The Arthurian Review, Issue 4

[sigune]

Merlin Season One

Merlin Season Two

I discovered the BBC series Merlin when it was already halfway Season Two. The first episode I saw, The Sins of the Father, immediately made me curious for more. I ordered the first box set and liked that well enough to get the second one, too. Now, while all Merlin fans are anxiously awaiting Season Three, I’d like to share a few thoughts. Those thoughts are a mixed bag, really. That is because on the one hand, I find Merlin very enjoyable, but on the other, I find it rather disappointing. I guess the mixture of shortcomings and enjoyment qualify it as something of a guilty pleasure.



Merlin features many familiar characters from Arthurian legend, but places them in a kind of alternate universe. Merlin is the same age as Arthur, and Arthur is being raised by his father, King Uther, instead of by a foster-father appointed by Merlin. (One unfortunate consequence of this is that the series must do without the delightfully sarcastic character of Sir Kay – no foster-father for Arthur means no foster-brother either.) True to the original legend, Morgana is Uther’s ward; but in the series she, too, is about the same age as Arthur. In an interesting twist, Guinevere is Morgana’s servant, and after all the well-known images of a blonde Guinevere, it comes as a surprise that the BBC series’ Once and Future Queen has African roots.

Merlin’s Camelot is a land ruled by a king who fanatically opposes magic. Uther prosecutes witches, wizards and magical creatures ruthlessly. This poses a bit of a problem for Merlin, a prodigious magical talent who must conceal his powers if he wants to keep his head. To complicate matters, Merlin is made a servant to Prince Arthur, in which capacity he is constantly under Uther’s nose. Discretion is advised. So naturally, in every episode some magical threat manifests itself that can only be stopped by means of Merlin’s own magic.
The ties between Merlin and the legends to which the main characters’ names refer are really rather thin. If you feel inclined to be critical, you might well ask why the writers choose to call their characters Merlin, Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot and Morgana if they are going to be barely recognisable as the figures of legend. The makers are not filming their own version of Arthurian legend; they are making a fantasy series with Arthurian touches. The best comparison I can think of is with J. K. Rowling’s use of myth and legend in Harry Potter. It’s not deep, it’s not particularly meaningful, but it adds some couleur locale and it’s fun if you get it. This is something you have to accept in order to enjoy the show.

Merlin is an enjoyable show but doesn’t withstand scrutiny. Maybe what I miss most is a clear creative vision. Shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Kaamelott are driven by a creator who knows very well where the characters are going and who write episodes that serve the development of those characters. There are themes and larger arcs that give structure to each season. For Buffy, Joss Whedon worked with a small army of writers, but each script would be submitted to him to ensure that it was consistent with his vision and coherent within the whole. A season of Merlin, on the other hand, seems to consist merely of 13 loose episodes. This is even more the case for Season Two than it was for Season One. Whereas interesting issues and plot points may be brought up within an episode, more often than not these elements will be buried by the end of the episode, let alone that there would be a sign of continuity in the next. One blatant example is of Morgana vociferously disowning Uther in Episode 11. Despite the fact that Uther does not take very will to this kind of behaviour, Episode 12 still finds Morgana living quietly in Uther’s castle and telling Morgause that she “has to pretend to be Uther’s loving ward”. I don’t see a lot of pretending anymore, but that might just be me.

Likewise, there seems to be a sad lack of ideas among the script writers. Twice now, Arthur has been bewitched to fall in love with someone (Uther, just the once, but it lasted two episodes). Twice now, we have been served the same big revelation about Arthur’s birth. And countless times, Arthur is accidentally knocked out so as to allow Merlin to do some hocus-pocus unnoticed. At the same time, the scripts do provide lots of elements that could be taken further. There is Gaius’s past as a magician. There is the fact that sooner or later, Arthur must find out that Merlin is a wizard. Uther must realise that Morgana has magical powers. And what’s with the family connection of Morgana and Morgause (and/or Arthur, if applicable)? All these things are touched upon, but they never seem to go anywhere. It seems as if the writers try to draw everything out as much as possible – if, at least, you can trust them to have sown these seeds deliberately.

