The finale of Merlin series 4 has been and gone, and as ever, it’s time to sit and reflect on how much they managed to accomplish in this space. Who lived? Who died? Did Arthur inch closer to discovering the truth about Merlin? Did Evil Morgana… achieve anything?
Well, you probably know by now. If not, don’t read the below review, I’ll be spoiling all of that.
The Only Royal Wedding That Matters
The good news is that this finale has enough scale and plot advancement to deserve the name, whereas last year was negligible. We get the big Royal Wedding, not to mention an epic battle sequence. Still, the Merlin guys really ought to come up with a finale plot other than “Morgana takes over castle, later runs away”.
Still, smug traitor Agravaine finally got his comeuppance. I was surprised they gave that moment to Merlin, partly because Arthur has a bigger bone to pick with that guy, and also because they rarely show our cuddly hero killing other humans. Nonetheless, it was a good scene, played strongly by Colin Morgan and Nathaniel Parker. Does Merlin’s confession here foreshadow similar scenes in the future?
Bemused by the sword in the stone material, though – did Merlin really just happen to remember it existed? Did he plant the sword there so he could aid Arthur in pulling it out? Rather cheapens the moment, doesn’t it?
Tristan, Isolde And Gaius – There But Not There
Another strange one was the Tristan and Isolde storyline. They came, they saw, they… had a total about-face, then one of them died. I get that it inspired Arthur to get a move on with the Gwen-marrying, but their arc felt a little tacked on. Maybe they should’ve introduced them in one of the bland mid-series episodes.
Oh, and did they decide to kill Gaius off in this episode, then change their minds whilst filming the wedding scene? I really thought the poor guy was a goner, but then he’s there, clapping away without so much as a bandage. Odd.
All in all, though, it was a tolerable finale. Zero progression in the Morgana or Merlin/Arthur storylines, they only tied off the things I expected, and a few weird asides, but I enjoyed it enough. It didn’t leave me feeling as hollow as last year. And series five could be the last ever, of course, so maybe they’ll finally get into those big stories.
Check out the finale on iPlayer, and let us know what you thought of Merlin’s fourth year. Too many changes? Not enough?
More Merlin on Dork Adore | Merlin: The Sword In The Stone – Part 1 – Dork Review
Nick Bryan
Nick learned to read and write at an early age. This has developed into an unhealthy need to either write stories or consume them for later dissection. He reviews film and TV on Dork Adore and The Digital Fix, lives in London and enjoys a nice white beer.
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Colin Morgan is amazing! Merlin’s confrontation versus Agravaine was epic! My favorite scene in this episode. I also loved badass Old Merlin and Merlin manipulating everyone with cleverness! The first part of the episode was the most interesting. I hope season 5 will give us more Merlin being the sorcerer of the legend!
I’m still curious whether their ending next year will be Merlin getting permanently trapped as Emrys to bring his age in line with the legend. Or is that too obvious? Have to wait and see.
Well it begs the question of why theyd do that? They showed this season that they don’t much care about iconic legend when it suits them by just going ahead and killing off Lancelot before the wedding to remove all complication from Arthur/Gwen so I can’t see they’d give Merlin an unhappy ending just to fit legend? liked your review btw … It’s the only non fan one that seems involved enough in the show to notice the flaws.
I think there are degrees of legend. Maybe not everyone knows what exactly should happen with Lancelot and Gwen, but surely most are aware that Merlin is traditionally an old man with a beard. Maybe I’m overestimating the public.
And glad you like the review. More will surely follow.
Definitly, the scene of Merlin fighting against Aggravain was the best. I loved the way Merlin revealed his magic. That was beautifully and strongly played by Colin Morgan. I loved the whole sequence of old Emrys being his badass self. That was greatly played. Merlin is my favorite of the whole show.
Yeah, I’m conflicted about Emrys. On the one hand, he’s a bit panto. On the other hand, it’s pretty funny.