DVD/TV Series Review: Merlin: The Complete Series

 

Merlin is a show that aired on the BBC for five seasons from 2880 to 2012. The show starred Colin Morgan, Bradley James, Angel Coulby, Katie McGrath, Anthony Head, Richard Wilson, and John Hurt. It provided an original take on the Arthurian legend. Namely, all the main characters, Arthur, Gwen, Morgana, Merlin, and the knights that would end up a part of the Knights of the Round Table, were all contemporaries and growing up and coming of age at the same time. The show did manage to use twists to show old wisened Merlin, but for the most part he, along with the other characters, was young throughout the series. Most of the cast was made up of young, and, at least at the time, relatively unknown actors and actresses such as Angel Coulby, Colin Morgan, Bradley James, and Katie McGrath, who would as most know, go on to play Lena Luthor in Supergirl after Merlin ended. The rest of the main cast was rounded out with veteran actors like Richard Wilson, John Hurt (in a voice role), and Anthony Head, who looked like he had barely aged since the end of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

In the early seasons, the show is really a story-of-the-week, and really almost a magic-event or magic-user of the week playing on the fact that magic had been outlawed in Camelot by King Uthur (played by Head), and anyone caught using it would be put to death. As the show went on, the series really used the larger theme of the good-versus-evil battle that would occur at the end of the series, with weekly tangential stories mixed in here and there. It is mostly a family show but does get darker over the course of the five seasons, so it is probably not something that very young children should watch. There is really no nudity or swearing in the show, but a couple of instances of sexual innuendo and then fairly tame kissing.

The complete series set is just a packaging of the individual seasons on DVD, with all the same extras that were included in the original release. There is a bonus disc that I think was probably original to the set that has more features like commentary tracks on a couple of the season five episodes, and a road-trip with Colin Morgan and Bradley James as they traveled around England to areas tied to the Arthurian legend. Luckily the show came out on DVD before the studios started skimping on extras, so if you like bonus content, this has a lot of it.

Overall, the series is very good. I think it finds its legs during the second and especially the third season and stays strong until the end. The acting and writing consistently improve over the course of the series, and as an added bonus, fans of Game of Thrones will recognize more than one guest star. It is definitely worth checking out.

DVD/TV Series Review: Merlin Season 5

 

The 13-episode fifth and final season of Merlin aired during the fall and winter of 2021. It picks up after a three-year time jump from the end of season four. Arthur is fully in his role as King of Camelot after Uthur's death in the previous season. This season also sees the return of Mordred, who was recast with an older actor to account for all the time jumps the series has taken. Many of the 13 episodes revolve around Merlin being wary of Mordred and circling back to the warning that Merlin was given by the dragon in season 1 that he would bring about Arthur's doom. That, and of course, a final battle between Camelot and Morgana's forces.

I will not go into too much detail to avoid spoiling it for people who have not seen the final season, but the show manages to tie up various loose ends while actually changing up character arcs and storylines quite a bit. We are also treated to "Old Merlin" again, with Colin Morgan doing a great job with that character, among others. We also get an appearance from Anthony Head to reprise his role as Uthur in a unique way.

The DVD set is a four-disc set. The extras include commentary tracks on select episodes, then some behind-the-scenes material, deleted scenes, storyboard sequences, and a gag reel, all on the last disc. One thing you may run into is that the episode numbers on the final two discs may be incorrect. In my set, disc 3 is labeled that episodes 9-12 are on that, and episode 13 is on the final disc, whereas in reality, episodes 9-11 are on disc 3, and the final two episodes are on the last disc. Also, in some of the episodes, the frame rate is a bit off so the characters will look like they are moving in slow motion for a few seconds before it corrects. For people who are huge on AV quality, it could be irritating, but I did not find that it lessened my viewing experience.

Overall, the series comes to a good conclusion. It definitely ended in a way that I did not expect, but I was pleased with the ending. I do think that all the actors continued being stronger with their performances, even as the show got darker over the course of the series. It is definitely worth checking out, whether you stream it or get the physical discs.

DVD/TV Series Review: Merlin Season 4

 

The 13-episode fourth season of Merlin aired during the fall and winter of 2011. It picks up after another time jump from the battle at the end of season four, which outed Morgana as full-on evil, trying to take over Camelot. Arthur is essentially running the kingdom because Uthur is almost catatonic with grief. I will not say too much about the storylines of the season to avoid spoiling things for the few who may not have seen it, but it boils down to Arthur moving closer to his destiny, Merlin's secret becoming less of a secret, and Morgana continuing to scheme a takeover of Camelot. We also see the show's take on some of the more iconic Arthurian moments, such as the sword in the stone and more "old" Merlin.

The DVD set is a four-disc set. The extras are not as extensive as in the first three seasons. There are commentary tracks for select episodes, and then on the final disc, there is a 19-minute making-of feature, a gag reel, storyboard sequences, fan pictures, and about 21 minutes of deleted scenes. There is no separate disc with extras, as had been the case in the prior seasons. So, while there are not as many extras, what was included was good and worth checking out for those who like the bonus material.

Overall, the show remains quality in the fourth season. All the younger actors continue to develop into the roles and seem to feel more comfortable in them. There is some cast turnover this year with some roles being reduced and others expanded. Katie McGrath is really a standout this season playing evil, remorseless Morgana very well. And Bradley James does a great job shedding the arrogant "bro" version of Arthur from season one into the noble ruler the character becomes. It is still a family show, with the same level of violence as in prior seasons, and really no sexual situations (beyond kissing) to speak of.

DVD/TV Series Review: Merlin Season 3

 

The 13-episode third season of Merlin aired during the fall and winter of 2010. It picks up a year after the events of season two, with Morgana missing and the knights sent out time after time to search for her. Of course, she turns up eventually and comes back to the court fully in league with Morgause and only Merlin, suspecting what she is up to. The season is mostly a show of the week format with a storyline set for the particular episode, with the larger arc of will Morgana be revealed as being evil. I will not say too much more to avoid spoiling anything, but I will say that we do see more of the iconic elements of the Arthurian legend over the course of the season and setting up for Arthur's ascension to the throne.

All of the main cast, including Colin Morgan, Bradley James, Anthony Head, Katie McGrath, Richard Wilson, and Angel Coulby, return. The younger actors are all growing into their roles, and that, along with the writing/storylines getting darker, makes this season even more enjoyable and "adult" than the first two seasons were.

The DVD set is a five-disc set. The extras are similar to what was included for the releases of the first two seasons. On the episode discs, there are commentary tracks for some, but not all, of the episodes. Then, there is a bonus disc that has a 23-minute behind-the-scenes feature, a 39-minute portion of the 2010 comic-con panel, a gag reel, some wallpapers, and a picture gallery—a good amount for those who like watching the extras.

Overall, if you liked seasons 1 and 2, you will likely be a fan of this season. If you were not a big fan of the first two seasons of the show, this one probably will not convert you. But, if you were kind of lukewarm to the first couple of seasons, this is worth checking out because the characters are developed now, and the storylines are getting stronger.

DVD/TV Series Review: Merlin Season 2

 

The 13-episode second season of Merlin aired during the fall and winter of 2009. The season really continues to develop the characters and develop the relationships between Arthur, Merlin, Gwen, and Morgana. We also find out more about Uthur's manipulations of not only Arthur, but Morgana as well, and we see the events that start to turn Morgana into the evil sorceress she will eventually become. Toward the end of the season, we get a bit more insight into Merlin's background, and the show definitely sets up possible storylines going forward.

The DVD set is a five-disc set, which is getting harder to find at a reasonable price now they are going out of print. The extras include commentary tracks on select episodes, then a separate disc of bonus material contains a photo gallery and about a half-hour of making-of and behind-the-scenes material for the season as a whole, and then the episodes of the "behind the magic" series, which gives about a 13-15 minute behind the scenes look at each individual episode of the season, so almost three-hours worth of material there. So, for those who like bonus material on the physical discs, you get a lot of good material.

Overall, in the second season, the show is still getting its footing and finding its tone. The actors' performances (meaning the young actors who were still relatively inexperienced at the time) are getting stronger, and the storylines get stronger and darker. If you liked or loved the first season, then chances are you will like this one. Conversely, if you were not a big fan of the first season, then chances are this one is not going to convert you. It is definitely worth checking out.

DVD/TV Series Review: Merlin Season 1

 

Merlin is an action/drama/fantasy series that aired for five seasons on BBC. The 13-episode first season aired during the fall and winter of 2008. It starred Colin Morgan, Bradley James, Katie McGrath, Angel Coulby, Richard Wilson, Anthony Stewart Head, Santiago Cabrera, and John Hurt. It is an alternate (and unique) telling of the Camelot story, this time telling the story with the main characters, Arthur (Bradley James), Merlin (Colin Morgan), Morgana (Katie McGrath), and Gwenevere (Angel Coulby) as twenty-somethings, far removed (mostly) from who they ultimately become. This also removes Arthur as a peasant who becomes King by proving himself worthy of the storyline. In this version, he is the prince of Camelot, the son of King Uther (played by Anthony Stewart Head, who will always be known as Giles from Buffy the Vampire Slayer). Uther is a tyrant who has banned magic from the kingdom and kills anyone caught using it. Merlin is the servant to Arthur and assistant to the court's physician, Gaius (Richard Wilson). He is also guided by a dragon (voiced by John Hurt), whom Uther keeps chained up under the castle.

Even though the story does not follow the other versions out there, and the cast is mostly unknown younger actors and actresses, it is a very good telling of the story. The first season does a lot of character development, introduces some of the more important elements (Excalibur) and characters (like Lancelot), and does a good job blending story-of-the-week episodes with a larger story arc. Anthony Head plays a great Uther who is kind of a bad guy, certainly not a compassionate ruler, but more complex a character than he seems to be. Merlin is far from the wise wizard he will become, and Arthur is kind of an arrogant jerk who becomes more virtuous throughout the season. Morgana is not the sorceress she will become, and Gwenevere is her servant.

The DVD set is a five-disc set. The A/V quality is okay but not great. The special effects fall in the same category. The show had a different kind of budget than say, Game of Thrones, so the CGI looks like it is CGI and not as blended in as shows and movies with larger budgets to work with. The extras include commentary tracks on some episodes, usually with the director and a member or two of the cast. Those are on the "regular" discs, and then there is a final bonus disc with about two hours worth of behind-the-scenes, cast video diaries, production still photos, and more. A ton of good material for those who like going through the bonus features.

Overall, it is a well-written and acted series. Unless you are really tied to one version of the story, I think you will find this enjoyable if you enjoy the Middle Ages mixed with magic kinds of stories. I definitely recommend it.