The Sword in the Stone

The Sword in the Stone comprises the twelfth and thirteenth episodes of the fourth series of Merlin and is the two-part finale.

Part One
With Morgana at the helm of a vast Southron army, a deadly net is closing in around Camelot. When the sorceress strikes, the ferocity of her attack forces everyone to run for their lives - even Arthur. But Morgana will not let him escape that easily. And so begins a chilling hunt...

Can Merlin save the King from Morgana's clutches? Or has Arthur's luck finally run out?

Part Two
Morgana and Helios have successfully captured Camelot, and Merlin and Arthur are outlaws on the run. Trapped in Ealdor with a ruthless army closing in, their situation becomes desperate. Arthur must take control before Camelot is lost forever, but faced with Agravaine's betrayal and the strength of Morgana's force, the young King has lost his conviction.

Only Merlin can restore his faith, and only an extraordinary act can prove to the King that he was born to rule. Will the young warlock convince Arthur before his dreams of Albion fall to pieces?

Part 1
While Arthur has a feast in Camelot with everyone else, Agravaine knocks out some guards and travels through some tunnels. He then emerges in an unknown location and signals to Morgana and Helios that it is finally time to attack Camelot with their army. Morgana's army attack and burn down many parts of the kingdom while the Knights of Camelot attempt to protect the kingdom. Arthur is then alerted of the attack and he orders everyone to leave the feast while he goes into battle. Merlin, who is helping Gaius treat the wounded, decides to protect Arthur.

Arthur is wounded during the battle after killing many soldiers, but Merlin arrives in time and distracts the soldiers with his magic, allowing both of them to escape. As they hide, Arthur then looks out and sees Agravaine with Morgana, Helios and the army marching into the citadel, finally discovering his uncle's treachery. Enraged at Agravaine's betrayal, Arthur attempts to fight his uncle but Merlin talks him out of it as there are too many soldiers and Arthur is wounded. As Morgana finally captures Camelot, the Knights of Camelot, including Sir Leon, evacuate the citizens and escape from the kingdom, while Merlin and Gaius tend to Arthur's wound. Gaius tells Merlin that they need to evacuate Arthur from the kingdom to Ealdor, but since Arthur is willing to die to protect Camelot, Merlin enchants Arthur, making him confused, and he agrees to leave the kingdom and go to Ealdor. While Merlin and Arthur leave with Percival, Gaius remains behind with Gwaine to distract Morgana, however as Morgana enters, she has Gaius and Gwaine captured and goes for a hunt to find Arthur.

Elyan joins Arthur, Merlin and Percival as they escape the kingdom, but Morgana eventually catches up to them and uses her magic to knock them over, separating Percival from Arthur, Merlin and Elyan. As Percival has disappeared, Merlin and Arthur continue, while Elyan fends of Morgana's soldiers and is later captured. Merlin orders the enchanted Arthur to change his clothes and disguise into a villager, as they contunue their journey to Ealdor. However, along the way they are captured by some smugglers led by Tristan and Isolde, but they allow the disguised Arthur (whom Merlin introduces as a 'simpleton') and Merlin to stay when Merlin tells them that they are heading for Ealdor. Meanwhile, Morgana returns to Camelot and uses a Nathair to torture Elyan who is forced to tell her that Arthur is heading for Ealdor. Morgana then tells Agavaine to go to Ealdor and capture Arthur while imprisoning Elyan with Gaius and Gwaine. During the night, Arthur, under his enchantment, tells Merlin that he finds it hard to be polite to Merlin and that he still has lots to learn to which Merlin tells him to clear their belongings.

The next day, Arthur is free from Merlin's enchantment and demands to know where they are and why he is dressed as a villager. Merlin tells him that Camelot has fallen and that he had to disguise him to prevent his true identity from being revealed to Morgana's men. Arthur when meeting Tristan and Isolde, continues pretending to be a 'simpleton' under Merlin's supervision but when Agravaine catches up and ambushes them, he reveals his true identity to Tristan and Isolde. As they escape the ambush, Tristan reveals that the taxes Arthur gave was the reason why he and Isolde had to become smugglers, making it hard for Arthur to help them. However, when Arthur saves Isolde's life when she is wounded by a soldier, Tristan reluctantly allows Arthur to join them but only does it for Isolde who is grateful to Arthur for saving her.

As they camp, Arthur laments over Agravaine's betrayal, saying that he had been blind to his treachery as he was to Morgana's, but Merlin comforts him, saying that people only hate him as they are hungry for power. Meanwhile, in Camelot, Gwaine is forced to fight a man to get food for Gaius, who is starving, but when he wins, Morgana only gives him a piece of bread and tells him that he has to fight more men to get more food. Arthur, Merlin, Tristan and Isolde eventually arrive in Ealdor where Merlin is reunited with his mother, Hunith. Arthur apologises to Tristan for the taxes he gave which caused him and Isolde to become smugglers, and Tristan forgives him for that and the loss of his cargo during Agravaine's ambush, saying that he still has Isolde. Arthur is then reunited with Gwen, who has been staying in Ealdor since Arthur had her exiled for her apparent betrayal. Gwen tells Arthur that she has missed him and Arthur says that he has also missed her, and they forgive each other.

However, Agravaine later arrives in Ealdor with his men, forcing Arthur, Merlin, Gwen, Tristan and Isolde to escape, while Agravaine orders his men to pursue them.



