Another's Sorrow is the fourth episode in the fifth series of Merlin. It was first broadcast on the 27th of October 2012.[1]
It marks the second and final appearances of Odin and Mithian, and the end of the long-running feud between Odin and Arthur.
Synopsis
After Odin takes control of Nemeth from King Rodor and his daughter Princess Mithian, Morgana uses Odin’s thirst for revenge in a plot to take back Camelot. Using an ageing spell, Morgana adopts the guise of Mithian’s maid Hilda. She then forces Mithian to return to Camelot to ask Arthur to rescue her father, who is in hiding.
But unbeknownst to the young king - who wants to see Odin pay for killing his father - it’s a deadly trap, as Odin is lying in wait with his army poised for attack. Can Merlin see through Morgana’s deception before its too late?
Plot
Odin and Morgana join forces to take over the kingdom of Nemeth. They tell King Rodor and his daughter, Princess Mithian, that they targeted them because they are allies of Camelot.
Morgana doesn't care for the spoils of battle; she only wants to use Odin's army to reclaim Camelot. Odin agrees to help Morgana when she promises to give him Arthur to do with as he wishes.
Three days later, Mithian arrives at the citadel of Camelot with her maidservant, Hilda, and is treated by Gaius and Merlin for exhaustion. Arthur wants to speak to Mithian straight away, but Merlin dissuades him, saying she is too weak and needs to recover first.
Gaius allows Hilda to remain with Mithian when she refuses to leave her side. However, Hilda is actually Morgana in disguise. She is holding Mithian prisoner and has accompanied her to Camelot to ensure she doesn't say reveal her true plan to Arthur.
The next morning, Mithian tells Arthur about the attack on Nemeth and that Odin was responsible. She explains that she and Rodor were able to escape, but her father was injured and couldn't continue with her. She asks Arthur to help rescue him and Arthur agrees.
Arthur calls a council meeting to device a rescue plan. They have learned from Mithian that Rodor is hiding in a tomb near the Camelot/Nemeth border. Arthur decides that the best course of action is for Mithian for lead them to the tomb and for the rescue party to consist of a small group of Knights in order to avoid detection.
Gaius points out that Odin still wants revenge on Arthur and that they may end up having to fight an entire army. However, Arthur dismisses Gaius' worries because he doesn't believe Odin knows where Rodor is.
That night, Mithian watches as Morgana summons a raven and uses it to send a message to Odin. She tries to warn Arthur, but Morgana catches her and uses magic to stop her. Later, Merlin arrives with a draught for the princess and senses that something is wrong. After he leaves, Morgana warns Mithian not to cross her, as there would be consequences.
Gaius realises that something is on Merlin's mind. Merlin tells him that if thinks Mithian is frightened of something or someone, but Gaius says that she is probably just worried about her father and that both her and Hilda are suffering from their ordeal.
Meanwhile, Guinevere is worried that Arthur's real motive for agreeing to help Mithian is that he wants an excuse to avenge Uther's death. Arthur reassures her that he is only intending to help their friends and thanks her for her concern.
In the tomb, Odin receives Morgana's message. Odin gloats about Arthur's imminent death and Rodor replies that Odin is not a king, but little more than a common criminal for leading honourable men to their deaths. Furious, Odin strikes Rodor across the face and says that Arthur is the criminal because he murdered his son.
Mithian makes another attempt to warn Arthur by stealing the key to her chambers from a sleeping Morgana. However, she leaves the door open in her rush to escape and the breeze wakes Morgana. She soon catches up with Mithian and tortures her by heating the bracelet on her wrist and threatening to bury her father alive if she betrays her again.
The next morning, Merlin tries to warn Arthur that something isn't right, but Arthur dismisses his doubts and the rescue party sets off as planned. When they stop for a rest, Merlin helps Mithian dismount her horse and notices the burn on her wrist. Mithian claims that she got the wound when she was bound by Odin's men, but Merlin recalls to Gaius that she didn't have any such injury when she arrived in Camelot.
When they stop for the night, Merlin again asks Arthur if he is sure they are doing the right thing. Arthur asks Merlin if he's been talking to Gwen, then says Odin is a plague upon the land that needs to be defeated. Merlin points out that he risks a lot for one act of revenge, but admits that if he was in Arthur's shoes he would probably do the same.
Hilda appears and seems unwell. Gaius and Merlin go to her aid and she reluctantly allows them to examine her. Much to her relief, Gaius finds nothing wrong with her, but later reports to Merlin that Hilda is in better shape than anyone her age should be; her blood and pulse run the vigour of someone half her age.
The next morning, Mithian sneaks out of camp after telling Morgana that she needs to wash. Leon reports to Arthur that large patrols of Odin's men have been spotted just beyond the border and suggests that they stay where they are until the patrols have passed, but Arthur dismisses Leon's worries.
Mithian returns and asks Merlin if he will refill her water flask. He offers her his, but Mithian insists she would prefer her own and Hilda takes note of her odd behaviour. When Merlin goes to the stream, he sees the word "Morgana" carved into a rock and rushes to warn Arthur, but Morgana appears and throws him into a tree, then renders him unconscious by constricting his airway with her magic.
