Merlin is a BBC
show which tells about the adventures of young Prince Arthur of Camelot and his
servant, Merlin, in a kingdom ruled by “evil” King Uther (played by Sir Anthony
Head) who has banned magic of any kind. Many hijinks ensue as Arthur
continually underappreciates Merlin, who must keep his magical talents a
secret. The show hits on many of the high points of any Arthurian story,
including Guinevere, Lancelot, Morgana, Nimue, Mordred, the Sword in the Stone,
the Lady of the Lake, and the Round Table. There is a lot of magic and magical
creatures; in particular there is a dragon “friend” of Merlin voiced by the
late Sir John Hurt.
I would call it very kid-friendly for the most part,
especially in the earlier seasons when the bad guys are obvious and the
solutions to the problems are funny. One of the first things I noticed was how
clean it was; they barely show any blood, despite the frequent battles. Some of
the stories do play out like a simple
One thing I like about the show is it has the ability to
play two different tones. It can be completely light-hearted and hilarious, with
line deliveries and innuendoes and antics and a musical backdrop that is
playful. It can also be very dramatic and emotional, much like other fantasy
shows I’ve seen. There are character deaths and high-stakes moments, betrayals,
captures, battles, and tension, so much so that you are held captive at the edge
of your seat. Sometimes the show does both of these things in the same episode.
Sometimes the show picks one or the other.
There is a long time span from the start of the show to the
end. Even though in reality it lasted 5 seasons and therefore 5 years, at least
10 years and probably more goes on over the course of the show. I like this,
because there is so much that happens between episodes that you can headcanon
and there is a marked difference between the characters at the beginning and
the end.
The fun game was trying to recognize all the actors. Many of
them were in Harry Potter, Doctor Who, Games of Thrones, or other British things. This was fun to do, to
see actors in similar or completely different roles. My favorite was when Harry
Melling, who played Dudley Dursley in Harry
Potter, played a sorcerer on Merlin.
I have found this show, like many others I have discovered
over the years, to have a small, but strong and active fandom. Since I had
never heard of it until I stumbled upon it on Netflix, it is good that I found there
was a fandom, still thriving. I recently found a fanmade script for Season 6 I
am still making my way through. The power of fandom is amazing.
Will I watch again? Probably
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