This Friday, SyFy will begin airing the second season of the BBC fantasy-dramedy Merlin. NBC showed the first season last summer, but if you missed it back then, and didn’t have a chance to DVR SyFy’s Sunday-long season one marathon last weekend, don’t worry; I can catch you up to speed in no time.
Here are eight things you need to know before galloping into Merlin’s second season.
1) If you’re an Arthurian legend purist, Merlin will blow up your brain. It’s better to just rip this band-aid off right now: Merlin isn’t a canonical exploration of Geoffrey of Monmouth’s Historia Regum Britanniae. It’s not even as close as Disney’s The Sword in the Stone. No, Merlin is sort of Smallville meets Medieval Times, with better accents. And actors.
The first season is mostly about the relationship between Merlin (Colin Morgan) and Arthur (Bradley James) [more on that in a second], and the way that Merlin has to hide his mad magic skills because every other sentence out of Uther Pendragon’s mouth is, “Evil sorcery is evil and magicians must die a dead death of deadness!”
2) Every line Arthur and Merlin speak to (or about) one another is riddled with subtext. In this incarnation of Arthurian legend, Merlin and Arthur are the same age, and Merlin actually “gains” the “honor” of becoming Arthur’s servant in the first episode. You can watch Merlin for sword fights, fantasy and comedy. You can watch Merlin for the blossoming affection between Arthur and Guinevere. Or you can watch Merlin because of the subtextually epic love between Arthur and Merlin. It’s there. The writers know it’s there. The actors know it’s there. And heavens to Excalibur, do the fans ever know it’s there.
3) If you can get inside the castle on one of Merlin’s vacation days, the entire kingdom of Camelot can be yours by lunch. Arthur’s dad, ol’ Uther, is the most gullible ruler in the history of fictional kingdoms; an even easier mark than that emperor with his naked new clothes. In every single episode, he falls for the same shenanigans by the same kinds of shady characters, while sending Merlin to the stocks for daring to disagree with him. And in every single episode, Merlin has to quietly save the day (because of secret magic!) and then do Arthur’s laundry and polish Arthur’s armor and clean out Arthur’s stables.
4) It’s always sorcery. Merlin is like Clark Kent, if Clark Kent never got to transform into Superman and had to fight every supervillain as a mild-mannered reporter, while pretending to everyone around him that superpowers don’t exist. There are no normal threats to the kingdom: no wars, no plagues, no natural disaster — just sorcerers and the stuff they can conjure. Merlin is seriously Camelot’s only line of defense.
5) If Gaius isn’t mansplaining, he’s probably not talking. Gaius is the court physician who takes Merlin under his wing and helps keep his magic powers hidden. You might be tempted to call Gaius’ dialogue “exposition,” but while Gaius is always convinced that he’s right, he is almost always wrong. I mean, he’s good with medicine, but every time Merlin faces a moral quandary about using magic or letting people get killed, Gaius prefers the death option.
6) Guinevere is not what you’re expecting. Far from the mysterious, ethereal beauty with which we’re familiar, Guinevere is Gwen: an adorable, plucky maidservant to the Lady Morgana. She kind of loathes Arthur, actually, in the beginning. When a farm boy named Lancelot tries out for Team Knights and is rejected because he’s not of noble birth, Gwen finds herself falling for him. Merlin sees her staring at Lance and Arthur and asks: “So, if you had to choose … ?” Lance doesn’t stick around in season one, but he’ll be back. Oh, he’ll be back.
7) You didn’t accidentally flip over to your Harry Potter DVD; it’s the Dragon. John Hurt is the voice of the Dragon, the magical beast that Uther keeps tied up in the basement of the castle. He’s the one who beckons Merlin to the castle in the first place, and he hands out cryptic advice like Halloween candy. It’s kind of distracting, actually, because John Hurt’s voice is legend. But the CGI isn’t bad for a BBC One show. It’s certainly better than the first two seasons of Torchwood.
8 ) If ears or Adam’s apples are your thing, you’re going to fall in love with Merlin or Arthur. You literally will not be able to help yourself.
I think that’s everything you need to know. If you really want a treat, seek out some Merlin/Arthur or Lance/Gwen/Arthur or Merlin/Arthur/Gwen, or Lance/Merlin/Arthur/Gwen/Dragon fan videos on YouTube. A shipper’s musical montage is worth a a hundred thousand words.
