Contributor: Gregg Wright
Whenever an episode of “Merlin” comes along in which the titular sorcerer must once again transform himself into an older version of himself, there’s reason to worry. This episode marks the second time this season that this has happened, with the first time being in the worst episode of the season (so far). If “Old Merlin” was more like the Old Merlin seen in Morgana’s prophetic dream in the season premiere, I’d be a lot more excited about the idea of including him more heavily in the season.
The idea of giving Merlin something of an alter ego (perhaps utilizing his “Emrys” moniker?) that allows him to openly practice magic without revealing his true identity is actually a great idea, in concept. The Old Merlin guise could allow Merlin to act more like his true self, rather than the somewhat buffoonish (albeit goodhearted) image he has to perpetuate in front of everyone but Gaius. Merlin does get to have a brief showdown with Morgana in his aged form, but the problem with Old Merlin is that he’s still being played primarily for laughs. Old Merlin does get to use his magic out in the open, but I don’t understand why it’s necessary for Old Merlin to make himself out to be such a lunatic and a clown.
It’s nice to see how much things have changed for Arthur and Merlin. Arthur will now openly admit that Merlin is a brave and loyal servant. Merlin’s sacrifice in the premiere seems to have left a real impression on Arthur. Despite my problems with the season, the strong friendship between Merlin and Arthur (as well as the camaraderie among all the Knights of the Round) remains as one of its bright spots. In an earlier season, Arthur might not have bothered to even look for a lowly servant. But Arthur is absolutely determined to find Merlin. I actually wish the episode had focused more on this and less on Merlin’s pathetic attempts to kill Arthur (which are, like the aged Merlin, also played for laughs).
I’ll admit, a part of me liked getting to see Merlin act like a complete psychopath, and I found parts of that whole scenario amusing (like Merlin’s interactions with Sir Leon). The whole thing worked out better than I might have expected it to. But this kind of episodic story, where a main character’s behavior is radically modified, is one we’ve seen quite enough of. Usually, the other characters must be made to act so oblivious to the fact that something is wrong that it stretches believability a bit too far. This does happen with Arthur, here, to a certain extent. But thankfully, Gaius and Guinevere catch on rather quickly. I was glad to see Gwen playing an active role in the solving of the problem. It was refreshing that Gwen immediately suspected that something was wrong, and was smart enough to check the food that Merlin discarded.
Something that interested me was how Agravaine seems so emotionally distraught after finding Morgana unconscious. Until now, the two of them have been uneasy rivals. But it would be interesting if there was more to it than that, at least for Agravaine. Morgana generally treats Agravaine like dirt, but it’s almost as if Agravaine actually cares about Morgana. Hopefully this isn’t just a fluke, because Morgana and Agravaine could really use some extra depth.
Overall, this isn’t the best episode of the season, and nor is it the worst either. If only this were as bad as any episode of “Merlin” ever gets. The quality of episodes in any given season of “Merlin” usually varies a lot, but I was really, really hoping that this would be the season to introduce some consistency into the show. Unfortunately, this season is turning into another mixed bag of good and bad ideas all lumped together, which is exactly why it’s so hard to give up on the show. One episode will turn out so badly, I begin to wonder why I still watch the show. But then the next episode will be surprisingly compelling and well-crafted. That’s “Merlin”, in a nutshell.
Rating: 7/10