NOTE: This is the second part of a large review, you can view the second part by clicking here. It took me a long time, when I was younger, to catch this second part of Merlin. This was mostly due to cable being wildly expensive, and a thing that my family couldn't afford. At the time, however, I distinctly remember the praise the first part received and how this second part was so highly anticipated that it had been on magazine covers, though I don't think TV guide was one of them. Thankfully, a teacher had been so impressed by this series that, in high-school, I was able to watch it in whole. Because of this, I was able to experience the entire mini-series, and eventually bought the DVD myself. The second part of Merlin immediately presents watcher's with far more complicated dilemma's then the first. Now, Merlin is paired with Arthur (The King Arthur of Legend), a young boy he raised to become King and immediately cements the boy as such. Though he is raised to be good man, he inevitably falters at times, though one has to wonder - is the bulk of Arthur's problems simply because of Mab and Merlin's, increasingly petty, feud? I think so. A good deal of loose ends left in the first part come together here: Arthur's true mother had a sister, she returns here and develops an interesting relationship with Frik (who is no longer merely comic relief), Nimue's mental state slowly deteriorates as she rarely sees Merlin anymore, as he is off doing things without her, minor characters from the first part stick around, and either become obstacles to Arthur or new allies. Almost nothing is left out aside from a few things, such as the fate of the soothsayer, or the reason behind Mab placing a stone in Arthur's crib when he was a child. The latter, to me, seems like the element of a plot that might've been left on the cutting room floor - no doubt kept in because it begins Mab and Frik's relationship with Morgana. If you were to think that the inclusion of rape in the first part was shocking, this time we get incest. Yes, Morgana's ugly sister is given beauty by Mab and Frik - only to go absolutely insane immediately, and agree to take part in a plot that involves her being impregnated by Arthur. Uniquely, the writers didn't just gloss by the monstrosity of Mab's actions (or how, maybe, she'd done this in response to Merlin's part in Arthur's conception), when Arthur finds out he is genuinely disgusted, distraught, and, in my opinion, begins to understand the terrible nature of this universe's magic. Merlin, however, seems to treat the situation as if it's a nuisance rather then something that could harm his cause later on. In fact, Merlin pretty much treats all further issues in this series as if they are merely annoyances, rather then genuine threats. I'm not sure if this shows how tired the character has grown with everything, or that the other characters, and their subplots, are more interesting. A lot does happen, the rise and fall of Lancelot, the repercussions of Arthur's obsession with the Holy grail leads to his Queen (played by a young Lena Headey long before Game Of Thrones) falling for the supposedly gallant Knight, Merlin learns that he's gotten a little bitter about everything and is, indeed, a man who can make mistakes, Frik falls in love with Morgana, confronts Mab when she kills her, and becomes mortal because of it. However, the main plot here is Mab's final bid, Mordred, a insufferable super-powered nutcase who exists strictly to undermine and annoy his father. What is interesting is that Mab does develop a connection with this miserable manufactured man, and grows to love him - making his eventual and expected Death a somewhat sad moment. Merlin ends on a rather bitter-sweet note, as main characters die, and the nature of good and bad, as well as the power of belief is fully explored. Merlin himself does get a good ending with Nimue, and we end on a high note for Frik. But, a person can't help but feel that maybe nothing would've happened if Merlin simply left things be, or moved past his pride, and vengeful goals. This series brings up issues that were far ahead of it's time for fantasy films, and far outshines the storytelling of most, if not all, of them (including Peter Jackson's LoTR and the Hobbit). I'm not talking about adventure and spectacle, I'm talking about the overall questions that could be asked - what is truly good or evil? What is right and wrong? Are these characters truly just, or merely doing these things to achieve their own goals? And, what does desperation truly bring? It is these questions that Merlin leaves me with every time I watch it, and its because of this that I highly recommend you watch it. It is a highly complicated masterpiece that is, sadly, overlooked nowadays and one that desperately needs attention (and an eventual BluRay release). -L. BROOKS
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