- “One thing I know for certain. That whoever did this lives among us. Whoever did this has betrayed us all.”
- — Guinevere Pendragon
A Lesson in Vengeance is the seventh episode of the fifth series of Merlin, which was first broadcast on the 17th of November, 2012.
Synopsis
Darkness steals into the very heart of Camelot, as Morgana and her puppet Queen Guinevere hatch a sinister plan to murder Arthur. But when stable hand Tyr Seward becomes caught in the crossfire, he threatens to ruin everything…
As the plot thickens and reaches its deadly climax, can a suspicious Merlin unravel the truth before it’s too late?[1]
Plot
Merlin, Arthur, and Guinevere go riding together to celebrate Gwen and Arthur's third anniversary. A small explosion knocks Arthur from his horse, and soon afterwards a pair of bandits emerge from the woods and attack him. Arthur fights them off, and (with some secret help from Merlin's magic) eventually defeats them.
In Arthur's chambers, Gaius treats Arthur's wounds and says he was fortunate not to have broken his neck. Arthur asks if the men who attacked him were questioned and Gaius replies that their wounds were fatal. Sir Leon also reveals that Arthur's saddle had been tampered with; the girth had been unpicked and then restitched, making it was designed to break. After hearing this, Arthur begins to agree with Merlin's suspicions that the attack was not a coincidence.
Gwaine arrests Tyr Seward, the royal stablehand, on suspicion of treason. Meanwhile, Leon informs Tyr's mother, Gelda Seward, of the arrest and searches their home for evidence. Percival finds the thread that was used to restitch the saddle girth and Tyr is brought before Arthur, who questions him. Tyr denies the court's accusations, but Arthur doesn't believe him and demands to know the name of his accomplice. When Tyr tells him he has no name to give, Arthur sentences him to death.
After the trial, Merlin tries to persuade Arthur to reconsider his decision, but he refuses. Merlin later discusses the situation with Gaius and shares his suspicions that someone else is involved. Meanwhile, in the royal chambers, Gwen find Arthur brooding over his decision and Tyr's apparent betrayal. She tells him that even a great and honourable king has enemies within his walls, and the important thing is that Tyr didn't succeed.
Gwen convinces Arthur to wait until morning to question Tyr.
Merlin visits Tyr in the dungeon and brings him some food to eat. He tells Tyr he doesn't believe he's guilty and that he wants to help him if he can, and Tyr explains that a few days earlier he'd seen someone messing with Arthur's saddle. He tried to warn someone, but the person threatened to kill his mother if he told anyone what he'd seen. Merlin asks Tyr to tell him the person's identity, but Tyr refuses to risk his mother's safety.
Merlin goes to Arthur and tells him what Tyr told him. Arthur agrees to talk to Tyr himself, but Gwen persuades him to wait until morning, as he might have more to say by that time. Merlin finds her behaviour strange and talks to Gaius about it, saying that Gwen hasn't seen herself since they returned from the Dark Tower, but Gaius reason that Gwen is still grieving Elyan, who was the only family she had left. He also points out that they don't know what Morgana put her through, with Merlin replying that that's what worries him.
Later that night, Gwen visits Tyr in prison. Tyr assures her that he hasn't told anyone what she'd done and Gwen replies that his mother is safe, then kills him to ensure his silence. The next morning, Arthur is shocked by Tyr's murder and regrets not having talked to him when he had the chance. Merlin also points out that whoever killed Tyr knew the citadel inside and out.
Gwen meets with Morgana in the Darkling Woods. She apologises for having failed to kill Arthur, but assures Morgana that Tyr has been dealt with. Morgana tells Gwen that she'll have to find someone else to take the fall for Arthur's murder and that she must have the support of the Knights, as only with their allegiance will she be able to ascend the throne. She also promises Gwen she'll have everything she needs to finish the job.
Their meeting is interrupted by a Camelot patrol and Gwen flees to the citadel. Gwaine chases after her, but Morgana uses her magic to pull him from his horse, allowing Gwen to escape.
Back in Camelot, Gwaine informs Arthur that he was attacked with magic while Gaius tends to his wounds. They speculate that it could have been Morgana, and Merlin suggests that she might have been meeting with someone from the castle. Though skeptical, Arthur asks Merlin and Gaius to search the woods for anything that might have been overlooked. Privately, Merlin asks Gwaine to stay close to Arthur and do whatever he can to protect him.
Morgana visits Sindri, an apothecary who lives just outside Camelot. She buys tinctures of valerian and henbane from him, which he assures her will kill slowly and with the utmost pain. Morgana pays him for the poisons and then pays extra for his silence, then goes on her way.
In Camelot, Arthur tells Gwen about Merlin's suspicions that Morgana attacked the patrol and that she may have an ally in the court. Gwen assures Arthur that together they will find the culprit. Meanwhile, Merlin and Gaius search the forest for clues as to who Morgana was meeting with. Gaius finds a piece of cloth on a tree and later identifies it as raw silk, something only the extremely wealthy can afford. Merlin searches Gwen's wardrobe, but doesn't find a dress that matches.
