- “I can see but one path, sir. I am to enter the realm of the Fisher King and find the golden trident spoken of in the legends of the Fallen Kings.”
- — Arthur to Uther
The Eye of the Phoenix is the eighth episode of the third series of Merlin. It was first broadcast on the 30th of October 2010.
It marks the second appearance and departure of Gwaine, and Morgana's second attempt on Arthur's life.
Synopsis
Arthur embarks on a solitary quest to the Perilous Lands to retrieve the Fisher King's Golden Trident and prove himself worthy of the throne of Camelot, as the fantasy drama continues.
Beyond the protection of the citadel, Morgana sees an opportunity to use her magic and gives him a precious bracelet containing a Phoenix Eye. She insists he wears it at all times for protection, but instead it saps him of his life force and he is left defenseless in the Fisher King's perilous realm.
With the help of Gwaine, an old ally, can Merlin reach him in time and fulfill his own quest to protect the future King of Camelot?
Plot
Merlin dresses Arthur in a white ceremonial cloak before Arthur then enters the main hall by moonlight. He kneels before the throne and closes his eyes while Merlin watches through a crack in the door. He explains to a passing Gwen that Arthur is transcending his body so that a quest is revealed to him in a vision. The quest he chooses will prove whether he is worthy to be king.
Merlin falls asleep from watching him all night, and when he is abruptly woken, Arthur informs the court of the quest that he has chosen: He is to enter the realm of the Fisher King and bring back his Golden Trident, alone and unaided.
Later, while eating dinner, Gaius explains to Merlin that the Fisher King was a sorcerer who was wounded in battle. The wound became infected, and the infection spread not only through him, but his kingdom as well. The kingdom became a wasteland (renamed the Perilous Lands' by northerners), and still is. There are legends that the Fisher King was kept from death by his magic and still inhabits his castle, and few who have visited the Lands have returned.
Morgana is later met in the town by Morgause (in disguise as an old beggar woman) and tells her of Arthur's chosen quest. Morgause then gives her a bracelet and tells her to give it to Arthur just before he leaves. The gift will cause Arthur to die, and Morgana will take her place as heir to the throne.
Morgana activates the Phoenix Eye.
As Morgause leaves, her true face is seen in a mirror by Gwen. She immediately checks on Morgana, since Morgause was responsible for kidnapping her, but then grows confused when Morgana pretends that Morgause was nothing but a poor beggar woman.
Later, when Arthur leaves on his quest, Merlin sees the bracelet on Arthur's wrist and learns that it was a gift from Morgana. He and Gaius later discover that the bracelet contains a Phoenix Eye, a crystal that consumes the life force of anyone it comes in contact with. If worn for too long, the wearer will die. Merlin then sets out to help Arthur, and to fetch a friend along the way.
That night, Morgana performs an enchantment and Arthur's bracelet begins to glow and consume his life force. However, Gwen interrupts Morgana's ritual and is confused by her curt manner. The next morning, Arthur fights off bandits with much less energy and skill than he usually does.
Meanwhile, Merlin enters a tavern in search of Gwaine. The pair flee from a group demanding money while Merlin explains Arthur's predicament. They make it to their horses and ride for the Perilous Lands.
Arthur continues on his journey and arrives at a bridge. There he is met by the bridge keeper, Grettir. Grettir names him Courage and informs him he will need 'strength' and 'magic' if he is to complete his quest. Grettir, having spotted the bracelet, pokes fun at it, but does not tell Arthur its true purpose.
Merlin and Gwaine arrive at the bridge later in the day. While Gwaine scouts around, Merlin approaches the bridge directly and is called "Magic" by Grettir, who informs him that his presence is essential to Arthur's quest. Gwaine then appears and is called "Strength" by Grettir, who announces that the trio is complete and waves them on their way.
Back in Camelot, Morgana gives Gwen the night off as an apology for shouting at her. When she is certain Gwen is gone, Morgana repeats the ritual from the night before, causing Arthur to faint while crossing a vast wasteland.
Unbeknownst to Morgana, her use of magic is seen by Gwen, who hid in her chambers to spy on her. Horrified, Gwen rushes to tell Gaius what she's seen and he confirms her suspicions that Morgana has changed since her return and no longer means well for any of them.
Meanwhile, Merlin and Gwaine set up camp in the wastelands and try to distract each other from the eerie cries of an unknown creature. Merlin tells Gwaine he can turn back if he wants, but Gwaine chooses to stay because he wants to help a friend. He then clarifies that he means Merlin, not Arthur, and jokingly states that Merlin is his only friend.
The next day, Arthur regains consciousness and continues his journey across the wasteland. As he reaches the castle (closely followed by Merlin and Gwaine), he is attacked by Wyverns and barricades himself in the tower. As he prepares to fight off the creatures, the bracelet activates and begins draining his life for again, causing him to collapse.
