TV Series Review: Merlin

Merlin takes set in a Camelot that is substantially different from the one depicted in other King Arthur stories. Merlin is young and unskilled in this fantasy tale, King Uther Pendragon is a ruler, practising magic is a crime punishable by death, and Prince Arthur is a pampered bully. Also, there will be no profanity and the romance is there but not focused, yet there will be plenty of adventure with dark magic, swords, daggers, and other medieval weapons.

Derived from the myth and roots story

Everyone knows how the conventional King Arthur and Excalibur myth ends, but the characters’ younger days are rarely discussed. How Merlin and Arthur met, how close they were, what kinds of things they went through, no one knew how to answer that. That’s why this masterpiece is made. Colin Morgan depicts Merlin as bewildered and at first a bit smug with very little emotional range, while Bradley James is so successful at making Arthur a terribly arrogant high-born that it’s difficult to picture him becoming a better person. We can actually see Merlin’s progress at becoming wiser and more powerful in each season, and let me tell you, it feels like watching your son grow up to be a remarkable person, it just makes you proud.

King Arthur’s depiction in this fantasy is as realistic as it gets. We don’t automatically see him as mighty, wise, and magnificent like the legend says he is. In this tv series, Merlin depicted as spoiled kid, with a rich father, whom more often than not; is a bully and entitled to everything. We also see him grow as a person, who learns to appreciate people, be fair, and kind to all his people, not judging by their status. It also makes you feel like a proud mother.

Dragoon The Great, and the mid-tier CGIs

More often than not, the image of Merlin, had already set in stone; as a fabled old man with a beard. And even though we see the young version of Merlin in this series; we also get to see the old guy version of him too. So that we wouldn’t be too curious as to what he looks like if he’s older and full of beard. He’s funny, and witty, kind of a trickster really.

The love triangle between Arthur, Guinevere, and Lancelot is there but seldom appear; and that’s a good thing because we watch Merlin for the magic and adventure. You know that urge you get to swing a stick and cast spells after watching Harry Potter? Achieving the same urge after watching Merlin as well, except without the sticks. You will not regret watching Merlin, no matter how bad the CGI is, you’re gonna enjoy it.