Morgana disguises herself with an ageing spell and approaches Gwen in the marketplace and slips her the poisons. At dinner that evening, Gwen sneaks the valerian into Arthur's drink, then pours a drop of henbane inside his ear after he falls unconscious.
Meanwhile, Merlin finds one of Gwen's cloaks in Arthur's laundry and discovers that the inner lining matches the scrap of silk Gaius found. He rushes to warn Arthur, but arrives at the royal chambers to find Arthur slumped in his chair, unconscious.
Gaius examines Arthur and finds that he was poisoned. Gwen accuses Merlin, who is immediately arrested. Gaius visits him in the cells and tells him he was right; Morgana obviously did something in the Dark Tower that has allowed her to take control of Gwen and use her to get to Arthur. He tells Merlin that his magic is the only thing that can save Arthur and later sneaks an ageing potion into his cell to help him escape.
Disguised as Dragoon the Great, Merlin talks his way past the guards and escapes the dungeons. He encounters Audrey in the kitchens and knocks her out with a pan to avoid her questions. Meanwhile, Gwen and Leon sit vigil at Arthur's beside and Leon assures Gwen that if Arthur should die, the Knights will stand by her and support her ascension to the throne.
After leaving the kitchens, Merlin reverses the ageing spell and returns to his normal form. He tries to sneak into Arthur's chambers, but Gwaine sees his shadow and he, Mordred, and several other guards chase Merlin into the courtyard. The Knights place the citadel on high alert, but Merlin outwits them by using his magic to extinguish their torches and enters Arthur's chambers by scaling the outside wall of the citadel.
Gwaine informs Gwen that there is an intruder in the citadel and Gaius persuades her hide in a guest chamber. Once she and the knights have gone, Merlin emerges and uses his magic to save Arthur. Though initially unsure he has the power to save the king, Merlin succeeds and Arthur begins to recover.
The next morning, Arthur orders Merlin's release from the dungeons, having cleared him from suspicion. Merlin starts to tell him that Gwen is the traitor, but Arthur says they're needed in the council chambers, where Sindri has been brought before the court.
Arthur reveals that Gwen found vials of poison in their chambers bearing Sindri's distinctive mark, which she used to trace them to him. Sindri admits that he sold the poisons to Morgana, but denies knowing what she intended to use them for. Arthur thanks Gwen for her diligence and leads the court in chanting "Long live the Queen!" while Merlin stares at Gwen with suspicion.
Cast
Main Cast
- Colin Morgan as Merlin/Dragoon the Great
- Bradley James as Arthur Pendragon
- Angel Coulby as Guinevere Pendragon
- Katie McGrath as Morgana Pendragon/Hilda
- Richard Wilson as Gaius
Recurring Cast
- Rupert Young as Sir Leon
- Eoin Macken as Sir Gwaine
- Tom Hopper as Sir Percival
- Alexander Vlahos as Sir Mordred
- Zee Asha as Audrey[2]
Guest Cast
- John Bradley as Tyr Seward
- Veronica Roberts as Gelda Seward
- Tony Guilfoyle as Sindri
- Giles New as a Guard
Continuity
- This episode marks the second and final appearance of Morgana's alter ego, Hilda.
- This episode marks the fifth appearance of Merlin's alter ego, Dragoon the Great.
- This episode marks Guinevere's first and second attempts on Arthur's life.
- Gwen and Arthur celebrate their third wedding anniversary.
- Merlin and Gaius realise that Morgana did something in the Dark Tower to take control of Gwen.
- Gaius initially assumes that Gwen's odd behaviour is due to her grieving Elyan.
- Sir Leon promises Gwen that if Arthur should die, the Knights of Camelot will stand by her as his successor.
Release & Reception
- A Lesson in Vengeance was broadcast on November 17, 2012 - 8.05pm BBC One. 6.86 million views.
Trivia
- This is the only episode where both Merlin and Morgana use ageing spells to disguise themselves.
- John Bradley marks another Game of Thrones (2011-2019) actor to appear in Merlin (2008-2012).
Gallery
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Transcript
See Also
- Characters: Tyr Seward, Gelda Seward, Sindri, Hilda
- Locations: Darkling Woods, Dungeon, Arthur's Chambers
- Creatures: Horse
- Magic: Telekinesis, Wind Spells, Ageing Spell, Healing Spells
- Objects: Henbane, Valerian, Ageing Reversal Antidote
- Events: Death Sentence
References
| Series 5 |
|---|
| Arthur's Bane • The Death Song of Uther Pendragon • Another's Sorrow • The Disir • The Dark Tower • A Lesson in Vengeance • The Hollow Queen • With All My Heart • The Kindness of Strangers • The Drawing of the Dark • The Diamond of the Day |