User blog:Fimber/What exactly was "The Golden Age"? (Spoilers)

The end of "Merlin" is (finally) near and in regard to how it's going to end, I'd like to know what "The Golden Age" between season three and four was referring to. We know that is was said in the episode descriptions of the beginning of season five that Camelot is flowering and that there has been a Golden Age for three years until the the seeds of destruction are being sown (again).

Now, given that the show is going to end on a sad note with no Golden Age, no achievement, no united Albion under Arthur's leadership, no magic back in Camelot, what exactly was the Golden Age in the three years time skip?

We know that Albion wasn't united, that sorcery is still outlawed, that Arthur is still persecuting sorceres. We also know that the Five Kingdoms had already been united by Uther (so what the heck was Arthur trying when seeking an alliance with Sarrum? The Five Kingdoms had already been united since "Sweet Dreams") and that there was peace under Uther's reign until Morgana, Morgause and Cenred decided to attack Camelot and waged the first wars that had taken place ever since Arthur's birth. We know that sorcery was outlawed, just like it still is under Arthur's reign and that Camelot provided peace, prosperity, protection and stability as long as magic wasn't involved. We know that Uther was successful in gaining peace and that he was ruthless towards sorceres and magic-users but not towards other kingdoms or those who had nothing to do with sorcery and otherwise was considered to be a fair king (as was said by Hunith and Gaius) and that he didn't start wars and cared deeply for Camelot and its citizens who obviously led a good life and benefited from living in the strongest and most progressed kingdom of the land.

It's quite unbelievable and also surely not enough that establishing the Round Table and marrying a serving girl can be seen as the Golden Age for entire Camelot when everything else hasn't changed, when things are the same like they were before. How could the citizens of Camelot have befited from the Round Table or from Gwen as their queen when there had already been peace and prosperity before  and when sorcery is still outlawed? What made Arthur a fairer and better king?

Three years without war after Morgana's attacks are considered to be the Golden Age? And what was the time span of at least 22 years (or more) of peace before Morgana, Morgause and Cenred first attacked Camelot? The Platinum Age?

It's quite certain that Arthur is going to die in the upcoming finale of "Merlin" and that none of what everyone had hoped for (magic being restored, peace between the Old Religion and non-magic-users, Albion being united with Arthur as its leader and everyone living happily ever after) will happen.

So where, for crying out loud, is the Golden Age and what was so different in the three years between season three and four?