Part 2
The episode continues where Part 1 left off with Arthur, Gwen, Isolde, Tristan and Merlin are running though the woods to escape from Agravaine and his men. Merlin stays back to cover their tracks, though once the others are gone he calls the Great Dragon who comes and breathes fire on the troops of Agravaine, killing them. Merlin returns to his friends and leads the group through some caves. However, Agravaine follows them and Merlin goes back leading him away form the others. Merlin is cornered and Agravaine threatens to kill him. Merlin uses magic to throw the men back. Agravaine gets up and realizes Merlin has magic and that he is Emrys. When he tries to kill Merlin, Merlin uses magic again to throw Agravaine back onto some cave rocks, killing him. Meanwhile Arthur goes back to search for Merlin and finds him returning. They make it out of the cave and have to decide where to go next.

Tristan still shows resentment towards Arthur and he decides to head back towards Camelot to the Forest of Ascetir. Back in Camelot, Gaius, Sir Elyan and Sir Gwaine are locked up in a cell and are starving. Morgana makes Gwaine fight for food again with a short wooden sword against many fighters. Tristan continues to poke at Arthur convincing him he is no one special and should deserve to be king. Gwen attempts to talk to Arthur but he cannot bring himself to forgive her. Gwaine is thrown back into the cell and is given a small loaf of bread, Gaius won't last much longer.

Arthur and Merlin talk, Arthur doubts himself and his decisions and thinks that he is just like anyone else. Merlin calls the Great Dragon to ask for advice on how to help Arthur believe he can be king. Merlin figures out a way by himself. The next morning, Merlin wakes Arthur up and leads him through the forest telling him a story the supposedly Gaius told him about the first King of Camelot placing a sword in a stone before he died. He tells Arthur he found the stone and at first Arthur doesn't believe him but then he sees Excalibur in the rock. All the survivers of Camelot appear and surround the clearing. Arthur doesn't think he can pull the sword from the rock but Merlin keeps telling him to believe and that his is special. At first he tries but can't pull it out. He tries again, Merlin telling him that he is meant to pull the sword from the rock and that he has to believe he is the kind. When he sees that Arthur is truely believing in himself Merlin uses magic to allow Arthur to pull Excalibur out. Morgana find out that Agravaine and his men dead and is convinced that Emrys is responsible, believing that only he could command a dragon.

With the knights, Sir Leon, Sir Percival and his people back at his side, Arthur returns to being himself as king. Even though they are outnumbered Arthur decides to fight and Sir Leon tells Arthur that everyone is fighting for him not just for Camelot. Tristan watches and starts to have a change of heart. Isolde tells Gwen to never give up hope and that love is stronger than anything. Merlin tells Arthur the rest of the story and that he has always believed in Arthur that he would unite the Land of Albion and would rule over the greatest kingdom the world had ever known. Then leaves him to think about what he said.

Merlin sneaks into Camelot that night and turns into the old warlock and lights a straw doll on fire and places it under Morgana's bed with an enchantment. Having been spotted by Morgana, Merlin is chased by some guards but makes himself young then steals some clothing from a slain and escapes. This unsettles Morgana and she goes to sleep.

The next morning everyone is preparing to leave, Isolde and Tristan decide to come since Arthur showed them that he fights for what is right and fair. The people head to Camelot where they try to go unnoticed for as long as possible. They fight their way through many guards and men. Sir Percival frees Gwaine and Elyan who then help Gaius.

Arthur, Merlin, Gwen, Isolde and Tristan confront Morgana and Helios. Arthur and Morgana finally confront each other face to face. Arthur wants to know why she betrayed him but Morgana tells him that he is no different to Uther. Morgana tries to kill them with her magic but Merlin's enchantment disables her powers and she flees. Merlin and Gwen go after her while Helios and other guards attack the others. Gwen fights Morgana but is disarmed. Merlin uses magic to stone and rubble to fall on her. When the dust clears Morgana is gone. Arthur fights Helios while Tristan and Isolde fight the others. Arthur is injured and gets knocked down, Helios is about to kill him when Isolde stabs Helios from behind but gets stabbed in the stomach. Tristan holds her as she dies.

Later Arthur comes into his chambers where Gwen is tidying up. She says she will leave if her wants her to but Arthur tells her to stay and that he doesn't care and never wants to lose her again. He asks her to marry him and she says yes. Everyone is gathered and Arthur crowns Guinevere queen of Camelot. They then kiss and sit on the throne as Merlin, Gaius and everyone else proudly watch.

Morgana is stumbling through the woods and collapses on the ground. Aithusa, the white dragon uses its breath to heal Morgana who is grateful for the first time in a long while, then Aithusa flies away.

Cast

 * Merlin/Old man (Part 2) - Colin Morgan
 * King Arthur - Bradley James
 * Morgana - Katie McGrath
 * Gaius - Richard Wilson
 * Agravaine - Nathaniel Parker
 * Queen Guinevere - Angel Coulby
 * Great Dragon - John Hurt (Part 2 only)
 * Sir Leon - Rupert Young
 * Sir Percival - Tom Hopper
 * Sir Gwaine - Eoin Macken
 * Sir Elyan - Adetomiwa Edun
 * Isolde - Miranda Raison
 * Tristan - Ben Daniels
 * Helios - Terence Maynard
 * Hunith - Caroline Faber (Part 1 only)

Broadcast
Part One: 17th December 2011

Part Two: 24 December 2011

Trivia

 * Agravaine is the fourth main character besides Merlin, Gaius and Lancelot to meet Kilgharrah. (Part 2)
 * Aithusa saves Morgana with a healing breath, leaving the series in a cliffhanger. (Part 2)