The Dragon's Call

RECAP AND THOUGHTS

The Dragon Call

Season 1 Episode 1

My own background: So the first time I saw Merlin, it was the first episode. First time I just walked into the living-room and my mother was watching it. Her and my niece went on and on about just how great this show was. It made me skeptical. Despite that my mother has some good taste in television, we still don't always see eye to eye. As my Niece is 12, and watches mostly Disney channel shows, I also felt like I couldn't take her word.

So when I walked into the living-room and saw it on, I watched like five minutes of the episode, and was like, okay, that's good enough. Arthur and Merlin should NOT be the same age. Arthur did NOT grow up with Uther at Camelot. Magic is NOT outlawed. I was not okay with it. I am most familiar with T.H. White's and James Knowles' versions of the story, so I can't claim to be any expert, as I don't know many other versions...but I at least know that much.

It took maybe two weeks for me to think to myself, hmmm, I wonder what happens in that episode. It started to get to me. So I was like...okay, I'll give this one more go.

Thankfully I did, because it is now one of my favorite TV shows. :) You just have to get over the discrepancies in the story. It's legend anyway, why not have fun with it? Being a history teacher, I felt that they were doing an injustice...but they aren't. Promise.

NOW TO THE SHOW: Okay, so once I turned my Netflix to Merlin, episode one, I watched as Merlin walked up the hill. Colin Morgan was...ehh..nothing special (which I think is funny now, as he may be one of my favorite actors). He sees the castle, which I definitely didn't think was real (it is...it is in France, and I want to go. Anyone, roadtrip???) It's beautiful.

He shows up to a wizard being sentenced to death. Now, speaking historically, I have conceded that even though in all the legends, no one EVER says anything about magic being outlawed...in reality, during this time period...it probably would have been, and I bet many people would have been put to death in suspect of practicing it. So that may have been more realistic than the legend. Although...could you imagine being Merlin at that point? Destined to be the most powerful sorcerer, having to watch someone die for practicing magic. Horrible.

So we see Uther. And I just realized where I know him from! Antony Head was ALSO a villain in a Doctor Who episode. The School Reunion episode! So when I realized that, I was like....OHhhh he is BRILLIANT. He is so good at looking evil, even when he's happy. Perfect casting. AND Richard Wilson who we are about to meet (playing Gaius) was also in Doctor Who. He was the guy in the WWII episode, in the first series. With all the creepy children and people. He was the doctor who tried to help them but then became like them. Cool.

Sorry for the sidetrack, NOW WE'RE BACK: Merlin finds his way to Gaius, who I have never heard of in the Legends, which makes me think he will die before the end of the final series. :( Merlin saves his life, being awesome, and somehow slowing down time? I guess? Or he can just slow things in his perspective? And moving a bed for Gaius to land on. So already Merlin is a hero.

But Gaius knows Merlin used magic, and seems a bit annoyed at him. But he wants to know how Merlin learned how to do magic, and finds it weird that he was "born" that way. He says "that's impossible." (Yet later when we meet Mordrid...who is also magical, seems pretty powerful...very young...If he were not with the druids, would he not have developed powers so early? So I am still confused about this bit.) Gaius later tests Merlin and tricks him to do magic, finding out that it's very instinctual for Merlin, who doesn't need spells to move or stop objects. We find out that Merlin's mother sent Merlin to Gaius to help take care of him. She is obviously scared about what will happen to Merlin. She is hoping that Gaius can guide him, teach him, and help him find a purpose for his gifts.

Merlin helps Gaius out for a bit, but then gets into some trouble.

He sees a poor servant boy being bullied by a guy trying to impress his friends. He is throwing knives at the target he is forcing the servant to carry on his back. He's making him run back and forth to make it challenging. The guy's friends laugh as he bullies the poor servant. Merlin steps in. So Merlin meets Arthur.



"Hey! Come on, that's enough."

"What!?"

"You've had your fun my friend."

"Do I know you?"

"I'm Merlin."

"So I don't know you."

"No."

"Yet you called me 'friend'"

"That was my mistake."

"Yes, I think so"

"Yeah, I never had a 'friend' who could be such an ass."

Arthur doesn't like being challenged by Merlin, and gets Merlin to throw a punch at him. It's not until Arthur has Merlin restrained that he finds out that it is the one and only Prince Arthur that he attacked. He is thrown in the dungeon. Gaius is able to get him out, but only under one condition; he must spend some time in the stocks. (see picture above :) )This is when Merlin meets Guinevere, or Gwen. Guinevere is funny and a bit awkward, which I think makes her funnier. The two seem to get on right away.

Merlin delivers medicine to the Lady Helen. He discovers a voodoo like doll, and is starting to suspect that she is up to no good...hmmmm....probably true since we saw her transform in the beginning of the episode from the mother of the executed wizard to Lady Helen...but ah well...good Merlin knows now.

Merlin tries to dodge out of trouble when he spots Prince Arthur again roaming the streets, but Arthur, being a little show-off in front of his friends, decides to pick on Merlin.

One thing I love about Merlin is that, he tried to do the good thing of not saying anything, but he doesn't just take it when Arthur picks on him. He picks right back.

"Look, I told you, you were an ass. I just didn't realize you were a royal one." Then Arthur looks exasperated to his men, "Oh...what are you going to do? Got your daddy's men to protect you?"

They arm themselves to fight and Arthur says, "I warn you, I've been trained to kill since birth."

Merlin comes back with "Well how long have you been training to be a prat?"

Arthur shakes his head and says, "You can't address me like that." He seems to have a hard time believing that Merlin has the nerve.

Merlin laughs and says, "Sorry, how long have you been training to be a prat, MY LORD." Arthur does look amused, but then starts swinging.

