Board Thread:Series 5 Discussion/@comment-82.156.4.128-20121224212052/@comment-26981815-20160607120526

The ending of the story isn't bad. You know why? Because it's NOT AN ENDING. Arthur dies and all. That'd make a very sad ending. But the dragon then comes along and says 'oh, btw Merlin, he'll come back.' That plot point converted what would have been an otherwise concrete ending, into a completely unfinished story that should be sealed. And yet it isn't. But the writers managed to mess up the story even further with the modern day scene. It means that even if the story was to be continued, it'd be a story in the modern world. Which literally goes against the most basic Merlin plot point. So yes, the writers did manage to make an unfinished story which cannot be finished without having an ending even worse than the current one.

And taking aside the whole unfinished part, the ending still leaves a simple question in your head: 'then what?' The show builds up with one focus, which is the kingdoms being reunited magic being allowed. We don't even get that! The ending is so rushed, I mean, Arthur dies, Gwen becomes ruler and BOOM blue truck! The story jumped a bit there, didn't it? What happened in that hidden time line? How did Gwen rule the kingdom? Did Merlin come back? What about Gaius? Or anyone, really? Did magic even become allowed again? Did the kingdom live in peace? Seriously, the entire series had one job, which was allowing magic. ONE JOB. AND IT FAILED US. ON THAT ONE JOB IT HAD.

And let's not even get started on how depressing Arthur's death, and the fact that Merlin lived centuries without his best friend with him, is.