Merlin, 3.01 – The Tears of Uther Pendragon, Pt. 1

When we last left the show, Camelot had been torched by the Great Dragon, and Morgana had been taken by her sister Morgause after Merlin’s attempted poisoning. (Don’t blame the kid; he had to, in order to stop the enchantment that was killing the castle. He didn’t like it any more than Morgana did. And that’s saying something, considering that she was the one choking on hemlock.)

This episode starts with Arthur and Merlin surveying a war-torn field – and with Merlin and Arthur back in fine form, with Arthur calling his servant a “girl’s petticoat”. Apparently, Morgana has been missing for a full year, and yet Uther pushes his knights on to find her.

Merlin and Arthur trade insults, which include Merlin’s insult of “dollophead”. When asked for a definition, Merlin says gleefully, “two words: Prince Arthur”.

Their banter is cut short as attackers fly through the trees; Arthur does his usual hack and slash, and Merlin does his usual “save Arthur without his knowledge with magic” bit. The smoke begins to clear, and it looks like one enemy is left. Merlin readies his magic as Arthur readies his sword – but it’s no enemy. It’s Morgana. Beaten and tattered, but Morgana.

Back at Camelot, Gaius examines Morgana and prescribes rest. He reports to Uther in the hallway – Morgana is fine. Uther acts like he’s just heard the news that his wife’s given birth to a healthy child, he’s so overcome with joy.

Gaius goes back home, and Merlin is immediately on his case – is Morgana up? Has she said anything? Has she told anyone that he tried to poison her?

The next morning, Gaius wakes Merlin with orders that Arthur has requested his presence in Morgana’s chambers. He arrives in time to hear Morgana tearfully telling the story of how she escaped from the men who held her. Arthur reassures her that she’s safe now, and he leaves Merlin alone with Morgana.

She knows what he did. He didn’t want to, Merlin cries. Morgana says that she would have done the same to protect her family, and that she regrets everything that she’s done. She says she’s seen the world and the ugliness of magic now, and she begs Merlin’s forgiveness with tears in her eyes. She is utterly and completely convincing, and the strength of Katie McGrath’s performance shows in Morgana’s eyes, where you can almost see the horror of her year-long victimization.

Merlin tells her that he is so sorry for everything she’s been through, and tries to cheer her up.

And we’re back to comedy. Merlin taunts Arthur, saying he doesn’t know how hard a servant’s life is. Arthur’s never used a cloth and bucket! Arthur replies that he knows full well how to use one, and rubs the dirty, wet cloth in Merlin’s face. “Would you like to learn how to use the bucket?” Arthur replies. Merlin isn’t quick enough with his “no” and gets a bucket of mop water dumped over his head.

Also, Arthur is stripped to the waist for the whole scene. Almost makes you forget to feel bad for poor little Merlin.

We’re back to drama as Morgana strides into the Great Hall, where Uther is speaking to a knight. He is immediately dismissed, and the two run to embrace the other. She dabs at Uther’s face with a handkerchief as he cries, and she gives him a lovely, tear-filled speech of regret, loss, and forgiveness… right before she walks away with quite an evil gleam in her eye.

Night falls, and Morgana cloaks herself and rides out to the forest, where Morgause is waiting for her. Morgana brags that she’s pulled the wool over every eye in Camelot. She hands over the handkerchief she used to wipe away Uther’s tears, and Morgause drops it into a cauldron of black goo. She then puts in a mandragora root, which screams, and says an invocation over it. This, apparently, will cause Uther to go completely mad. She pulls the root out of the cauldron and gives it to Morgana.

The next thing we see is the root dripping under Uther’s bed.

Arthur is training blindfolded the next morning; Merlin replies that he’s seen better. Arthur says he’s gonna fight like Merlin does, which apparently involves a lot of sniveling and hiding behind a thin sword.. Arthur gets his due, though; Merlin magicks the sword out of his hand, and the other knight gets a blow to Arthur’s stomach with a mace. Ooh.

That night, there’s a feast, and Uther gives a heartfelt speech the likes of which we’ve never seen from him. He is overcome yet again with emotion at the recovery of his ward; it is implied that he would never have stopped searching for her. After he realizes that the court is seeing him use an emotion that doesn’t start with a frowny face, he says he needs air, and Morgana settles down once again with an evil grin.

