After Mordred’s defection at the climax of ‘The Drawing of the Dark’, and with the crucial puzzle piece of Merlin’s true identity now slotted into place for her, it doesn’t take long for Morgana to concoct a plan to neutralise him. At the same time, she escalates hostilities using both dark magic and Saxon might to storm a garrison and provoke Camelot’s soldiers to action.
Within the safety of the citadel, we find Arthur and Merlin enjoying some downtime at the Tavern. It is a rare moment of lightness in an episode that sees tensions rise on all sides, as on the following morning the wounded return from battle.
At the Round Table, Arthur prepares for a final stand and inevitably chooses a fateful location for a decisive battle. Meanwhile, in the aftermath of Morgana’s strike against him, Merlin has no option but to shirk duties to his King for the sake of a far more personal journey.
Katie McGrath’s Morgana is at her volatile best in this opening salvo of the show’s finale, outwardly imperious yet with a tendency to snap at any given moment. Her newly acquired right-hand man, presumably forgiven for his former betrayals, seems resolute in his decision and still unaware of his personal destiny. Given her actions, we wondered if perhaps Morgana is not so ignorant?
The charismatic Gwaine has plenty to occupy him, as for once it is not only Arthur who gets to enjoy a romantic encounter. We also enjoyed the fact that he spends some time in the company of Merlin; the young wizard has been short on true friends since the death of Lancelot.
Meanwhile, Bradley James is impressive as the embattled King, inexorably leading his men to what is clearly a slaughter in the hope of saving the land and people he loves. He provides an impassioned speech on the eve of war that sends a shiver up the spine.
Despite all this, it is Merlin who shines throughout. As ever, Colin Morgan runs the gamut of emotions from despair to hope with apparent ease. He ably handles both physical and magical challenges on a path that takes Merlin further away from Arthur than feels comfortable in his hour of need. Merlin’s hope lies in the past and there are a couple of welcome returning elements from earlier series guaranteed to thrill the fans.
We enjoy some well-handled action and plenty of subtle character beats from director Justin Molotnikov, who helmed the opening three episodes of the series. Being the first of a two-parter, the script – from series co-creator Jake Michie – has suitably high levels of tension and what appears like insurmountable odds for our heroes to overcome.
Next week’s concluding episode certainly has a lot to do, but we are not left without hope and even the most casual Merlin fans will surely be booking that essential slot in front of the sofa on Christmas Eve.
Airs at 7.55pm on Saturday 22 December 2012 on BBC One.
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