User blog comment:Fimber/The "Merlin" finale ("The Diamond of the Day")/@comment-5674726-20121224001425

How can anyone be so silly and ignorant?

Plot convenience, pure and simple. Opting for "slow and painful" over "fast and effective" once isn't too bad but, if the target escapes the first time, future confrontations should involve shooting to kill. Even Morgana should know this by now.

I think that it would have been a good plot twist if Merlin was left without his magic permanently or, at the very least, for the duration of the battle. If Arthur is going to win, let him win by himself instead of having Merlin magically come to the rescue yet again.

At this point, even if Morgana wasn't my favourite character, I can't see myself being able to root for Merlin because it's been stressed so often that he's the most powerful sorcerer ever. It's not particularly interesting for me as a viewer when Merlin being defeated doesn't seem like a real possibility, and the only thing to wonder about is what magic trick he'll pull out of his backside to save the day this time.