This leads into yet another brawl. Merlin does use some magic, and nearly wins when Gaius turns up. Gaius distracts him and Arthur, who for some reason didn't realize that Merlin was using magic (I mean come on, his irises flash!), hits Merlin a few times. He is about to be arrested then again, but Arthur actually prevents it.

"Wait, let him go. He may be an idiot, but he's a brave one. There's something about you, Merlin. I cannot quite put my finger on it..."

Cute. I don't know what it is, but automatically, I love the two. Arthur's a jerk, but there's something about him too. Something about both of them. They work well on the screen together. It's one of those times that you can just kiss the casting directors because they figured out how to put two people with excellent chemistry on set together.

Gaius gets very angry at Merlin for using magic in front of everyone. Merlin has a (teenage-like) meltdown. This is part of the five minutes that I actually watched with my mother. I did not care for it. He seemed whiney. I couldn't stand the whiney-ness. I taught in a middle school for five years, the last thing I need is to hear kids whine on my TV. He questions Gaius why he's magical, and he gets fed up when Gaius is unable to tell him. How should he know Merlin? Oh well. Kids will be kids. But wait...Merlin is like twenty. So now it's just annoying again. No wonder I stopped watching this after five minutes.

For the third time in the show Merlin hear's his voice being called out. He sneaks out in the middle of the night to go follow the voice. That seems like a good idea.

He distracts the guards, (which I think is funny, because they never show him distracting guards again to get to this place. Does he do the same thing EVERY time? They've got to catch on). But anyway, he goes down to the REALLY creepy staircase/tunnel following the creepy voice calling to him. He makes it all the way done to an empty cavern, and maniacal laughter. But then...oh la la...the dragon appears.

Now I didn't think about this much at first, but I really am impressed with the CGI on the dragon. I wasn't that impressed until i saw the Merlin movie (different story, different cast, and it sucked). It was made like a year before this, and their dragons were LAME. And that was a MOVIE! Also, compared to some doctor who monsters....the dragon really is...quite awesome. Good job CGI peeps on Merlin.

So Merlin starts talking to the dragon who, guess what!, knows why Merlin was born with his gifts, and knows his destiny. Merlin isn't going to like it.

"Arthur is the once and future king who will unite the land of Albion."

"Right..."

"But he faces many threats from friend and foe alike."

"I don't see what this has to do with me..."

"EVERYTHING.Without you, Arthur will never succeed. Without you, there will be no Albion.""No. No, you've got this wrong."
"There is no right or wrong, only what is, and what isn't."
"But I'm serious! If anyone wants to go kill him, they can go ahead. In fact, I'll give them a hand."
(The Great Dragon laughs)
"None of us can choose our destiny, Merlin. And none of us can escape it."
"No. No way. No. No, there must be another Arthur, because this one's an idiot."
"Perhaps it's your destiny to change that."

Oh snap. Merlin's got a destiny now. I wish a big ol dragon could come down and tell me mine. That would have made choosing a major in college a lot easier.

Another fun line comes right after,

"Oy! Have you seen the state of this room!?" Gaius says walking in Merlin's room in the morning.

Merlin shrugs and says, "It just happens."

Gaius says, "What? By magic?"

"Yeah."

"Well you can clean it up, without using magic."

Awww such a father/son bond already.

We get our first mention that Morgana suffers from night-terrors. Morgana, I didn't mention at first. I dont think her part in this episode is really significant. She is the King's ward, who tends to disagree with the king. Merlin has to deliver her some medicine for her NIGHT-TERRORS, and she starts undressing thinking he's Guinevere (her servant). It's funny and cute. Poor Merlin doesn't know what to do with himself. Guinevere comes in and Merlin is able to sneak out of the room.

Then Lady Helen kills a poor servant girl. Aww. That sucks.

Then, the big feast at the end. Everyone gathers around to hear the Lady Helen sing. Arthur spies Morgana across the room, and is drawn to her (DUDE! She is your half-sister! Okay, he doesn't know that yet, but it REALLY puts a new spin on these first few episodes). Merlin and Guinevere share a few funny moments again, where she is totally awkward. She definitely has a tiny crush on him, which is funny, as we all know who she will eventually become.

Lady Helen eventually starts to sing. And EVERYONE starts falling asleep! Ahh! Some how...Merlin realizes this before ANYONE else, and somehow is the ONLY person smart enough to cover his ears. Oh well...don't be that critical of the show. But he does notice. He sees her aim her knife at Arthur, and looks up, magically cuts the chandelier down off the ceiling, and it collapses on her. Everyone starts waking up. Ew where did all the cobwebs come from?

The witch gets up, throws the knife anyway, and Merlin, being awesome pulls Arthur out of the way.

He just saved Arthur's life. Uther is ecstatic, and wants to give Merlin something, "quite special". He is awarded a position in the royal house, as Prince Arthur's man-servant. Both Merlin and Arthur do NOT seem very pleased by this announcement. HILARIOUS.

Merlin meets up with Giaus back at his place. Gaius is proud of Merlin, saying that they have finally found a purpose for his magic. Merlin looks more exasperated than pleased by this, probably realizing it's true. Then Gaius gives Merlin the Book of Spells. Which is cool. Now Merlin can learn to do other things. Sweet.

So that's my entire recap on episode one. They won't all be this long, but as this is the pilot, I feel like it was one of the more important episodes. The ones I don't like as much will probably be super short.




Enjoy the magic!!!

<3


References:

All the writing, not in quotes, is my own.

Some quotes are from:

http://www.merlintvshow.com/page/EP01+The+Dragon%27s+Call

And the images are originally from here:

http://merlin.wikia.com/wiki/Category:Images_from_The_Dragon's_Call

(Although I tweaked them).

Thanks!