Uther thinks he hears something outside, and the sounds seem to be coming from the well. He approaches it, and looks down – and an arm grabs him. It’s Igraine, and she’s screaming – and now Uther is too, balled up in the fetal position in the courtyard. Morgana plays the part of devoted ward and tucks Uther into bed personally, cooing over him with concern.

Gaius chalks it up to stress, and says that he’ll be fine tomorrow.

Morgana and Morgause have their nightly get-together, and another mandragora root is procured. This time, though, it drips, and as she returns to Camelot a knight stops her to assist. He won’t back off, thinking Morgana has been injured, and she knifes him in the gut and tosses him over the wall. And then, on top of it, she’s royally bitchy to Gwen.

Morgana has officially gone darkside on us.

Morgause marches on another king’s castle in full mail, incensed that the king did not meet her at the borders as planned. She all but insults his manhood, and he loves it. Morgause makes her pitch – everyone knows Uther has grown mad, and the kingdom is ready for the taking. King Russell Brand (hey, if the shoe fits…) argues that Camelot is still untouchable, and Morgause reminds him that they have a friend in the court who will not fail them. And the camera, of course, cuts to…

…Morgana, in chambers with Uther, hearing reports of mercenaries flocking to King Russell Brand’s lands. Arthur wants to send a patrol out to assess things; Uther merely stares at the end of the hall, where he is seeing a lonely ghost of a drowned boy, of maybe four or five. He starts screaming “Get out! I’ll have you hanged!” as the court watches.

Gaius admits to Merlin that Uther drowned many children who were born with magic during the Great Purge, and his conscience may be coming back to visit him.

The warning bells toll – Morgana’s kill has been found. And worse, she left her knife in him, and it’s a specific knife, one used by the knights who protected the Great Priestesses of the Old Religion. This leads Arthur to guess that there is a traitor at court.

Hey, Arthur: SHE’S RIGHT BEHIND YOU. Just a friendly hint.

The sentry, as it turns out, survived his knifing and his fall – and Gaius thinks he can get the traitor’s name out of him when he wakes. Morgana breaks into Gaius’ place when he’s out and immediately poisons the sentry.

God, do I wish there were a way she could turn back now, but Morgana has crossed the Moral Event Horizon, and there ain’t no goin’ back. While a woman with the name Mor-something has always been an enemy of Camelot, in this adaptation, there are two. I like Katie McGrath far too much for her character to become some one-note evil bitch. Hopefully, she’s deceiving Morgause in some way, and she isn’t the Mor-something we’re looking for – but at this point, that’s wishful thinking on my part, and terribly unlikely.

Merlin goes to check on Uther, who is muttering and whimpering in his sleep – and notices sludge on the floor. Seeing a lady coming, he ducks under the bed just in time for Morgana to reach in and yank out that day’s mandragora root. He follows her out into the forest, and he’s about as loud as a bull as he does so. Merlin watches Morgana and Morgause meet, and Morgause says that King Russell Brand’s army will be there tomorrow.

And… Merlin, babe? You’re busted. “Did you really think I was that stupid, Merlin?” Morgana says as he starts to run.

Back at Camelot, Gaius confronts Arthur on the need for him to assume control as regent. Arthur refuses to usurp his father’s power, and Gaius is unable to talk sense into him.

It’s morning, and Merlin is hauled before Morgause and bound in silver chains. She taunts him, asking him why he’s so hell bent on Arthur and Camelot surviving. She guesses that it’s more than just him being elevated to being the servant to the king, but tells him his secret will die with him. The chains are ensorcelled, and Morgause leaves him like that in the forest.

As soon as she’s gone, he tries magic – only to find that the more he chants, the tighter the chains bind. And as if the chains aren’t bad enough, Morgause has set giant scorpions on Merlin as well.

Arthur is left crying by Uther’s bedside, and Morgana is the one to comfort him; he hugs her close and tells her that he’s glad she’s there.

The scorpions advance, and Merlin spits a spell at them. It barely fazes them, but it’s almost one too many for Merlin – he’s almost out of breath. He takes one last breath, as deep as he can, and screams something at the sky. And who should come to his rescue, but the Asshole Dragon! The dragon fries himself a few critters and makes the others flee, and grasps Merlin’s body in his great paws and flies off, as Merlin’s eyes flutter shut.

Why, Arthurian legend, must it always be a woman who ultimately betrays Camelot? That, however, is another post for another time.