Board Thread:Rewatching "Merlin" - Season Four/@comment-5102537-20131116154357/@comment-24367109-20140126202504

I think that this was actually a really good episode. When we look at what actually happened, we can see that Arthur would have gone to any measure to save his father, and when it came down to it, Uther would do anything for his son, Arthur.

Keeping with the idea of doing anything, we see how once again magic seems to ruin the Pendragon's lives. Once with Uther and Ygraine, and even though Arthur knows of the circumstances of his birth, he still turned to it when his father was in trouble.

Where Merlin is concerned, I wondered to begin with why he wanted to save Uther in the first place. Uther was the wall in between Arthur becoming the king that Camelot deserves, and finally Albion can become one step closer to being united. However, we see again how people will do anything for those they love. Merlin clearly cares so much about Arthur, since he cannot bear to see Arthur distressed. To use magic again like that, he risks everything. I love the pureness of this scene, when Merlin decides that he has something urgent to go and do whilst Arthur speaks to the sorcerer, Dragoon. Since Merlin lost is own father, he doesn't want Arthur to have to experience the same hurt. Unfortunately, we see the way magic ruins another Pendragon, since Morgana sets up the amulet around Uther's neck.

However, I do see the flaws with the amulet. Gaius has been portrayed throughout the entire 5 series' as someone who has so much knowledge and wisdom and knows what to do and how to act. He is the one who Uther puts the utmost trust in, and considers them both close friends. When Gaius checks Uther over, he really should have realised that there was this strange amulet around his neck. He should have removed the amulet straightaway, and looked over it. By this time, Merlin could have worked more of his magic and saved Uther. Gaius would have looked into it, and figured out that it was Morgana, because Gaius is just like that. Uther would have lived, been warned by Gaius and then eventually killed in a more impressive manor. I do agree that the amulet was a bad twist; if he really, really was destined to die in this episode, then they could have used a different mean, other than an amulet, which is easy to pick flaws in. Even if it was a ring - something easily hidden if Uther's hand had been under the sheet.

Still, all in all, I do think that it was a good episode! It allowed the story to continue nicely, and the idea of Arthur's birthday was something I'd never have ever foreseen! Really quite loved it!

~Guinevere01