User blog comment:Percivalxx/Which series of Merlin did you find the best?/@comment-4135736-20130109114146

Blimey, I've been absent for more than a week, well I have this to say, I loved the first three seasons but I honestly think this show has gone downhill since Series 4 started so for me it goes like this:

1) Series 1: I loved this season, currently my favourite, it had magical duels, progression with the characters (for example that spoilt, annoying prince in the start who was Arthur almost vanished by the end of the Series 1 finalle), and good consistency but I disliked the modern look at the start (thankfully that later reduced).

2) Series 3: Also good, there were some on-screen battles/wars, more of the Arthurian Legend was featured, the knights of the round table finally were featured, Uther showed more vulnerability and layers, and Arthur got really close to becoming the great King in the end but I disliked Morgana's sudden turn to an insane person (if there was more consistency with Morgana's character, this would have been my favourite season).

3) Series 2: Initially this was my least favourite season but now I think that it was better than the last two seasons because despite the filler episodes (especially that terrible Beauty and the Beast two part story) and the lack of plot complexity and magical duels, there was still consistensy with the characters, Mordred returned, Kilgharrah revealed some flaws in his character, plus this was the season where good characters like Freya, Balinor and Alvarr were introduced.

4) Series 4: This was where the show started to lose what made it so great, good characters like Freya and Alvarr were forgotton, no magic reveals, Merlin never learned that he was destined to bring Morgana's doom, the magical duels went downhill and less intensive from the other seasons, too many plotholes and Agravaine was just a repeated version of Series 3 Morgana. It was still entertaining to watch though but not excellent.

5) Series 5: My least favourite season, sorry but it was the most stupid way for this show to end, Merlin ending up as a modern day postman, more plotholes especially with Aithusa (and the lack of Dragon interaction with Kilgharrah), Mordred being different to his Series 1 and 2 character, all the main characters failing their destinies, no magical duels especially between Merlin and Morgana, and that pointless story of Gwen being Morgana's puppet, pathetic. I only liked these episodes: Arthur's Bane, Another's Sorrow and The Drawing of the Dark.