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I’m very late on this– as always– but I gotta say: GREAT REVIEW! Perfect crash course! Thank you so much, Heather!
Andrew,
I kinda have to agree with you there. Yes, I like “Merlin” and “smiting a bitch” as you put it is badass…but there does need to be more stuff like that from him in the show.
God I hope this works…I have been having trouble with posting my comments.
I wanna see more badassery in Merlin. I mean, Merlin is supposed to be like, THE most powerful wizard of all time and the coolest thing Ive seen him do is the lightning to save Gauis. Ok, so I suppose smiting a bitch is pretty badass…but I want MORE!
“If ears or Adam’s apples are your thing, you’re going to fall in love with Merlin or Arthur. You literally will not be able to help yourself.”
So true. :D
This is really brilliant and quite spot on for what the fans are seeing about the show (you did miss cheekbones, though, and their throats. AND THE FEATHERED HAT).
Also, about the subtext. I am, admittedly, a slash whore and I don’t find gay subtext in every show but with Merlin. Well. Let’s just say that there’s always been a pretty straightforward understanding of ‘Destiny’ for everyone. Not to mention ‘two sides of the same coin’ and well, the cast and crew actually do know about the subtext and they’ve made a few hilarious references to it in the DVD commentaries.
Although I don’t think they actually had ‘blossoming affection between Arthur and Gwen’ as to simply just forcing the feelings in one abrupt episode. Plus, there’s Lance. Enough said.
CHEEKBONES. AND FEATHERED HAT. AND COLIN MORGAN!
Ha! You don’t have to look for gay sub-text in this show–it’ll slap you upside the head!
Great review, excepting lack of Morgana, and the pretty, pretty boy-lips. The first look I had of James and Morgan, I think ‘I’ blushed at how lush they are. Srs boy gorgeousness…
Uh, what about the cheekbones? That’s pretty much reason number 3 for watching this show, behind the hilarious (-ly amazing) subtext and Colin Morgan’s lower lip.
This is a fantastic review, Heather! You’ve captured almost everything I love about Merlin (I have to second Ems’ comment about Arthur’s wonky teeth). This show is pure genius in my opinion…campy, historically inaccurate, implausible and yet utter genius. It’s made a huge fan of me, someone who’d pretty much sworn off of tv. Thanks for the laughs and the great Merlin fix!
Okay, this might be a double posting. If it is…it’s purely by accident. I don’t know if it’s the site or my computer.
I don’t know why…looking for all of this gay subtext in shows has always bothered me even though I am not homophobic. Maybe I will be like your partner someday lamardeuse.
for some reason looking for all of this gay subtext bugged me even though I am not homophobic. I don’t know why. Maybe I will be like your partner someday lamardeuse.
This is a perfect summing up of the show in all its brilliant, campy ridiculousness. And you’re not wrong about the ears and the Adam’s apples — the only thing you missed was Arthur’s adorably wonky teeth. <3
(My captcha word is “dragon” — well, if that’s not fate right there, what is?!)
“It’s not even as close as Disney’s The Sword in the Stone.” Mwha-ha. That’s the only Arthur/Merlin screen treatment I’ve liked up until now.
Great recap, except 1) there’s some chick named Morgana you never mentioned and 2) in season 1, Gaius is right most of the time.
Oh Michelle, Michelle, my partner used to say the same thing, and now he is a total slash whore. And it’s mostly thanks to Merlin. :)
This is a fabulous review, Heather! Thanks for spreading the love.
First of all…what the hell is with all of this gay subtext?!? Why is everyone always having to look for gay subtext in shows?!? I have nothing against gay people, but give it up already!
Second, I do know a little about King Arthur and have noticed differences in “Merlin.” But, I still like the show.
Don’t be dissing the girl playing Guinevere people…I have read some things online dissing her. Personally, I think she’s fine. And, she is not ugly!
That’s exactly what I did. I DVR’d the show. I am still working on it. Hopefully I will finish it before the 2nd season starts or I will have to DVR that as well.
By all means, completely ignore Morgana’s existence!! It’s definitely keeping in with the theme of the 2nd season. *headshake* What the hell? She’s the main reason why I even watch the show!!!
Best.
Overview.
EVER!!
::loves me some Merlin deliciousness::