Merlin grants the Fisher King his long-awaited death.
Fortunately, Merlin finds Arthur and uses his Dragonlord powers to order the Wyverns away. He then removes the bracelet from Arthur's wrist before it can drain his life force entirely.
Arthur regains consciousness a moment later and is enraged to see Merlin and Gwaine, as he is meant to complete his quest alone. However, he allows them to help him search the castle for the Trident.
The friends spot the throne room, and as Merlin begins to enter, he sets off a trap that causes the door to close shut behind him, leaving Merlin trapped inside. While Gwaine and Arthur try to figure out how to open the door, Merlin is greeted by the old and weary Fisher King, who explains that Albion's time of need is near and he'd need all the help he can get to save her.
The King gives Merlin a glass vial filled with water from the Lake of Avalon and tells him that it'll be of aid in the dark times ahead. He then asks Merlin for a gift in return: an end to his suffering. With the King's permission, Merlin places the phoenix eye bracelet on the his wrist, granting him the death he desires.
A moment later, Gwaine and Arthur enter the throne room and Arthur is pleased to find the Trident. The trio then return to Camelot, though Gwaine must stop at the border because of his exile and Arthur orders Merlin to hang back so it will look like he completed his quest alone.
Back at the citadel, Arthur presents the Trident to the court and Uther tells him that he has proven himself worthy of the throne.
Later, Merlin shows Gaius the vial the Fisher King gave him. Gaius realises its significance and puts forth his concerns on Morgana and her intentions. The episode ends with Merlin staring at the vial.
Cast
Main Cast
- Colin Morgan as Merlin
- Bradley James as Arthur Pendragon
- Angel Coulby as Gwen
- Katie McGrath as Morgana
- Richard Wilson as Gaius
- Anthony Head as Uther Pendragon
Recurring Cast
- Emilia Fox as Morgause
- Eoin Macken as Gwaine
Guest Cast
- Warwick Davis as Grettir
- Donald Sumpter as the Fisher King
- Ian Peck as Althild
Continuity
- This episode marks the second appearance of Gwaine.
- This episode marks Morgana's second attempt on Arthur's life.
- Merlin finds Gwaine in a tavern in Mercia, the kingdom he was planning to explore when he left Camelot.
- Gwaine agrees to help Arthur as a favor to Merlin, who he states his only friend.
- Gwen witnesses Morgana using magic and learns her true intentions towards Arthur and Camelot.
- Merlin discovers he can use his Dragonlord powers on Wyverns, distant cousins of Dragons.
- According to the Fisher King, Arthur, Gwaine, and Merlin (Courage, Strength, and Magic, respectively) were destined to come to the Perilous Lands so Merlin could end his suffering.
- The Fisher King warns Merlin that Albion's time of need is near and gives him the Avalon Vial to help him in that dark hour.
- Unable to return to Camelot due to his exile, Gwaine decides to travel south.
Release & Reception
- Air date : 30 October. 6.92 million viewers.
Behind the Scenes
- The Dark Tower that appears in this episode intentionally bears a resemblance to Saruman's Tower of Isengard in The Lord of the Rings, as confirmed by producer Julian Murphy. (SFX.com, 02nd December 2010)
- The Wyvern were entirely generated in computer graphics by The Mill. Sketches can be seen at Merlin Hypnoweb.
- Emilia Fox revealed that the process necessary to turn her into Morgause's old witch disguise took up to four hours. Although the results were "phenomenal", the experience was "terryfing", for it gave her "an unfortunate view of the future". (Female First – 30 october 2010) [1]
Trivia
- Merlin's horse is missing its left eye.
- Bradley James enjoyed filming the scenes of Arthur's solitary quest.[1]
- The Fisher King's Tower is labeled as the Dark Tower on Arthur's map. It shares this name with another tower that appears in series 5 (The Dark Tower).
Gallery
 |
To view the The Eye of the Phoenix gallery, click here.
|
Transcript
See Also
- Characters: Gwaine, Grettir, Fisher King
- Locations: Mercia, Perilous Lands, Fisher King's Tower
- Creatures: Wyvern
- Magic: Glamour, Fire Spells, Poppet Enchantments, Dragonlord Magic
- Objects: Golden Trident, Phoenix Eye, Avalon Vial, Poppet
- Events: Quest Ritual, Heir's Quest
References
| Series 3 |
|---|
| The Tears of Uther Pendragon • Goblin's Gold • Gwaine • The Crystal Cave • The Changeling • The Castle of Fyrien • The Eye of the Phoenix • Love in the Time of Dragons • Queen of Hearts • The Sorcerer's Shadow • The Coming of Arthur Interactive quest: The Quest for Morgana Mini-episode: Merlin in Need special |