Merlin: The Sword In The Stone – Part One – Dork Review

This is it! Squee, gurgle, excited sounds! The first part of the Merlin series four finale. The rest of the year, or at least most of it, was merely prelude to this amazing two week blowout. Camelot falls! Morgana sits on the throne! It’s a bit like last year, actually!

So did anything happen, or are they saving it all for next week? Any sign of the sword in the stone?

Arthurian DVD Boxset Action

Well, you have to give them credit for getting started quickly. After establishing Agravaine’s treachery at great length in previous episodes, culminating in his theft of those tunnel plants last week, we get only the briefest of establishing scenes before all hell breaks loose and a gang of charging barbarians wreck the King’s banquet.

And fair enough, really. I think in this age of DVD boxsets and iPlayer, they can assume a bit of knowledge on the part of the audience. And once Morgana is established as Queen, or at least as a crowned squatter, we get into the mid-section of the storyline, where our heroes wander off to find the stuff that will let them fight back next week.

I did enjoy the comic relief “simpleton” material with Arthur, and I’m curious what the role of Tristan and Isolde will be next week. Between that and the return of Gwen towards the end, they’ve hopefully reached the end of moving the parts into place now.

The Sudden Halt Of Merlin

The cliffhanger wasn’t great, though. I didn’t even notice a break in the action, it seemed like the episode stopped at random. That’s disappointing from this show, which is normally willing to jack up the melodrama in the name of a decent ending. Couldn’t we see Agravaine about to stab Merlin’s mum, at the very least?

Other than that, it was perfectly decent as the first part of the finale, if not the amazing burst of whiplash I’d hoped for. No sign of the sword in the stone. As predicted last week, it’s hard to really say much until we know where it’s going. Could we go all the way to the Royal Wedding next week? Will Arthur find out the truth about Merlin? Honestly, I don’t have a clue. At the very least, I imagine Agravaine will die, otherwise it’ll feel empty. But we’ll have to wait and see.

Check the episode out on iPlayer, though, and let us know how you found it. How far do you think they’ll go next week?

More Merlin on Dork Adore | Merlin: A Herald Of The New Age – 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.

More Posts - Website

Follow Me: