Merlin
Episode Seven: “The Gates of Avalon”
BBC One, Saturday 1 November 2008, 7.30PM
Written by Ben Vanstone
Directed by Jeremy Webb
Warning: this review contains some spoilers. If you’d rather not know what the story is going to include, bookmark this page and read it after viewing.
Arthur’s chivalry leads to danger when, while out hunting, he comes to the rescue of a frankly rather soppy damsel in distress, Sophia (Holliday Grainger), and her father, Aulfric (Kenneth Cranham). When Sophia uses more than just her feminine charms to take control of Arthur’s heart, however, it becomes clear that Morgana’s dream predicting Arthur’s death at the hand of a young woman could be coming true—when Merlin discovers that the guests are willing to sacrifice Arthur’s soul in order to open the gateway to the mythical realm of Avalon and so regain their immortality.
So, sadly, once again characters start ignoring basic common sense—for example, by offering unconditional hospitality to a pair of sorcerer-styled strangers (with their crystal-headed staffs covered in mystical carvings—bit of a giveaway, surely). Arthur again gets a chance to show off his physical prowess, while Merlin faces up to another magical opponent and actually gets some overt “blasting the opposition to dust” action. Oh, there are also some revelations about a key character (in this case, Morgana’s developing powers of prophesy), and plenty of opportunity for Tony Head to be boorish. And, thankfully, no sign of that damned dragon. So far, so so.
The episode also maliciously plays with some of the traditional Arthurian iconography; in this occasion the Lady in the Lake, although there’s still no sign of the magical sword, except briefly in the title sequence. This is both interesting and frustrating, as the writers are clearly determined to play with both knowledgeable and unknowing viewers. That said, the scene at the lake , with computer-generated inhabitants of Avalon, is the genuine highlight of the episode—although it’s a bit of plot-driven nonsense that the overlooking Merlin isn’t seen by such supposedly supernatural beings.
The ultimate problem with the episode is, as ever, with the script. Time and again the atmosphere is ruined by a jarring excess of modern day colloquialisms, while some of the dialogue—such as the argument between Morgana and Sophia—is pure cliché. Sadly, past the half way mark on its first (and who knows, perhaps only) season, and Merlin‘s formulaic nature is becoming all too obvious and less easy to forgive.