title: Gwaine
Written by: Julian Jones
Directed by : David Moore
Special Guests:Eoin Macken as Gwaine, Sarah Counsell as Mary, Andrew Vincent as Dagr, John Hopkins as Sir Oswald, Philip Brodie as Sir Ethan

Brought to you by OBS Staff Member Karolina

image: Merlin BBC

Merlin and Arthur ride through the forest, only to stop just on the outskirts of a small village. Arthur proclaims (after ignoring Merlin’s suggestion of sleep) that what is needed after a day’s hunt is a tankard of mead (The way Bradley James delivers this line is adorable – I was half expecting it to become an advertisement for “Prince’s Choice Mead.”) They make their way to the town. As they tie up their horses, Merlin asks Arthur whether this is one of the times that he tells him that something is a bad idea, and Arthur ignores him. Arthur tells Merlin that he is learning – and that once they enter the tavern, Arthur is no longer the Prince, just a ‘simple servant’. Merlin and Arthur amiably bicker as they enter the tavern.

Once they enter and are seated, they are approached by the bar maid, who pronounces that one of them is handsome. Arthur, being Arthur, assumes she is talking about him and says that she’s not the first to notice. She lets him know, much to his chagrin (and to Merlin’s delight) she was talking about ‘his friend’. Arthur orders a tankard of mead for them both, and just as they start to drink, a man enters. He approaches the bar maid, referring to her as ‘Mary’ and asks for his share of the profit she has made, as the tavern is quite full. Mary reluctantly throws a few gold coins on the counter, and the man pulls out a knife and holds it to Mary’s throat, demanding the rest. Arthur stands up and challenges the man. The man tells Arthur that he’ll make Arthur pay – Merlin laughingly comments that he’d like to see him try. The man whistles, and he is joined by a group of other thugs. Merlin and Arthur stand together – only to be joined by another man (Gwaine) who begins the bar fight. Arthur, Merlin, Gwaine and Mary proceed to fight the thugs, Gwaine only stopping to introduce himself to Merlin, and drink some mead. Arthur finds himself knocked to the ground, with the original thug standing over him, with a knife. Gwaine throws himself onto the man, getting stabbed in the leg in the process. When he tries to stand, he falls to the ground again – hitting his head on the way down. Arthur and Merlin rush to his side, and Merlin ties a piece of cloth around Gwaine’s leg above the wound, telling a worried looking Arthur that he has lost a lot of blood.

The thug is put in stocks, and Mary and her patrons pummel him with fruit and vegetables. Arthur tells them that if he ever bothers them again, to send word to Camelot and guards would be there within a day. Mary asks how Arthur can promise such a thing, and Arthur reveals who he is.

Once back at Camelot, Arthur and Merlin take the still unconscious Gwaine to Merlin’s room and Merlin helps Gaius tend to his wounds, as Arthur tells Gaius of Gwaine’s good deed. The next morning, Gwaine wakes in Merlin’s bed, to Merlin delivering breakfast to him. When he finds out that it was Prince Arthur’s life he saved, Gwaine states that he wouldn’t have bothered. He tells Merlin of his hate for noble men, even though his father was one (his father has passed away). Merlin tries to tell Gwaine that Arthur is a good man, but Gwaine doesn’t really listen.

READ THE REST OF THE REVIEW OF “GWAINE” HERE

This episode definitely had a “Lancelot” and “Once and Future Queen” feel to it, but it was still cute and fun. I liked that Gwaine was quite carefree and rowdy, but loyal to a fault – especially with how loyal he is to Arthur in the legend. I loved both Arthur and Merlin recognising Gwaine by his fighting style at the end. I also really loved the camaraderie between the three of them, and the talk between Merlin and Arthur before the Melee. I liked the repeat line there, and that Arthur took Merlin seriously.

What did you think of this ep?