Arthur calls for Merlin and Hilda alerts him to where he is. Percival carries the injured Merlin to Gaius and Arthur orders Gwaine to stay with them while he and the rest of the rescue party press on to find Rodor. Morgana reminds a guilty Mithian that she said there would be consequences if she tried anything.
Gwaine and Gaius grow worried when Merlin fails to regain consciousness. Eventually, Gaius sends Gwaine off to find more firewood, then attempts to heal Merlin with magic. He masters the spell on the third attempt and Merlin immediately recovers. He tells Gaius that Hilda is actually Morgana and that she attacked him, then sets off with Gwaine to warn Arthur that he is walking into a trap.
When the rescue party reaches the tomb, Arthur orders all of his men to remain outside except Percival, who follows him and Mithian into the burial chamber. Once inside, Arthur realises Mithian's betrayal and is greeted by Odin's men. Meanwhile, the Knights waiting outside are attacked and quickly surrounded.
Arthur and Percival fight bravely, but are eventually overwhelmed by the sheer number of Odin's men. Odin confronts Arthur and prepares to kill him in revenge for killing his son. Hilda also appears and reveals herself to be Morgana.
Meanwhile, Merlin and Gwaine arrive at the tomb and split up. Gwaine rescues the Knights from Odin's men while Merlin sneaks inside the tomb to find Arthur. He finds Odin preparing to execute Arthur and stops him by using his magic to cause a small earthquake.
In the confusion that follows, Arthur and Percival fight off Odin's men, noticing Merlin for the first time when he shows them the escape route. Merlin also blasts Morgana into a wall with magic as they leave, but in the chaos no one notices, not even Morgana.
Merlin, Arthur, Percival, Mithian, and Rodor escape the tomb and flee into the woods, Odin's army at their heels. Arthur sends Mithian and Rodor on with Percival while he and Merlin lead Odin and his men in another direction.
When Odin catches up to them, he and Arthur duel and Arthur quickly defeats him. Before Arthur can kill him, however, Merlin diffuses the situation by advising Arthur to spare Odin and create an alliance with him instead. Both are reluctant, but Arthur sees the wisdom of Merlin's words and convinces Odin to set aside their differences and join him in a truce.
Back in Camelot, Arthur reports to Rodor and Mithian that Odin has withdrawn his army from Nemeth and its lands. He also forgives Mithian for her betrayal, saying she had no choice and that he would have done the same if it was his father.
After Mithian and Rodor leave for home, Gwen tells Arthur she is proud of how he handled the situation. Arthur replies that Merlin should get some of the credit, as it turns out he's "not entirely stupid", but tells Gwen not to say a word of his compliment to Merlin, as he'll never hear the end of it.
In Gaius' chambers, Gaius is pleased by the outcome of their misadventure, but Merlin is worried about Morgana's growing powers. Gaius reminds him that Morgana is not yet his equal, but when Merlin questions what will happen if that day should come, Gaius can only reply that they must hope it doesn't.
Cast
Main Cast
- Colin Morgan as Merlin
- Bradley James as Arthur Pendragon
- Angel Coulby as Guinevere Pendragon
- Katie McGrath as Morgana Pendragon
- Richard Wilson as Gaius
Recurring Cast
- Rupert Young as Sir Leon
- Eoin Macken as Sir Gwaine
- Adetomiwa Edun as Sir Elyan
- Tom Hopper as Sir Percival
- Fintan McKeown as King Odin
- Janet Montgomery as Princess Mithian
Guest Cast
Continuity
- This episode marks the first appearance of Morgana's alter ego, Hilda.
- This episode marks the second and final appearance of King Odin.
- This episode marks the second and final appearance of Princess Mithian.
- Morgana and Odin target Nemeth because of its alliance with Camelot.
- Morgana uses Odin's grudge against Arthur to forge an alliance with him against Camelot.
- When questioning Arthur about his motives for helping Rodor, Gwen mentions that Odin is responsible for Uther's death.
- Gaius uses magic to heal Merlin after he is critically wounded by Morgana. This is the final time that Gaius uses magic in the series.
- Merlin convinces Arthur to spare Odin's life rather than kill him in revenge.
- Arthur and Odin negotiate a truce between their kingdoms, putting an end to their long-running feud.
- As part of this truce, Odin agrees to restore Rodor to the throne of Nemeth.
Release & Reception
- Another's Sorrow premiered on October 27, 2012 - 8.20pm on BBC One and BBC One HD. 6.86 million viewers.
Trivia
- Mordred does not appear in this episode.
- Arthur to Merlin: "Here I am. Two legs, two arms, my own teeth." - a reference to the fans' reaction to Bradley James getting his teeth fixed.
Gallery
To view the Another's Sorrow gallery, click here.
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Transcript
See Also
- Characters: Odin, Mithian, Rodor, Hilda
- Locations: Nemeth, King Loath's Tomb, Forest of Gedref, Guest Chambers
- Creatures: Raven, Horse
- Magic: Ageing Spell, Heat Spell, Wind Spells, Healing Spells, Earthquake Spell
- Objects: Sword
- Events: Duel between Arthur and Odin