magic sucking face hugger from Part One might still be alive and re-employed to neuter Morgana, went straight out the window when Excalibur performed its final brutal task in Merlin’s hands.
It did feel as though there were some of loose ends left hanging, such as the fate of Aithusa. We half expected Merlin to put the poor creature out of its misery in the skies above Camlann. When that did not happen, we were waiting for it to return to the side of its mistress or be chased off by Kilgarrah. For that matter, we expected the Great Dragon to be called upon much earlier to convey Arthur and Merlin to their final destination.
We probably all had our pet hopes and wishes for the finale, once we had swallowed the fact that the series was ending, but feel the show had it pitch perfect in choosing to centre the episode on the magic reveal and its effect on the central relationship. Even if the finale was not everything we expected, it certainly achieved all it set out to do and managed to doff a cap to the mythical status of these characters as well. Stirring stuff, and a fitting ending to the tale as well.
Aired at 8.15pm on Monday 24 December 2012 on BBC One.
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