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Episode: Le Morte D’Arthur

Written By: Julian Jones

Directed by: David Moore

This is the last episode for the    1st      season    of Merlin

This episode begins with Arthur,  Merlin and some of Camelot’s knights hunting. They come across a beast with the body of a leopard and the head of a snake. As they are fleeing from it, Merlin trips and falls to the ground. The beast rears up, ready to strike, but Arthur and another knight grab Merlin and continue to run. The other knight falls to the ground. Arthur, Merlin and the remaining knights get to a safe distance and Arthur asks who they are missing, to which Merlin answers ‘Sir Bedivere’. They then hear a scream from where Sir Bedivere fell.

As Arthur is reporting the incident to his father, Gaius states that it sounds as if what they encountered was the Questing Beast. Arthur counters that that is a myth, but Gaius stays firm in his assessment. He tells those present that the Questing Beast only shows itself in times of great upheaval. Uther scoffs at this and orders Arthur to kill the beast. When they are alone, Gaius once again appeals to Uther, stating the last time the Questing Beast had appeared was just before Ygraine (Uther’s wife, and Arthur’s mother) had died. Uther angrily and arrogantly tells Gaius that he had defeated the old religion, therefore he no longer listened to it’s warnings. In private, Gaius again cautions Merlin against the Questing Beast, as it holds the power of life and death – one bite from this beast, and the victim dies, and there is no cure.

Morgana dreams of Arthur and the Questing Beast, and wakes in a frantic panic. Gwen tries to calm the inconsolable Morgana – but she runs out to the court yard, where Arthur has gathered his knights to prepare them to search for the beast. Morgana screams his name and tries to stop him from going, but is intercepted by Merlin, who tells Arthur he will see that the guards will take her to Gaius. As she is dragged away, Merlin watches with a worried look on his face.

As Arthur’s group are pursuing the beast, Merlin and Arthur become trapped by it in a cave. The beast once again moves to attack ,  Arthur pushes Merlin back and tries to fight it, and is bitten. Merlin uses his magic to lift Arthur’s sword, and spears the beast with it, and it dies. Merlin then rushes an unconscious Arthur back to Gaius.

Gaius states that there is nothing he can do for Arthur, and that no magic can save him. Uther runs to his son’s side, and both Merlin and Gaius try to reassure him that they will do anything to save him. Arthur’s knights carry Arthur through the courtyard to his room, as Morgana watches from her window. Merlin refuses to let Arthur’s fate be sealed, so he goes to the Great Dragon and tells him that he will do anything to save Arthur. The Great Dragon tells him that he (Merlin) does not know what to do, but that the dragon can possibly help him. He speaks to Merlin of the old religion, saying that it is the magic of the earth itself, and that it shall be around long after Man’s time. The Dragon tells Merlin that he must travel to the Isle of the Blessed – where he can bargain for Arthur’s life and that the young Pendragon must live – no matter what the cost.

Read the rest of the review HERE

Well, that’s it for Season 1 – Thank you for reading and hope you enjoyed the recaps, and Merlin Season 1 will be shown on SyFy on Sunday 28th of March as a marathon, and Season 2 is set to air in April ,