The writers have taken the Arthurian characters out of the framework of the legend, but they seem to have forgotten to build a framework of their own – or if they do have a framework, they don’t know how to make good use of it. I suppose people will say it’s a children’s show (actually it’s supposed to be ‘all audiences’) and that therefore it must not be too complex, but I find that more often than not, that argument is used as an excuse for laziness. I have read picture books for five-year-olds that have more subtlety and layers than a Merlin episode or, for that matter, a Harry Potter book. It is perfectly possible to create something that can be appreciated by children and yet does not make older readers/viewers feel as if they are too old or too smart to be reading/watching it.

So, why do I actually watch Merlin, and enjoy watching it, if my criticism is so harsh? Well: I guess that a very good reason for watching is the cast and the obvious pleasure they take in participating in the show. Colin Morgan’s Merlin is a sweet, clumsy and very winning young wizard whose chemistry with Bradley James (Arthur) is undeniable. Both Morgan and James are adorable comedians, but they don’t disappoint in dramatic moments either. And it’s great fun to watch these two interact. Angel Coulby makes a very loveable Guinevere, a devoted servant who nevertheless shows the kind of strength to convince you that she would make a great queen. The weakest link in the young cast, in my opinion, is Katie McGrath, who is gorgeous as Morgana but inclined to overact a little at times. The young actors are complemented by ‘old hands’ Anthony Head – formerly known as Rupert Giles, here a delightful King Uther – and Richard Wilson as Gaius, court physician and Merlin’s grandfatherly mentor. Moreover, Merlin has an excellent cast of villains, including Charles Dance, Mackenzie Crook, Adrian Lester and Emilia Fox.

Season Three is being filmed at this moment, and from what I have heard, it will have larger story arcs than Season Two. Let us hope that some of the other issues will be solved too. The actors – and the audience – deserve a little more effort.

And on the Gawain-o-meter...

Merlin simply doesn’t register – yet. Let’s check back after Season Three, which certainly shows promise :).


For future issues of the Review (in random order):

Gillian Bradshaw’s Down the Long Wind trilogy
Der rote Ritter by Adolf Muschg
Chauvel & Lereculey’s Arthur series
Camelot 3000 by Mike W. Barr and Brian Bolland
Merlin, the 1998 mini-series
Kaamelott Livre VI, the M6 series
The Winter Prince by Elizabeth E. Wein
Uther & Igraine by Warwick Deeping

Comments

[authoress-susan.livejournal.com]

I agree with your analysis. My children can handle more plot depth and creativity. This is why I like the animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender. The series is populated with wonderful characters on a quest. Each episode is thoughtful and meaningful. (I was hooked after three short episodes.)

I watch Merlin with my kids, and we enjoy it for what it is--fun fantasy entertainment on Friday nights. We frequently reference the 'real' mythologies to compare. I like the characters best too: Merlin, Gwen, Arthur, and Gaius. And the dragon! I think the funniest episode was when Uther married the troll. The scenes with him fawning all over her were so revoltingly hilarious. We are looking forward to the new season, with all it's faults and charms.

[sigune.livejournal.com]

I've heard a lot of good things about Avatar: The Last Airbender. I guess I should really give it a try :).

It's great that you watch Merlin with your children and make the comparison with the originals. Not that I think everything should be educational - but the legend is well-known and worthwhile, so...

My own favourite episodes are those with Morgause, because she's intriguing - and clearly not a one-off vilain. I can't wait to find out what her story is. And yes, I'm looking forward to the new season, faults and all. It's just fun! At the same time, any extra effort from the writers will be VERY appreciated :P.

[todayiamadaisy]

I have watched a couple of episodes. It is fluffy and insubstantial, isn't it, but good fun. Televisual fairy floss, I think. :-)

[sigune.livejournal.com]

Oh yes. I probably over-analyse everything I watch, anyway. It's just that the show does raise questions, and I feel that if the writers didn't want them raised, they should have avoided them. Now I feel they actually have to give some answers, and I suspect they won't. That's another analogy I can draw between Merlin and Harry Potter :/. This time, I'm not sufficiently involved to write fanfic and formulate my own answers, though *g*.

[todayiamadaisy]

It reminds me of old-fashioned shows in a way. Shows where each episode starts fresh, and no matter what dramatic events or character development occur over the course of the episode, they all re-set for the start of the next one as if nothing had happened. Which is all right for The Simpsons, but it's frustrating when there's the possibility for bigger issues to be raised.