Board Thread:Series 5 Discussion/@comment-71.201.29.50-20130707140323

I was severely disapointed when I learned it would end. I was turned off by Merlin not sticking to his principles in plotting to let Mordred die. I didn't like the lack of imagination by the writers of the endless Morgana plots & takeovers. And I wanted to see Merlin's abilities get revealed in a way that had potential for endless plotlines- Merlin fielding his own teams of wizards against Morgana & her's. And I wanted to see Merlin capture Morgana in triumph as he finally reveals himself to all.

We got none of that.

What we did get was much of the same plotlines right until the end. And it ended, in the last episode, with what was the true strength of the series- the relationship between the characters. Arthur's initial bewilderment & fear then gradual acceptance of Merlin as a wizard while he was dying was heartbreaking, & was as good as the series has ever been. It helped me believe that Arthur must have had suspicions all along (& wasn't the stupidest person in history) but couldn't bear to consider his best friend as one of a group he'd been taught to fear all his life, especially as Queen Gwen shows she'd figured it out over the years in a rich & satisfying exchange with Gaius.

What a strange retelling of Merlin as a hidden sorcerer. I expected the banning of magic was just a plotline & eventually magic would be accepted again & there'd be whole seasons based on the discovery of Merlin's abilities & the implications for Camelot. But in the end the actor's interpretations of their characters & their bonds drove the show, & it was what made the final episode, & only that episode, so rewarding. Merlin was at its best in the small nuances the actors put into their character's relationships, far more than the plot of the week or the too simple & too dominant way they had Merlin & Morgana magic make them like unkillable telekinetics. So many potential plotlines went unexplored, & in the end the strength of the actors is what made the show enjoyable & memorable. From when it began on NBC for the first year, the actors were the strength of the show, & I thank them for five years of good, & sometimes great, work. And who has heard better, richer, more distinct voice work than John Hurt as the dragon

Kilgharrah?  Thanks for the series.  The must all end sometime...
 