Merlin – Series 2

Episode 8:  the Sins of the Father

Oh, Merlin viewers!  You are going to like this episode so much.  We are so jealous of you, never having seen it before, because when you watch it you’re going to be like, “And then this!  And then there was the thing!” and we remember that feeling.

Where is it written that I have to have eyebrows to be hotter than you?

So it starts off much in the vein of Nimueh episodes, with a sorcerer staring into some kind of scrying device and smiling evilly.  Only in this case, the sorcerer is Emilia Fox and she can smile as much as she wants.  Camelot’s in the middle of a knighting ceremony (don’t even bother trying to remember the knights’ faces) and it feels very much like the Black Knight episode in season 1, because a ruthless armor-clad knight comes in and kills the hell out of everyone in the way.  This time, however, the knight is not a gross zombie, it’s Emilia Fox, who’s playing a sorcerer named Morgause.  She challenges Arthur to a sword fight, and he’s like, “But boobies.  Boobies can’t have swords, it’s not right.  Surely you see my point.”

They fight, and she kicks his ass.  It’s very satisfying, even though everyone is all aghast and claiming it must be saucery.  While Merlin is soothing Arthur’s ego, Morgana goes to meet Morgause.  There’s crazy sexual tension there, but Morgana has sexual tension with just about everybody, so don’t feel too bad when you’re sitting there thinking the two women are about to start making out and then the writers cockblock you all, “Hahaha, jk, they’re half-sisters.”  I mean, Morgana, right?  Not exactly a stranger to the incest.

Anyway, as part of the sword fight bargain, Arthur agrees to meet Morgause so she can do with him what she will.  She adds a little spice to it by telling Arthur he reminds her of his mother.  Of course, Uther forbids Arthur from going and locks him in his room, but Merlin sneaks a rope in under his shirt and the two of them escape.  Along the way, they talk about their missing parents.  Ygraine apparently died before Arthur even opened his eyes, which is weird.  Was he born a puppy?  It would explain a lot.

Of course I love you sweetie. But the important thing is that your dad is a dick.

They get to Morgause’s meeting place and she has thoughtfully set out a bunch of candles and put on the Official Sorcerer’s Uniform, a torn-up red dress.  She pretends like she’s going to chop his head off, but instead she tells him she’s going to reunite him with his dead mother.  Arthur’s all about thinking magic’s good now, and Merlin’s excited, but then Ygraine shows up and She.  Is.  Pissed.  We suppose we would be too if our husband had gotten us magically pregnant and then dead, blamed it on magic, and executed hundreds of people in our name.

Finding out the circumstances of his birth leads Arthur to rush off and kill Uther, with Merlin running along in his wake all “WAIT.  GODDAMMIT, YOU CAN’T KILL YOUR DAD OR I’LL HAVE TO LIE TO YOU ABOUT MAGIC AND MAKE YOU HATE IT EVEN MORE THAN BEFORE.”  Arthur and Uther get into a pretty epic showdown and Arthur’s about to seriously kill Uther’s ass, but Merlin talks him down until Arthur’s a sobbing mess and it’s all very awkward.  He’s going to need so much therapy.